SFAI or San Francisco Art Institute studio and liberal arts curriculum demands substantial mastery of English reading, writing, and verbal skills.

If one is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), or if the primary language is not English or the language of instruction at previous institution was not in English, one need to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Test System (IELTS Academic) or the Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic).

Details on these tests are:

TOEFL - SFAI School code: 4036

IELTS - SFAI accepts the Academic IELTS only.

PTE - SFAI accepts the Academic PTE only.


Graduate MFA Post Baccalaureate MA MFA/MA Dual Degree

TOEFL (iBT) 92 92 100 100

IELTS 7.0 7.0 7.5 7.5

PTE 65 65 73 73


Admission is highly selective, and it is based on ability to articulate a personal vision, and artistic or academic achievements.

MFA, Low-Residency MFA, and Post-Baccalaureate Requirements

The following materials are required:
• Completed online application, including $85 nonrefundable application fee
• Portfolio and artist statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official sealed transcripts
MFA and Low-Residency MFA candidates who have been recommended by the Graduate Faculty Review Committee may also be asked to do a personal interview.

MA Requirements
The following materials are required:
• Completed online application, including $85 nonrefundable application fee.
• Statement of purpose and writing samples
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official sealed transcripts

Dual Degree MA/MFA program Requirements
One must fulfil all application requirements of both the MA and MFA programs. The following materials are required:
• Completed online application, including $85 non-refundable application fee
• Portfolio and artist statement
• Statement of purpose and writing samples
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official sealed transcripts