A first of its kind program, this innovative MA is designed for a new generation of artists looking for the entrepreneurial acumen that is necessary today to build a sustainable creative practice and professional life in the arts.

The new program merges studio practice from Claremont Graduate University’s Master of Fine Art (MFA)  program with coursework from the Art Business, MA  program.  Courses include those in the business, markets, history and theory of art, as well as core courses in finance, accounting, law, and marketing. Students maintain a fine art practice while learning broadly transferable business and management principles and techniques. In contrast to a conventional MFA, candidates for this degree pursue an entrepreneurship sequence, capped by the Startup Studio—a course in which creative initiatives are pitched to panels of artists, arts professionals, business leaders, and entrepreneurs from the Los Angeles community.

Understanding the culture of the studio, and the kind of work, planning, and management required to engage in ambitious artistic projects, either at large scale or over long periods of time, is more necessary today than at any time before.

For admission requirements, see the Admission  section of this Bulletin.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts in Art Business and Fine Art requires 48 units of coursework which includes common core courses considered necessary for Sotheby’s Institute students, irrespective of their concentration as well as electives according to the student’s preferred career path.

Master’s Project. All students are required to complete a capstone Master’s Project, which is normally the result of the Critical Entrepreneurship and Startup Studio sequence of courses. Proposals for Master’s Projects must be approved by the program. Master’s Projects take the shape of plans for ventures, initiatives, or businesses and are presented publicly at the end of the final semester to panels of arts professionals and investors.

Art Business on Site. All students are expected to participate in field study travel in their first two semesters within the program.