As a Foundation student at Otis College of Art and Design, you are encouraged to explore all facets of the creative world and develop critical skills through a variety of Liberal Studies and Studio courses.

Art History

AHCS 120 Introduction to Visual Culture:
This course introduces issues and theories that are critical to the field of Visual Culture and representation in art and design. Students will investigate various historical and contemporary representational practices that societies have developed to define, maintain, and institutionalize different categories of visual culture and producers. The course will introduce art historical and critical methodologies, emphasize the importance of cultural diversity in defining and understanding visual culture, teach students how to research information through a variety of library and electronic sources, and reinforce critical reading, thinking, writing and collaboration skills.

AHCS 121 Birth of the Modern:
This course addresses a variety of key issues, problems, and events in art, history, music, literature, science, and design associated with and resulting from the social and cultural changes occurring in the modern world. Students will investigate the relationship of the modern situation to different ways of visual representation, to the cultural interaction of modern cultures with traditional cultures, and with the post-modern criticism of modern ideas and positions.

English

Based on the Writing Placement Assessment (WPA), students may be required to take the following prerequisites before enrolling in their English 107 class: ENGL020, ENGL050, ENGL 090, or the following co-requisite: ENGL 102 or ENGL103 Writing Labs.

Participation in these early writing skills/language reinforcement classes and writing labs serve as bridges to student success in future Liberal Arts and Sciences courses.

ENGL 020 English for English Language Learners:
English for English Language Learners is a for-credit, non-degree applicable semester of intensive English language study focusing on basic language tools. Grammar in use, vocabulary building, and the communication skills of listening, reading, writing, and speaking are reviewed and practiced with an emphasis on the particular needs of the ELL student of art and design. Students are required to work with an SLC tutor on a weekly basis. A minimum grade of “C” (2.0) is required to pass this course

ENGL 050 Developmental English I:
Developmental English I is a for-credit, non-degree applicable course designed to support native and non-native speakers of the English language in developing the basic Standard English language skills needed for reading, analyzing, writing, and discussing college-level material. The class focuses on organizing ideas into unified and coherent sentences and paragraphs and developing these into a portfolio of drafted, revised, and edited essays. Students are required to work with an SLC tutor on a weekly basis. A minimum grade of “C” (2.0) is required to pass this course. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENGL020 English for English Language Learners or placement through the Writing Placement Assessment. 

ENGL 090 Developmental English II:
Developmental English II is a for-credit, non-degree applicable course in developing the Standard English skills needed for reading, analyzing, writing, and discussing college-level material. The class focuses on critical thinking, exploring the writing process, and organizing information and ideas, culminating into a portfolio of drafted, revised, and edited essays. A minimum grade of “C-” is required to pass this course. Students who earn a “C-“ must also enroll in the English 103 Writing Lab when satisfying Writing in the Digital Age ENGL 107. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENGL050 Developmental English I or placement through the Writing Placement Assessment. Students receiving a C- may continue on to ENGL 107 if enrolled in ENGL 103.

In the fall, ENGL 090 Developmental English II may be linked to AHCS 120 Introduction to Visual Culture or LIBS 114 Ways of Knowing courses.

ENGL 107 Writing in the Digital Age:
The digital environment is transforming reading and writing, giving writers the opportunity to "write" in a wide variety of media. Students will explore the ongoing cultural, technological and social changes that impact our ways of reading and writing, and what does it mean to be literate in the digital world.

LIBS 114 Ways of Knowing:
An interdisciplinary theme/issue driven project based course where first year students look at how knowledge is created in different disciplines and contexts through the foundational skills of inquiry, investigation, and discovery. This course will be paired with another course in a different discipline that is exploring a similar issue/theme.

Writing Labs

ENGL 102 Writing Lab:
The ENGL 102 Writing Lab focuses on oral communication, reading in context, and critical thinking to support you in your Developmental II English course and beyond as an artist and designer in the world. Through small-group instruction and discussion, each week, you will learn tools that you can apply to your ongoing reading and writing assignments as well as complete activities tailored to meet your individual needs. All coursework is assigned and completed during lab hours, underscoring the importance of regularly attending to benefit from 1:1 support. This course is Pass/Fail. If you complete the course at the C or better level, you will receive a “Pass (P)” on your transcript. If you finish the course at the C-, D, or F level, you will receive a “No Pass (NP)” on your transcript.

ENGL 103 Writing Lab:
The ENGL 103 Writing Lab focuses on building written communication, content development, and critical thinking skills and competencies to support you in your Writing in the Digital Age course and beyond as an artist and designer in the world. Through small-group instruction and discussion, each week, you will learn tools that you can apply to your ongoing reading and writing assignments as well as complete activities tailored to meet your individual needs. All coursework is assigned and completed during lab hours, underscoring the importance of regularly attending to benefit from 1:1 support. This course is Pass/Fail. If you complete the course at the C or better level, you will receive a “Pass (P)” on your transcript. If you finish the course at the C-, D, or F level, you will receive a “No Pass (NP)” on your transcript.