1. What should I bring to campus?
2. Where can I find information about buying a computer?
3. Am I allowed to bring a car to campus?
4. What will my mailing address be?
5. Where can I rent a Microfridge?
6. Where do I buy my books?
7. What are the meal plan options?
8. Is it possible to double major at tufts?
9. What degrees are available through the School of Engineering?
10. Is it possible to transfer between the College of Liberal Arts and the School of Engineering?
11. Will I receive credit for Advanced Placement (AP) examinations?
12. How are the requirements different for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts versus engineering?
13. What library facilities are available to students?
14. How will I begin to plan my course schedule?
15. What foreign study programs does Tufts offer?
16. Besides studying abroad, what other exchange programs are available?
17. What is the Experimental College?
     

What should I bring to campus?

The Office of Residential Life and Learning provides you with information about what is standard in all dorm rooms, what you should bring and what is prohibited. 

Where can I find information about buying a computer?

The Tufts Online department on campus can advise you on what type of computer, operating system, or software is supported and available through Tufts. Visit the University Information Technology website. More information on computers can be found here.  Students can also contact Tufts Information Technology Services.

Am I allowed to bring a car to campus?

It is university policy that resident first-year students are not permitted to keep or register a motor vehicle on campus.

What will my mailing address be?

U.S. and Tufts mail is delivered directly to your residence hall Monday through Saturday during the semester.  Each residence has its own set of mailboxes which can be opened via a key or by an assigned combination.  Your campus address is as follows: 

Your Name
Room #  Residence Hall Name
Tufts University
Medford, MA 02155

Where can I rent a Microfridge?

You can rent a Microfridge through Tufts Student Resources.

Where do I buy my books?

Textbooks can be purchased from the Bookstore.

What are the meal plan options?

Dining Services offers several different meal plan options to students.  First year students are required to enroll in the premium meal plan.  The premium plan provides unlimited access to Carmichael and Dewick-MacPhie Dining Centers which are open continuously seven days a week. Ten guest meals are provided with the Premium plan. This plan is the best value for students who want to take full advantage of all meals provided.

Is it possible to double major at Tufts?

Yes, students are able to pursue a double major. Approximately 25% of undergraduates will pursue a major in two areas. Students may also design their own unique major through the Plan of Study Option.

What degrees are available through the School of Engineering?

The School of Engineering offers accredited degrees in Chemical, Civil and Environmental, Electrical, Computer and Mechanical Engineering. Additional degree options include: Computer Science, Engineering Science, Human Factors Engineering, Engineering Physics, and Manufacturing Engineering. There are a variety of minors available to Engineers including Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Management, and Architectural Studies.

Is it possible to transfer between the College of Liberal Arts and the School of Engineering?

Yes. Students have the option of transferring into the other college after enrolling at Tufts. Students should consult their academic advisor as soon as possible if they are considering transferring into the other college.

Will I receive credit for Advanced Placement (AP) examinations?

Depending on the department, students do receive course credit and/or placement based on the results of the AP examinations. To learn how individual departments treat AP scores, visit the Undergraduate Bulletin.

How are the requirements different for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts versus engineering?

Students studying liberal arts are required to complete two semesters of English Composition, while those in the School of Engineering are required to complete only one semester. Students in the College of Liberal Arts must complete a minimum of 34 courses which include satisfying Foreign Language and World Civilizations requirements. Students studying liberal arts also need to ensure that they complete distribution requirements in Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Mathematical Sciences.
Students in the School of Engineering must complete a minimum of 38 courses. About 25% are devoted to math and sciences and another 20% to engineering sciences and other foundation courses. In addition to the customary first-year focused on English, Math, and Science courses, first year engineering students are required to take a half-credit course on computers in engineering. Other required half-courses introduce students to design and technology within the engineering disciplines and are taught by senior faculty members.

For more information on requirements, please reference the Tufts University Bulletin. 

What library facilities are available to students?

The holdings of the University libraries number approximately 2.7 million, and include books, microfilms, slides, software, electronic journals, government publications and much more.

Tisch Library is a state-of-the-art facility for the Medford/Somerville campus. Tisch Library provides comfortable study space, enhanced access to information technology, new furnishings, and expanded space for collections. The Tisch Library offers a modern audiovisual center with five classrooms, ranging in size from 10 to 75 seats, and 24 viewing carrels. Study spaces include quiet study rooms, group study rooms, and individual study carrels. Tisch's holdings include 759,000 volumes, 917,400 microtexts, 4,900 print periodicals, 13,000 electronic periodicals and 33,805 audio/visual materials. In addition to its collections, the library houses a GIS lab, the Tower Café, a student art gallery and an ongoing display of faculty publications.

Undergraduate students also can access the other libraries of Tufts University: The Music Library, located in the Granoff Music Center, the Ginn Library of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy on the Medford Campus, the Hirsh Health Sciences Library in Boston, and the Webster Veterinary School Library in Grafton, MA. The Tufts libraries integrated library system provides access to resources physically and virtually available within the Tufts libraries and beyond. Students may obtain materials not owned by the Tufts libraries via Interlibrary Loan.

How will I begin to plan my course schedule?

During Orientation, you will discuss potential course options with your Orientation Leaders and pre-major advisor. You may choose to take a few courses that fulfill requirements, and then one or two that are of interest you. College is the time to explore courses in subject areas that you may have never taken before. Both your advisor and Orientation Leaders are here to help inform course selection, but unlike in high school, the choice of what courses to take in college is ultimately yours.

What foreign study programs does Tufts offer?

Roughly 40% of the students at Tufts participate in foreign study programs, usually in their junior year. Students may study in a number of programs that Tufts Programs Abroad offers through affiliated universities throughout the world: Tufts-in-London at University College London or at the School of Oriental and African Studies; Tufts-in-Oxford at Pembroke College; Tufts-in-Madrid at the Autonomous University of Madrid or at the University of Alcala de Henares; Tufts-in-Paris at the University of Paris III and at the Institut Catholique, or at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques; Tufts-in-Tübingen at Eberhard-Karls Universität; Tufts-in-Ghana at the University of Ghana; Tufts-in-China at Zhejiang University; Tufts-in-Japan at Kanazawa University; and Tufts-in-Chile at the University of Chile. Students can study for a semester or a year and are housed in dormitories at their respective host universities or with local host families. Our programs aim to integrate students into the foreign university and the cultural and social life of the host country as much as possible, so that they may get the most out of their study abroad experience.

In addition, there are close to 200 recommended non-Tufts programs operating in a variety of locations around the world. Students can study in Africa, Europe, Asia, South America, the Caribbean, and other areas around the world and receive transfer credit through programs offered by other schools or program providers.
Students studying either liberal arts or engineering have the opportunity to study abroad, but it is important for all students to plan early and discuss their plans with their advisors. For engineering students in particular, Tufts-in-London offers many related courses, but the Engineering School also participates in study-abroad exchanges through the University of Sussex in England and INSA de Lyon in France. Engineering students have also studied successfully through non-Tufts programs in Australia and New Zealand.

For those who might prefer to study abroad during the summer, Tufts conducts a summer study program in Talloires, France, where the University owns an eleventh-century priory nestled in the French Alps, thirty miles south of Geneva, Switzerland. Course subjects change every summer, but they span the gamut of departments here on campus.  Visit Tufts University European Center website.

Besides studying abroad, what other exchange programs are available?

Through the Tufts-in-Washington program, students have the opportunity to study for a semester at The American University in Washington, D.C. The academic schedule includes a seminar, an individual research project, and an internship. Areas of study include American Politics, Economic Policy, and Foreign Policy.
A limited number of students may participate in a semester-long exchange with Swarthmore College or Lincoln University, both located near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All guest students reside at the host institution, and full-semester courses at both carry equal credit.

Through Williams College and the Frank C. Munson Institute of Maritime Studies, Tufts offers a semester-long program in American Maritime Studies at Mystic Seaport, Connecticut. Students learn celestial navigation, marine design, boat building, and small-boat handling.

All full-time undergraduates are eligible to participate in all undergraduate courses and programs in arts and sciences at Boston University, Boston College, and Brandeis University. There is no exchange of fees, and both course credits and grades transfer to Tufts.

What is the Experimental College?

The Experimental College (ExCollege) offers unique courses that supplement the traditional curriculum in liberal arts and engineering. Created in 1964, the ExCollege enrolls nearly 2,100 students in over 110 courses each year, and provides two first-year advising programs titled Explorations and Perspectives. These courses are the result of collaboration between faculty and student volunteers that assist a student's transition to Tufts.