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All LevelsThe University of GlasgowEnglish

Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime

Delve into the seedy underbelly of the art world, looking at smuggling, theft, fakes, and fraud, with this free online course.

Taught by Explore several cases of art forgery and how experts detect fakes
Suitable for everyone
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What You'll Learn in This Course

Master key concepts and practical skills through structured learning modules. By completing this curriculum, you'll gain valuable expertise applicable to real-world scenarios.

Learning Outcome 1

From fakes and fraud, to thefts and trafficking, art crime has turned archaeological sites in Iraq and Syria into “lunar landscapes”, decapitated Buddha sculptures in Cambodia and left empty frames on museum walls. So how do we protect our heritage from theft, illegal sale, and destruction? Delve into the world of art crime and antiquities trafficking with this online course, and get answers from those fighting to save the world’s precious artefacts.

Skills You'll Develop

This comprehensive Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime curriculum is designed to take you from foundational concepts to advanced implementation. Each module builds upon the previous, ensuring a structured learning path that maximizes knowledge retention and practical application.

Hands-on LearningPractical ExercisesReal-World ProjectsIndustry Best Practices

Course Requirements & Target Audience

Understand what you need to succeed in this course and determine if it's the right fit for your learning goals

Prerequisites & Requirements

What you need before starting this Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime course:

  • Engage with the key differences between illegal art/antiquities, illicit art/antiquities, and legal art/antiquities and why these differences are significant
  • Identify the primary stakeholders in the antiquities trafficking, art crime, and repatriation spheres and how their motivations compare and contrast
  • Explore criminological and sociological ideas to better understand aspects of art crime, antiquities trafficking, and cultural property recovery
  • Develop informed opinions about the key social, political, legal, and moral issues associated with antiquities trafficking, art crime, and the return of cultural objects

Who This Course Is For

This course is perfect for:

  • Motivated learners at any level
  • Self-paced students
  • Anyone interested in the subject

This course might not be suitable if:

  • • You're looking for a quick tutorial rather than comprehensive learning
  • • You prefer learning without structured curriculum
  • • You need highly specialized or niche content

Course Information & Details

Everything you need to know about this online course, from duration to certification

Course Instructor

Explore several cases of art forgery and how experts detect fakes

Expert instructor with industry experience

Subject Category

Creative Arts & Media, Politics & Society, Crime and Criminology

Course Language

English

All materials in English

Start Your Learning Journey Today

This online course offers comprehensive training with expert instruction, practical exercises, and a certificate of completion. Join thousands of students advancing their careers through quality online education.

The University of Glasgow Course

Course Enrollment

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What's Included

  • Learn how context at archaeological sites is lost through looting
  • Explore the source of antiquities on the illicit market as it relates to poverty
  • Consider how antiquities trafficking can be considered a form of organized crime
  • Think about how the market for antiquities influences both looting and smuggling
  • Learn why art has value, and how value relates to art crime
  • Consider the realities and limitations of art theft
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Affiliate disclosure: course links are affiliate links; an enrolment through one may pay Getting Digital a commission from the provider, at no extra cost to the learner, and it does not influence how courses are described.

  • ✓Instant access after enrollment
  • ✓Learn at your own pace
  • ✓Direct enrollment with The University of Glasgow

Where this course fits

Wider context: all fields, the glossary and certification exams.

Last updated 20 August 2025 · Getting Digital