SAE Institute - Los Angeles Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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.

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.

You may get an M-1 student visa through SAE Institute. In order to qualify students must be studying in FULL TIME Diploma programs. SAE recommends beginning the process at least three months prior to the start date of the course for which you are enrolled. For complete details regarding the VISA process, please contact an Admissions representative at the campus to which you are applying.

The SAE Audio 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:  Hardware - an Apple MacBook laptop, AKG headphones and an MBox 2 Mini; Software (you install it AND keep it!) - Pro Tools 8 LE, Logic 8, Peak LE and Native Instruments Komplete 5. It is used during class and labs and is yours to keep.

The SAE Film Production Package is given to all Digital Film Production students as part of the total cost to attend the program. It is a complete pre-production, digital film editing and post production package that includes:  Hardware - Apple MacBookPro laptop; Software (you install it AND keep it!) - Final Cut Studio 2, (which comes with: Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Livetype and Compressor), and Movie Magic.

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 focussing your employment goals. Certain workshops during the program also help you develope interviewing and resume writing for your desired field. Once you graduate, the career development manager will give you applicable job opening leads, and conitnue to do so on the SAE USA Alumni Association.

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.

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.

Both of the full-time Diploma Courses are available for international students.  The ATP (Audio Technology Program) and the DFP (Digital Film Production) Diploma Courses are full-time and you will be able to apply for an M-1 Visa if you attend thesse two programs.

Only the full-time courses are available for international students.  The part-time Certificate programs are not available for international students to take.  The EMP (Electronic Misic Production) and the DFE (Digital Film Editing) Certificate courses are both 3 months long and are not a full-time courses.  You will not be able to apply for M-1 Visas for these two courses.

Fortunately, the ATP includes ALL of the course material taught in the EMP, and the DFP includes ALL of the course material taught in the DFE.  If you would like to take the EMP or DFE Certificate courses, you will have to take the full-time Diploma courses, instead.