Otis College of Art and Design

I'm soo impressed today was a 2024 Accepted Student Day for my daughter.

If you're into majors that involve fashion, toys, packaging, woodworks, digital & physical media, animation, computers, etc. I cannot stress enough now good Otis is in not only helping you with these subjects, but also giving you skills to where you can find work that isn't just in the major/field you chose. The campus is relatively small and it isn't hard to navigate around the area. However, for those who don't have a credit card, I would recommend that you bring your own food or get a credit card because both the cafeteria and the Cafe are credit only, no cash.

Honestly the school will go out of it’s way to make sure the students know what programs and tools they need to use in order to improve their skills. The professors are tough but for the right reasons. My only issue with the school is that they forced me to take a covid booster 2 days after I got over covid. Even though I was only taking classes online. Other than that the school is pretty great and I’d recommend it!

Don't sign up for noncredit classes as you will not receive any grades. I took typography, web design and other classes mixed with storyboarding and Maya, but now that I transferred outside of Los Angeles, and I'm taking art classes I'm seeing a huge difference. I wasn't getting thorough training nor skills. As a new students, I should have been urged to get credit classes so I could transfer or get credits, otherwise why would they charge 1k for each class while no history to it. I thought at least, I had access to the job board, but one time I was trying to post a job on there, the girl in charge was unfriendly and then when I told her that I usually check opportunities on there she blocked my access immediately. Although I was actually a student in Otis, she claimed that this is strictly for their full-time students, which is untrue, because the former employee gave me a full access and she blocked it. So then I wouldn't be taking further classes there because I'm wasting my money , instead I would go to workshop or an Institute. The professors were cool, a few were in tht industry and a few were outdated as in typography and storyboarding.

Nice Clean campous. The staffs are focused on the student's success. They are more geared for employment than art promotion, is the impression I received after extensive interrogations :). You should expect to land a job upon graduations, as the school puts a lot of efforts into getting jobs.

Small but open campus, very friendly.

Otis is a great alternative to Art Center. It's a friendlier environment and the student body is suited to for students coming from high school and community college. The new addition to the campus is really going to change the environment and make it even more communal because they are now going to offer on camps dorms. The education is awesome and like anything you need to work hard to receive the full benefits.

#LetsGuide. Ample place and with a high qualification of teaching in the area of ​​Design and Art. It has qualified professionals and a good education. The place is well centralized and well known. It also has a bathroom and an accessible entrance for wheelchair users. Great place. What is better is the very diverse and good content. Recommended. Satisfactory location

I am writing to bring to your attention serious concerns regarding discrimination at Otis College. As a member of the community, I have observed and heard reports of discriminatory practices that have created a hostile environment for certain groups of students. Specifically, there have been allegations of discriminatory behavior by staff, particularly in the Dean's office, where it's been suggested that certain students, primarily of Asian descent, receive preferential treatment in nominations and awards. Such practices not only undermine the values of equality and fairness but also create division and resentment among students and faculty members. It is imperative that immediate action be taken to address these concerns and ensure that Otis College provides a safe and inclusive environment for all students. I urge Yelp to conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations and take appropriate action to address any instances of discrimination found. Additionally, I request that Yelp work closely with Otis College administration to implement measures to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus. Furthermore, I encourage Yelp to provide a platform for students and faculty members to report instances of discrimination anonymously, ensuring that their voices are heard and their concerns are addressed promptly. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I trust that Yelp will take swift and decisive action to address these serious concerns and uphold the values of equality and fairness at Otis College.

Student art show 2023. Great showing of this years fashion and design graduating class.

On the same quality level as FIDM (Pretty bad) but with a bit more passive aggressiveness from administrators. Another school that rests on it's past, but not current, reputation.

I really wanted to like this school, and as an industry player I cant deny its influence. However the absolutely abhorrent interactions I've been forced to have with faculty make it impossible for me to recommend this institution. First off, if you do decide to go here you should know that they don't see the students as human beings. They see us as little pools of money they want to suck every last drop out of until you have nothing left, and even then they make you academically suffer if you can't keep paying their random fees. Compared to the other colleges Ive attended, this place is viciously predatory. Secondly is the Housing Department. Don't. Dont give the inept and morally corrupt department any of your time. It doesn't matter if you get Punched or molested or had scissors thrown at you. They try to skew the dynamic to make it your responsibility to deal with, frankly, unstable roommates. Especially if the problematic person is affluent, they could get away with literal murder before they even bat an eye. Additionally, at the Park West location, you are paying more than the value of the apartment by about 2000$ a month assuming you have three roommates as the school suggests. Which would be fine if Park West was a nice place, but everything breaks there at the drop of a hat. The elevator has broken down 5 times in the last 3 months. Several appliances within the apartment have also been faulty causing major inconvenience. Overall a terrible experience, and I think this department needs major overhauls to find people who actually want to do their job. Finally is the Academics. I gotta hand it to them, they are almost as good as Pasadena Art Center. Which considering they cost more than art center I would certainly hope so. They have industry professionals come and give speeches very frequently, and a lot of them are open to the general public. The Professors are all practicing artists, and you really have to adapt to their teaching style because they don't know how to teach. But thats college for you. I've also seen my our skills and grit increase drastically since I arrived here. There are also some high class facilities, but be sure to take the introduction lessons at the beginning of the school year, otherwise they look at you like a roach for needing any instructions. Overall, I wish I would've stayed at my last school. At least there they cared about me as a human being.

My professors are brilliant, I take a couple undergrad classes my prof are just as great! You get what you give! I am getting my MFA, so far so good. I have been awarded grants for my work, scholarships, outside of school my art is doing well ;) thus far more then it did before I started. I have been nominated for a fellowship and class Marshall. I will graduate in spring and keep y'all updated!.

Very costly and unexpected expenses out of pocket. As an independent student majoring in Fashion Design, I found out we have to pay for our own fabric (which is costly). The housing, Park West, students shouldn't pay the amount they pay for broken appliances, can't have certain things in the apartment such as, coffee pot, crockpot, slow cooker just to name a few. Another is the fashion program is very intense and speak so much on Time Management. However, taking 6 classes (Full-Time) and all work is literally due the following week but you really have no time to sleep, mental health issues, not eating, because you are focusing on getting good grades and your work is up to part of their standing. Do they expect you get it right the first two times, yes! They don't realize they do that. I never seen a program that speaks proudly about how many dropout of the program during Sophomore and Junior year. We are in a different time we're mental health is a bigger issue. Saying you cut some classes and expectations is good but the way it's structure is not realistic. Even if your good with your time you only get 12 hrs in a day and majority is spent in the class rooms. The school has to really think about that especially Fashion Department. The overall school experience is stressful. I understand both sides of students and their parents - understanding the school side however I never seen or heard so many withdrawing from the school to go elsewhere. I did get accepted at one of the top fashion schools in the world that you focus on fashion not LAS and other courses while trying to stay on track in fashion. They also accepted all my transcripts. What I hear from students and meeting some of their family it's said they feel this way. But I understand. I am still at OTIS because I couldn't go to the one I was accepted to due to finances at the time and being they opened their first campus in the US so FAFSA was not an option. I fought to get into OTIS, which a student should never have to or experience what I did. So far it's okay but honestly overpriced.

Absolutely terrible. Not worth the money. They increased my daughters tuition without telling us. She got a presidential scholarship and loans. They didn't give her all her loans and she owed $3000/month extra. They increased it to $4000/mth. They wouldn't work with us, didn't show up to the exit interview but gave her 48 hours to move out. I would never recommend this college to anyone.

Don't go here. majored in graphic and advertising. outdated old instructors are no longer valid. learn online. these days internet learning is far more advance with high speed internet and tools.

This is a very good art school. I studied here but couldn't get my degree because of a hospitalization. I really enjoyed the foundation year. It was a series of drawing classes and fine art classes. Really loved Rush's class he was crazy in a good way. I made a beautiful watercolor collage piece in his class that was stolen and a large scale dark goth painting with a pen and ink eye that is also missing. Jim Starett was great for form and space and I learned to build things with tools, knives, plywood, and corrugated cardboard, last everyone loved Pat Styles. She was lovely.

The Fashion classes are great and involve a lot of work; I couldn't keep up in one of the sewing courses but I am willing to retake it again at some point. The best class I have taken is Children's Book Writing with Deborah Lattimore and I look forward to the next one. I get new ideas for my writing in every class and I enjoy hearing her personal stories. She also teaches Illustrating Children's Books. C.E. Registration Department needs to make improvements. Several things went wrong during Open House and after my class started: no printers available so no receipt given day of, wrong info was given to me regarding parking pass, incorrect data entry failed to capture my Apt # on application form, duplicate student ID's received (3 total).

This is a great art and design school , though smaller facility and not as intense or expansive as let's say Art Center. However , if your into design , art, specifics this is a great place if you need to start your focus. What's better, expansion! I did not like the parking situation at all. I was also a student of select classes as well. I attended other larger universities Enjoy, focus , learn, succeed in expression.

I love you...but I hate you.... you make me sleep only 4 hours a week...you make my friends cut themselves with xacto knives...you dirty my pants with charcoal, gouache, oils...you make me pay out of my ass for you...you make me stare at a naked model for 8 hours straight (sometimes good, sometimes very very bad)... but still I can't quit you! (well, actually I can, but then I would be an art school drop out...so, no!) Also, you ARE taking me to Paris for two weeks... so.... See you Tuesday!

Since there are no in between stars... This is for my sister who is due to graduate this year, and she doesn't have a yelp account so here is one for her. 1 stars for the school planning to have internship meetings with potential employers on the same day as midterms and there is no rescheduling. The industry is hard enough to land a job in and the teachers know that it is all about networking. A lot of the students had to cancel appointments so they would not miss class or midterms. 4 stars for the skills she has been able to learn and therefore enhance her techniques and ability to put out good products.

If you're looking for a graphic design certificate, I'd say stay as far away as you can from this school. I was here for two years and out of all the classes and teachers, there were only two that were beneficial to me actually learning something I can use in the real world. Most of the teachers and counselors don't even care. For instance I had a teacher that was absent for 80% of the class so he had one project for us to do the entire semester. What a joke. Another teacher would teach us one technique and then just ramble on about his own personal problems for the rest of the class. Counselors don't seem to care about you at all! I would've finished this in 1 year and a half but they all gave me wrong information when classes were available so I had to wait an extra semester. They also didn't give me my certificate until I had to call them and ask them about it. They simply said, oops sorry we forgot to mail yours out. Bullshit. I remember asking why I couldn't take an extra course to further my studies and she straight up laughed and said, because you're a Certificate student! Thanks for lowering the value of your program to my face. Idiot. You can honestly learn more on YouTube and online schools than here. Trust me, just build up a solid portfolio and you'll be set.

This place is pretty much a joke. I'm specifically referring to Continuing Ed department. The following were real experiences dealing w the college: I went to their Open House to learn more about the programs. Sat in on the Digital Media talks and it turned out to be a sales pitch by individual instructors to sign up for their classes so that their classes don't get cancelled for lack of enrollment. I then got pulled aside by a male instructor who "wanted to get to know me better". When I asked him about another class that he did not teach (it was being taught by someone else)......he tried to pursuade me NOT to take the class being taught by the other guy. He then proceeded to try and hustle me into taking private tutorial lessons with him instead. Then..... he asked me out! I decided to sign up for an illustrating class....turned out it was NOT taught on campus but at a satellite location where parking in a garage was up to $12 an evening. The instructor then proceeded to spend 10 weeks shooting the breeze about her life, life experiences, folks she knows, foods she like to eat, and places she traveled to. I was flabbergasted at the lack of actual teaching and non-existent learning. Over the course of 10 weeks, class attendance dropped from 10 .....to 8 ....to 5 .....to 2 .....finally to 1 person at the last class (me). Then to top things off.....she tried to hustle me to attend her other class the following semester! I feel that my experiences here have been a waste of time, money, and instructors are hustling salesmen who's only goal is to get you to sign up for their classes (ie $$$). Absolutely no one really cares nor looks out for students....

Welding/Metal Sculpture with Julia Montgomery is the best. She's knowledgable, attentive, and passionate about welding. BEST EDUCATOR AND BEST CLASS!!! Any way to open another class?

There are a lot of comments about my 2 1/2 years at OTIS that are beyond the limited scope of this yelp review. That being said, I had a lot of mixed feelings about OTIS when I transferred as a graphic design Junior from Santa Monica College, and I can only speak for the Communication Arts department. My biggest complaint early-on was the amount of work/homework that was expected. So many students complained about lack of sleep, health, exercise, nutrition, etc. due to the extensive assignments, and I found this to be the case for me as well. It wasn't a matter of time management. The priorities of the department were to give a ton of very involved projects, spend a ton of time on in-class critiques, and produce employable designers. I did the work, went through some very challenging times, learned a lot, and got hired by a great company within 2 months of graduating. Do the work and you will be rewarded. Follow your passion. Share the LOVE.

I highly recommend their young artist extension programs. They offer art classes for 5-12 and high schoolers and summer camps. The classes are much better than the alike after school programs offer and best of all, I love exposing my kids to a art & design school at this early age. They love perking into what college kids are doing and the art around the campus. Cutting one star for registration desk. It's extremely hard to get a clear answer from them. I prefer checking their website instead of interacting with them. Unfortunately the information on the web is often lacking or misleading.

-Many sleepless nights -Intense class schedules -Learn a lot -Small school and will meet many people (specially in the computer lab at late hours) -Very good job connections and help with jobs I attended this school and got my BF.A in Graphic Design. You have to put effort into your work to get the most out of it. The Cafeteria is great. Eventually you will tire of their choices but if you get to know the cooks it can be very beneficial! ;) extra stuff on food or special requests! I love their Meat Loaf with mashed potatoes and their Salmon Burgers with fries. The professors if not technically great, they offer great advice and are very knowledgeable. Noah D, Hugo E., Ricardo C., and Izamur Flores Standout as great professors and offer great advice. If they are still there when you attend you will benefit greatly from them. ---- The place is expensive. I attended with Scholarships----

I'm surprised Otis didn't get a solid 5 star rating! True, you lose a lot of sleep. Your weight will either skyrocket or plunge depending on your body type. There will be many times you have to schedule everything around your classes in fear of getting dropped. But guess what.....that's art school, people! Everyone has this idea that art school is for kids that aren't smart enough to go to real college but those people wouldn't survive art school for a week. I was a fashion design major and I loved it. It was a great experience. I didn't finish fashion at Otis, because I decided to change paths, but I don't regret attending Otis. The instructors are personable and talented. Barry the life drawing instructor and Miguel the model drawing instructor are 2 of the best instructors I've had.

Otis ruined my life! haha not exactly, I did finished my Junior year here and decided fashion design is not for me. But you know what? I learned alot of useful shit here, but the fashion department is really delusional. Alot of my colleges have trouble keeping a job, and design is not as glamorous as they make it. All i can say is, you lose alot of sleep for no reason, i fucked up all my eating habits, i gained my freshman 20 here for eating at fucked up times like at midnight after finally finishing my bullshit projects... Tuition is fucking expensive for what it is, and honestly, i dont regret leaving Otis.

Was initially testing out some courses to see if pursuing a degree here would make sense. Administration of Continuing education courses are poorly run. Signed up and paid for a course and then a few days before I was notified it was cancelled. It took a number of emails and phone calls to get all of my money refunded. Finally received the refund and it was partial. Called back and they said it is refunded in 2 parts so I needed to wait another week or 2 (really? They couldn't have told me this from the start? Next semester signed up for another course. Again, 4 days before the class I'm told it will start 1 week later. I arranged my travel around the class dates and now will miss the last class and was told by several people that my only option is to drop the class. No refund for the last class missed due to the Colleges change. Was given the email address for the instructor regarding the syllabus for the last class or if options to learn what I will miss. The college didn't have the syllabus, it was my responsibility to track the instructor down to do this.

I am a Graphic Design student at Otis taking courses to further my career growth in Marketing. Prior to Otis I had very little experience working with many of the design programs, nor any real experience with designing as a whole. Growing up as mostly a "meathead" playing sports and the likes, design was never my go to as a form of relief. The older I got the more interest I took in learning more about the industry of which I work in. A coworker of mine, an Otis graduate, raved about how great the school was, especially the networking and teachers. This I can attest to as being the best part of the university. Classes are generally pretty well maintained and organized BY THE TEACHER. I emphasize by the teacher as my only grip with the school lands in the hands of the faculty administration. They are very inconsistent and seem to be in consistent harmony with the rest of the school. On numerous occassions my class has been moved from one room to another. My school email, ha! What a joke. I was handed from one department to another trying to figure out why I could not access simple emails -- to this day I still have no answer as to why this may be. Pros: Teachers Networking Education Cons: Administrative Faculty

Loves it. I couldn't imagine going anywhere else for my major (product design) and even though when I get out of school I'll be fucked to the wazoo with student loans, I know every bit is worth it. I feel like the only people that don't like it are people that either failed miserably at it so they're twee bit bitter or people that took it waaay too seriously and wore themselves out.

Just like the others say, Otis will turn you into an insomniac, you'll either gain a ton or lose a ton, you'll be broke, you'll cry, you'll lose your temper, your friends from high school will wonder where the hell you've been for 4 years and your health will likely deteriorate. However you'll also be really proud of the things you accomplish here, you'll meet many interesting people, make good friends and you'll grow up a lot. No regrets!

I will not give an honest review until May when I graduate. Yes, I am that afraid and paranoid when it comes to Otis. And I am sure I am not the only one. June. After four years here, I do not even know where to begin. I want to give it one star because it is bloody expensive but I also want to give it 5 because it molded me into a more awesome me. My Opinion on Otis is probably different and more experiential because It was my little view port to the United States as an international student. One thing fa show, it is hipster nation. If you hate hipsters, you'll hate everyone here and have few or no friends and will get so lonely you'll be so sad you'll want to die. It also has a lot of really good faculty that will be really helpful if they know your not just a rich spoiled kid getting through college but a critical thinker willing and interested in learning. The work load and procrastination levels are very high, so your probably always sleep deprived and behind on everything. during midterms and finals, the bitch levels go really high and you are well advised to keep away from the bitches on thee block. The cafeteria sucks, but if you are really nice, the guys in the kitchen will make you like secret stuff that's not on the menu. I even got a free burrito for graduating coz, I really am that nice. The breakfast burrito is the most popular, once in a while, i ride the bus for two hours from downtown just to go get a breakfast burrito. I even had one right before my first job interview, and I got the job. I still cant believe I survived Otis. Would I recommend it only for the strong willed, and rock hearted. Times are tough in the dark computer labs and hallways of Otis.

No, I'm not a student at Otis, but had an assignment to do, so I paid them a visit. For a giant square of a building, they have a pretty badass library! On the downside of that, if you're not a student or alumni, you cannot get a library card. You can only use it for research purposes. Fair enough. It's Mac's up in there, I've never seen so many outside of an Apple Store. Only staff at the desk use PC's. They have tons and tons of art books, various disciplines within the art field, a media room, and two separate sections; one for the "talkers" and one for the "concentrators." Some of these sections feature nice plus furniture that remind me of a diner/club/lounge with a Mac at every table. Hell, for 30k a year, or whatever they charge, they'd better hook it up. Beware, it's stinky hipsters up in herrrr. I passed this one dude who was sitting on the gorund with his ass hanging out, and told him "crack kills, homie." 5 stars for the library facilities only.

My bff's daughter attended Otis and just received her degree in advertising. I loved the ceremony; even the speeches. The grad was held outside and for some reason didn't seem stuffy like most I've attended. I also enjoyed meandering the 5th & 6th floor to view and interact with all the senior & grad student projects. SQ, the world is now your oyster!

This review is specific to the Otis Continuing Education Program. I was very excited to take a color theory class over this past summer but I ended up very disappointed. The school itself has average art school facilities, parking (as everywhere) is inadequate, and the registration process was easy. I'm sure the class would have been beneficial except for the teacher Otis hired. This teacher came in the first day and launched into a lecture about how she was late b/c her sick cat kept her up all night. Okay, I thought, I can deal with eccentric. After 20 minutes about the cat, she started talking about how difficult it was to make a decent living as an adjunct professor. At the second class, I noticed that literally 1/2 the class dropped. I should have taken a hint. After that the classes were laughable at best, insulting at worst. The teacher never brought her own materials so used the students' paint (some tubes of paint over $20.00 each), paintbrushes, paper, etc. She was never prepared for class and never brought whatever handouts she swore was in her bag, somewhere. When students had finished the in-class exercise and were packing up to leave, she would stop them, saying they couldn't leave that early, they had to wait five minutes before the class end time. So the students would sit at their tables while she would talk to one of the older students about her life before Otis, which had nothing to do the class. It was ridiculous. Otis apparently thinks this woman is a good representative for their more "public" or "community" face, i.e. the Continuing Education Program, which is a pity. I feel deceived by Otis & that they pocketed my $400+ without caring about the quality of the class.

I've attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and also have attended Otis. There is no comparison. Art Center is so much more.. everything. There is something off about Otis... I don't know if they don't pay the instructors enough, or if they don't have a good coordinator for hiring, or if they just don't get what a creative college needs to be. Even their website and logo are just awful. Do you trust a college who's logo is incredibly cheap looking and not clear to read? The squares look like i's, which is confusing, as is the whole college experience at Otis. That's your first sign. The teachers are not of good quality, neither are the classes. You get the feeling in the classes that the instructors dont know what they're doing, and the instructors don't put much effort into it. You won't walk away with much skill. Go to Art Center. Top notch instructors, great campus, great facilities. Otis is a cheap cheap second rate school. Don't do it. No, I do NOT work for Art Center. Lol. Just a student who happened to look at the Otis site recently to see if anything has improved and the site is so awful and the logo, and the vague descriptions of the courses, and the same awful teachers as five years ago who should have been let go then. Weird!

10/10 amazing campus I took a great tour today and I loved it so much felt like I already went there

Graduated here. Still didnt get my diploma. They said they will notify me when my diploma gets to school. Its been 2 years... Other than that breakfast burrito is great

I am an Otis Fashion Design alum (Class of 2012). I am so unbelievably thankful for my time at Otis and all that I learned, it is truly an incredible program, and has given me such a strong design foundation. My instructors pushed me, and helped me grow as a designer in innumerable ways. The design mentor program was an awesome introduction to some of the industry's best names, and taught me to design to a brief. By the end of my four years I left with a carefully curated portfolio, and was able to get a job in the industry within months of graduating. I cherish all that Otis taught me.

I took a class here as part of their continuing education program and was quite impressed. The professor was so much fun and I looked forward to making the trip every weekend. The prices are so much better than UCLA extension, so look to Otis first if you want to take a class in art or design. I took a class in screen-printing and it was totally hands on education from day one. I got a lot of prints out of that single class that I'm really proud of. The other students' work was fantastic too. I appreciated that we all came from different walks and stations in life. We had a ball together.

Current Otis Student, and i really do love it here. Ive made amazing friends, taken amazing classes, and been able to expand my horizons farther then i though possible. I am really happy i choose to come here. To expand, I would say that in comparison to other schools your social life will be a little more low key here. Students at Otis are VERY focussed on their work and teachers expect top quality work every time. You will be worked hard... But, when you leave this school you will be extremely well trained and ready to take on the world. Otis has that old european art training school vibe, very intense. Though you will become very close with the staff and other students in your department. If you are really serious about your field of study and ready to invest the time you will be rewarded! PLUS CHECK OUT THE SCHOOLS NEW EXPANSION DESIGNS FOR THE CAMPUS, REALLY COOL STUFF. http://www.otis.edu/campus-improvement

This review is for continuing education. I write to inform other true novices, like me. Warning: this school is not for true beginners. The school wants you there because they want your $$. The teachers - who, understandably, only teach these intro, CE classes because they need $$ - don't want you there, because you slow the class down and require remedial instruction. Just fyi.

I graduated a few years ago. Going there was one of the best experiences I have ever had, due to the high quality of teachers, especially the foundation year. Toward the end though, I DEFINITELY did not get my monies worth. The day that you graduate, you are on your own. the extent of 'career services' is essentially being told to go check out the job board. In my senior year I did not get anywhere near the direction and real life guidance that I needed to find a job when I graduated. It took me several years to even get a design related job because I had no experience other than being in school my entire life. My husband went to Otis for two years but dropped out because the job he got over the summer ended up being his dream job and it wasn't worth the student loans to stick around. In the end, was it worth all of my mom's retirement money? I probably won't make that money back for another 20 years of my career. If I had to do it over I would, just without the naive idea that I would get any sort of support after graduating.