Art Business MA

Why choose this course?

This Art Business MA degree draws on a high standard of interdisciplinary academic and practical teaching by recognised scholars. It also offers insights from art market professionals, both those with long-standing careers and those who are rising entrepreneurs of the millennial generation. In short, the curriculum balances skills training with academic rigor, as well as core business and legal concepts with industry-specific knowledge in order to reflect the diverse professional landscape students might wish to enter. Students benefit from frequent field trips to art business enterprises and partnership projects with industry. The course is delivered in partnership with the Kingston Business School. This unique partnership enables students to benefit as much from state-of-the-art business expertise and campus facilities as from the creative context of the Kingston School of Art. This partnership has allowed the establishment of real-life projects with partners such as CREDIT and others.

What you will study

You will benefit from a systematic approach to understanding the core functions of the art market across different periods and mediums, from pre-modern markets to today, allowing you to cater your studies to your individual interests. The History of the Art Market focuses your understanding of past and present art business practices and changes to the art market over the past 400 years. Object Analysis & Appraisal asks what an object is and which values it contains, also incorporating questions of cultural heritage and globalisation. It focuses on art valuation and appraisal through lively workshops and seminar sessions with both teaching staff, art market professionals as well as examination of study collections. The Business and Art module, delivered by Kingston Business School, is designed to open a dialogue between art and commerce; blending these dual imperatives so as to fulfil and sustain personal passions and the aesthetic, while building sustainable revenue streams and investment. It also provides art law basics for operating in the art business environment.

Teaching and assessment

The course is assessed through a mix of academic essays, seminar papers and presentations, case studies, and a major research-based project or dissertation. There are no written exams, but a focus on coursework only. Assessment typically comprises exams (eg test or exam), practical (eg presentations, performance) and coursework (eg essays, reports, self-assessment, portfolios, dissertation).

After you graduate

Our students come from all corners of the world and often take the learning of the course back to their own countries. Graduates from the Art Business MA course set up galleries and online platforms, manage collections and advise collectors, work for auction houses or galleries. More and more students set up their own companies or expand their current businesses. Through our engagement with the RICS we have a large number of students taking up work in auction houses, insurances or as independent valuers.