Master’s Degree

MA in Historic Art and Design

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Date
Fall 2026
Duration
1+ Year
Location
New York
Program
Master’s Degree
Mode of Learning
In-Person
Language
English
Topic
Historic Art and Design
Contact Admissions

+1 212-517-3929 admissions@sia.edu

Become a connoisseur. Develop an expert understanding of the history, materials, processes, and techniques that contribute to the cultural and financial value of a work of art. 

The Historic Art and Design curriculum is based on a simple belief: the fundamental currency of the art world is objects. The Master’s program offers an in-depth exploration of connoisseurship and the integrated study of fine art, decorative art, and design, based on case studies drawn from the eighteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century. 

Issues examined include style, materials and techniques, copies and revivals, but also investigation of patterns of patronage and collecting. We seek to understand the historical and contemporary art market for a range of primarily American (including Latin American and African American) and European art and design objects. 

Students learn how to engage directly with the marketplace and gain essential skills in connoisseurship, valuation, and curation, which are necessary to study and evaluate objects.

Whether in sales, valuation, art history, or cultural institution management at museums, galleries, or auction houses—graduates of the Master’s degree program in Historic Art and Design are prepared for a range of careers and leave with an expanded professional network.   

Please note: this program was formerly known as the MA in Fine and Decorative Art and Design.

Highlights

Specialist Skills

Designed for future art-world professionals, the program prioritizes in-person examination of artworks, providing skills in attribution, valuation, material techniques, collecting patterns, and current and historical market conditions.

Experiential Learning

Teaching visits to New York collections are supplemented by international field study. Talk to art dealers, auction house experts, art historians, and critics to move beyond the theoretical.

Innovation Meets Tradition

While grounded in Western historical art and design, the program addresses contemporary issues, such as the impact of technology, sustainability, and cultural value to prepare graduates for careers in auction houses, galleries, museums, and art advisory.

Next Steps

Faculty

Program Director, MA in Historic Art and Design

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Bernard Vere specializes in art from the late-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century. His work explores the connection between technological advances and the rise of the metropolis in modernist art, particularly in its implications for the individual subject. Learn more...

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Faculty, MA in Contemporary Art, and MA in Historic Art and Design, New York

Morgan Falconer is a critic and art historian. After completing a PhD on art and culture in New York in the 1920s and 1930s, he worked as an art journalist and critic, first in London and later in New York. He has written about contemporary art for publications including "The Times (London)," "Art Journal," "The Economist," "Frieze," "The Burlington Magazine," "The Village Voice," and "Art in America." He has written catalogue essays on artists including Georg Baselitz ("Gagosian," 2019), Ugo Rondinone ("Ringier," 2018) and Alex Katz ("Hannover Kestnergesellschaft," 2011). His research interests span Postminimalism, art criticism, and the avant-garde, and his books include "Painting Beyond Pollock" (Phaidon), a history of painting after 1945, and "How to Be Avant-Garde" (W.W. Norton), a biographical exploration of modern artists’ quest to end art.

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Adjunct Faculty, MA in Art Business, New York

Carmen Melián has more than a twenty-five-year career in the international art world and  is recognized as a leading specialist in Latin American Art. Ms. Melián was the director of the Nohra Haime Gallery, one of New York’s premier galleries for Latin American Art from 1983–1994.

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Adjunct Faculty, Online and Summer Institute, New York

Emily A. Thompson has 20+ years of experience in art market research and valuation, having worked as a Fine Art Specialist and Art Advisor at Emigrant Bank Fine Art Finance and as a modern and contemporary art appraiser for the Internal Revenue Service. 

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Adjunct Faculty, MA in Historic Art and Design, New York

Evie T. Joselow PhD, is an art historian, educator and fine art appraiser who has worked in both the for profit and nonprofit sectors, including affiliations with numerous academic programs and cultural institutions. Highlights of her career include handling Fabergé eggs, and the successful restitution and recovery of Nazi looted art.

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Adjunct Faculty, MA in Luxury Business, New York and Online

Elizabeth Chase is a decorative arts and design historian, educator, and advisor with over twenty years of experience working across museums, universities, auction houses, and the private market in the U.S. and Europe.

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Featured

Field Study Visit to The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) and the Netherlands

Visit the most prestigious non-contemporary art fair in the world and talk to exhibitors there. This field study visit also gives students a chance to broaden their network by meeting the London MAHAD program and tutors. In addition to visiting TEFAF in Maastricht, students will be taught in the collections of the most prestigious Dutch museums, such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

"When I travelled to Maastricht during my studies to visit TEFAF, I was immediately sold. I knew one day I would be here." — Małgorzata Ciacek '17

(Exhibitor and winner of the J.P. Morgan Showcase Prize at TEFAF Maastricht 2024)

Details

Academic Structure

In the MA in Historic Art and Design, students analyze a range of objects dating from the 17th century to the 21st century. Students examine objects from a stylistic point of view, while also considering the wider historical, social, economic, and cultural factors which have influenced the production of these artworks. 

The program fosters a critical understanding of the concepts of “fine art,” “decorative art,” and “design,” as well as the synergies and divergences between objects across different media and periods. Much of the program is dedicated to hands-on study, with students encountering artworks in a variety of settings—at museums, art fairs, auction houses, and private and public collections.

The Master’s degree is awarded for 30 taught credits across semesters one and two, as well as the completion of a 6-credit thesis or capstone project over the course of the third semester. 

The MA in Historic Art and Design culminates in a capstone project which can take the form of a traditional, long-form academic thesis, or a more flexible Master’s Project. Students may also elect to extend their studies an additional semester and either transfer to the Institute’s campus in London or return to New York and pursue core courses in either Art Business or Contemporary Art. 

View required courses and electives in our Master’s New York Catalog here.

Tuition and Fees

Fall 2026 Entry

Tuition: $75,500

Tuition includes participation in the field study component.

For more information on scholarships, financial aid, tuition, and program fees, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Student Policies

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.

Enterprise Studio

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.

Accreditation

Sotheby’s Institute of Art-NY holds permanent degree-granting authority from the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Living in New York City

Located in the center of Manhattan, the Institute’s New York campus offers easy access to the city’s extraordinary cultural and historical resources. First-hand encounters with artwork, exhibition spaces, and the people who run them are an integral part of the learning experience and a key aspect of the program.

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