Art Market Appraisal (Professional Practice) MA

Facts about Art Market Appraisal (Professional Practice)

Qualification	MA
Duration	Full time: 1 year; Part time: 2 years
Attendance	Full time: 2 days per week Part time: 1 day per week
Assessment	Essays; seminar papers and presentations; case studies; major research-based project or dissertation; and a conference paper that you will present at the Annual Masters Conference.
Course structure

Choose Kingston's Art Market Appraisal MA

If you are interested in developing a career in the arts market, particularly in the appraisal of both fine and decorative arts and other artefacts, this exciting new course is ideal. It offers a unique mix of academic tuition and exposure to London's huge and dynamic art market. Accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the course leads to entry to the RICS as probationary member.

What will you study?

With an emphasis on understanding how the art market functions, you will be introduced to a wide range of businesses, collections and professionals. You will also study the economic and legal context within which professional practice is grounded, and gain the ability to apply techniques related to the evaluation of objects in a practice environment. There will be the opportunity for you to develop your knowledge of particular specialist areas of the art market, which might include anything from antiquities to cutting-edge contemporary art.

Where this course will take you

This course can help enhance your career. Learn more about the types of career path this course can lead to.
Find out more...

Course structure

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list. Those listed here may also be a mixture of core and optional modules.

Core modules

Art and Law
Professional Practice
Professional Practice

This module provides the professional context for the whole programme. You will:
- develop your understanding of the nature of and the complex inter-relationships between the commercial and public arts markets;
- learn the fundamentals of economic theory and appraisal and investment techniques that underlie valuations of assets, including the use of IT and apply these to identified objects; and
- develop business skills, organisational knowledge and professional conduct and ethics.
You learn through lectures, IT workshops and seminars. Assessment is by:
- a 3,000 word case study;
- two seminar papers; and
- an IT workshop.
The Arts Market
The Arts Market

This module provides a deep understanding of:
- the history of decorative, fine and applied arts;
- how patterns of trading, dealership and marketing have affected this history; and
- the relationship between the cultural values and economic values.
On completion of the module, you will be able to demonstrate:
- developing connoisseurship of fine and decorative arts; and
- the ability to research and present a specific case-study of relevant issues.
You learn through a series of lectures, seminars and visits. Assessment is by seminar presentations and a 4,000 word essay.
Materialising Histories I : Images, Objects & Environments

Research modules

Conference Paper
Conference Paper

This half module provides students with the opportunity to devise and deliver an original piece of research in open forum and thereby helps them to extend the ethos of research culture into their subsequent professional work, and to encourage continuing professional development and life-long learning. The module requires them to develop an aspect of their dissertation or master's project (as applicable) into a short conference paper and presentation and to deliver this. Assessment is of both the written paper and the oral presentation.
Dissertation
Dissertation

This double module is designed to ensure that students can produce a substantial, original body of authoritative work by engaging in both primary and secondary research at masters level. It enables them to achieve a comprehensive understanding and application of the key issues of the subject selected and aims to develop in students a commitment to research and understanding of its likely role in their future careers. Students are supported by tutorials and assessment is by a written dissertation.
Research Concepts for the Arts Appraiser
Research Concepts for the Arts Appraiser

This introductory half-module teaches a critical knowledge of the concept and theory of various research methodologies, appropriate to arts market appraisal.

We will encourage you to conduct research via secondary sources, within a guided choice subject area. A series of workshops and seminars will prepare you for the assessment, which comprises a literature review of issues relevant to your studies.
Research Proposal for Dissertation
Research Proposal for Dissertation

This module aims to provide students with practice of devising an original primary research strategy for a specific research project, appropriate to satisfying the course objectives. In so doing it ensures that they explore and critically evaluate primary research methodology and proposals by requiring them to prepare a well developed research proposal which will be preparatory to undertaking their dissertation or master's project. In preparing the proposal students are supported by workshops, seminars and tutorials.

Option modules

Critical Practice Portfolio
Critical Practice Portfolio

This module can be taken instead of the Arts Market module if you have a minimum of 3 years of relevant practice experience