Next intake: October 2012

In this section:

Athanassios Kaissis, Professor of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
Member of the governing board, International Hellenic University is responsible for the overall supervision of the MA in Art, Law & Economy.

The Master of Arts (MA) in Art, Law and Economy aims at exploring and highlighting the functional interdependence between art, law and the economy. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the legal, financial and political considerations and the corresponding regulatory approaches implemented in Europe and elsewhere concerning the creation of works of art, the art trade, the operation of the markets concerned, the function of intellectual property law at the EU and international level, the protection of cultural heritage and protection against unlawfully acquired works of art.

The programme adopts a multi-disciplinary approach and is addressed to graduates of various academic backgrounds, including law, economics, political science, history of art, philosophy, etc., who wish to specialize in the interrelation between art, law and the economy.

We aim at providing candidates with:

• the specialized legal, financial and cultural background to pursue a successful career in academia and research, private organisations that commercialise works of art, museums, art collections, law firms practicing in the field or public sector organizations involved in the management, legal protection, re-claiming and supporting works of art;
• legal and financial expertise on the operation and management of art markets (including sales of works of art, art portfolio management, art auctions etc.);
• in-depth knowledge on the national and international legal framework on national heritage, monument preservation, art loans or archaeology laws;
• intellectual property law expertise within a globalized art market;
• insights on those fields of law (constitutional, civil, penal etc.) affecting the legal protection of works of art.

1. The Core Courses

First semester

• Cultural property regulation and national and international heritage legislation. International protection of cultural property
• UNESCO and culture. The artist and his work. Artists' rights. Multimedia
• Artwork Transactions - Legal aspects of international trade in art (dealers, museums, collectors, collection as investment property, auctions, auction houses)

Second Semester

• Settlement of disputes concerning cultural objects
• Copyright Law (national - international)
• Arts management

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2. The Elective Courses

The programme offers a choice of electives which represent a rich variety of subject areas. Participants choose two of the following modules (one in each semester):

• International protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict
• Competition Law and intellectual property rights. Technology and intellectual property
• WIPO Copyright Treaty. WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
• Legal problems of architecture design, photography and other artifacts (especially in digital form - multimedia)
• Theft and robbery of Art - Bona fide acquisition of stolen art - Repatriation - Restitution and return of looted Art
• The Greek claim for the return of the Parthenon Marbles

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3. The Master’s Dissertation

In the third semester, students choose a dissertation topic relevant to the courses of the MA in Art, Law and Economy programme. The topic is chosen by the student with input and advice from a faculty member, who acts as the supervisor, working closely with the student. The dissertation is an individual 10,000-word paper of original scientific work, which upon completion is submitted for examination and approval by a three-member committee chaired by the student's supervisor.

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4. The Timetable

The duration of the programme is three semesters; the first two are taught and the third is dedicated to the Master’s dissertation.

Courses are taught over a long weekend twice a month except April, August and December. Classes start on Friday at 12 midday and finish on Sunday at 4 pm. The same programme may be offered in a six-semester part-time study mode.

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5. Master's Degree

In order to be awarded the MA degree, students must complete a total of 90 credits.

This involves taking:

• First semester:
  • Three core (24 credits) and
  • one elective (6 credits) modules.
• Second semester:
  • Three core (24 credits) and
  • one elective (6 credits) modules.
• Third semester:
  • Master’s Dissertation (30 credits)

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