Extension FAQs

Please review our Academic Calendar for important upcoming dates, including registration, term dates, and holidays.

Students can register and pay online by visiting the Adult Course Offerings page or the Youth Course Offerings page. Course costs are listed with each course description. Students must be registered in a course before the start of the second class session. Students not enrolled by the start of the second class session may not attend class.

You may take care of most registration business (enroll, add, drop, transfer or change credit status) through the Extension Portal.

Early enrollment is advised.

For questions or concerns, please contact Extension Registration at extension@otis.edu or 310.665.6850.

Students are notified of their certificate application results three times per year. Please review the Eligibility and Requirements section of the certificate page that you are interested in for specific dates. 

If you have general questions regarding Otis Extension courses, please contact the Otis Extension office at 310-665-6850 or extension@otis.edu. 

If you would like information about an Otis Extension certificate program, or are an existing certificate student seeking advising, you may email certificates@otis.edu or make an appointment with an Otis Extension Counselor here.

Otis College Extension is unable to issue an I-20, which allows international students to secure their F-1 Student Visa.  

If a student is already here in the US and has a visa that allows them to study in the US, we would be happy to have them take part in the program.  

For example, if a student has an active I-20 (and F-1 visa) from an Otis BFA/MFA programs or any other school, they can enroll in and take those classes for college or certificate credit with approval from the school that issued the I-20. If a student is interested in the 4-year Bachelor’s degree program, please reach out to admissions@otis.edu for more information about the BFA program and application process.  

For online courses, since students are not required to be in the U.S. or on campus they can take them without an I-20 and visa. But if they take any amount of on campus classes they will need to have a visa that allows them to study in the U.S. 

If you are a certificate student and would like to request an independent study or final portfolio class, please complete the Independent Study / Final Portfolio Request form.

Independent study courses are created to ensure that certificate students can stay on track with their program progress. We do not guarantee the approval of any independent study request. Please review the guidelines outlined on the form before submitting your request.

Certificate students who wish to waive a required course(s) may submit materials here for evaluation. Students will be notified of the evaluation results in 7-10 business days. 

Please review the Certificate Course Waive Policy in advance of requesting an evaluation. In the event that a course is waived, it must be replaced by an elective to ensure that the prescribed number of courses have been satisfied at Otis College.

Upon completion of all required courses, please complete the Petition for Certificate Completion form. 

Petitions will be reviewed by the department according to the following timelines:

• Submit your petition by December 15th to receive my certificate by June 15th
• Submit your petition by June 15th to receive my certificate by December 15th

To request an unofficial transcript, please email extension@otis.edu. Please be aware that unofficial transcripts typically take 3-5 business days to process. To request an official transcript, visit this transcript link.

If your Extension class takes place on-campus, the Otis College campus address is 9045 Lincoln Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045.

You will receive the classroom location details in your course confirmation email sent by Otis Extension within two weeks of the start of the class.

A map of the campus is located here.

Otis Extension provides free parking for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Instructions for applying for and picking up a parking placard to hang from your car’s rear view mirror can be found here. Extension students first visiting campus who don’t have their parking placard yet will need to obtain a printable Visitor Parking pass, which you can apply for at this link.

Parking is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The parking structure is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, however, a valid Otis parking pass or identification is required to enter the parking structure from 11:00 p..m to 6:00 a.m. Otis College is not responsible for any theft, vandalism, or damage to vehicles or persons who park on-campus. More information about parking guidelines, restrictions, and reasons for citation can be found here.

Otis Extension students who require access to campus should apply for an Otis OneCard, which provides quick and convenient service on-campus and is your multi-purpose ID card. 

Extension students can pick up their OneCard from the Office of Campus Safety when they come onto campus. The Office of Campus Safety and Security is open 24 hours a day. The office is located in Room 170 of the Academic Building; you can find a detailed campus map here.

You must provide a government-issued photo ID in order to receive your OneCard and have your Otis X Number. Your X Number is located in the “My Profile” section of your Extension Portal. Note: Please be aware that your Otis X Number is available approximately 5-7 business days after you have completed your User Account on the Extension Portal.

If your Extension class takes place online, you can access connection details (including Zoom and Nest links) through your Extension Portal.

All certificate and college credit courses run using the Nest, which is an online Learning Management system.  We encourage all students to review the Nest resources below in advance of their coursework. Please note that Nest access is only available 30 days before the first day of class. 

Nest Help: 

• Nest login guide. 
• Nest tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D05qiy9wEEo

***Your username for The Nest is different from logging into the other Portals, it’s a unique number (X00_ _ _ _ ) found next to your name at the top of your enrollment confirmation email.***

If you are an Otis Alumni who would like to enroll in an Alumni Project Workshop, please complete the Alumnx Project Workshop Request form.

The Alumni Project Workshop is open to all Otis Alumni (BFA/MFA Alumni and qualifying Extension Students) who have taken 2 courses in the same discipline as their desired workshop. Students will be considered upon approval of the workshop by Faculty/Liaison. Students must have intermediate-level knowledge of the shop/lab. If selected, a notification will be issued within 2 weeks of application.

Note(s):

• Tuition for Alumni Project Workshops is a fixed $300 Tuition Rate; No discounts apply.
• Students must pay for the tuition fee no later than one (1) week past the application deadline. Otherwise, students will automatically be dropped from the workshop.

Yes, Otis College of Art and Design is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission, and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Otis Extension invites prospective instructors to contact extension@otis.edu if they would like to be considered for teaching. Please submit a resume, cover letter, and links to relevant portfolio work.

Alternatively, the department welcomes new course proposals through the submission of a Proposal for New Course form. Proposals will be reviewed by the department according to the following timeline:

• By March 1 > reviewed by March 30 for summer consideration
• By June 15 > reviewed by July 15 for fall consideration
• By November 1 > reviewed by November 30 for spring consideration