Majors & Minors

What is the “real” story of American culture? What underlying perceptions, assumptions, and emotions express themselves when race, gender, ethnicity, and class all converge on the new world continent? This major focuses on the various “Americas” – North and South America, the United States, the “America” of cultural representations, all of which play important roles in global economics and culture. 

All aspects of American life are analyzed and critiqued in this interdisciplinary program. Each student, with the help of an advisor, will identify a cluster of courses to focus on an issue of particular concern. Sample clusters include African-American studies, Asian-American studies, comparative race and ethnicity, constructions of power in economic and political systems, gender, Latino/a studies, local community issues, Native American studies, nature and culture, performance and representation in the arts and humanities, politics and the environment, politics and the law, and science and technology.

The Ted Shapiro Awards, available only to American studies majors, provide funding each summer for qualifying students to travel abroad, conduct research, organize or participate in community activism, and attend workshops and seminars. In the past, students have used the awards for a variety of activities from studying Afro-Brazilian music and culture in Brazil to researching crime and violence in Boston’s Chinatown.

Arabic is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. The study of Modern Standard Arabic language, modern and classical Arabic literatures, cinema, gender, and other cultural topics perfectly suits students eager to build cross-cultural understanding.

After 9/11, the Arabic program at Tufts University began an exploration of post-attack Arab-American writing in a conference that has since grown into an annual event. The most recent considered the 19th and 20th century Arab cultural renaissance in a global comparative frame, grounding our understanding of the Arab Spring of 2011.

The Arabic program works in close collaboration with other majors at the university. If you are interested in Arabic, you might also be interested in Middle Eastern studies and international relations, among other fields.

Sample classes include:

• Elementary Modern Standard Arabic
• Cultural History of the Modern Middle East
• Arab and Middle Eastern Cinemas
• Arabian Nights
• Modern Arabic Literature

When studied through the eyes of art historians and critics, artistic expression – be it Hellenic sculpture of the 10th century BCE or postmodern photographic explorations of the 1980s – becomes a means for examining culture and civilization. As a humanistic discipline, the history of art emphasizes scholarly investigation and critical analysis, but students also explore studio art. Tufts students take field trips to museums up and down the east coast, and they are often found at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, sketching and making firsthand observations. The MFA is an invaluable resource for art history students at Tufts. The university also offers its own permanent collection, the Tufts University Art Gallery, with works by prominent artists such as Helen Frankenthaler and John Singer Sargent.

Majors and minors are encouraged to take advantage of the full breadth of course offerings across time and cultures. The department has particular strength in contemporary, medieval, Renaissance, Islamic, Byzantine, Armenian, African, Latin American, and Asian art. The study of the history of art is excellent preparation for work in museums, academic institutions, publishing houses, and commercial galleries.

Sample classes include:

• Italian Renaissance
• Early Islamic Art
• History of Photography
• Armenian Art, Architecture, and Politics
• Latin American Art in Exhibition

Astrophysics concerns itself with everything from the small-scale to the large-scale structure of the universe with the basic concept that the observed light emission is entirely dependent on the physical properties of the source and the objects in between. This encompasses the general picture of the universe in its broadest sense from atoms to galaxies and beyond.

The major and minor in astrophysics operates under the aegis of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Tufts. The suggested program of study for a major in astrophysics includes general physics through quantum theory, atomic physics, and nuclear and elementary particle physics; basic through advanced calculus; and astrophysics courses covering stellar astrophysics, galaxies and the universe, radio astronomy, and special studies.

The astrophysics program offers courses in astrophysics and astronomy for both science and non-science majors and encourages the active involvement of undergraduates in its ongoing research projects, which include solar, stellar, galactic, and extragalactic research. Faculty researchers obtain and analyze data from major ground-based and space-borne observatories, including the Very Large Array in New Mexico, the National Optical Astronomy Observatories in Arizona and Chile, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), and the Ramaty High Energy Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.

Chinese civilization is one of the oldest continuous civilizations in the world. Its long and rich history awaits further discovery and understanding by those who are interested in Chinese language, history, philosophy, arts, literature, and many other aspects. Chinese
is spoken by one-fifth of the world’s population and its written language is shared by Chinese communities across the world. Given China’s growing international presence and influence in the 21st century, Chinese has become one of the fastest growing languages studied by Tufts students.

Chinese majors at Tufts study a combination of language, culture, and related courses. Culture courses include foundations of Chinese thought, pre-modern and modern literature, film, popular culture, and a series of special topics. Students can significantly improve their language skills and enrich their cultural experience by studying abroad in China at Tufts-in- China at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, one of the most beautiful cities in China. Students who have completed 4th year Chinese at Tufts or its equivalent can continue their Chinese language study at the 5th and 6th year levels. In addition to the regular Chinese minor, there is also a special Chinese minor for engineering students.

Sample classes include:

• Elementary Chinese
• Business Chinese
• Classical Chinese Literature
• Introduction to Chinese Popular Culture
• The Chinese Ghost Story
• Rural and Urban China Through Cinema

As scientists and philosophers grow more sophisticated in their exploration of the human mind, it becomes more widely understood that no single discipline will answer all the fundamental questions about brain and behavior. An interdisciplinary approach is critical. At Tufts, the study of cognitive and brain sciences (CBS) draws on psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy of mind, computer science, and biology. A degree in CBS provides an excellent preparation for careers in the sciences, computer fields, health professions, law, and education.

The Center for Cognitive Studies operates as the administrative hub for research and collaboration by renowned philosopher Daniel Dennett and one of the foremost linguists working today, Ray Jackendoff. These two major scholars employ the center to make Tufts a hub for theoretical advances in this growing field. Because Tufts is such an undergraduate-centered institution, students have access to both major scholars through participation in courses and small seminars.

The Department of Philosophy offers minors in CBS and linguistics.

Sample classes include:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Theories of Human Nature
• Phenomenology and Existentialism
• Origins of Cognition
• Computational Learning Theory

Economics at Tufts requires savvy, technical expertise, and curiosity about the way the world works. Although the tools economists employ are quantitative and sometimes abstract, the questions are grounded in lived experience – what impact will changes in oil prices or fluctuations in the housing market have on consumer behavior in the United States, for example.

The study of economics is about building models of behavior, testing those models against empirical evidence, and then modifying or extending them when they fail. Training in economics provides a solid background for many career paths – from employment immediately after graduation to postgraduate study. It is particularly appropriate for those with interests in business, finance, law, or public policy.

Students choose to major or minor in economics or major in quantitative economics. Quantitative economics follows a more mathematical track and is designed for students planning to go on to graduate school or directly into professional careers as economists.

Sample classes include:

• International Economics
• Game Theory
• Macroeconomics
• Economics of Public Policy
• Financial Economics

Learning to speak German provides access to the profoundly distinctive art, literature, film, and cultural contributions of Germany and Germanic peoples throughout history. It also provides entrée to a major contemporary nexus of international business, as German and American corporations team up on many important global economic development issues.

The study of German at Tufts includes language, literature, and cultural research. Students can concentrate in either German language and literature or German studies. The program in German studies provides two alternatives. The first is the Tufts-in-Tübingen Program, which combines work at Tufts with classes taken in the German language at the University of Tübingen in the subjects of politikwissenschaft, volkswirschaft, geschichte, kunstgeschichte, volkskunde, sozial und kulturwissenschaft, germanistik, and vergleichende literaturwissenschaft.

Students choosing not to study abroad complete all their courses on campus following a program which may include history, music, philosophy, and political science in addition to language, literature, and culture classes. The minor in German focuses on German language.

Sample classes include:

• Elementary German
• Gender and Medieval Art & Literature
• German Business and Politics
• Dungeons and Dragons: The Medieval Roots of National Identity
• German Culture Since 1945
• German Film

See Classics

The study of history reveals the past, enlightens the present, and influences the future. Historians seek to understand how nations, societies, and individuals lived and thought, and to explain their actions and behavior. History supplies the context that informs art, ideas, institutions, and events, history illuminates all of human experience.

Trained to examine evidence carefully and evaluate received interpretations of the past, students construct their own understanding of historical processes and occurrences, building arguments from primary sources, historians’ writings and appropriate theoretical literatures. In history you also write gripping narratives, empathize with the experiences of people who have gone before and re-imagine past worlds.

The faculty of the Department of History at Tufts promotes a diversity of approaches and ways of understanding the past. From the history of medicine, to labor and migrant histories, to transnational and material culture, courses challenge students to analyze historical material. The department offers a wide range of courses designed to meet the needs and interests of students with differing concerns and levels of preparation. General surveys cover entire periods, fields, or geographic areas, while thematic courses provide more specific, comparative, or regional perspectives. Foundation Seminars introduce undergraduate majors to the historian’s craft; Research Seminars provide them with the opportunity to practice it through a significant research project. Students interested in specialized work are encouraged to explore independent study or to consider the option of writing a Senior Honors Thesis.

Students and faculty in the history department are also involved with the local historical community. The Boston Area Global History Consortium sponsors the Pearson Prentice Hall Seminar Series in Global History at Tufts. The gatherings take place several times per semester, and provide both structured feedback concerning research topics and social interaction with colleagues.

Sample classes include:

• Massachusetts and the American Revolution
• Modern France and the French Empire
• Restructuring Africa's Past
• Civil Rights Movement
• Martin Luther: The Man and his Era
• Tokugawa Japan

As a member of the European Union, Italy takes part in major economic decisions affecting the United States and global economies. Moreover, Italian art, literature, film, and cuisine have had an enormous impact on American life. The major in Italian studies includes courses dedicated to Italian culture and language.

Offered by the Department of Romance Languages, the major in Italian studies has a slightly more interdisciplinary approach than the Spanish and French majors, incorporating classes that deal with topics in Italian culture (taught in English) from other departments into its requirements, The minor focuses primarily on developing language skills to the point of fluency, and it includes courses on Italian culture taught in the target language.

Sample classes include:

• Elementary Italian
• Political Ideology in the Italian Literary Tradition
• Dante’s Inferno

The Judaic Studies program provides an opportunity to explore the complex and fascinating texts, politics, language, and traditions of Judaism. The program explores a wide range of issues, many of current concern such as the role of women in Jewish culture and the relationship between world Judaism and Israel. From ancient mythologies and philosophies to post-structural literary theory, the program takes a wide and varied approach.

For the language requirement, students take either three years of Hebrew, or two years of Hebrew and two years of another language. Most majors spend a semester or a year studying in Israel.

Sample classes include:

• Aspects of the Sephardic Tradition
• Book of Genesis
• Contemporary Jewish Fiction
• Introduction to Yiddish Culture
• Jewish Women

More than 560 million people living in 20 countries make up what is referred to as Latin America. Latin Americans speak more than ten languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Nahuatle, and French. They are one of the fastest growing populations in the world, with major impact on North America, both as trade partners and through immigration.

The major in Latin American Studies offers students the opportunity to combine the approaches of several academic disciplines in a focused study of the region. In recent decades, Latin America has become a field of rapid development in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The major’s interdisciplinary approach integrates historical, social, political, economic, and cultural perspectives at both national and regional levels. The program of study culminates in an original interdisciplinary project on a Latin American subject. A minor is also available.

Sample classes include:

• Latin American Civilization
• Festivals and Politics in Latin America
• Latin American Cinema
• Colonial Mexican Art and Architecture
• The Dictator in the Latin American Novel
• Revolution in Central and South America

Music is an expression of culture. The Department of Music at Tufts draws on theory and practice within a liberal arts setting to enrich the musical experience and build a frame of reference for the study of music within past and present cultural contexts.

The flexible nature of the program attracts students who plan to pursue professional careers in some aspect of music, as well as students who would like to broaden their knowledge of the field or enhance their performance capabilities without making music their primary focus of study. Many artists involved in the program have professional goals that a major in music alone would not satisfy. Those students either double major in music and another subject, minor in music, or simply participate in Tufts’ numerous ensemble opportunities.

The Granoff Music Center includes classrooms, rehearsal spaces, individual practice rooms, and a fantastic 300-seat recital hall, one of the best in Boston. Tufts provides a number of performance opportunities through various ensembles, including Tufts Chamber Singers, arranged chamber ensembles, the Gospel Choir, African Music Ensemble, Early Music Ensemble (using Renaissance instruments), New Music Ensemble, Tufts Big Band, Jazz Improvisation Ensemble, Flute Ensemble, Tufts Javanese Ensemble, Klezmer Ensemble, Opera Scenes Ensemble (for beginning opera singers), Pep Band, University Wind Ensemble, and the Tufts University Chorale.

Musicians at Tufts can either major in music or minor in music or multimedia arts. A combined degree program with the New England Conservatory of Music is also available, leading to a B.A. or B.S. degree from Tufts and a B.Mus. degree from the conservatory. In order to qualify for the dual-degree program, students must be accepted by both schools and selected for the five-year program.

Sample classes include:

• African American Music
• Opera
• Music Recording and Production
• History of Blues
• Principles of Tonal Theory
• Studies in Baroque Music: Bach and Handel
• Popular Music of the Middle East

From the smallest molecule to the most colossal celestial body, physicists and astronomers study fascinating unknown territory. They are the modern-day explorers, looking back to the origins of the universe and contemplating the great imponderables of space and time.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers courses for non-science majors, introductory courses for students majoring in the life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering, and advanced courses for majors and minors. The research that takes place in the physics and astronomy department is cutting-edge, spanning four main areas:

Astronomy and astrophysics: research in solar, stellar, galactic, and extragalactic astronomy.

Condensed matter: research in polymer physics, phase transitions, surface physics, physics of chemical sensors, magnetic and superconducting materials, spin clusters in molecules, and transition metal oxides under extreme conditions.

General relativity and cosmology: research related to the origin and evolution of the universe.

High energy: experimental research into neutrino oscillations, nucleon decay, Higgs boson, and supersymmetric particles. Also theoretical study of quark dynamics, quantum chrom-dynamics, nucleon structure, polarization, and gauge symmetries.

Sample classes include:

• Physics of Music and Color
• Optics and Wave Motion
• Quantum Theory
• Stellar Astrophysics
• Electricity and Magnetism

The Department of Religion is dedicated to the exploration and critical analysis of religion as a central aspect of human history and culture. Courses seek to promote awareness of the diversity of religious experience around the globe and throughout history; empathetic engagement with the beliefs, texts, and practices of the world's religions; mastery of a range of methods for studying religion; and reflection on the role religion plays in shaping human customs, values, beliefs, and institutions. The study of religion is central to a liberal arts education and provides excellent preparation for a wide range of careers from education, medicine, law, and the arts to social work, ministry, and foreign service.

The religion program investigates the theoretical and functional aspects of religions around the world. Students who major in religion study at least four different traditions and then choose to specialize in a more specific faith tradition, geographical region, or body of texts.

Sample classes include:

• Re-Imagining God
• Religion and American Politics
• Introduction to Islam
• Asian Religions
• Wars and Mysticism in the Modern Era
• Introduction to the New Testament

Pushkin. Dostoevsky. Tolstoy. Chekhov. Gogol. Akhmatova. The Russian literary greats are household names who have challenged our understanding of psychology, the societal constructs of gender roles, the emotional trauma of war, and our sympathies for the downtrodden.

Russian language and literature at Tufts is the scholarly study of Russian history, literature, language, and culture. The Department of German, Russian, and Asian Languages and Literatures also offers a minor focusing on Russian language.

Also see Russian and East European Studies, which includes information on Tufts’ Russian/Slavic Culture House.

Sample classes include:

• Elementary Russian
• Masterpieces of Nineteenth-Century Russian Literature
• Dostoyevsky
• Tolstoy
• Contemporary Russian Culture