California College of the Arts Transfer Students

California College of the Arts Transfer to Academy of Art University San Francisco

Keep Creating in San Francisco. Transfer all your credits.

Transferring to the Academy means you can stay rooted in a city that fuels your work while continuing your degree without interruption.

At Academy of Art University, we’re here to help you keep moving your education forward without losing momentum, community, or creative opportunities. In fact, our rolling admissions will allow you to still enroll for this coming Spring 2026 semester which starts Wednesday, January 28, 2026. Our “no barriers” admission policy welcomes every voice and every vision; we do not require test scores, grades, or portfolios. The result? You’ll graduate with a professional portfolio that speaks loudly and clearly to employers, clients, and the world that you are career-ready.

Your Credits Come With You
You’ve already put in the work. We honor that.

The Academy will accept all your credits, so you don’t have to start over or lose time toward graduation. Our admissions and advising teams will make you a priority and your transition smooth, clear, and fast.

A Cost-Effective Path to Your Degree
The Academy is a smart financial choice for creative students.

With competitive tuition, flexible online and on-campus options, and strong credit transfer policies, you can complete your degree without unnecessary added costs—while still receiving a rigorous, career-focused education.

👉 Talk to an Admissions Advisor Today
We’ll help you transfer smoothly, keep your credits, and move forward with confidence.

Schedule Your Transfer Session

What The Academy Offers You

There are a few important things you should know about transferring to the Academy from California College of the Arts:

  • There are NO registration fees
  • There are NO application fees
  • You can study with us on campus in San Francisco (we offer amazing housing opportunities in our dorms), or from anywhere in the world via our two distinct online study modalities:
    • Live, in real time, via Zoom; or
    • Online, on demand, on your schedule
  • We are a portfolio-focused university; you will graduate with a professional-level, career-ready portfolio of work
  • We offer industry collaboration opportunities that can give you a leg up when seeking employment in your chosen field
  • Our classes are taught by working professionals employed in the disciplines they teach

Don’t wait: Submit your fee-free application today and join us at the Academy—on campus or online—for a creative education unlike any other.

Apply Now

A Glimpse of Academy Life

Transfer to Academy of Art University Study Online RLab

Transfer Pathways

Our seamless Transfer Pathways will allow you to take all the credits you have earned at CCA and apply them to an Academy degree of your choice.

CCA Degrees Academy of Art University Degrees
BA History of Art & Visual Culture BA Art History
BA Writing & Literature Contact us for a portfolio review, options, and placement.
B.Arch Architecture B.Arch Architecture
BFA Animation BFA Animation
BFA Comics BFA Illustration (Comics Emphasis)
BFA Communication Design BFA Graphic Design
BFA Fashion Design BFA Fashion Design
BFA Film BFA Motion Pictures & Television
BFA Game Arts & Design BFA Game Design
BFA Illustration BFA Illustration
BFA Industrial Design BFA Industrial Design
BFA Interaction Design BFA Interaction & UI/UX Design
BFA Interdisciplinary To be determined with portfolio review
BFA Interdisciplinary – Ceramics BFA Fine Arts (Sculpture Emphasis)
BFA Interdisciplinary – Craft & Creative Technologies Contact us for a portfolio review, options, and placement.
BFA Interdisciplinary – Furniture Contact us for a portfolio review, options, and placement.
BFA Interdisciplinary – Printmedia Contact us for a portfolio review, options, and placement.
BFA Interdisciplinary – Sculpture BFA Fine Arts (Sculpture Emphasis)
BFA Interdisciplinary – Textiles BFA Textile Design
BFA Interior Design BFA Interior Architecture & Design
BFA Jewelry & Metal Arts BFA Jewelry & Metal Arts
BFA Painting & Drawing Fine Art (Painting and Drawing Emphasis)
BFA Photography BFA Photography
M.Arch Master of Architecture M.Arch Master of Architecture
MA Visual & Critical Studies MA Art History
MAAD Master of Advanced Architectural Design MA Advanced Architectural Design
MBA Design Strategy Contact us for a portfolio review, options, and placement.
MDes Interaction Design MA Interaction & UI/UX Design
MFA Comics MFA Illustration (Comics Emphasis)
MFA Design Contact us for a portfolio review, options, and placement.
MFA Film MFA Motion Pictures & Television
MFA Fine Arts MFA Fine Arts
MFA Writing Contact us for a portfolio review, options, and placement.

Industry Collaborations

The Academy partners with industry-leading companies, filmmakers, and manufacturers such as GM, Adidas, Jeep, Hasbro, Audi, Pininfarina, Jaguar, NASA, Camelbak, and Volvo, to offer our students exposure to working professionals and to create valuable networking opportunities.

These cross-disciplinary collaborative classes work on real-world, industry-supplied design briefs to create concepts for the industry sponsor. You will have the opportunity to work with representatives from our corporate and agency sponsors in small collaborative teams. These classes are designed to maximize individual recognition, build portfolios, and create employment opportunities for you and your fellow students.

Learn More About Collaborations
Studio X Animation and Visual Effects Academy of Art University San Francisco

THEEB & StudioX Collaboration

Students in our Studio X classes collaborated with the producer and director to create the visual effects for this Academy-Award-nominated film.

Subaru Collaboration

Students from our Industrial Design, Interior Design and Architecture, and Interaction & UI/UX Schools collaborated with Subaru to envision their 2030 vehicles.

Companies that Employ Our Students

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