

San Francisco State University
American Indian Studies
Study detals
: Bachelor's degree : BA (Hons) American Indian Studies : Full time : 36 MonthRequirements
Eligibility Requirements for Freshman from a High School Outside of the US
To be eligible for admission to SF State as a freshman, you must meet the following minimum requirements:
1. Be academically prepared for college/university
Complete a secondary/high school curriculum that totals 12 years of primary-secondary education, be qualified to enter a university in your home country and have a good scholastic record from an accredited/recognized school.
2. Meet the GPA requirement
Have a a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) in the 4.0 grading scale or B- average in academic courses completed after 9th grade.
3. Graduate from high school
You should have, or will have, the equivalent of US high school completion.
See specific secondary school credentials by country.
4. Meet the English Language Proficiency Requirement
See the English Language Proficiency section below for more information.
Eligible English Proficiency Exams
Test | Minimum Score |
---|---|
TOEFL iBT Total Score | 61 |
TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition Total Score | 61 |
IELTS Overall Score | 6.0 |
IELTS Indicator Overall Score | 6.0 |
PTE Academic Score | 45 |
SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing | 550 |
ACT English Score | 22 |
IB English A – Language and Literature HL | 4 |
IB English A – Literature HL | 4 |
AP English Language and Composition | 3 |
AP English Literature and Composition | 3 |
For students planning to study in F-1 student visa status, you and/or your sponsor(s) must prove that you have the financial ability to pay for school costs plus living expenses for one academic year.
You will be asked to submit the following documents:
- Financial Affidavit Form
- Proof of finances
- Passport copy (or national ID card if you do not yet have a passport)
Speciality
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Out-of-State and International students must pay $420.00 PER UNIT in addition to the tuition fees appropriate to their academic level.
Some other documents we may need for your application:
- If it has been more than 1 year since you graduated from high school, submit the Gap in Attendance Form
- If you are a US permanent resident, please submit a copy of your green card. If you have an immigration status other than F-1, you may be asked to submit additional documents to verify your status.
- If you completed any of the following exams: Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma - Higher Level, you may be eligible to receive additional college credit. Official exam scores will be required to award transfer credit. Visit the Standardized External Examinations page for more information.
- If you are an official partner-agent with San Francisco State University, submit the Student Consent for Release of Information form.
Pathways Available - International Year One
Additional information
Degree Overview
The emphasis in the curriculum placed on duality links the concerns of tribal communities with academic rigor, enabling our faculty to harness their expertise and passion for teaching in ways that lead to greater student cultural competence and prepares them to meet high expectations.
The curriculum is focused on four areas of emphasis:
- California Indian Studies;
- American Indian Creative Arts and Humanities;
- Law, Politics, and Society; and
- Science, Health, and Environmental Studies.
The knowledge base within these areas prepare students to work academically – and in advocacy – with both tribal and urban Native communities within California and the United States. The courses comprising the B.A. challenge students to actively question the most ingrained myths about American Indians, the roles they have played in the United States and internationally over time, and the goals of historical and contemporary cultural maintenance and revitalization movements.
The program also includes an international comparative perspective and coalitional politics with Native peoples of U.S. occupied territories and more broadly within the Americas and the Pacific. AIS courses are taught by faculty wedded to the belief that community relationships and pedagogical rigor are the cornerstones upon which student success within the curriculum rests. AIS faculty represent a small cadre of scholars who have distinguished themselves both nationally and internationally by pushing accepted boundaries within and outside of the field in the areas of cultural ecology, ethnography, ethnolinguistics, history of consciousness, mixed-race studies, and music.
The interdisciplinary pedagogical excellence of the AIS faculty enables preparation of the next generation of inquisitive American Indian Studies scholars that have a responsibility to Native peoples of California and the United States. AIS majors experience a balanced classroom education with an active community participatory learning component and are required to regularly seek advising from an AIS faculty member.