About CAFA — CCA Articulation

California College of the Arts (CCA) has established the following transfer agreement with the International Foundation Course (IFC) program at China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). The IFC program prepares CAFA students interested in studying fine arts and design at American, British, and Australian colleges and universities.

CCA International Admission Requirements

All IFC students interested in applying to CCA must contact their CAFA-based IFC office before starting the application process.

Students currently enrolled in the IFC program who intend to apply to CCA must submit the following documents:

  • CCA online application
  • Personal essay
  • Official CAFA transcripts
  • One letter of recommendation
  • Minimum IELTS score of 6.0 or minimum TOEFL score of 70 IBT

Note: The application fee will be waived.

Portfolio submission is not required for students currently enrolled in the IFC program who have received a minimum score of “C” in the overall satisfaction of course requirements in the Student Progress Report (formative assessment).

Transfer Credit Articulation

Students who have successfully completed the IFC program through CAFA and are admitted to CCA will be guaranteed 30 units of transfer credit (one year of study), distributed as follows:

  • 12 units to be applied toward CCA’s Humanities and Science curriculum. (For most students, the specific courses to which the transfer credit will be applied include “Introduction to the Arts,” “Diversity Studies Seminar,” and two Humanities and Science (H&S) electives; for Architecture students, the credit will be applied to two open electives, rather than the H&S electives.)

  • 12 units of First Year Core Studio requirements. (The specific courses to which the transfer credit will be applied include Drawing 1, 2D, 3D, and 4D.)

  • 6 units of additional studio. (For Fine Arts majors, the credit will be applied to two studio electives; for Architecture and Design majors, the credit will be applied to one studio elective and upper division Interdisciplinary Studio.)

English Language Proficiency

IFC students who received a score of 6.0 on the IELTS or a TOEFL score of 70 IBT must participate and successfully complete CCA’s Summer English + Art Studio Program prior to the start of their first semester.

Applicants who receive a score of 6.5 or higher on the IELTS or a 79 IBT or higher on the TOEFL may be waived from the Summer English + Art Studio Program requirement. However, all international applicants are strongly encouraged to participate in CCA’s Summer English + Art Studio Program, as it enhances students’ English-language skills and eases their transition to CCA and the Bay Area.

Students whose IELTS scores are below 5.5 or TOEFL scores are below 65-69 IBT must retake the IETLST/TOEFL by April 15 and submit reissued scores to CCA prior to May 1 to be considered for admission to our first-year program.

Contacts

CAFA IFC Program Contact
Huang Li, Program Director
, 86.10.64771358

CCA International Admissions
Shiraz Chavan, Assistant Director of International Admissions
, 415.703.9520
SKYPE ID: cca.admission

CCA Mailing Address
California College of the Arts
Enrollment Services
1111 Eighth Street
San Francisco CA 94107

Other Resources

Residential Life
, 510.594.3722
Residential Life

International Student Affairs & Programs Office
Kimberly Bryant, International Student Advisor
, 510.594.5071

Student Accounts (billing & payments)

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