MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS

This is a rundown of the Fall 2024 fees (they tend to go up a bit each year). The application fee is $110 for applicants with Canadian transcripts, $150 for applicants with international transcripts. If accepted into the program, a deposit of $250 is needed to secure your place. It is a per-term fee schedule, not per-unit. Please note: international students pay the same tuition as domestic students.

These are the 2024 Fall Term fees in CND:

• All terms:
  • U-Pass BC Transit pass Fee $184.00
  • GRAD Student Athletic Fee $86.64
  • GRAD Student Activity Fee $77.68
  • GRAD Student Services Fee $52.01
  • GRAD Tuition T2202A $2107.43
  • Graduate Graduation Fee $12.00
• Fall Term Only:
  • Grad Health Plan Dental $290.00

  • Grad Health Plan Medical $210.00

• 1st Fall Term Only (For international students only)
  • International Medical Guard.Me Insurance $281.00 (This is a temporary insurance before the BC Provincial MSP basic medical insurance is setup. Please see the International Medical Insurance information at these links:
    • Fees
    • International & US Graduate Students

Fall Total International: $3,300.76 + $75 Per Month BC MSP Health Fee

Fall Total Domestic: *3,019.76

Spring Total: *$2,458.09 (+ $75 Per month BC MSP Health Fee is only for International Students)

In the Spring and Summer Terms, students are not charged for the Graduate medical and dental plans because they are an annual fee, so roughly: *$2,458.09 CND for the other two terms of the year. Living expenses are separate.

More details on tuition and fees can be found on the SFU Graduate Studies website.

International students pay the same tuition rate as domestic students.

SFU and SCA are not waiving application fees at this time.

Information on housing can be found here:

• Housing Options
• Off Campus Housing

MFA Students are eligible for:

• internal awards (Graduate Fellowships @ $3500/semester; special entrance awards of $2000+)
• external awards (MA SSHRC: $17,500: application deadline: December 2021. Canadian citizens and permanent residents only)
• private awards: see Grad Studies and SCA MFA websites.
  • Graduate Grants PDF
  • Gaming Grants PDF
  • Associations Canada: Search Examples PDF
• teaching assistantships (~$3500-$5000/semester)
• research assistantships
• travel and research funds ($500-$1500 per annual cycle)
• funds for presentation of artistic work ($450 for spring show; $900 for grad project)

Average funding packages (including TAships):

• 1st year: $13,000+
• 2nd year: $10-12,000

Yes. As international students have two additional costs, the SFU Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) of which all TAs are members, can provide support for these costs while graduate students are working. More details can be found HERE.

International applicants will not be required to complete an English-language test if they have completed a degree at an institution where the language of instruction and examination was in English in a country where English is the primary language. All University Graduate English proficiency requirements can be found on the SFU Graduate Studies website.

The Duolingo English Test (DET) has been approved on a provisional basis, effective Summer 2024 through to the Fall 2026. The minimum required score for the DET is 130 overall with a minimum of 120 in each section. 

All applicants must meet the Graduate English proficiency minimum requirements. Please note, meeting the minimum scores does not guarantee entrance into the SCA grad programs.

Yes, on occasion we accept students with lower GPAs but only if they have demonstrated that their professional art practice is significant enough and they are a fit in this interdisciplinary program. Students with lower GPAs normally have a condition in their offer letter to maintain a CGPA of 3.0 in the first terms of the program.

Yes, in rare occasions we accept students if they have demonstrated that their professional art practice is significant and they are a definite fit in this interdisciplinary program. Students without Undergraduate degrees normally have a condition in their offer letter to maintain a CGPA of 3.0 in the first terms of the program.

The SCA Graduate programs do not require GRE results.

Due to the high volume of applicants, Staff and Faculty are not able to review application materials. The review process is part of the application process.

MFA students do not need to be matched with a supervisor upon admission. Students are assigned an interim Supervisor in the first term. Supervisors are later established in the second term of the program.

Yes, but only if an applicant is selected for an interview. The program selection committee reviews all applications in an initial round of assessment. Successful applicants from this initial assessment are then contacted for an interview.

Due to the high number of applications each year, SCA does not accept applications past the application deadline.

At this time SCA will not be granting deferrals for starting the following year.

Yes, we have a waitlist for this program.

Approximately 10 to 11 students per year.

No. All SCA Graduate programs start in the Fall Term.

No. All course credits for each SCA Grad program are to be taken during the span of the program.

No, SCA Graduate courses are in-person only.

Please see the SFU Return to Campus Website HERE.

While each student has their artistic strengths and interests (in one or more discipline), our MFA program is focused on and designed to foster interdisciplinary work. So there is less of an emphasis on the program providing training in a specific discipline. Students are accepted into the program based on their previous artistic practices and it is their training and experience that they bring to the program. This program is not a conservatory program and the courses are focused on interdisciplinarity.

SCA Undergraduate courses can be taken with permission from the instructor. However, credit for these courses will not count towards your graduate degree. Many students opt to sit in the class or audit the course instead.

Yes. With permission from the instructor, MFA students can usually take other 800-level courses as their elective course.

For the purposes of lowering costs and saving paper, unofficial transcripts may be uploaded to an application for review. If an offer of acceptance is given, all official sealed transcripts will be required.

The Artist’s Statement is approximately 400 words, indicating your background and the nature of your creative practice, including primary discipline and any interdisciplinary interests.

The average number of portfolio items is 5 to 7. More can be included, but please keep in mind the selection committee will be reviewing a fair number of other applications.

Yes. It is much easier to review applications where links to sound recordings and videos are provided in a .pdf file. It is best to provide these examples in the order of importance/relevance to your application. If the videos or sound are hosted on a specific artist website, provide a link to the page where the video is rather than just a link to the entire website. Links to other media sites such as Soundcloud, YouTube, Vimeo, etc. are fine also.

Acceptable samples include senior undergraduate essays or other academic writing, published articles, and grant applications.

Yes, SCA will consider non-academic references from professionals; however, it is preferred that there is at least one academic referee.

It is best to meet the requirements of the University prior to submitting all of the application material. As many official transcripts will not have been received within the application period, a condition of receiving the official transcripts will likely be included in the letter of offer as detailed HERE.

As soon as possible, but definitely by July, before enrolment opens. Many conditions will prohibit enrolment in classes until they have been met.

Due to the high volume of applicants, Staff and Faculty are not able to provide feedback on applications.

There is usually an in-person information session each November. For the last couple of years, we have hosted our information sessions online. If you have missed the latest information session you can request a link to the video from the Graduate Program Coordinator at sca_gpa@sfu.ca.