At the heart of Drouot, dive into the art market
Are you passionate about art history and never miss an exhibition? Does the art market fascinate you, and do you want to understand its subtleties? Want to develop skills that apply directly in this ever-changing world? The Professional Bachelor in Art Market Consulting is made for you.
Explore the hidden treasures of artworks and art objects, develop unique expertise, promote artistic creations, support collectors and institutions, start a business in the art field, or design exhibitions… So many exciting assignments that you can learn to master thanks to our total immersion at the heart of the art market.
By working daily with the Hôtel Drouot and other recognized professionals across the entire artwork valuation chain, and benefiting from a teaching approach based on real projects while building your network, you will turn your passion into a realistic, rewarding, and recognized career plan.
Appraisal, trading, exhibition, collection management… you will acquire all the skills essential to running projects in the art market sector.
Key Information About the Bachelor
| Program | Professional Bachelor in Art Market Consulting |
|---|---|
| Duration | 9 months + 2 to 6 months of possible internship(s) |
| Start of the Academic Year | October |
| Certification | RNCP title No. 39220 - level 6 "Sales Manager for Artworks and Art Objects" |
| 2027-2028 Fees | €10,800; €150 in tuition-related fees |
Why Choose the Professional Bachelor in Art Market - Drouot Formation?
Learn in Direct Contact with Artworks
The program relies on visits, studies of artworks, and observation time in the environment of the Hôtel Drouot. Learners develop their eye, their analytical method, and their concrete understanding of the market.
Benefit from the Drouot Formation Environment
Drouot Formation lets you study the art market up close to auction rooms, artworks, experts, and industry professionals. This immersion helps you understand the market’s codes, practices, and demands.
Carry Out an Exhibition Project
Project-based learning plays a central role. Learners may work on organizing an exhibition project that draws on appraisal, scenography, communication, budget, and coordination.
Train with Industry Professionals
Teaching is provided by professors, speakers, and expert professionals: gallery owners, exhibition curators, art market specialists, and players in the artwork value chain.
Get Support in a Personalized Setting
Small class sizes encourage follow-up, discussion, and individual support. Learners can receive regular feedback on their progress and their career plan.
What Is Drouot Formation?
Classes are split between a theoretical part and a mostly practical part, directly within the Hôtel Drouot. This proximity to the Hôtel Drouot auction house lets students be in direct contact with the works and thus acquire real expertise.
This program is a real experience where you will dive straight behind the scenes of the most renowned auction rooms.
What Are the Goals of This Program?
The educational objectives of this program are to enable the learner, by the end of the program, to:
- Give the student a general view of how works have evolved and have them analyze the evolution of artworks and art objects by period and type of production (painting, drawing, furniture, decorative arts).
- Acquire the practical skills of artwork appraisal, such as mastery of research tools, the ability to identify and authenticate artworks, showcase them, or even estimate their value in a negotiation.
- Write a catalog entry covering the specific characteristics of a work (technical, historical, stylistic) that allow the work to be showcased in a market context.
- Master the art market sector by analyzing the specifics of each profession and studying the interactions between its players that underpin the practices and evolution of this market.
- Master the regulatory, legal, and tax data that secure the sale of an artwork or art object and its transport under the conditions required by preventive conservation rules.
- Develop your professional project in the art market sector, taking into account the sector’s evolution and the digital innovations that are changing how sales, communication, and marketing are done.
What Skills Are Developed?
The Artwork and Art Object Sales Officer title aims at the acquisition of the following skills:
- Appraise artworks and art objects
- Organize the exhibition and transport of artworks and art objects.
- Sell artworks and art objects
- Promote sales and exhibitions of artworks and art objects
What is the program?
UE1 - Administration & Management of Artworks
- Introduction to Excel
- Exhibition Budget and Exhibition Funding
- Status and contracts of artists and curators
- Copyright & Rights Holders
- Law on the Transaction of Artworks and Art Objects
- Management & Taxation of Artworks
UE2 - Audience Development and Marketing
- Communication Strategy
- Promote sales and exhibitions of artworks and art objects
- DTP
- Media Kit
- Sales Strategy for Artworks or Art Objects
- Web & Social Media Workshop
- Art Market Study
UE3 - Organizing an Exhibition
- Designing an Exhibition
- Exhibition Catalog
- Exhibition curation
- Protection and Insurance of Artworks
- Transport of Artworks
- Exhibition Management
- Scenography
- NFTs, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality: Exhibiting and Selling
UE4 - Aesthetics and Expertise of Artworks and Art Objects
- Overall Approach and Expertise in Artworks and Art Objects
- Technical Analysis of Artworks and Art Objects
- Writing the Documentation of an Artwork
- Estimating the Value of an Artwork
- Building a Collection of Artworks and Art Objects
Assessment in the Art Market Bachelor:
Assessment linked to the professional certification of the RNCP title 39220:
This program prepares students for the level 6 title "Artworks and Art Objects Marketing Officer", registered with the RNCP. The certification is based on the validation of four skill blocks, each assessed through concrete professional simulations and expected deliverables.
Expertise in Artworks and Art Objects
Professional simulations
Case studies
Organizing the Exhibition and the Transport of Artworks
Professional simulations
Case studies
Marketing Artworks and Art Objects
Professional simulations
Sales and Exhibition Promotion
Professional simulations
Case studies
At the end of the program, learners present a personal final project, supervised by a professional. It draws on all the skills acquired in support of a project defended before a certification jury, which includes industry professionals.
Learners with disabilities may benefit from specific adjustments to the assessment procedures, on the recommendation of the disability officer, in compliance with the certification framework.
Teaching Method
- In-class courses led by professors or professional practitioners who are experts in their field
- Professional simulations in group or individual work on real cases provided by a partner company or on representative cases. You will present your recommendations orally or in writing
- Individual coaching allowing you to take stock of your skills and professional resources
- Meetings with professionals through themed seminars, lectures, talks by alumni…
- Project-based learning, in groups or individually
- Auction Room Tours and Study of Artworks or Art Objects at the Hôtel Drouot
Open Day: December 5
Open days let you discover the campus, meet the teams, ask your questions about the program, admissions, work-study, student projects and career opportunities.
It is also an opportunity to better understand the teaching approach of IESA arts&culture and the organization of these programs.
What careers after a professional Bachelor in Art Market?
The professional Bachelor in Art Market - Drouot Formation prepares students for roles related to appraisal, sales, auctions, exhibition, and the promotion of artworks and art objects.
Gallery and Trade Artworks and Art Objects Sales Officer
Assistant / Sales Associate and Client Officer in a Gallery or Antique Shop Appraisal and Auctions Appraiser’s Assistant
Auctioneer’s Clerk
Voluntary Auction House Associate Exhibitions and Fairs Exhibition Officer
Client Officer at an Art Fair or Show
Graduates can work in galleries, auction houses, fairs, art shows, appraisal firms, private collections, institutions, cultural organizations, or organizations linked to the art market.
Our alumni share their stories
"Thanks to Drouot Formation, I carried out my plan to open an urban and contemporary art gallery in Paris. Drouot gave me the legitimacy and confidence needed for this type of project. It is a program without which I would not have embarked on the adventure, and I recommend it to everyone who loves art and objects. It was an exciting year!"
Élodie, class of 2022-2023
Certification
This master’s program prepares for the RNCP title level 6:
"Sales Manager for Artworks and Art Objects"
| Employment Rate | 75% at 6 months for students awarded the title, class of 2022 (most recent France Compétences rate - RNCP title 39220) |
|---|---|
| Certification Rate | 82.4% (Class of 2025). |
| RNCP Code | RNCP 39220 |
This title is issued by: ECAD Consultants - IESA arts&culture by decision of the Director General of France Compétences dated 06/27/2024 for a period of 3 years.
How to Apply to IESA?
Admission is based on an application file and an interview with the admissions committee
- 1. You find out about the school and its programs.
- 2. You apply to the school by filling out a form on the website.
- 3. We call you to schedule an admission interview
- 4. A few days after the interview, you receive your admissibility decision
How Much Does the Program Cost?
For the 2027-2028 year, the fees are as follows:
| Year | Tuition |
|---|---|
| Program | 10 800 € |
| Tuition fees | 150 € |
Applicants can contact the admissions team to find out about:
- payment options
- funding options
The Bachelor lasts 9 months and can be supplemented by a 2- to 6-month internship
1,127 hours
Current-year schedule: the number of hours may vary slightly from year to year.
Initial training:
Hold a level 5 certification or equivalent degree (foreign degree, etc.) or demonstrate a sufficient level in the field targeted by the certification (art, history, art history, culture, etc.)
Continuing education:
Entry with a level 4: Hold a level 4 certification, a baccalauréat, a DAEU, or an equivalent degree (foreign degree, etc.) AND demonstrate at least 24 months of professional experience in the targeted sector.
Entry with a level 5: Hold a level 5 certification or an equivalent degree (foreign degree, etc.) OR demonstrate a sufficient level in the field targeted by the certification (art, history, art history, culture, etc.) OR hold a level 5 certification or an equivalent degree (foreign degree, etc.) or demonstrate a sufficient level in another field of study/profession related to the targeted certification and demonstrate at least 12 months of experience in the targeted sector.
Specific exemptions: If the candidate does not have the required professional experience or degree, they must submit a file demonstrating their ability to earn the professional certification (VAP, employer certificate, or other evidence of professional, personal, or volunteer experience that allowed them to acquire related skills, etc.).
Admission is based on an application file and a personalized interview focused on the professional project.
Access timeframes: Admissions are open from October 2026 to September 2027 for the October 2027 intake. Applications are processed within 3 weeks maximum after receipt of the complete file. Enrollment is possible until the start date, subject to available places.
By exception, enrollment is possible after the program start date, following review and verification of the learner’s ability to catch up on the learning already delivered, within a maximum of 1 month after the start of the program.
Contact: formationspro@iesa.fr
If you do not obtain the RNCP title, please note that if you have validated all the skills of a block, that skill block is yours permanently.
Equivalences: No equivalences for this program.
Bridging paths: No bridging path for this program.
Further studies: This program awards a level 6 professional certified title and can be continued with a level 7 program such as the Bac+5 programs in art market at IESA arts&culture