Departments and Majors
Designing, building, inventing, and collaborating are at the core of Tufts engineering. Our School of Engineering offers 6 departments with sixteen majors to explore:
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Department of Civic and Environmental Engineering
- Civil Engineering Major
- Architectural Studies Major
- Environmental Engineering Major
- Environmental Health Engineering Major
Department of Computer Science
- Data Science Major (administered partly by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering)
- Computer Science Major
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
To learn what it really means to study these different areas, we had a current Tufts student interview friends in the School of Engineering to break down the different majors. Take your engineering knowledge to the next level by reading through those interviews here.
Engineering Curriculum
To earn the Bachelor of Science degree, 38 courses in a combination of distribution and elective courses are required. Requirements vary slightly by major, but the curriculum layout is typically as follows:
| Introductory Course Requirements |
|---|
| 4 Mathematics |
| 1 Physics with lab |
| 1 Chemistry with lab |
| 1 Physics or Chemistry |
| 1 Additional Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Geology |
| 2 Engineering computing courses |
| 1 Elective course in introductory engineering |
| 1 English |
| Foundation Requirements |
| (five to nine total; as determined by the department; may be selected from the following) |
| Engineering Science |
| Biology |
| Chemistry |
| Computer Science |
| Geology |
| Mathematics |
| Physics/astronomy |
| (Two of the eight courses may be in either mathematics, applied mathematics or approved sciences) |
| Concentration Requirements |
| (eleven to twelve total; as determined by the department) |
| Courses that complete the concentration requirements are determined by individual engineering departments and vary according to your major. Please check with the specific departments for more detailed information. |
| Humanities/Arts/Social Science Requirements |
| (eight total) |
| Students in the School of Engineering will meet with their faculty advisor to plan out their humanities/arts/social science requirements, as the courses must be taken in the form of an "intellectual cluster" that promotes both breadth and depth of intellectual development. The courses selected include a minimum of one course in the humanities and one course in the social sciences. All levels of of foreign language and English are accepted for the arts/humanities requirement. Courses excluded from the list are student art, applied music, drama, and dance. |
Advising
Pre-Major Advising
First-year students are assigned a pre-major advisor. These advisors are faculty members from departments across the university, and they will work with you from the time you set foot on campus until you declare a major. Through regular check-ins each semester, they ease the transition into academic life at Tufts, fielding all your questions about course registration, distribution requirements, and choosing a major within the School of Engineering.
Major Advising
Once you decide on your major, you will be assigned a major advisor in your department or program who will guide you through the process of fulfilling course requirements and perhaps completing a senior capstone or thesis. Your major advisor may also prove invaluable to helping you find relevant internships and research opportunities. If you plan on continuing your education in graduate or professional school, your major advisor can be of great help in that effort, too.
Advising Resources
Engineering students are also supported by the Dean of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies and an engineering academic advisor. These advisors assist with course planning and major exploration, campus life questions, university resources, and much more. You can learn more about these resources by clicking here.
The Center for STEM Diversity provides advising, programming, and resources for populations of students underrepresented in engineering fields. You can learn more about their specific programs by clicking here.