A Step-by-Step Guide to Registering for an Otis Extension Class

Cultivate your creative vision in just 10 easy steps.

As one of the nation’s top art and design schools, Otis College is here to help you advance your career, launch a new one, or achieve a life goal through its Otis Extension program. Offering a wide array of classes in such fields as animation, fashion design, graphic design, and more, the program is designed to help you upgrade your current skills or explore an entirely new area of interest. With the flexibility of online and on-campus learning, you can tailor your education to suit your lifestyle.

Registering for a class or certificate program with Otis Extension can be done in these 10 simple steps. 

1. Find Your Class

Browse through a diverse selection of over 200 courses and programs offered online and in-person on the Otis Extension website. Learn how to draw the human form from live models in Life Drawing; explore how to make metal bend to your wishes in the Welding/Metal Sculpture class, which takes place in our 5,000 square foot Wood and Metal Shop; and learn how to manipulate photographs in Digital Imaging: Photoshop. 

Otis Extension also offers certificate programs in Animation, Game Design, Interior Design, Graphic Design, and Fine Arts, among many others. These structured programs are designed for emerging artists and designers and professionals alike.

2. Check Class Description 

Before enrolling, read through your selected course description for:

• Start date, class days and hours
• Course modality—is the class in-person on the Otis campus or online?
• If the class is online, is it held synchronously (students and instructors interact in real time) or asynchronously (students complete coursework on their own schedule)? 
• Tuition and fees 
• Prerequisites, if any
• Required course materials 

3. Pay Tuition

Once you’ve decided on a course, select the “Add to Cart” option and then “Checkout,” which will take you to the Extension Portal to log in or create an account if you are a new Extension student. Complete or update your profile as part of the checkout process, and then pay for your class. 

4. Check Payment Confirmation and X-Number

Once your payment is finalized, you will receive an emailed receipt from Otis Extension. Double-check that you are registered for the correct course. This receipt also displays your Otis 

Extension student number, or “X-number,” which you will need to refer to in the future, so keep it handy.

5. Check Class Confirmation 

You will receive an additional email confirming your Otis Extension class. Be sure to read through it, as it contains important information about: 

• Free parking for on-campus students and how to get a placard for your car, 
• How to obtain an Extension student ID, which grants you access to the Otis campus and the parking garage (and also is great for student discounts at museums and art supply stores), and 
• How to access Otis Extension’s online learning management system, The Nest. 

If you are in an online Extension class, your instructor will use The Nest to communicate class syllabi and assignments. On-campus classes utilize The Nest to a lesser extent, but it’s still helpful to get acquainted with the site.

7. Set up The Nest Log-In

Set up your log-in to The Nest using the instructions that come with your class confirmation email. If you need any help navigating The Nest, you can always reach out to Otis Extension at extension@otis.edu or 310-665-6850. 

8. Get Supplies

The fun part: get your class supplies! Your instructor will provide a supply list on the class description page and in your course’s online resources section in the Extension Portal. Some on-campus classes utilize equipment and some supplies from the Otis Labs, Shops, and Studios. Other tools and supplies may need to be purchased. 

Tip: If you show your supply list and/or proof of class enrollment at art supply stores like Blick and Graphaids (which has a satellite store on-campus), you can get a student discount.

9. Check for Class Location and/or Zoom Information

If you are enrolled in an on-campus class, you will receive an email from Otis Extension several days before the start of your class to inform you of your class location. The email will contain a campus map. It’s a good idea to allow extra time on your first day of class to park in the Otis parking garage and locate and walk to your class. 

If your class is online, you will receive an email a few days before class starts confirming the Zoom link to use to attend your first and subsequent classes. 

10. Have Fun in Class 

Taught by practicing professionals who are not only skilled arts educators but also bring real-world experience to the classroom, Otis Extension classes are designed to open you up creatively, challenge you, and, if you’re looking for career enhancement, give you a portfolio of new and inspired work to showcase to employers. Take the first step towards unlocking your creative potential in an inspiring and supportive environment.

See what exciting classes Otis Extension has in store for you this term.

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