How to apply to Otis College of Art and Design for undergraduate art and design: 8 BFA majors chosen after the first-year Foundation, two portfolio options, deadlines, English requirements, 2026-2027 costs and automatic merit scholarships, with portfolio requirements and timelines for students at high schools in China, Canadian high school students and transfer students

Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles awards only the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) at the undergraduate level. This guide covers its majors, portfolio requirements, application timeline, English requirements and costs, with notes for students at high schools in China (Gaokao, A-Level, IB, AP), Canadian high school students (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students. The deadline pages show no year, so check them again before applying for fall 2027.

1. Majors and when you choose one

• 8 BFA majors (Undergraduate Programs page): Animation, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Game and Entertainment Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Product Design and Toy Design.
• Fine Arts has three areas of emphasis: Painting, Photography and Sculpture/New Genres. Painting seniors each get a private studio.
• Minors: the Undergraduate Programs page lists 15 minors, including Art & Design Education, Art History, Concept Art, Contemporary Clay, Creative Writing, Digital Media, Graphic Design, Illustration, Motion Design, Painting, Photography, Product Design, Sculpture/New Genres and Sustainability; the Chinese one-sheet PDF says 13. Otis does not offer double majors.
• First-year Foundation: all first-year students take Foundation studio courses (drawing, 2D and 3D design and more) plus Liberal Arts and Sciences and Creative Action courses. The FAQ says students select their major in the second semester of Foundation after attending Foundation Forward; the page does not mention any extra requirements for entering a major.
• STEM-designated majors: the international page lists the BFAs in Animation, Game and Entertainment Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Toy Design and Product Design as STEM programs, eligible for the 24-month OPT extension.

2. Portfolio requirements

No application is reviewed without a portfolio. Choose one of two options (Portfolio Requirements page):

• Open Portfolio: 10–20 images of your best, most recent work in any medium.
• Structured Portfolio: 10 works, at least 3 in traditional (non-digital) media:
  • 3 “Portrait” pieces of yourself or someone you know, considering the objects, clothes or environment around them, not only the face;
  • 4 “Personal narrative” pieces telling a story about an event or moment in your life;
  • 3 “Place” pieces showing places that are important to you (interiors, buildings, landscapes, cityscapes and so on).
  You may add further work labeled “Personal work.”
• A series is encouraged: the page recommends at least one series (several works on the same idea or theme) and suggests 3–5-piece prompts.
• Submission: with the Otis application, upload under the Portfolio tab; Common App applicants get a portfolio link by email the day after submitting. The FAQ says portfolios are reviewed digitally on SlideRoom, with no physical portfolios, and suggests using the description boxes for size and medium. Files up to 5GB are supported and documents may have up to 75 pages; image, video, audio and document formats are accepted.
• Work must be your own; the Portfolio Requirements page has a specific policy on this, so read it before submitting.
• Feedback: you can book an online portfolio review with an admissions counselor, and the FAQ says Otis attends National Portfolio Day events.

3. Timeline and materials

• Fall entry (the undergraduate and international pages agree): applications open August 1, Early Action is December 1 and the priority deadline is February 15, with rolling admission afterward while space remains. Early Action applicants with complete files by December 1 hear by mid-January. Fall entry is possible at Foundation, sophomore or junior level (the upper levels are for students with transfer credit).
• Spring entry: first-time students start in first-semester Foundation. The dates differ: the undergraduate page says applications open July 1 with an October 1 priority deadline, while the international page says August 1 and November 1. International applicants should confirm with international admissions.
• Another priority date: the undergraduate FAQ recommends applying by “the Priority Deadline of March 2nd” for scholarship consideration, which differs from the February 15 date on the application page. Both are listed here; planning for February 15 is safer.
• Application and fee: first-year applicants use the Common App or the Otis Online Application. The fee is USD 50, waived for first-year applicants using the Otis application and for all transfer applicants.
• Essay: a personal statement of at least 500 words on your background and interest in art and design; Common App applicants may use one Common App prompt.
• Transcripts: from all schools attended; transcripts not in English need official translations along with the originals. Unofficial transcripts are accepted for review; admitted students send final official transcripts.
• Tests and recommendations: SAT/ACT optional; letters of recommendation optional. No specific high school courses are required beyond graduation requirements.
• Deferral: admitted students may defer for up to one year.

4. English requirements (international applicants)

• Minimum scores: TOEFL 79 or 4.5 on the new scale, IELTS 6.5, PTE 58 or Duolingo 105.
• SAT/ACT for English? The pages differ. The application page lists TOEFL, IELTS, PTE and Duolingo and says SAT/ACT is not required; the FAQ says international students may submit TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo or SAT/ACT scores to show English proficiency. Confirm with admissions.
• Waivers: students at accredited high schools or colleges where English is the primary language of instruction may be considered proficient with a transcript showing non-ESL English or literature courses. Native English speakers who are citizens of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, India, South Africa or the Commonwealth Caribbean and attend English-medium schools may not need a test. The page does not say whether Quebec is excluded.
• Conditional admission: the Chinese one-sheet PDF says applicants below these scores are still welcome and may receive conditional admission for the fall term. The English application page does not mention this, so confirm with international admissions.
• Otis also runs a Summer Language Program.

5. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 undergraduate costs (Cost of Attendance page, fall rates): tuition USD 55,744, fees USD 1,128 (health center USD 502, technology USD 313, student activity USD 313), books and supplies USD 1,305, health insurance USD 3,051. The yearly total is USD 88,766 on campus and USD 93,477 off campus. Full time is 12–18 units.
• Deposit: international students pay a USD 300 tuition deposit to confirm, then request the I-20 through the applicant portal with a passport and proof of funds for tuition and living costs.
• Merit scholarships: awarded automatically at admission based on the application, academics and portfolio, including for international students. Awards start at USD 7,000 a year and go up to 50% of tuition; the strongest applicants receive the Otis Presidential Scholarship. Awards renew each year with a cumulative GPA above 2.0 and full-time enrollment. The international funding page says full-tuition scholarships are not currently available to international students.
• CSS Profile? The pages differ. The international funding page says no separate application or CSS Profile is required for merit scholarships; the undergraduate FAQ says international applicants should submit the CSS Profile. Confirm with Financial Aid at onestop@otis.edu.
• Charles White Scholarship: four years of full tuition for two students each year, one incoming first-year or transfer student from California and one from anywhere in the U.S.; apply by February 15. The page describes California and U.S. recipients and does not say whether international students can apply.
• Extra support for spring entry: the Spring Start page says students who apply for spring by October 1 receive, in addition to merit scholarships, a USD 4,000 housing grant in each of their first two years; there is also a grant tied to the FAFSA, which only U.S. citizens and permanent residents can file. The page does not say separately whether the housing grant applies to international students.
• Payments and work: 4- to 6-payment plans (one-time USD 40 fee, no interest), with international payments through Flywire; international students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week and may be eligible for CPT after the first year.

6. Transfer students

• Placement depends on studio and general education credits, and the portfolio must match the level of current Otis students; Department Chair approval may be needed:
  • Fall sophomore: at least 18 studio credits and 6 or more general education credits; fall junior: at least 36 studio credits and 18 general education credits;
  • Spring second-semester Foundation: at least 9 studio credits and 6 general education credits; spring second-semester sophomore: at least 27 studio credits and 18 general education credits.
• Limits: at most 63 transfer credits, each with a grade of C or better. Fashion Design and Toy Design transfers cannot enter above sophomore level. Creative Action and Capstone courses cannot be transferred in.
• Credits from abroad: transfer students who studied outside the U.S. (other than Japan and Korea) need a course-by-course evaluation of their college transcripts from a NACES member, after an official English translation. Foreign institutions must be recognized by their national ministry of education.
• AP, IB, A-Level and AS-Level: eligible for transfer credit when official results come from the school or testing body; see the transfer credit chart.
• Transfer applicants pay no fee and can use the Transfer Common App or the Otis application. The transfer page says about 30% of new students are transfers, and transfers are eligible for merit scholarships.

7. Students at high schools in China (Gaokao, A-Level, IB, AP)

• Gaokao: the website does not say how Gaokao results are used; ask international admissions.
• Transcripts: submit the original high school transcript with an official English translation. The first-year pages do not ask for a credential evaluation (the course-by-course evaluation applies to college transcripts from abroad).
• A-Level, IB, AP: eligible for credit according to the transfer credit chart.
• Chinese resources: the international page offers a Chinese one-sheet PDF, and the virtual tour is available in Mandarin.

8. Canadian high school students (including BC and Vancouver)

• English: Canadian citizens who are native English speakers at English-medium schools may not need an English test; the page does not say whether Quebec is excluded.
• BC grades: Otis does not publish grade requirements for the BC curriculum; ask admissions.
• Provincial aid: the international funding page says Otis is approved by several Canadian provinces, so students may be eligible for provincial loans and grants such as StudentAid BC or OSAP in Ontario; the Financial Aid Office can help with the paperwork.

9. Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare an open portfolio of 10–20 works, or 10 works on the three prompts (at least 3 in traditional media)
• Take TOEFL 79 (4.5 on the new scale), IELTS 6.5, PTE 58 or Duolingo 105
• Write a personal statement of at least 500 words and prepare transcripts with English translations
• For fall, aim for December 1 (Early Action) or February 15
• Ask international admissions whether to submit the CSS Profile and how the Gaokao is used

Canadian high school students (including BC and Vancouver):

• Prepare the portfolio and personal statement, and check whether you qualify for the English waiver
• Ask your provincial aid office (such as StudentAid BC) about loans or grants

Transfer students:

• Match your studio and general education credits to the placement table; your portfolio must meet that level
• Translate college transcripts from abroad into English, then get a NACES course-by-course evaluation
• Fashion Design and Toy Design transfers enter no higher than sophomore level

Sources: Otis College of Art and Design, Undergraduate How to Apply; Undergraduate Portfolio Requirements; International Students; International How to Apply; Scholarships and Funding for International Students; Undergraduate Contact & FAQs; Spring Start; Transfer Students; Transfer Credits; 2026-2027 Cost of Attendance; Scholarships; Undergraduate Programs; Fine Arts Concentrations; International one-sheet in Chinese (PDF). Costs are 2026-2027 figures and the deadline pages show no year; check Otis College’s website for the latest.