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Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Liberal Arts and Sciences are the nexus of all education, providing us with the tools to understand the past, negotiate the present, and create the future. Without them we are lost; with them we can reimagine anything.
Departmental Mission Statement

We build your experience around four themes: Connecting to Creativity, Arguing for Humanity, Math and Science in Action, and Resourcing the Future. Designed around these themes, our courses foster explorations of various cultures, their historical context, and art and design contributions. These deep explorations in art history and the sciences strengthen critical thinking in writing and visual literacy as you cultivate an understanding of and curiosity for a deeper investigation of the relationship between context and culture in creative production.

Students talking in classroom at Otis College

Connecting to Creativity

We never forget that Otis students are designers and artists. Whatever the topic at hand, courses explore specific connections between creative practice and the needs of our world

Teacher talking with students in classroom

Arguing for Humanity

Critical thinking and intellectual rigor are brought to bear as students learn to reason, communicate, and ask challenging questions about our society, past, present, and future.

Geometric sculpture

Math and Science in Action

Courses in math, cognition, ergonomics, and more are tailored to the needs of artists and designers. We equip students with essential, directly applicable skills to flourish in the industries of the future.

Students in critique during art class at Otis College

Resourcing the Future

We prepare students to become lifelong learners and encourage them to think about how they can use their passion, art, and design skills to address pressing challenges.

 

Essential Toolbox

Our Essential Toolbox of Skills supports students' personal and professional growth throughout their intellectual and creative journey at Otis College and beyond. Our key tools - read, question, research, rethink, speculate, argue, connect, understand, write, create, and inspire - allow students to expand their capabilities and be ready to compete in today's job market. Please explore the thoughts and feelings of our alumni and faculty concerning the value of our essential skills and Liberal Arts and Science courses.

Students reading in the Otis College Library

“Liberal Arts and Sciences classes enhance the way you are able to see, create, and analyze art.” —Olivia Warren, '20 BFA Fine Arts

Students analyzing a piece of art on the wall

"Liberal Arts and Sciences ask that we pay attention to other voices, other times, other disciplines. The paradox of this attention towards others is that it's the only way to enrich our studio practice. Only by availing ourselves of these broad networks of culture can we create with wisdom." —Maggie Light, Faculty

Students researching a piece of art

"The foundational knowledge gained in Liberal Arts and Sciences is often the raw material artists and designers use to create art and design. Can you design a video game based on Norse and Asian myths without studying myths in an Liberal Arts and Sciences class?" —Sung Ju Ahn, Faculty

Students looking at art on the wall
"My LAS classes help me understand what I’m trying to do in the studio." —Ahrielle McLaughlin, '17
Students looking at art
"Contemporary Art [a Liberal Arts and Sciences course] pushed me to what I am now doing on a regular basis, which is to look at work in my field and see what other artists are doing and talking about." —Edgar Ramirez, '18 BFA Fine Arts
Students looking at art
"Liberal Arts and Sciences classes are important because they bring up conversations about political correctness, equity, the power of storytelling, as well as how to consider the societal effects and impacts your rhetoric, visuals, and designs have on the world around you." —Regis Peeples Faculty
Students looking at art
"The classes taught me to engage collaboratively with other students while giving me insight and exposure to real-world practices." —Frankie Hamersma, '15 BFA Communication Arts
Students looking at art
"Liberal Arts and Sciences is the base structure and the connecting glue that helps form your overall knowledge of your major." —Javier Diaz, '20 BFA Product Design
Students looking at art
"After experiencing four years in Liberal Arts and Sciences classes, my English improved a lot, and that gave me tremendous confidence." —Ran Tamada, '20 BFA Product Design
Students looking at art
"At the studio, ideas take form, but at Liberal Arts and Sciences, ideas are born." —Elisa Toscano, '20 BFA Graphic Design
Students revisiting art design
"Armed with critical thinking skills and knowledge of cultures and social structures gained through Liberal Arts and Sciences courses, the artists at Otis are prepared to positively add to and become drivers of cultures worldwide." —Dontae Mahoney, '20 BFA Graphic Design
Student drawing in class

Curriculum

Learn more about the first year curriculum, creative action courses, honors program, and more.

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Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty

Kerri Steinberg's Picture

Kerri Steinberg

Department Chair

Department: Liberal Arts and Sciences
Email: ksteinberg@otis.edu

JoAnn Staten

JoAnn Staten

Assistant Chair

Department: Liberal Arts and Sciences
Email: jstaten@otis.edu

Meet the Faculty

Contact Us

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Phone: 310-665-6820
SMS: 323-870-6820

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