Applications are currently closed for Gap Year programs as we are making changes to our programs to deliver the very best for our future student community. Should you like to express your interest, please reach out to us at gap@sia.edu.
Built around the unrivaled access of Sotheby’s Institute of Art, the Gap program invites curious students to explore London and the art world. Offered as 6-week and 12-week terms, the program is ideal for students who are passionate about the wider arts and want to embark on a journey of self-discovery and cultural immersion.
This program introduces students to a world of creativity, culture, business, and opportunity in the heart of London: a historic, cosmopolitan and thriving capital city. Designed for students aged 18-21, the program provides unique opportunities for students to broaden their perspectives, meet new people, develop an intimate understanding of the art world, and discover their place within it. Explore additional collegiate options including Study Abroad and the Summer Program in London.
Email gap@sia.edu to register your interest and be the first to hear about updates to the program.
Visit London’s major cultural venues like the British Museum, Tate Modern, the Historic Royal Palaces and Barbican Centre.
Dinners with special guests. Past hosts have included authors, art critics, a Savile Row tailor, senior staff at Sotheby’s auction house, art historians, the Director of Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and an independent film maker.
Invitations to gallery and exhibition openings, special parties, private views, book launches and other events.
Side trips to explore iconic destinations, depending on which session(s) you choose.
Each year, students on the Gap Year program take London by storm as they explore the city and embark on a journey of self-discovery and cultural immersion. We caught up with Ara Davis and Torah Hudson to delve deeper into their unique experiences at Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
Our London Institute is situated in the heart of Bloomsbury, in the historic Bedford Square with the British Museum in the neighboring square. Sotheby’s auction house, the National Gallery, and the Royal Academy of Arts are a short walk away, as are iconic Central London neighborhoods of Soho, Oxford Circus, Regents Street, Covent Gardens, and Mayfair, the traditional center of the London art market where many dealers and galleries are located.
Housing is included in the cost of tuition. Your accommodation lies in Zones 1-2, which cover London’s iconic neighborhoods and the heart of the larger metropolis. All Sotheby’s Institute students will be housed in cohorts in no more than two residences within the same neighbourhood. There may be other students within those residences, but Sotheby’s Institute of Art students will be housed together. Students take a cookery class in their first week, which introduces them to basic cookery skills and London’s historic markets and other places to source food.
The Gap experience goes beyond London as students explore Europe and the wonders of the UK. In each 6-week term, students will travel to a UK destination or a European capital city. From historic architecture to world-famous museums and galleries, these trips will introduce students to rich legacies that have been deeply influential in defining Western cultural tradition, while immersing them in new worlds of art, history, fashion, and cuisine. Past destinations include Edinburgh, Venice, and Paris.
Contact our admissions team at gap@sia.edu to register your interest and be the first to hear about updates to the program.