Academic Life

Undergraduate Study

Otis College’s interdisciplinary curriculum combines longtime strengths in fine arts and design with new technologies and emerging disciplines. For undergraduates, the first year of study is known as Foundation Year. In studio courses, Foundation students learn fundamental, transferable skills in the visual arts that allow them to become adept, well-informed makers; in Liberal and Sciences courses, they enhance their ability to think critically and construct meaning using the formal elements of art and design. At the end of the first year, having developed both a creative vocabulary and a grounding in the liberal arts, students select one of eight studio majors. Several majors have areas of emphasis from which students may choose. The major allows students to delve deeply into their chosen art and design field, advancing their work and professional preparation through a careful sequence of courses and educational experiences.

Majors & Area of Emphasis

Minors

Eligible students in select majors may choose to extend and complement their study by pursuing an academic minor—a defined course sequence that explores a specific theme or topic:

Throughout the four years, students’ programs of study are enriched by Liberal Arts and Sciences courses, which emphasize critical thinking in writing, visual literacy, the sciences, and art history, and Creative Action courses, through which students from different majors work in teams to solve design problems posed by a community partner. Each student meets approximately once a semester with an Academic Mentor, whose role is to foster student reflection about individual educational and career path issues. Students also have opportunities to study at other institutions or abroad, either through short-term faculty-led trips or on exchange programs. The undergraduate experience culminates in a senior Capstone course, in which students critically reflect on their work at Otis College, the Annual Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show (for Fashion Design majors), and the Annual Exhibition.

Graduate Study

Otis Colleges’ graduate programs provide rigorous, practice-based studies with distinguished faculty. The college offers Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees in Fine Arts and Graphic Design. The graduate programs emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to developing artistic vision and encourage students to find themselves as emerging professionals within the regional, national, and international scenes of art, design, and creative writing. Interested students are given additional preparation to make their way in professions that increasingly involve teaching or other institutional affiliations (for example, museums, publishing, and arts organizations). The proximity of art museums, studios, galleries, and other cultural institutions allows students to experience some of the most significant work currently being made. Visiting artists and writers who visit Otis College to give guest lectures, studio visits, and readings enrich students’ practices.

Graduate Programs