MA in Art Business was the first program of its kind and our innovative curriculum continues to set the industry standard today. This MA offers a unique opportunity to study the art market right at the hub of the cultural and commercial art world: London. It provides students with an academic but highly practical understanding of those areas considered most important by art world professionals and employers: finance and management; law and ethics; and global art market dynamics. The MA in Art Business provides students with the necessary theories and skills to enable them to develop both a critical and practical understanding of art business. Students are also equipped with the necessary mathematical skills to enable them to engage in sophisticated financial analysis and business planning. Graduates of this program will thus emerge with the ability to place the art object within both its aesthetic and commercial context, and to discuss the legal and ethical implications of its historical provenance and current location. Download the Master’s prospectus.
Experiential learning Visits and international study trips are significant learning events, with the travel, seeing the art in situ and informal access to tutors serving to intensify the experience.
Unique and specific projects Curating, cataloging, marketing, and selling an art exhibition in St Ives art colony, Cornwall with Alicia Livingstone Gallery, and an optional semester three project allowing the opportunity to work with emerging artists.
Renowned and inspiring speakers Previous speakers have included Sebastian Fahey (Managing Director for Sotheby’s Europe, Middle East and Asia); Anna Kuznetsova (MAAB alumna and Managing Director of A-Conscious Tech Dutch Art Investment Fund); Tot Taylor (Art Collector/Dealer and Former Curator of Riflemaker Contemporary Art, Soho); Kami Gahiga (MAAB alumna and African Art Advisor); and Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo (Italian Contemporary Art Collector, Foundation Director and Philanthropist).
Exposure to innovative techniques Gamification of art valuation strategies in collaboration with ArtTactic Forecaster for training students.
Privileged access to the Art World Privileged networking opportunities throughout the year with art world players including dealers, auction specialists, collectors, artists, art advisors, investors, art logisticians and art insurers.
Program Director, MA Art Business, London
David Bellingham is an art historian, author and Programme Director for the Masters Degree in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London where he leads a core unit on The International Art World, Law and Ethics, as well as electives on The Market for Antiquities & Old Masters and Ethics, Law & the Art Trade. Learn more...
Read MoreDeputy Program Director, MA Art Business, London
Dr Melanie Fasche is a Social Scientist. She is a Senior Lecturer and the Deputy Program Director of the MA in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art London. In the programme Melanie leads the core unit Art Business: Finance and Management and the elective Art Patronage Today.
Read MoreFaculty, MA Art Business, Semester Art and Business, London
Marina Maximova is an art and cultural historian. Before joining Sotheby’s Institute of Art as a Lecturer in Art Business she taught in Loughborough University School of Art. Learn more...
Read MoreCourse Leader, London
Alice Farren-Bradley is a specialist in contested cultural heritage and art law as well as a Lecturer in Cultural Heritage Crime at Cranfield University. She is currently completing a PhD at Newcastle University, where her research investigates the legal and art-market implications of cultural property protection during armed conflict.
Read MoreSenior Lecturer in Art Market Studies, Head of Learning Innovation
Oliver’s teaching and research specialisms centre on the sociology of the artistic field, twentieth century British artworlds, critical and aesthetic theory, visual culture, curatorial practice, cultural policy, and political economy.
Read MoreFaculty, MA Art Business, London
Liza is a specialist in Nazi-era provenance research, restitution issues, and wider contested cultural heritage. She lectures in Markets, Laws, and Ethics on the MA Art Business programme at Sotheby’s Institute of Art-London. Liza holds a doctorate from the University of Sussex, where she was awarded the Alfred Bader PhD Scholarship in Modern Jewish History and Culture.
Read MoreFaculty, MA Art Business, London
Vittoria Mastrandrea is an academic and researcher in the fields of art law, art business, and heritage studies. She recently completed her PhD in the law department of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); her research examined the legal, cultural and theoretical implications of ‘national treasure’ designation and retention in the UK. Vittoria is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales. She holds an LLB from the University of Kent and an MSc in Art, Law and Business from the University of Glasgow/Christie’s Education.
Read MoreField study is a hallmark of the Master’s programs, taking graduate students to key art-world locations in the UK and Europe to explore established and emerging markets during key events and with an itinerary ranging from art fairs to visits to artist studios and private collections. Past field trips for MA in Art Business have included St Ives, Cornwall, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, Scotland.
London’s art world is second to none with its multicultural dynamic with alpha galleries in both public and private sectors as well as the presence of top artists and collectors from all over the world. Campus is based in the central hub of this cultural nexus with the British Museum and National Gallery only minutes’ walk away. Commercial art gallery clusters lie in the more upmarket areas of Fitzrovia and Mayfair to the west and the more cutting edge urban arty Shoreditch and Hackney to the east.
MA in Art Business students come from all parts of the world enabling immediate global networking with one another which often develop into future career partnerships. The program prepares graduates for a wide range of art world careers in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors from enterprise and art finance to a variety of leadership roles within established art world businesses.
The Master’s degree is awarded for 120 taught credits across two semesters, as well as the completion of a 60-credit dissertation over the course of an additional semester. The first two semesters are intensively taught on three to four days per week. All students attend lectures, usually followed by a one-hour seminar. After seminars, students have access to tutors for individual instruction. In the first semester, Art Futures (15 Credits) brings students from different MAs together for an exploration of the art world of the future, with particular emphasis on technology, sustainability, inclusion and the politics of cultural property (restitution). In Professional Practice (15 credits) students are introduced to professional art world skills and career options and to a variety of research methodologies within the field of art business. During the program, specialist electives can be chosen from across all Institute Master’s programs, allowing a student to build a personalized Master’s profile. Students take two 15-credit electives across a variety of offerings for deeper expertise or to develop specialties. Core units (60 credits) for the Art Business degree include Art Business: Management and
Finance and International Art World.
For the MA degree, students must complete the 60-credit dissertation in their third semester. During this final semester there is no formal teaching, with students researching their dissertation topics under the guidance of individual supervisors.
SEPTEMBER 2025 ENTRY: September 2025 – October 2026
Note: Fees are subject to annual review
Home*
Total Programme Fee: £31,600 (includes deposit of £3,000.00) plus travel fee (see below)
International
Total Programme Fee: £40,769 (includes deposit of £3,000) plus travel fee (see below)
*Circumstances that may entitle you to a “home” fee status include:
Travel Fee: £3,900
Travel fees are mandatory. They cover all mandatory study trips outside of London, including transportation from the departure hub (airport or train station) to the destination, and all transportation, entry tickets and 3 or 4 star accommodation at the destination during the trip. Where the accommodation includes breakfast, this is covered by the fee. Otherwise all expenses for meals and other costs are the responsibility of the student.
From visa information for international students to course credits, find answers on our FAQ page. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, contact an Admissions counselor.
Explore our library of academic and campus policies here. All students who enroll for graduate study must agree to the Terms and Conditions upon accepting their offer of admittance.
Download the Master’s degree prospectus for an in-depth look at the curriculum and what to expect this academic year.
The Enterprise Studio was created as an extra-curricular program for Master’s students to receive training and support for new business ventures, culminating in a start-up pitch competition, the Gavel. Through close access to mentors, students have the chance to shape their plans from ideation to execution with the winning Gavel team receiving significant seed funding for their future business.