Finish Your Studies at Otis College of Art and Design
We welcome you to consider Otis College of Art and Design and Los Angeles for completion of your creative studies! Our team is here to support you and offer you resources to make this transition as seamless as possible. We will offer maximum transfer credits from California College of the Arts to Otis and a guaranteed scholarship tuition discount to keep costs reasonable for you.
We will continue to update this page as more questions come forward. Please reach out with any questions: Yoi Tanaka, Vice President of Admissions and Financial Aid, ytanaka@otis.edu or text/call us at 323-870-6820.
California College of the Arts students can submit a transfer application for Fall 2026, Spring 2027, or Fall 2027 to complete their studies with us. CCA students will receive the following benefits:
- Application Fee Waiver: Apply Now
- No essays or letters of recommendation required
- Waiver of portfolio requirement for students with a cumulative GPA above 2.0 (unless department requires approval - noted below)
- Fast-tracked application review and admission counselor support
- Acceptance of CCA's credits towards an Otis degree so you can stay on track to graduate (including seniors)
- Waiving the 63 transfer credit maximum to accept senior level students
- Dedicated transfer advising
- Scholarship tuition discount competitive with CCA's net cost not including housing (requires CCA financial aid offer submission)
- Scholarship appeal process available for relocation grants for students with financial need
- Assistance with transferring Cal Grants (if you are receiving them at CCA)
- Special consideration for on campus housing
- For international students, PDSO support to transfer your student visa to Otis
It is recommended to apply for Fall 2026 admission by February 15 and Spring 2027 admission by October 1. Admission is rolling thereafter. Applications from students completing the 26-27 school year at CCA will also be considered for Fall 2027.
Were you accepted for Fall 2025? You can still request a deferral of your admission by emailing Yoi Tanaka, Vice President of Admissions at ytanaka@otis.edu.
Programs Eligible:
To be eligible, you should apply for the major directly correlated in the chart below. If you apply for a different major, you will still be eligible for transfer credits from CCA to Otis, but a full portfolio should be submitted.
| CCA Program | Otis Program |
|---|---|
| BFA Painting & Drawing BFA Sculpture BFA Photography |
BFA Fine Arts (Painting) BFA Fine Arts (Sculpture/New Genres) BFA Fine Arts (Photography) |
| BFA Game Arts | BFA Game and Entertainment Design |
| BFA Communication Design | BFA Graphic Design |
| BFA Interaction Design | BFA Graphic Design |
| BFA Illustration | BFA Illustration |
| BFA Industrial Design | BFA Product Design |
| BFA Animation | BFA Animation |
| BFA Fashion Design | BFA Fashion Design (w/Approval) |
| BFA Comics | BFA Illustration |
| BFA Furniture Design | BFA Product Design |
| BFA Ceramics | BFA Fine Arts or BFA Product Design |
| BFA Printmedia | BFA Fine Arts |
| BFA Textiles | BFA Fine Arts |
| BFA Individualized Study | Case-by-case depending on courses taken |
| MFA Design (2 yr/3yr) | MFA Graphic Design (w/Approval) |
| MFA Interaction Design | MFA Graphic Design (w/Approval) |
| MFA Fine Arts | MFA Fine Arts (w/Approval) |
Our goal is to help you maximize your transfer credits from CCA to Otis. We will also
assist you if you'd like to change your major to any of those that we offer at Otis.
Minors: Transferring minor coursework might be possible depending on the major/minor combination.
Financial Aid and Scholarship
Otis will do its best to match CCA's tuition discount and will also provide students
with the ability to apply for appeal scholarships for relocation assistance. Our dedicated
financial aid advisors will work with California residents receiving Cal Grant to
help with transferring these funds over to Otis. Please ensure that you submit the 26-27 FAFSA to Otis to maximize your financial aid offer.
If a student is looking to apply for a new major, a full portfolio will need to be
received and we will use the CCA and prior school GPA to evaluate the student for
merit scholarship. If a student wants to be considered for the Charles White Scholarship, a full application including personal statement and portfolio will need to be submitted
by February 15, 2026 along with the FAFSA. In addition, students who are eligible
to submit a supplemental Charles White application will be notified shortly after
February 15 and will have until March 15 to complete this separate application.
When my old college closed its doors, Otis opened theirs. My fellow UArts students and I were able to continue our education with no disruption to our graduation year. Otis was compassionate and flexible while I navigated my transition, and is invested in my education, career path, and creative endeavors."
About Otis College of Art and Design
Established in 1918, Otis College of Art and Design is a national leader in art and design education. Located in the center of Los Angeles, the College mission is to educate a diverse community of students to become highly skilled, well-informed and responsible professionals -- empowering them to shape the world. Alumni and faculty are Fulbright, MacArthur, and Guggenheim grant recipients, Oscar winners, legendary costume designers, leaders of contemporary art movements, entrepreneurs, and design stars at influential companies including Apple, Abercrombie & Fitch, Pixar, DreamWorks, Mattel, Nike, and Netflix. With a 96% employment rate, Otis graduates are well prepared to enter the creativity economy of LA and beyond.
Otis is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges – Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Otis is also a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD).