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Curriculum & Fees

The Comprehensive Appraisal Studies Program has been designed to help meet the growing demand for personal property appraisers in the $63.7 billion global art market. 2017 was a record-breaking year in the art world creating a greater demand for professionally trained and qualified appraisers throughout the U.S and abroad.

Students study the theory and methodology of appraising, learn to perform valuations, and gain the knowledge and experience needed to produce appraisals that comply with industry standards. They acquire skills essential to researching and interpreting art market data in order to advise on matters concerning the valuation of fine and decorative arts and personal property for the purposes of insurance, damage and loss, conservation, estate tax, gift tax, non-cash charitable donation, equitable distribution, collateral loans, financial/estate planning, buying and selling, collecting, and preserving. 

CASP informs students about the financial, legal, and ethical implications of appraising; international art trade issues, art authenticity concerns, and practices in developing connoisseurship. Advice is offered on setting up an appraisal business, networking, and getting that first assignment. 

The CASP curriculum is based on appraisal practices and standards set by the congressionally authorized Appraisal Foundation, which has raised the standards for all appraisers throughout the United States.

CASP students will be taught by Certified Members of the Appraisers Association of America and professionals that specialize in conservation, insurance, and IRS regulations. Additionally, students will engage in hands-on fieldwork at selected venues in New York City, the most dynamic international art market.

The CASP curriculum includes classes in:

  • Appraising the Fine and Decorative Arts
  • Research Methods for Appraisers
  • Legal and Ethical Issues for Appraisers 
  • Report Writing
  • Conservation: Determining the Impact on the Fine and Decorative Arts
  • Impact of Damage and Loss on Value
  • The Practice of Appraising
  • Connoisseurship 

The Comprehensive Appraisal Studies Program provides professionals with the requisite skills and knowledge to apply for membership in the Appraisers Association of America. 

Completing CASP will provide you with a certificate in Appraisal Studies from the Appraisal Institute of America, the educational foundation of the Appraisers Association of America.

Credentialed Appraisers have gone on to take professional positions as:

  • Independent Appraiser
  • Auction House Appraiser
  • Insurance Company Appraiser
  • Appraiser for a bank (i.e. art as a financial asset/collateral)
  • Appraiser for the IRS
  • Art Advisor
  • Museum Registrar
  • Collection Management Specialist
  • Gallerist

The program fee is $6,200, including books (exclusive of housing, living expenses, and materials). Financial assistance is not available at this time.