Tailored Study Options

Cross Registration

Tufts students are eligible to participate in all undergraduate courses and programs in arts and sciences at Boston University, Boston College, and Brandeis University. Similarly, Tufts' special relationships with the New England Conservatory of Music and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts allows students to take courses at those institutions. Opportunities are also available for students to take courses for credit at other Boston-area institutions on an informal basis.

Thesis Honors Program

The Thesis Honors Program provides students with the opportunity to pursue a program of independent study leading to the preparation of a senior thesis, working closely with a faculty advisor. This two-semester experience in the senior year culminates with a defense of the work, either in oral or written form, to members of the appropriate department. The principal purpose of the program is to encourage and support the development of self-reliance, individual initiative, critical analysis, and other scholarly tools. Students in the program will work with appropriate faculty members who will direct the reading and research project.

Independent Study Course Work or Research

Independent study course work is often interdisciplinary, while independent study research projects are either interdisciplinary or taken under faculty supervision. Course work projects have included studies of bacterial chromosomes, language development in young children, capital punishment, human vision, and African American literature. Over 200 faculty members on both the Medford/Somerville campus and the health sciences campus in Boston have sponsored students for research and the Independent Study program.

Interdisciplinary Majors and Minors

Drawing from the diversity of academic departments at Tufts, the University offers several interdisciplinary programs that address specific areas of study. The interdisciplinary programs require a designated cluster of courses from at least three departments of the University and the completion of a substantial research paper appropriate to the focus of the program. Some of the majors and minors now available include Interdisciplinary Studies (through which students may design their own course of study), Africa in the New World, American Studies, Asian Studies, Biochemistry, Biopsychology, Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Communications and Media Studies, Community Health, Environmental Studies, International Literary and Visual Studies, International Relations, Judaic Studies, Latin American Studies, Latino Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Multimedia Arts, Peace and Justice Studies, Urban Studies, and Women's Studies.