Second BFA Degree
New Policy effective Spring 2026. This policy applies to all students.
Students who have previously completed and been awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from Otis College and who are subsequently admitted into a new BFA may have applicable coursework from their prior degree applied towards the new program’s requirements. Prior coursework will be evaluated as institutional transfer credit. Studio requirements will not be waived. Students pursuing a second BFA must complete all remaining required credits in residence.
Academic Forgiveness
The Foundation Grade Replacement Policy has been superseded by the Academic Forgiveness Policy, effective Fall 2026. The new policy applies to all students.
Students who receive a grade of D, F, or UW in a course may request to retake the course when it is next offered. Although both the original grade and the repeated course grade will appear on the transcript, only the higher grade will be included in the GPA.
Under this policy, students may repeat up to three courses. Students may repeat a given course multiple times in order to fulfill degree requirements, but the original course grade can be replaced only on the first attempt to repeat the course. Repeated course credits do not count toward graduation unless the original grade received was an F or UW. Repeated course grades are not included in Dean’s list or honors calculations. The policy does not apply to courses in which the grade received was due to academic dishonesty. Students who wish to receive federal financial aid are expected to maintain full-time status in the semester during which a course is repeated. A student may not take a course at another institution for the purpose of replacing a grade for a course at Otis College. The student must complete a grade replacement form available on MyOtis and submit the form by the last day to add a class during the semester that they repeat the course(s).