Welcome to a new way to study for art professionals and art enthusiasts
PLEASE NOTE: Registration is open through Wednesday, 30 March.
For over forty years, Sotheby’s Institute of Art has been the premier provider of postgraduate programmes for students seeking a career in the international art world. Graduates gain the knowledge and credentials for success in today’s worldwide art markets and cultural institutions. Now you can access Sotheby's Institute of Art's curriculum Online. Our Online courses are fully interactive and give students access to lectures, texts, images and videos, in a discussion-driven seminar format. Click on one of our courses below to learn more.
Art as an Alternative Investment:
Making Intelligent, Data-Driven Decisions
Part I: 28 March - 22 April; Part II: 2 May - 27 May
Tuition Fee: $995 / £639 / €767 * for each of the two parts
Among seasoned investors, fine art is generally acknowledged to possess features which make it a particularly attractive alternative asset class...
But What’s It Worth?
Understanding Trends in the Art Market
March 28 - May 27 2011 | Tuition Fee: $1995 / £1281 / €1537 *
It is a common misconception that the art market is a lottery in which prices behave in an arbitrary and unpredictable manner. This course develops the economic principles and basic statistical tools...
Art Across Borders:
Understanding International Law in Art Business
March 28 - May 27 2011 | Tuition Fee: $1995 / £1281 / €1537 *
Art business operates in a global environment. As the law is an essential tool for the successful conduct of the market, this course examines ways in which art businesses are legally....
Writing for the Art World:
How to Make Your Voice Matter
Four two-week sessions beginning March 28, 2011
Tuition Fee: $499 per module (minimum two modules) *
Designed as a practical introduction to various aspects of professional art writing, this course develops transferable skills that students will be able to apply to future careers in the art world.....
How to Navigate New Works and New Markets:
Introduction to Contemporary Art
Part I: 28 March - 22 April; Part II: 2 May - 27 May
$995 / £639 / €767 * for each of the two parts
Where is contemporary art heading in the coming decade? In the past fifty years contemporary art has grown to be one of the most exciting and crowded fields in New York's cultural life...
Inside the New York Art World:
How Contemporary Art Gets Made, Shown, and Sold
March 28 - May 27 2011 | Tuition Fee: $1995 / £1281 / €1537 *
This course will provide an inside look into the New York art world from a variety of perspectives. It will feature recorded conversations with artists, art dealers, critics, curators, auctioneers, and collectors...
Introduction to Art History:
The Movements that Mattered
March 28 - May 27 2011 | Tuition Fee: $1995 / £1281 / €1537 *
Instead of approaching art history as a flurry of dates and names to remember, this series dives deeply into single moments - and using key objects as a means to understanding the progression of styles in Western Art...
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is Sotheby's Institute Online?
A: Sotheby's Institute Online is a new venue developed by Sotheby's Institute of Art to provide an opportunity for people all over the world to take courses at their own convenience. Connecting through the Internet, students receive instruction, ask questions of their instructors and each other, discuss issues, and actively participate in their classes – all from their own homes or offices at times of their own choosing.
Q: What is online interaction like?
A: Participating in an Online course is intellectually challenging and personally rewarding. Each time you attend class (at your convenience, by Internet connection through your home or office computer) you find a discussion in progress. The instructor provides lectures and offers resources, gives assignments, assesses your progress and gives feedback, in class or privately by email. Fellow students (no more than 20 in any class section) discuss topics by posting comments, questions and observations just as in a traditional classroom. Your responses and contributions become a part of the ongoing interaction.
The Online system provides an environment very much like that of a traditional university. There is a library; there is an auditorium for public events; social spaces are available for extracurricular discussions or just getting to know each other; there is even a bookstore. All the Sotheby's Institute of Art administrative offices such as admissions, advice, registration, bursar, and financial aid support the online courses. Instructors are available for private conversations during regular office hours (posted online) as well as by e-mail.
Q: What about the technology?
A: Sotheby's Institute Online courses are traditional university courses – the method of instruction is the only major difference. Learning through computer conferencing is not complicated or difficult. You work independently as you read, write, and think about the subject you are studying. You log on frequently (at least three to five times each week) to be "in class." Because you can be in class at your convenience, not bound by the constraints of a weekly class meeting, full-semester courses can be completed in as little as eight weeks.
Our Online learning system is easy to find on the Internet through Sotheby's Institute of Art's website. Once you've established your connection, just point your browser to the address we'll provide you just before your classes begin. Our system supports Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari, and is optimized for the iPad. You will need to log in with the username and password with which h you'll be provided before classes begin. Students are responsible for obtaining and maintaining Internet connectivity and appropriate hardware and software.
The most exciting aspect of Sotheby's Institute Online is that, while a course is online, you can be in class any time, day or night. You attend lectures, interact with teachers and other students, participate in discussions, ask and answer questions, and have access to a wide range of programs, services and events, all via computer, from your home or office. The simple preparation for participating in an online course is taught in a free, fully-online student orientation that begins the Wednesday before each session. While enrolled in an Online course, you'll also have access to telephone technical support from 12.00pm to 00.00 (noon to midnight) GMT.
Q: Do I need to apply for admission to Sotheby's Institute of Art?
A: No. These are non-credit, open enrollment courses. Simply follow the registration instructions on the website at www.sothebysinstitute.com
Q: Will I need any special training to participate?
A: If you can use a simple word processor and are familiar with email, you will not find it difficult to participate in the Online course environment. Further, we are offering a special Online Student Orientation for several days before the classes begin; you will get more information about this with your login instructions. The OSO operates the same way as the class will, so you will have the opportunity to become familiar with the technology and the dynamics of Online teaching and learning – and to "meet" your fellow students – before the class starts.
Q: How do I register?
A: Simply go to the Sotheby's Institute Online website at and click on "Register Now" for the course(s) you choose. You will be guided through the simple enrollment and payment processes, and upon completion of these you will receive a confirmation email from our system.
Please note that payment in full is required at the time of registration. All course tuition is billed in US dollars; your financial institution may charge a fee for conversion to your local currency. These non-credit courses are not eligible for state or federal financial aid, though you may seek professional development support from your employer. Furthermore, in the United States, fees paid for professional development are deductible from your personal income taxes to the extent permitted by current law.
Register early! The class you want may fill or, on the other hand, be cancelled for low enrollment.
If a course is cancelled for low enrollment or for any other reason, your payment will be credited in full to the account to which it was originally charged. Cancellation decisions will be finalized on March 25th; please allow up to six weeks for the credit to appear on your statement.
Q: How do I drop out of a course?
A: If you find that you need to drop out of a course, you will be able to do so within three business days of the course's start date. Your tuition fee will be refunded in full, although we will not reimburse for any currency conversion fees charged by your credit-card issuer.
