Gain specialist legal knowledge of the art trade
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
Join us online or in person to find out more about postgraduate study at York.
Upcoming eventsThe global trade in art is now a multi-billion dollar industry. In this evolving market, the need for experts to negotiate, analyse and understand the art world is ever more apparent.
Art law is an exciting and fast-developing area, tackling issues surrounding the legal treatment of fine art and cultural heritage. Our LLM in Art Law is a unique collaborative and interdisciplinary course, co-taught by academic specialists from York Law School and the Department of History of Art.
You'll gain a deep understanding of the complex legal, social and ethical issues in the art world and learn essential skills of analysis and negotiation. A wide range of networking opportunities and masterclasses - in addition to a compulsory field trip - means you'll gain practical, in-depth knowledge of the field, invaluable for careers in the trade or further academic study.
This course is led by York Law School.
Gain a unique, interdisciplinary perspective with the only art law course in the country taught across Law and History of Art
for Law according to the Complete University Guide 2024
for research impact, according to the Times Higher Education's ranking of the latest Research Excellence Framework (2021)
The LLM Art Law will provide you with a comprehensive appreciation of the complexities of art law, regardless of whether you have an existing legal or art history background.
The course consists of:
There is also a compulsory field trip as part of the course, which will demonstrate some of the realities of working in the industry.
You will study one option module from the Department of History of Art. This module will allow you to consider your chosen topic from both a legal and art historical point of view, as well as build up your specific-subject knowledge.
In previous years, options have covered topics such as:
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
You'll write a 15,000 word dissertation on an art law topic of your choice, under the supervision of a member of staff from either York Law School or the Department of History of Art. You'll prepare your dissertation proposal during the 'Research Skills and Methods' module.
There is wide flexibility in choosing your topic and you're encouraged to make the most of the interdisciplinary nature of the course.
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £14,540 | £28,500 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Field trips are currently funded by the Law School.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
The LLM Art Law uses a number of teaching methods, including problem-based learning (PBL). PBL provides you with the opportunity to work both individually and collaboratively (in a student law firm) on a variety of real-life simulations.
These simulations will enable you to experience the multi-faceted nature of art law disputes. The process of working through each case will help you to develop a broad range of legal and research skills, including:
Additionally, you will have opportunities to develop your presentation and oral skills in debates and reading group sessions.
York Law School is located on Campus East. Nearly all of your teaching will take place within the Law building or nearby on Campus East.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
Different modules use different types of assessment to provide variety and develop different transferable skills. These include presentations, posters, participation in seminars, client advice, coursework and your dissertation.
The skills you'll gain from studying at York Law School are widely in demand in the legal sector. You'll get active support in careers and development planning, both through structured sessions and workshops, and individual advice from our Employability Tutor.
We encourage you to get involved with our Careers and Development Programme. The bespoke programme includes several employers, providing an insight into the legal profession and the relevant recruitment processes. There is also help available for those of you who are thinking about non-legal employers or academic routes following your LLM.
Although most graduates from York Law School choose to enter legal fields, others have gone on to gain employment in sectors such as:
Graduates from the Department of History of Art benefit from excellent relationships with numerous museums and galleries and work in a wide-range of careers including:
Finally, the research skills you'll develop are an excellent foundation for further research. Many of our successful LLM graduates have gone on to pursue PhD studies, both at York and elsewhere.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent in Law, History of Art or another subject. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
You will need to submit an example of written work with your application. Please see our guidance on submitting written work.
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 459-494, with 426-458 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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