Students build on their passion for art and design and explore different creative fields through a comprehensive Foundation year.
The leaps and bounds Otis students make during their first year are remarkable: “It’s surreal seeing how far I’ve come from freshman year up to now.” —Kaitlyn Nguyen, ’22 BFA
The Foundation Studio program offers an immersive, student-centered experience for first-year students. By developing a diverse set of skills and innovative approaches to art and design, you’ll gain the flexibility needed to adapt to a variety of career paths. Our interdisciplinary curriculum prepares students for both established careers and emerging opportunities in the ever-evolving world of art and design.
An Adaptive Learning Experience
The Foundation Studio program hones creative skills through a leading-edge curriculum delivered by faculty who excel in student-focused teaching methods, accommodating diverse learning styles. In your first semester, you will engage in three studio courses alongside the same small group of peers. This format invites you to be immersed in a vibrant community of learners and allows you to form lifelong friendships from day one.
As you progress into your second semester, you'll have the opportunity to tailor your education to your specific interests and career aspirations. You'll choose from an array of studio courses, select one elective that may align with your intended major, and complete two studio and two liberal arts and sciences courses. This flexible structure is designed to provide a well-rounded education while also allowing you to explore and refine your passions.
What You’ll Learn
During your first year at Otis, you will dive deep into areas that will strengthen your skills, expand your understanding of art and design, and prepare you for your major and creative future. Through drawing classes you will practice observing and drawing the still life and the figure, and have the opportunity to gain advanced observational drawing skills, develop story ideation skills, and practice experimental drawing.
Through design and transmedia courses, students will explore methods of visual communication, developing cross-disciplinary approaches and conceptual skills while engaging with social and cultural concerns.
In Contemporary Studio and Dimensional Studies courses, students explore materials and spatial elements, gaining experience in traditional methods and the latest technology. The courses make use of Otis’ professional-level shops and labs including the wood and metal shops, the model shop with 3D printing, and many others. In these classes, students study materials’ origins, impacts, and sustainability.
Foundation Major Elective
Otis College lets students start undeclared, and the Foundation Studio program allows
them to explore various majors and minors to find the best fit. In the fall semester,
each major program hosts a Foundation Forward meet and greet for all interested first-year
students. In the spring semester, a major elective course offers students the chance
to try out a major, helping them build confidence before entering the major in the
second year.
Explore a range of foundational principles in the field
Learn ways of thinking and approaching work in the field
Engage with social, cultural, or environmental issues facing the field
Develop a self-reflective practice
Foundation major electives are offered as introductory courses in the majors.
First Year Student Guide
Learn more about our first-year Foundation Studio program as well as the supplies, books, and readers you'll be using.
Foundation Faculty
TeaYoun Kim-Kassor
Professor and Department Chair
Moira Connelly
Assistant Chair