How to apply for art and design at San Francisco State University: the BA in Studio Art and the BS degrees in Visual Communication Design and Industrial Design need no portfolio and you choose the major when you apply, portfolio requirements and timelines for students from China, Canada and transfers

San Francisco State University (SF State or SFSU) is part of the California State University (CSU) system. Art and design sit in two schools of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts: the School of Art offers the BA in Studio Art, and the School of Design offers BS degrees in Visual Communication Design and Industrial Design. Here are the majors, portfolio rules, timeline, requirements for students from China and Canada, and costs.

1. Degrees

• BA in Studio Art: 43 units in the 2026-2027 Bulletin, with areas in ceramics, digital media and emerging technology, painting and drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture and textiles, plus interdisciplinary work. It became its own major in August 2022.
• BA in Art: Concentration in Art History and Studio Art: for students interested in both; the course plan is approved in advance by advisors in both areas.
• No BFA: the School of Art FAQ says it offers a BA in art for undergraduates, not a BFA; about two thirds of a BA is general studies and the rest is art.
• BS in Visual Communication Design: 58 units combining graphic and interactive design, with a graphic design pathway, an interactive design pathway or a blend; the school has a laptop requirement.
• BS in Industrial Design (Product Design and Development): 59 units built around process, people and product.
• Other: the Bulletin also lists a BS in Apparel Design & Merchandising (Design) and a BS in Interior Design and Architecture in the Department of Consumer & Family Studies / Dietetics; they are not covered here.

2. Portfolio

• Studio Art: the School of Art says no portfolio is required for undergraduate admission, and the Bulletin says no special permission, application or portfolio review is needed to declare the major when admitted.
• Visual Communication Design and Industrial Design: the Bulletin says all students may choose these majors when admitted, with no special permission, application or portfolio.
• The design checkpoint comes later: before 300-level courses you need a C or better in DES 200 Visual Design Literacy and DES 222 Introduction to 2-D Digital Design, upper-division standing and lower-division general education.
• Studio Art checkpoint: finish the university's lower-division requirements and the major's lower-division courses before 300-level courses or choosing a concentration.
• Changing major: juniors or seniors moving into Studio Art must attend a major group advising session.
• Costs: the Bulletin notes that most studio courses charge instructional materials fees.

3. Timeline (fall 2027 entry)

• Application: Cal State Apply opens August 1, 2026; submissions start October 1, 2026.
• International deadline: May 1, 2027, which is also the deadline to accept and pay the deposit; final transcripts by July 15, 2027.
• What the School of Art says: its page says art major applications are accepted only October 1 to November 30 (for the following fall) and August 1 to 31 (for spring). The university dates page lists May 1 for international applicants. Both are given here; international applicants should confirm with admissions.
• Impaction: only nursing is impacted; art and design are not. The fall 2027 list is not posted yet.
• Testing: the CSU no longer uses the ACT/SAT for admission eligibility.

4. Students at Chinese high schools

• Credentials: 12 years of schooling and eligibility for university in your country; for China the credential listed is the senior high school graduation certificate.
• GPA: 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, or a B- average, in academic courses from grade 9.
• English: TOEFL 61, IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 95, PTE 45 and others.
• Gaokao and art exams: SF State does not say whether they are used; ask admissions.
• I-20: submit a financial guarantee form and proof of funds.

5. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• Credentials: for BC, the Secondary School Graduation Diploma.
• English: three years of full-time English-medium study in a listed country such as Canada meets the requirement.
• Grades: a specific BC requirement is not published; the international freshman page asks for a 2.5 GPA or B- average, so ask how BC grades are converted.

6. Transfer students

• Upper-division transfer: at least 60 transferable semester units including 30 of CSU general education, the four basic skills courses at C- or better and a 2.00 GPA.
• Studio Art: at least 12 units must be taken at SF State; students with a California Associate Degree for Transfer have a two-year roadmap.
• Design: finish as many lower-division major courses as possible before transferring; equivalent transfer courses can count for DES 200 and DES 222.
• Credit: the School of Art points to assist.org for California course equivalents; otherwise talk to a faculty advisor.

7. Costs (USD, 2026-2027)

• California resident undergraduates: tuition 6,838 and campus fees 1,934.
• Nonresident and international students: an extra 471 per unit.
• Materials fees: charged for most studio courses; amounts are not published on the pages we read.
• Scholarships: SF State lists more than 700 campus and external scholarships; art and design scholarships for international students are not published on the pages we read.

Checklist

Students at Chinese high schools:

• Submit on Cal State Apply from October 1, 2026, and by May 1, 2027 for international applicants; the School of Art page lists October 1 to November 30, so confirm with admissions first
• A 2.5 GPA; TOEFL 61, IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo 95; no portfolio needed

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Three years of English-medium study in Canada meets the English requirement; ask how BC grades are converted

Transfer students:

• 60 units, a 2.00 GPA and the four basic skills courses; design students should complete equivalents of DES 200 and DES 222

Sources: San Francisco State University, 2026-2027 Bulletin: BA in Studio Art; Bulletin: BS in Visual Communication Design; Bulletin: BS in Industrial Design; School of Art: Bachelor of Arts; School of Art FAQs; School of Design: Visual Communication Design; School of Design: Industrial Design; International freshmen; International transfers; Secondary school credentials; Dates and deadlines; Impaction; Tuition and aid. The timeline is for fall 2027 entry and costs are for 2026-2027. Check SF State’s website for the latest.