Transfer Students

Taking the right classes before transferring is an important step in a smooth transition into Otis’ art and design program. Students who succeed at being admitted at the sophomore or junior level have a portfolio of artwork that demonstrates the necessary well-developed drawing, design, and creative thinking skills. They must also have completed general education requirements such as English, social sciences, and art history.

Transfer students are required to submit final high school transcripts with graduation date, and official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. (If a transfer applicant has a Bachelor or higher degree, no high school transcript is required. Applicants with a previous Associates Degree must submit an official high school transcript. SAT/ACT test scores are not required. The minimum GPA is 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, and students must have earned a grade of “C” or better in each class in order to receive credit. All units must be earned at a regionally accredited institution.

California Students
California community colleges use the IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) to prepare students to transfer as juniors to four-year colleges and universities. In many cases, the IGETC alone is not effective in preparing a student to transfer to Otis because the curriculum does not include the art and design studio (drawing, figure drawing, and 2D and 3 D design) classes taken during Otis’ Foundation (freshman) Year. Rather than following the IGETC, community college students should take classes that mirror Otis’ required curriculum in both studio art and general education.

Sophomore Transfer - fall admission only
To enter Otis at the sophomore level, a student must have completed a minimum of 18 semester units of studio art (e.g., drawing, 2D and 3D design, color theory, photography, digital tools, and sculpture). It is also advisable that sophomore transfer students complete at least 15 general education semester units. Contact the Admissions Office for more information on which general education courses to take.

Jump Start Program for Architecture/Landscape/Interiors
Transfer students interested in the Architecture/Landscape/Interiors (A/L/I) program have a unique opportunity to start as a first semester sophomore in the spring term.
Students in Jump Start complete the first term of the sophomore year in the spring term and then immediately complete the second term of the sophomore year during the summer allowing them to be juniors in the fall.
In order to stay on track to graduate on-time both spring and summer terms must be completed!

Second-Semester Sophomore - spring admission only
Transfer applicants with at least 27 semester units of studio art and design may apply for second-semester sophomore status in Architecture/Landscape/Interiors, Communication Arts, Digital Media, Fine Arts, and Product Design.

Junior Transfer –fall admission only
Junior-level transfer applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Between 36-40 semesters units of studio work are generally required. A student may have the transferable units, but may not have a junior-level portfolio or vice versa. Contact Admissions about Otis’ articulation agreements with select local community colleges. The College recommends that all prospective junior-level applicants meet with an Admissions Counselor for evaluation. Otis does not accept junior level transfers in Fashion Design or Toy Design.

Studio Credit/Portfolio
Transfer credit for studio courses in art and design will be granted only upon presentation of both official transcripts and a proficient portfolio of artwork. Under no circumstances will studio credit be granted based on a transcript or portfolio alone. A sophomore- or junior-level portfolio should contain 10-20 pieces of an applicant's best and most recent artwork. For sophomore level, the work should reflect proficiency in the same skills that Foundation students attain, especially drawing, 2D, and 3D design and color theory. Figure drawing is also especially important to Fashion Design and Digital Media majors. A junior-level portfolio should show advanced skills in all of these areas as well as work that shows experience in the applicant's intended major and reflects original creative ideas.

General Education Units
General education requirements are accepted on a class-by-class basis. Transfer students are not required to complete all of the Foundation Year general education classes before entering, but any missing courses must be completed during their education at Otis.

The following Foundation/Freshman-level Liberal Arts and Science courses are required at Otis:

5.0	English	Composition and Critical Thought/Critical Analysis and Semiotics
6.0	Art History Survey	Introductory Art History/Modern Art
2.0	Social Sciences	UC/CSU-transferable Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology