International Students
About 2,200 international students from more than 100 countries study at San Francisco State University
in classrooms with American students from all 50 states. SF State is strongly committed to international education
and to providing quality support and services for international students and scholars. Set up your own personalized
Web page to communicate with us directly about your particular needs and interests:
VIP Web page
Who is an international student?
How do international students apply?
International student application deadlines
Where do I send application, fee or required documents?
Application and required documents checklist
When will I find out if I am admitted?
Undergraduate international admission requirements
Graduate international admission requirements
Costs
International student financial statement
Financial loans or scholarships
On-campus jobs
Medical Insurance Agreement
Immunizations
SEVIS Information Form
Obtaining an F-1 student visa
How can I improve my English language skills?
Office of International Programs
California Residency
About San Francisco
Community college and overseas visitation calendar
Looking for a form?
Who is an international
student?
An international student is a student who plans to study at SF State on a nonimmigrant visa.
Most international students admitted to SF State obtain F-1 or J-1 visas; however, it is possible to
enter on other nonimmigrant visas.
Students who are studying at other U.S. institutions with valid nonimmigrant visas which
permit university enrollment can transfer to SF State without applying for a new visa.
How do international
students apply?
International students should apply on-line through California State
University CSU Mentor. Applying online is the quickest and easiest
way to send an application to us. Two versions of the CSU Mentor application
are available. Applicants studying at colleges outside of the US should click
on the International Admissions Application link. Applicants transferring from
US institutions should apply using the domestic admission application.
A paper application is also available to download, print and mail to the
International Admissions Office. If you are unable to apply on line, click
International Student Application
to link to the paper application.
Application and
required document deadlines
Undergraduate
Fall semester 2008 (August - December)
Application filing period: Oct. 1, 2007 - May 1, 2008
Required documents deadline date: June 15, 2008
Certain majors have an earlier deadline of November 30:
Apparel Design & Merchandising, Broadcasting & Radio/TV, Cinema, Interior Design, Nursing, Social Work, and Journalism
Spring semester 2008 (January - May)
Application filing period: Aug. 1, 2007 - Sept. 30, 2007
Required document deadline date: November 1
Certain majors do not accept spring admissions:
Apparel Design & Merchandising, Cinema, Interior Design, Nursing, Social Work, and Journalism
Radio/TV (also known as Broadcast Communications) has an earlier deadline of August 31
Postgraduate
Application deadlines vary for graduate programs at San Francisco State University. The application filing period for Fall begins
October 1 and the application filing period for Spring begins August 1. Application to graduate study at San Francisco State University
is a two part process. Applicants must apply to the University and to the specific graduate program. Please
visit the Graduate Studies Web site to learn about individual graduate program deadlines
and additional academic department application requirements.
Where do I send application, fee or required documents?
Undergraduate application materials should be sent to:
International Undergraduate Admissions
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132 U.S.A.
Graduate university application materials should be sent to:
Graduate Admissions
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132 U.S.A
Application and
required documents checklist
- Complete Application (online: CSU Mentor, or paper: International Student
Application)
- Application fee: $55 by credit card online, personal check, or money order
- Official TOEFL/IELTS score report, unless waived for certain
countries or as a transfer student
- Official GRE/GMAT score report for certain postgraduate majors
- Official transcripts/diplomas or certified/attested copies of these documents
from high/secondary school, if needed
- Official transcripts/diplomas or certified/attested copies from all colleges/universities
attended
- Additional department applications and documents for undergraduate impacted majors and postgraduate majors.
- Certified English translations must accompany all non-English documents
- Required Documents
When will I find out if I am admitted?
For undergraduate applications, you should hear from the admission office within a few weeks after submitting your
application and the required documents.
Postgraduate applications may take longer because the final admission decision is made by the academic department for each major.
You can check the status of both undergraduate and postgraduate applications online at www.sfsu.edu/admit
To request DHL or Federal Express service for the admission documents and I-20, please contact the admission offices.
Undergraduate admissions: ugintl@sfsu.edu
Postgraduate admissions: intlgrad@sfsu.edu
Undergraduate
international admission requirements (student on a non-immigrant visa)
The impacted majors listed below have an additional requirements and a department application for admission.
For more information, click on the links to those departments below:
Apparel (Fashion) Design & Merchandising
Interior Design
Nursing
Social Work
For students who attended high/secondary school in a country outside the U.S. with no college/university coursework
- Competed a high/secondary school curriculum (total of 12 years of
primary-secondary education) and earned a completion diploma/certificate
- Have courses/subject grades /marks that are above satisfactory or better
- Have exit exam scores that are satisfactory
- Original school transcripts (academic record) showing all courses/subjects, dates of enrollment,
grades/marks received and diplomas/degrees in the original language of issue or certified/attested
copies of these documents by the appropriate school or government official
- Certified English translations must accompany all non-English documents
- An official TOEFL score report with at least a minimum of 500 paper/173 computer/61 ibT
or an official IELTS score report with at least a minimum of 5.5, except where English is the official
language of the country
For U.S. high school graduates with no college/university coursework
- International students who receive a U.S. high school diploma must
meet the CSU high school subject requirements
http://www.sfsu.edu/prospect/fresh.htm
- Must meet eligibility index of high school GPA compared with SAT or ACT scores
- Must submit SAT or ACT or TOEFL
- Send in original transcripts with grades/marks and diploma
For transfer students from a university/college outside the U.S.
- Graduated from high/secondary school (12 years of primary-secondary school) if transferring as a lower-division student
- Lower and upper-division transfer students may apply
- Attended a government recognized college/university
- Have grades/scores that are satisfactory or better
- Original school transcripts (academic record) from all schools attended showing all courses/subjects,
dates of enrollment, grades/marks received and diplomas/degrees in the original language of issue or certified/attested
copies of these documents by the appropriate school or government official
- Only transferable coursework is counted (after application is submitted, your foreign university coursework will be evaluated)
- Certified English translations must accompany all non-English documents
- An official TOEFL score report with at least a minimum of 500 paper/173 computer/61 ibT or an official IELTS score
report with at least a minimum of 5.5, except where English is the official language of the country
For transfer students from a U.S. university/college which is not a California community college or CSU
- Graduated from high/secondary school (12 years of primary-secondary school) if transferring as a lower-division student
- Attended regionally accredited college/university
- Lower and upper-division transfer students may apply
- Upper-division students (60 semester/90 quarter transferable units) should have successfully completed
freshman English composition and quantitative reasoning (math) course either abroad or in the U.S. Completion
of oral communication (speech) course and critical thinking course are recommended
- Have overall grades that are above satisfactory or better, minimum GPA 2.4
- Original school transcripts (academic record) from all schools attended showing all courses/subjects,
dates of enrollment, grades/marks received and diplomas/degrees in the original language of issue or
certified/attested copies of these documents by the appropriate school or government official
- Only transferable coursework is counted (after application is submitted, your foreign university coursework will be evaluated)
- Certified English translations must accompany all non-English documents
- An official TOEFL score report with at least a minimum of 500 paper/173 computer/61 ibT or an official IELTS score report with at least a minimum of 5.5
- Students may have the TOEFL/IELTS waived by successfully completing one year of freshman English composition or
complete what is equivalent to SF State general education courses and the four admission subjects (see below) with a grade
of C (2.0) or better in the admission subjects
For transfer students from California community colleges or CSU
- Have a GPA of 2.4 or above in all U.S. coursework and above satisfactory grades/marks in all foreign coursework
- Must be upper-division (60 semester/90 quarter transferable units or more)
- Have 30 semester (45 quarter) units of lower-division General Education (G.E.) courses with a grade of C (2.0) or
better and completed the following four admissions subjects with a grade of C or better in the admission subjects prior to transferring.
These subjects must be completed in the spring semester/quarter for SF State fall admission or fall semester/quarter for SF State spring admission:
- Oral Communication/Speech
- Written Communication/English
- Critical Thinking
- Quantitative Reasoning/Mathematics
- Engineering majors do not need the critical thinking admission requirement
- Send in original transcripts, exam results, diplomas or certified/attested copies of these documents by the appropriate school or government official
- Certified English translations must accompany all non-English documents
For second bachelors degree students
- Have earned a degree/diploma that SF State considers to be the equivalent to a 4-year U.S. Bachelor degree from an accredited institution
- If educated in the U.S. have attained a GPA of 2.5 or better in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted.
If educated in non-U.S. universities have above satisfactory academic performance.
- Admission requirements are the same as above, except for the minimum TOEFL score requirement is
550 paper/213 computer/79-80 ibT or IELTS score 6.5. TOEFL/IELTS is waived if graduated from a U.S. university or
from a university where English was the principal language of instruction
Graduate International Admission Requirements
Application to graduate study at San Francisco State University is a two part process. Applicants must apply to the University
and to the specific graduate program. The university has minimum requirements for graduate admissions eligibility. However,
individual graduate programs may have more strict/additional application requirements. Please visit the
Graduate Studies Web site to learn
about the international applicant eligibilty requirements for admission to a graduate program at San Francisco State University.
Costs
University fees/tuition and cost of living expenses
| TUITION & FEES |
| Undergraduates |
| University Fees |
$3,762.00/year |
$1,881.00/semester |
| Tuition (12 units/semester @ $339/unit) |
$8,136.00/year |
$4,068.00/semester |
| Subtotal |
$11,898.00/year |
$5,949.00/semester |
| |
| Graduates |
| University Fees |
$4,468.00/year |
$2,234.00/semester |
| Tuition (8 units/semester @ $339/unit) |
$5,424.00/year |
$2,712.00/semester |
| Subtotal |
$9,892.00/year |
$4,946.00/semester |
Graduate students in the College of Business will be charged a MBA/MSBA program
fee at a rate of $1,200 for full-time students in addition to University fees
and tuition starting in fall 2007.
| LIVING EXPENSES |
| Room & Board |
$11,500.00 |
| Books & Supplies |
$1,386.00 |
| Transportation |
$1,242.00 |
| Personal Expenses |
$2,718.00 |
| Health Insurance |
$1,095.00 |
| Subtotal |
$17,941.00 |
| TOTALS per academic year |
| Undergraduate |
| Tuition & Fees |
$11,898.00 |
| Living Expenses |
$17,941.00 |
| Total |
$29,833.00 |
| |
| Graduate |
| Tuition & Fees |
$9,892.00 |
| Living Expenses |
$17,941.00 |
| Total |
$27,833.00 |
DEPENDENTS: $5,000 per year for spouse/each child
Graduate students in the College of Business will be charged a MBA/MSBA program
fee at a rate of $1,200 for full-time students in addition to University fees
and tuition starting in fall 2007
International student
financial statement
For students who plan to enter the U.S. on an F-1 or J-1 student visa, certificates of eligibility (Form I-20 or DS-2019)
for obtaining the visas cannot be issued until the student has proven ability to provide full financial support for their
entire stay at SF State. A financial statement must show that the student has the cost of living and studying at SF State for
two semesters in deposit at a financial institution in the U.S. or foreign country. The date on the financial statement
must be no more than four months when received by the admission offices. The cost of living and studying at SF State
for two semesters is shown above.
Students who are studying at other U.S. institutions and have valid visas may be able to transfer to SF State without
applying for a new visa, but they still need to submit a financial statement.
An international student may use one of the choices below for the financial statement:
- SF State form for the financial statement: www.sfsu.edu/~admisrec/forms/fs.pdf
- the financial statement section in the SF State International Student Application
- an original letter on the financial institution's letterhead, signed and dated by the institution's appropriate officer
Sponsor:
A sponsor is a person willing to financially support the student while he or she is studying at SF State. The sponsor must
submit a letter indicating their willingness to support the student, signed and dated by the sponsor. In addition, the sponsor
must submit her/his original financial statement (see above) and attached it to the letter.
Financial loans or
scholarships
Please check the Financial Assistance Web page for more information.
There are scholarships and loans available to international students at SF State. International students are not eligible for United States federal
or state financial aid.
On-campus jobs
International students may work on campus up to 20 hours per week during the semester and
up to 40 hours per week during winter/spring break and summer. To find out about on-campus jobs,
go to the following Web site: www.monstertrak.com.
F-1/J-1 visa students are only eligible for on-campus jobs that are non-work study.
In order to work on campus, international students must have a social security number before
starting the job. OIP can assist students in applying for social security cards after the student has
obtained a written job offer from the on-campus employer. It may take several weeks for the U.S.
Social Security Administration to issue the student a social security card which is required before starting the on-campus job.
Remember, F-1 students may not work off campus without proper authorization from the Office of International
Programs or the U.S. Immigration Service.
Medical Insurance
Agreement
International students must agree to have or obtain insurance coverage for health, medical repatriation and
evacuation that meets the NAFSA medical insurance guideline for admission. This agreement is on the bottom
of the financial statement or SF State International Student Application. It must be signed by the applicant:
www.sfsu.edu/~admisrec/forms/fs.pdf
After admission to SF State, students may purchase medical health insurance through the SF State Student Health Service
(SHS): http://www.sfsu.edu/~shs/insurance/international.htm
Students who already have insurance must submit a "Student Affidavit of Health Insurance" form to the SF State Student
Health Service (SHS). The affidavit must be completed and signed by the student's medical health insurance provider.
The instructions and affidavit form are at this link:
http://www.sfsu.edu/~shs/PDF%20files/SFSU-Ins-AffidavitF1_v19.pdf
Students must have medical health insurance before registering for classes. If you have purchased the SF State
sponsored health insurance policy, it will be automatically reported to SF State Registrar's Office. For students
who have their own medical health insurance, after the SHS has reviewed the affidavit from the student's
insurance provider, the Registrar's Office will be notified. Please allow 10 business days for this review.
Immunizations
All new and readmitted students born after Jan. 1, 1957 will need to show present proof of measles and rubella immunizations.
Students younger than 18 must also present proof of immunization against hepatitis B. Please submit a copy of immunization
record with English translation, if needed, or use the
MMR/Hep B certification form for your doctor/clinic to complete. Please submit to:
San Francisco State University
Registrar's Office
1600 Holloway Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94132
Failure to comply with this requirement will result in a registration hold. San Francisco State University's
Student Health Center has more information about immunization.
SEVIS Information Form
Due to the implementation of SEVIS (Student & Exchange Visitor Information System), home country address,
city of citizenship, and city of birth must be recorded before a student visa may be issued. This requirement is
met when using the International Student Application. When completing the domestic CSUMentor
application, a separate SEVIS Information Form must be submitted to provide this information:
www.sfsu.edu/~admisrec/forms/sevisform.pdf
Obtaining an F-1 student
visa
You should apply for a visa at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country using the Notice
of Admissions and an I-20 from SF State. If you have been accepted by several U.S. colleges or universities, do
not apply for your F-1 student visa until you decide which institution you want to attend. Please only use the
SF State I-20 form to apply for a visa and enter the U.S. if you are planning to attend our university.
Please read the "Important Visa and Immigration Information" section in the Welcome Packet on the OIP
Web page: http://www.sfsu.edu/~oip/welcomef1.htm
How can I improve my English
language skills?
The American Language Institute (ALI)
on the SF State campus can provide you with the English skills necessary for academic success.
You are encouraged to enroll in ALI if you haven't acquired the minimum TOEFL/IELTS score to be
admitted to SF State or if you need assistance in improving your language skills. ALI programs are offered
three times a year, beginning in February, June, and September. Instruction focuses on reading, writing,
listening and comprehension. ALI issues certificates of eligibility (I-20) for F-1 student visas.
Office of International
Programs
The Office of International Programs (OIP) helps international
students who would like to apply to SF State. Once a student is enrolled at SF State, OIP helps students adjust
to life at the University and in the United States. The OIP offers orientation programs, workshops on important topics,
and one-on-one counseling on immigration, academic, employment and financial matters.
Throughout the year, the OIP sponsors social, cultural and recreational activities that will enable you to make
new friends and get the most out of your stay at SF State and in California.
The OIP employs courteous, multilingual staff members who are sensitive to the needs and concerns of
international students and eager to help make your stay enjoyable, comfortable and safe.
Please contact the OIP at (415) 338-1293 for further information.
The OIP is located in the Administration building, Room 450.
California Residency
To be eligible for California resident classification, an applicant must be either a U.S. citizen
or permanent resident (Green Card holder) or have a visa that allows residency, and have maintained
residency in California at least one year. F and J visa holders are not eligible for residency fees.
Under California law, nonresidents are required to pay nonresident tuition.
About San Francisco
Visit SFGate.com or the
Convention and Visitors Bureau to
find out about all the wonderful places you can explore while attending
SF State.
Community college
and overseas calendar
International student admission advisors visit various community colleges during the semester.
Please check the community college calendar
for up-coming visits in order to make an appointment with an advisor when they come to your college.
For up-coming visits to countries outside the U.S., please check the overseas calendar.
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