President's Message - Otis College of Art and Design

The ACT Program allows eligible students to
major in one area and concentrate in either
Teacher Credential Preparation or Community
Arts Engagement. Students choose ACT
coursework as part of elective options based on
consultation with their Department Chairs or
faculty advisors and the ACT Coordinator.
Students in the ACT Program may take between
14 and 18 credits depending on the department in
which they are enrolled and the ACT
concentration of their choice.
The ACT Program consists of
two tracks:
Teacher Credential Preparation
The Teacher Credential Preparation track is for
students who wish to pursue the California Single
Subject in Art Teaching Credential needed to teach
in California Kindergarten -12th grade public
schools. As a California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing approved Subject Matter in Art
Program, the ACT coursework in this track
satisfies the Subject Matter in Art requirements.
After completion of ACT and an additional year
of graduate study in education at another
institution, students will be qualified to pursue the
California Single Subject in Art Teaching
Credential. This track is open only to Fine Arts
majors and requires 18 credits of ACT coursework
in place of LAS and Studio electives.
Community Arts Engagement
The Community Arts Engagement track is for
students who wish to work in art/design education
and community based art/design practices in areas
outside of K-12 public schools, such as museum
education departments, community arts centers,
correctional facilities, therapeutic arts programs,
public art, and design companies that focus on
educational materials, and the use of design as an
agent for positive social change. This track will be
open to all students who have 14-18 LAS and
Studio elective credits available in their majors.
ACT Program
Participating Departments
Students in Architecture/Landscape/Interiors,
Communication Arts, Digital Media, Fine Arts and
Product Design are eligible to enroll in the
Community Arts Engagement track. Because of
the California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing requirements, only Fine Arts majors
are currently eligible to enroll in the Teacher
Credential Preparation track. Because of the
curricular requirements of the Toy Design and
Fashion Design programs, students in these
majors are currently not able to enroll in either
track of the ACT Program.
Eligibility and Enrollment Requirements
Unlike the Interdisciplinary Concentration, there
are no GPA requirements for the ACT Program,
however students must be in good standing and
have fulfilled curricular requirements of the
foundation year in order to be eligible. It is
recommended that students who are considering
enrollment in the ACT Program elect to take the
Sophomore English requirement in the fall
semester in order to begin the ACT requirements
in the spring semester of their sophomore year.
The Application Process
Eligible students complete the ACT application
process during their second semester Foundation
year. Application forms are available from the
ACT Coordinator’s office. Approval for
participation in the ACT Concentration program
rests with the Department Chair (of your major),
the LAS Advisor and the ACT Coordinator.
Transfer Students
Transfer students who apply for and are accepted
into the ACT Concentration upon entering the
College need to fulfill degree program
requirements through an appropriate combination
of transfer courses and courses completed at Otis.
Interested students should see the ACT
Coordinator for more details.
Course
Descriptions
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