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Summer Language Program

Otis College Summer Language Program (SLP)

June 20 - August 12, 2022

Students who do not meet Otis's BFA level of English proficiency may be accepted for our Summer Language Program, which will provide a strong foundation to start BFA studies at Otis College. If students succeed in the SLP course, they will be able to start the BFA program for the fall semester. In addition to improving language abilities, they will have the opportunity to engage in a studio elective course and connect with other Otis students before the start of the fall semester.

The SLP program will be held online for Summer 2022.

Important Dates

  • Deposit Deadline: May 15, 2022 (submit your deposit here)
  • Tuition Due Date: June 8, 2022
  • Orientation: June 17, 2022
  • Program Dates: June 20 – August 12, 2022

SLP Courses

Students enrolled in the SLP program will take two courses over the summer. A grade of "C" is required in both courses to meet the requirements for BFA admission.

Developmental English I - ENGL 050

Class meeting times: Sunday - Wednesday, 6 PM - 10 PM Pacific Time

Description: Developmental English I is a for credit, non-degree applicable course designed to support native and non-native speakers of English language in developing the basic Standard English language skills needed for reading, analyzing, writing, and discussing college-level material. The class focuses on organizing ideas into unified and coherent sentences and paragraphs and developing these into a portfolio of drafted, revised, and edited essays. A minimum grade of “C” is required to pass this course and gain BFA admission.

Look, Think, Make: Studio Practice - FNDT 145

Class meeting times: Thursday, 6 PM - 10 PM Pacific Time

Description: This course investigates beginning themes and concepts for studio making. A great introduction to the Foundation year studios, each week we will explore a new theme presented through lectures, discussion and inspirational content.  The course will include exercises in making, material play, and prompts for thinking and looking. Students will take photographs, videos, make objects from found materials, present research from 'solo' field trips, and collaborate with their classmates. A minimum grade of “C” is required to pass this course and gain BFA admission.

Credits may be applied to the foundation elective FNDT145, and to a major elective upon approval of the major department Chair.

Tuition and Fees for the Summer Language Program

Tuition and Fees: $2,500 - Due by June 8th

Please note that Otis College scholarships cannot be applied to the Summer Language Program. If awarded a scholarship, it will be granted once enrolled in the BFA program in Fall. 

Visa Details

Since the program is being held online this summer, you will not need a visa in order to attend. Please submit the required documents for the I-20 so that you can receive your I-20 and visa for the fall semester after passing the program.

Faculty Bios

Shari Saidiner has been teaching the English language since 2009.  She has taught at UCLA, USC, El Camino College, and Otis College of Art and Design. Prior to teaching, she worked in marketing, art direction and copywriting. Shari combines her experience in marketing with her creativity from advertising to make her English classes dynamic and relevant so that students become more relaxed and confident with using English.

Education: M.A (TESOL) CSUDH, CELTA – University of Cambridge, B.F.A. (Art Direction) Art Center College of Design, B.S (Business-Marketing) University of Southern California.

Lisa Oxley is an artist who defines her practice as rooted firmly in painting, while working across the disciplines of drawing, installation and time- based media.  Her work often explores the relationship between painting and architecture; language and image, as well as how a painting is received perceptually in its space.  

Oxley did her undergraduate work at Sarah Lawrence College and School of Visual Arts and received a BA in Liberal Arts from State University of New York and an MFA from Otis College of Art and Design. She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally at venues such as JAUS, Ladies Room, and The Torrance Art Museum in Los Angeles, Verge Center for the Arts (Sacramento), Ana Mas Projects (Barcelona) and has been awarded artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Verge Center for the Arts, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig, Ireland.  

She is a Foundation Faculty who teaches Drawing Form, Drawing Studio and Connections Through Color and Design.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the format for the SLP program?

    English classes will be dynamic and relevant so that students become more relaxed and confident with using English. The program offers a curriculum of writing, reading, grammar, listening, and speaking. The focus is very much on communicative skills. By the end of the program you will find that you are speaking English with more confidence and are feeling comfortable with seeking help and asking questions. Your studio class will provide an introduction to the creative process and will prepare you for entering the Foundation studio program in the fall. Classes will meet daily for 5 days. 4 days (Monday through Thursday) will be devoted to language study. The studio course will meet for 4 hours on Friday.

  • Will the program be online or on campus?

    The program will be online in Summer 2022.

  • What will be the class meeting times?

    Sunday through Thursday, 6 PM - 10 PM Pacific Time.  Here is a helpful time converter to confirm these hours in your time zone.

  • How do I secure my spot in the Summer Language Program?

    To reserve your spot in the program, please submit your $250 tuition deposit at www.otis.edu/deposit by May 15th.

  • Who do I pay my tuition to?

    Otis College collects all tuition payments for the Summer Language Program. You can pay your bill online at my.otis.edu. Payment must be received by June 8th.

  • How do I qualify to start the BFA program in the fall semester?

    Students must earn a grade of "C" or better in both courses in order to continue into Otis College of Art and Design's BFA program. All students will take a writing placement exam before the start of the fall semester, the results of which will determine placement in either Developmental English 2 or Writing in the Digital Age.

  • What happens if I do not pass the program with a grade of C or better?

    You will be recommended to one of the English language training centers that we partner with to continue with your training in the Fall 2022 semester. You can then be considered for transfer to Otis College starting in the Spring 2023 semester, which begins in January.

  • When does the fall semester begin? 

    International Student Orientation will be held on Friday, August 19, 2022, which will be followed by the rest of the Orientation Week activities. The first day of classes is August 29, 2022.

  • When will you issue my I-20 for my student visa?

    The I-20 document will be issued once you submit all necessary documents to Otis using the Summer I-20 Request form.

Please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@otis.edu or 310.665.6820 with any questions.