Sotheby's Institute of Art: MA in Fine & Decorative Art

  England

• London: 
London

Description: This programme is taught from the perspective of an art expert rather than an academic art historian. It is based on the curriculum developed by Sotheby's some forty years ago to train professionals for the auction house. Unique in concept and practice, today's coursework, like the original, stresses connoisseurship, fostering intimate knowledge of artworks as well as practical skills. It has always been taught by specialists, art professionals, curators and scholars, with an object-based, and often object-specific approach that enhances learning and develops expertise regarding the aesthetic and technical merits of a work of art.

Case studies in Old Master paintings, modern art, furniture and ceramics from the Renaissance to the present day form the core curriculum, along with the development of professional skills for attributing and cataloguing works of art, culminating in the House Sale Project, which closely mirrors the auction house environment.

The defining characteristic of this programme is its frequent and regular visits to museums and galleries, Sotheby's auction house and country house collections for first-hand observation and handling of art objects. The visual and hands-on approach, supported by a thorough grounding in materials and techniques, gives a firm foundation for postgraduate research, connoisseurship and the excitement of unravelling the material culture of the past.

Highlights:
* Old Master paintings and connoisseurship
* Modern art and collecting
* Ceramics and trade
* Furniture and interiors
* Cataloguing and professional practice
* Techniques and materials
* The historical art market
* Country house studies

Degree Level: Masters Degree

Minimum Education: Bachelors

Cost in US$: 40,000

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to England Independently

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Resume
• Transcript
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is 2 weeks

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Job and Internship Network

Sotheby's Institute of Art - London's Mission Statement: For forty years, Sotheby's Institute of Art has been preparing students for distinguished careers in the international art world. Today, Sotheby's Institute of Art comprises academic centres in London, New York, and Singapore. Its international focus reflects a commitment to interactive hands-on education that draws creatively upon the resources of important art centres worldwide. The Institute's core faculty includes scholars and renowned practitioners in the art world including experts from Sotheby's auction house. Together, these professionals are committed to providing each student with the appropriate knowledge to achieve professional career success.

Year Founded: 1968