SAE Institute FAQs

SAE has been well established internationally for over 30 years. As the technology has changed, so has SAE. Our buying power enables us to provide you with a selection of industry standard equipment and our limited enrollment guarantees you will have substantial access to it. SAE Institute's accelerated, lock step program, enables students to quickly learn the skills necessary to begin a career in various media industries. SAE's global Alumni network also gives our graduates access to a worldwide community of working professionals.

There are no strict deadlines for registration. Depending on the program of study, and whether you choose to study full or part time, SAE has between 2 and 4 intakes per year. All registrations are considered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. As there are a limited number of places available for each intake, it is advisable for you to enroll as soon as you have made the decision to join us.

Audio Technology Program (Diploma)

Full Time: 9 months. Classes are Monday through Thursday. Class times either 10AM - 1:30PM (or) 2PM - 5:30PM depending on your class section. Each full time student completes an average of 10 hours of studio/lab time per week, which you schedule around your regular class time Monday through Saturday.

Part TIme: 18 months. Classes are Monday/Wednesday (or) Tuesday/Thursday depending on your start date. Class time is 6PM - 9:30PM. Each part time student completes an average of 5 hours of studio/lab time per week, which you schedule around your regular class time Monday through Saturday.

Electronic Music Production (Certificate)

Part Time: 3 months. Classes are Tuesday/Thursday. Class time is 6PM - 9:00PM. EMP students are expected to complete between 2 and 5 hours of lab time each week during the course, which you schedule around your regular class time Monday through Saturday.

Job placement assistance is offered to all graduates of our Diploma programs. As a graduate in the USA, you become part of the SAE USA Alumni Association as well, where all of our campuses post new job openings regularly. During the program you meet with the career development manager so that you can begin focusing your employment goals. Certain workshops during the program also help you develop interviewing and resume writing for your desired field. Once you graduate, the career development manager will give you applicable job opening leads, and continue to do so on the SAE USA Alumni Association.

The SAE Production Package is given to all Audio Technology Program students as part of the total cost to attend the program. It is a complete recording and music production package that includes: an Apple laptop, Pro Tools LE with MBox 2 Mini, Logic Studio, Peak LE, Native Instruments Komplete 5, and headphones. It is used during class and labs and is yours to keep.

Lockstep refers to the structured order in which the course topics are delivered. Students begin with a class, and work through the entire program with that class from start to finish as the program progesses. This structure allows SAE to deliver the content in an organized and structured order so that each new topic is supported by the previous one.

The Audio Technology Program includes 540 hours of class/lecture time and 360 hours lab time. Full time students average 10 hours per week, and part time 5 hours per week. Students are expected to book their own lab time and it counts towards attendance for the entire program.

Booking studio time is broken down into two "periods." Advanced Bookings are usually done two weeks in advance (or a two-week window from the current date), so that students can plan for their sessions. During this period students are limited to a maximim number of bookings per studio per week to ensure everyone gets a chance to book their time. There are also short-term bookings, either 48-hour or 72-hour bookings, where two to three days before a certain date, the booking maximium is removed, which enables students to schedule as much time as is available. This allows students to graduate with much more than the expected 360 hours of studio time. Students who are very active with short-term bookings often get well over 500 hours of studio time by graduation.

Audio Technology Program Requirements

In order to enroll in the ATP program at SAE San Francisco, students must prove High School graduation of equivalent, and receive a passing score on the SAE entrance exam. For full enrollment procedures, please see the Admissions page.

Electronic Music Production Requirements

In order to enroll in the EMP program at SAE San Francisco, students must be at least 16 years old. EMP is an a vocational (hobby) course, and does not require an entrance exam. For full enrollment procedures, please see the Admissions page.

Supervisors are teachers who do not necessarily conduct formal classes, but who oversee and offer assistance to students working on practical assignments. There is always at least one supervisor on duty to help you during the campus open hours.

The grading system at SAE varies according to the course in which you are enrolled. However, because of the hands-on nature of SAE education, the majority of courses have an equal emphasis placed on both theory and practical work with individual and group practical sessions being a core component of all programs.

The SAE Alumni Association has been set up as a way to keep graduates in touch. As an Alumni member you can search for and find other alumni or just look for special offers from various manufacturers and SAE partners around the globe. There is also an active online job terminal where you can search for job opportunities that await you and a yearly Alumni conference.