The Experimental College, ExCollege for short, is dedicated to innovation and collaborative learning and teaching across disciplines. The ExCollege offers small, participation-based courses that engage Tufts undergraduates in ideas shaping the world today. Courses provide critical contexts for thinking about politics, popular culture, world religions, technology, law, communications, social issues, business, healthcare, ethics and more, while connecting both ideas that aren't considered part of the traditional academic disciplines and ideas throughout those academic disciplines. The ExCollege also promotes faculty and student collaboration within the arts and sciences, and offers the chance to teach, to explore, and to incubate new ideas.
ExCollege Courses
The Experimental College offers a wide range of new courses each semester. Students are exposed to subjects and teachers beyond traditional classrooms with an emphasis on interdisciplinary topics. The ExCollege draws on the experience of thousands of professionals in the greater Boston area. Visiting lecturers may be artists, attorneys, architects, computer specialists, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, philanthropists, reporters, policy analysts, political consultants, museum curators, writers, advanced graduate students, and PhDs from a variety of disciplines. Nearly 1,500 undergraduates take advantage of these academic offerings each year, enrolling in over 100 courses. Recent courses include The Refugee Journey; Storytelling and Social Justice; Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Start-ups; and Conflict! New Ways of Thinking About Life's Challenges.
Read courses descriptions of classes currently being offered through the ExCollege.
ExCollege Teaching and Learning Methods
Interactive and collaborative teaching methods are strongly encouraged. Courses are small and intended to be discussion-based and participatory in nature. Many instructors have incorporated dynamic elements in their teaching such as role-playing, simulations, and service learning.
Student Involvement
Students participate in the ExCollege by selecting, designing, and teaching courses. Since its founding in 1964, students have been full voting members on the ExCollege’s governing board, and have served on committees that evaluate all course proposals. Tufts undergraduates have the chance to design and teach a course through the peer teaching program, or teach a First-Year advising seminar through the Explorations and Perspectives programs.