General Undergraduate Information

Residence Requirement
The university requires eight semesters of full-time study for the baccalaureate degree, four of which must be completed at the Tufts University home campus or in Tufts University-sponsored programs abroad, with the further stipulation that no more than two semesters of full-time study after matriculation at Tufts may be spent at other approved institutions or on approved non-Tufts foreign study programs.

Students must be in full-time residence at Tufts for the final two semesters. Enrolled students may normally transfer courses only from accredited four-year colleges and universities. Candidates for combined degrees (bachelor's/master's degrees, liberal arts/engineering combined degrees, and the programs with New England Conservatory and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts) must complete their programs in no fewer than five years. Enrolled students may accelerate in the ways described below.

Completion of a specified number of courses does not, in itself, constitute an undergraduate education. Students need time to reflect on and absorb knowledge. Four years of full-time study in an academic environment provide the opportunity to explore a varied curriculum at a reasonable pace; to interact with and learn from fellow students representing a variety of national, ethnic, religious, and racial backgrounds; to be enriched by study in a foreign country; and to survey the cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities of Boston and New England.

Students who transfer to Tufts must spend four full-time semesters at Tufts or on a Tufts study abroad program.

Exceptions to the policy are rarely granted. Petitions may be made on the basis of unanticipated personal, family, or financial emergencies. Truly extraordinary students for whom it would be less productive or even counterproductive to their intellectual development to remain an undergraduate after completing course requirements may also be exempted. General exceptions may also be granted for students in certain proposed joint-degree programs with Tufts professional schools.

Advanced Standing
Once students have completed two full years at Tufts, there are two ways in which they may advance their class standing.

1) Students earning a combination of AP credits, credits from certain foreign diploma examinations, and credits from prematriculation transfer courses totaling 4 to 7.5 will be eligible for one semester's advanced standing; those earning 8 credits will be eligible for one year's advanced standing. Applying students must be in their fourth semester, must have declared a major, and must complete a Request for Advanced Standing form.

2) Students may substitute four Tufts summer session credits (including Tufts in Talloires) for one semester. Additional Tufts summer session courses will not count as additional semesters. A Tufts Summer Session Acceleration Option form must be completed by December of the junior year. Parts of the AP and the summer school options may not be combined to create a one-semester acceleration (e.g., two AP credits and two Tufts summer session credits).

Students electing advanced standing are expected to complete the stated degree requirements with a minimum of thirty-four course credits for the College of Liberal Arts and thirty-eight for the School of Engineering, including credits awarded in determining advanced standing. All will include in their programs sufficient courses to meet the foundation, distribution, and concentration requirements of their college or school.

Students electing advanced standing must spend at least three academic years (six semesters) as full-time students. Ordinarily, two years or four semesters of the undergraduate's course of study must be taken at Tufts University's home campus. Up to one year or two semesters may be spent in a Tufts-related program, either foreign or domestic. Under exceptional circumstances, when the academic needs of a student cannot be satisfied with a Tufts program, a student electing advanced standing may participate for as much as one year in the accredited academic program of another institution with the prior approval of the appropriate academic dean.

Advanced Placement and Acceleration Credit
Examinations of the Advanced Placement Program administered by the College Entrance Examination Board, special placement examinations offered at Tufts University, or any other evidence of preparation at the level of college work may be submitted for evaluation by the appropriate department. Such work may result in a student's being placed in an advanced course, but credit is awarded only for appropriate scores on standardized examinations. To determine course placement and credit, if any, based on advanced placement scores, consult the departmental listings below. 

Acceleration credits are treated as regular course credits and, where appropriate, are accepted in partial satisfaction of the foundation and distribution requirements of the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Engineering. If the content of a course has been covered by advanced placement, the student may not take that course for credit toward the degree.

5: Placement into two-digit level courses (exemption from survey for the major). No acceleration credit.

5: Consult department regarding placement; normally, placement will be in Biology 13 or 14; one course credit which can count toward the major. Students who take both Biology 13 and 14 will not also be awarded acceleration credit.

5: Placement into Chemistry 31 or 51; acceleration credit of two courses.

Computer Science A and/or AB 
If  both tests are taken, only one acceleration credit is awarded to the student.

5 or 4: Placement into Computer Science 15; one acceleration credit.

 

5 or 4 in microeconomics: One acceleration credit; enroll in Economics 5.
5 or 4 in macroeconomics: One acceleration credit; enroll in Economics 5.
5 or 4 in microeconomics and macroeconomics: Two acceleration credits; exemption from Economics 5 prerequisite; eligibility for Economics 11 or 12.

5: Exemption from the College Writing Requirement; one acceleration credit.

4: Exemption from the first semester of the College Writing Requirement (placement in English 2 or an equivalent course); one acceleration credit.

5 or 4: Exemption from Biology 7. One course credit that can count toward the major. Students who take Biology 7 will not be awarded acceleration credit.

 

5: Exemption from the Basic Language Requirement (Part I); placement into French/Italian/Spanish 22. One acceleration credit equivalent to French/Italian/Spanish 21 is granted and one course is required to complete Part II of the Foreign Language Requirement.

4: Exemption from the Basic Language Requirement (Part I); placement into French/Italian/Spanish 21. No acceleration credit is granted and two courses are required to complete Part II of the Foreign Language Requirement.

3: Exemption from the Basic Language Requirement (Part I); placement into French/Spanish/Italian 4. No acceleration credit is granted and three courses are required to complete Part II of the Foreign Language Requirement.

Scores above 770 on the SAT II Subject Tests for French, Spanish, or Italian satisfy Parts I and II of the Foreign Language Requirement and confer an acceleration credit of one course that is equivalent to French/Spanish/Italian 22.

The Department of Romance Languages awards two acceleration credits, equivalent to French/Spanish/Italian 21 and 22, only to students who have completed the International Baccalaureate.

Students whose results on the Tufts Placement Test are superior to their scores on the Advanced Placement Test or the SAT II Subject Tests will be placed at the higher course level. Acceleration credit satisfies language course requirements (but does not satisfy the humanities requirement).

See the appropriate coordinator of language instruction in the Department of Romance Languages for recommended courses to continue French, Spanish, and Italian.

5: Exemption from the Basic Language Requirement (Part I); placement into German 22 or 33 or 44; one acceleration credit. One course is required to complete Part II of the Foreign Language Requirement.

4: Exemption from the Basic Language Requirement (Part I); placement into German 21 or 33; one acceleration credit. Two courses are required to complete Part II of the Foreign Language Requirement.

Scores of 770 or higher on the German SAT II Subject Test satisfy both Parts I and II of the Foreign Language Requirement and also earn one acceleration credit.

3: Exemption from the Basic Language Requirement (Part I); placement into German 4; no acceleration credit.

2: Placement into German 3; no acceleration credit.

Scores of 760 or higher on the Hebrew SAT II Subject Test satisfy both Parts I and II of the Foreign Language Requirement and also earn one course credit.

5 or 4: One acceleration credit, which may not be counted toward the minimum required for history concentration but may be counted as a distribution credit.

 

5: Exemption from the Basic Language Requirement (Part I); placement into Latin 21, 22, or 91; one acceleration credit.

4: Exemption from the Basic Language Requirement (Part I); placement into Latin 21, 22, or 91; one acceleration credit.

The above placement and credit are also given for scores of 720 or over on the Latin SAT II Subject Test.

3: Exemption from the Basic Language Requirement (Part I); placement into Latin 21, 22, or 91; no acceleration credit.

2: Placement into Latin 3; no acceleration credit.

One acceleration credit, equivalent to Mathematics 11, and placement into Mathematics 12.

Two acceleration credits, equivalent to Mathematics 11 and 12, and placement into Mathematics 13 or 46.

Please note: Acceleration credit may be counted as distribution credit in the mathematical sciences. Students with acceleration credit equivalent to Mathematics 11 may not also receive credit for Mathematics 5 or 11. Students with acceleration credit equivalent to Mathematics 12 may not also receive credit for Mathematics 12 or 17. However, students who receive acceleration credit may also take Mathematics 6, 8, 9, or 10 for credit.

Consult department.

Physics B (non-calculus-based)

5: One acceleration credit equivalent to Physics 1; placement into Physics 2. 
4: With successful performance on the Mechanics Placement Exam (offered during orientation), one acceleration credit equivalent to Physics 1 and placement into Physics 2.

5: One acceleration credit equivalent to Physics 11; placement into Physics 12.
4: With a successful performance on the Mechanics Placement Exam, one acceleration credit equivalent to Physics 11 and placement into Physics 12.

Electricity and Magnetism section

5: One acceleration credit for Physics 12.

Both sections

Students who receive acceleration credits for both Physics 11 and 12 achieve placement into Physics 13.

Please note: The School of Engineering does not accept Physics 1 and 2 for the fulfillment of its introductory science degree requirements.

Please note: Most medical schools do not accept acceleration credits in place of physics courses with a laboratory component taken at college.

5 or 4: One acceleration credit that may not be counted toward the minimum required for a political science concentration, but may be counted as distribution credit.

Psychology

5 or 4: Eligible for two-digit course. No credit.

Statistics

5 or 4: One acceleration credit which may be counted as mathematics distribution credit.
 

Foreign Language Placement
Listed here are the suggested placements for scores achieved on the SAT II Subject Test. If tests are taken in both language and literature, only one credit will be awarded for each language.

French              Italian/Spanish                
200-440                  200-410                 Not exempt
450-510                  420-490                 Placement into French/Italian/Spanish 2
520-590                  500-580                 Placement into French/Italian/Spanish 3
600-660                  590-650                 Placement into French/Italian/Spanish 4; exempt Part I
670-710                  660-710                 Placement into French/Italian/Spanish 21
720-760                  720-760                 Placement into French/Italian/Spanish 22
770-800                  770-800                 One credit; exempt Parts I and II

Latin
200-470            Not exempt
480-610            Placement into Latin 3
620-710            Exempt Part I
720-800            One credit; exempt Part I

German       Hebrew      Japanese        Chinese        
200-400      200-420       200-400         200-410         Not exempt
410-480      430-450       410-480         420-480         Placement into level 2
490-590      460-510       490-590         490-590         Placement into level 3
600-650      520-570       600-640         600-650         Placement into level 4; exempt Part I
660-710      580-670       650-700         660-700         Placement into level 21
720-760      680-750       710-750         710-750         Placement into level 22
770-800      760-800       760-800         760-800         One credit; exempt Parts I and II                   

Examination Credit
Students receiving credit must not take courses that cover the same material. The following list will assist in course selection. For subjects not listed here, consult your class dean.

Biology                    One Tufts credit; do not enroll in Biology 3 (may take either 13 or 14; not both)
                               Two Tufts credits; do not enroll in Biology 3, 13 or 14

Chemistry                One Tufts credit; do not enroll in Chemistry 1, 11, or 16
                               Two Tufts credits; do not enroll in Chemistry 1, 2, 11, 12, or 16

Computer Science   One Tufts credit; do not enroll in Computer Science 11
                               Two Tufts credits; consult department for placement

Economics               One Tufts credit; enroll in Economics 5 
                                Two Tufts credits; do not enroll in Economics 5

English                     One Tufts credit; do not enroll in English 1 or 3
                               Two Tufts credits; do not enroll in English 1, 2, 3, or 4

Foreign language      One or two Tufts credits; do not enroll in level 21 or below

Mathematics            One Tufts credit; do not enroll in Mathematics 4, 5, or 11
                               Two Tufts credits; do not enroll in Mathematics 4, 5, 11, or 12

Physics                    One Tufts credit; do not enroll in Physics 1 or 11
                               Two Tufts credits; do not enroll in Physics 1, 2, 11, or 12

Psychology              One Tufts credit; do not enroll in Psychology 1
                             

Foreign Diploma Credit
Tufts does not grant credit automatically for the diploma as a whole; rather, acceleration credit is awarded for each subject passed at an appropriate level. No more than eight credits total will be awarded. Students receiving eight credits will be allowed to graduate in six semesters instead of eight; however, this advanced standing will not be instated until after the student completes four semesters at Tufts. These credits may be used to satisfy foundation and distribution requirements and as prerequisites for advanced courses. For possible credit from standardized examinations for foreign diplomas not listed here, students may apply to Academic Services.

British General Certificate of Education
A-LEVEL
Grades of A, B, or C:                    
Two Tufts credits (except in English)

English, grade of A:                        
One Tufts credit; exempt from English 1 and 2

English, grade of B:                        
One Tufts credit; exempt from English 1

International Baccalaureate
HIGHER LEVEL
Score of 5 or higher in all approved subjects, except those listed below:                
One Tufts credit

Economics, 5 or higher:            
One Tufts credit (Economics 5); placement into intermediate-level theory courses

English, score of  7:                   
One Tufts credit; exempt from English 1 and 2

English, score of 5 or 6:            
One Tufts credit; exempt from English 1

Foreign language, 5 or higher:   
Two Tufts credits

Mathematics, score of 6 or 7:
One Tufts credit equivalent to Mathematics 11
 
Students should take the Tufts language placement examination to determine level of placement, but must take a course at level 22 or higher in order to keep the credits.                                                                      

SUBSIDIARY LEVEL
English, score of 6 or 7:             
One Tufts credit; exempt from English 1

Foreign language, 5 or higher:   
One Tufts credit

Mathematics, score of 6 or 7:
One Tufts credit equivalent to Mathematics 5

Further Mathematics, score of 7:
One Tufts credit equivalent to Mathematics 12
  
Students should take the Tufts language placement examination to determine level of placement, but must take a course at level 22 or higher in order to keep the credit. 

No other subjects are awarded credit for the subsidiary level.

French Baccalaureate
English:                                         No credit or exemption for English with this diploma
Foreign language:                          Exempt from Parts I and II of Foreign Language Requirement

Scores of 10 or higher in subjects with coefficient of 3 or higher are awarded two Tufts credits.

German Abitur
English:                                         No credit or exemption for English with this diploma
Foreign language:                          Exempt from Parts I and II of Foreign Language Requirement
Grades of 1, 2, or 3:                     Two Tufts credits

Canadian CEGEP
Some credit is awarded for courses in the second year only.            

Transfer Students
Entering transfer students are considered sophomores until their transfer credits have been evaluated. Transfer students are entitled to the same advanced placement, acceleration credits, and exemptions from foundation requirements as students who enter Tufts as first-year students, with the same stipulation that transfers may not receive credit for a course covering essentially the same material as that for which advanced placement credit is granted.

Transfer students with eligible scores on the SAT II Subject Tests and Advanced Placement Tests should have official records of their scores sent to Academic Services before orientation, if they have not already been submitted during the admission process. Such credits will be approved only on the basis of official test records and not a transcript from the student's previous institution.

Advanced placement or acceleration credit awarded by a previous institution on the basis of its own placement tests or alternative criteria is not transferable. (See also Residence Requirement.)

Transfer of Credit from Other Institutions
In order to receive transfer credit from another accredited institution, a student must have received a grade of C- or better. Transferred credits are entered in the Tufts record without the grade. Students may transfer from other institutions no more than the equivalent of seventeen Tufts course credits for the College of Liberal Arts and nineteen Tufts course credits for the School of Engineering.

A matriculated student may take courses at other accredited four-year colleges and universities and receive credit for them toward a Tufts degree by obtaining written approval in advance from the relevant department concerned, as well as the major adviser. Forms for approval of transfer of credit should be returned to Dowling Hall. Such credit is treated the same as transfer credit. (A grade of C- or better must be earned and the transferred credit is entered in the Tufts record without grades.) Up to two semesters of full-time study after matriculation at Tufts may be spent at other approved four-year institutions or on approved foreign study programs. Students attending summer schools (other than Tufts Summer Session) are normally allowed to transfer no more than three credits earned in one summer, nor more than a cumulative total of five credits toward a Tufts degree.

Students who plan to complete a full-time semester elsewhere must complete the equivalent of three or more Tufts credits to have it qualify as a full-time semester.

All students planning to transfer credits earned while on leave at other institutions should begin the process by first discussing their plans with their class dean.

Secondary school students who have taken college courses should consult the appropriate departments regarding their placement and the possible award of acceleration credits. Credit is generally awarded only for courses taken at a college with regularly enrolled college students. Some colleges offer their courses in nearby secondary schools for classes composed entirely of secondary school students; credit is not awarded for these courses.

Academic Standing/Satisfactory Progress Toward the Degree
The following are guidelines for maintaining satisfactory progress toward the degree. Determination of a student's academic status is made by the Committee on Academic Standing. The following procedures are guidelines; the committee reserves the right to make decisions on an individual student's academic progress. Students are subject to action by the Committee on Academic Standing if they have accumulated one or more of the following during the semester: two Ds, one F, two Incompletes, fewer than three credits with C- or better, a semester grade point average below 1.80. Students are removed from warning or probation if, in the succeeding semester, they earn four credits with grades of C- or better and no failing grades. An incomplete, even with a default grade of C- or better, is not counted as a grade. Also, none of these courses may be taken pass-fail. The committee also determines whether students are maintaining satisfactory progress toward the degree. An overall cumulative average of C- (1.67) is required.

College of Liberal Arts
Students are subject to action by the Committee on Academic Standing if they complete fewer than the following number of credits:

Fall
First year . . . 3 credits
Sophomore . . 10 credits
Junior . . . . . 19 credits
Senior . . . . . 27 credits

Spring
First year . . . .6 credits
Sophomore . . 14 credits
Junior . . . . . .23 credits
Senior . . . . . 34 credits

School of Engineering
Students are subject to action by the Committee on Academic Standing if they complete fewer than the following number of credits:

Fall
First year . . . 3 credits
Sophomore . .12 credits
Junior . . . . . 22 credits
Senior . . . . .32 credits (B.S., 31)

Spring
First year . . . 7 credits
Sophomore . .17 credits
Junior . . . . . 27 credits
Senior . . . . .38 credits (B.S., 36)

Academic Probation
Students who fail to meet these guidelines may be placed in any one of the following categories (arranged in order of increasing seriousness). The student must earn four credits with grades of C- or better in the following semester to be removed from probation.

Warning. A formal warning is an expression of concern. A notice of warning indicates that if the present level of performance were to continue through the following semester, more serious action would be necessary.

Probation I. A student's progress toward the degree or academic performance during a single semester or over several semesters is such that the Committee on Academic Standing takes formal notice of that performance by placing the student on probation.

Probation II. A student who was placed on probation during the previous semester, and who does not show sufficient improvement, will be continued on probation in the succeeding semester. A student on Probation II is not considered to be in good standing at the university.

Probation III. Students placed in this category are usually no longer making satisfactory progress and/or their GPA has fallen below 1.67. Students in this category are strongly urged to take a voluntary leave of absence for a year to reconsider their academic goals. Students returning from such a voluntary leave will be placed on Probation I. Students who do not take a voluntary leave of absence, and at the end of the following semester do not complete four courses with grades of C- or better, will be required to withdraw for one or two semesters before being reinstated.

Required to Withdraw. Students in this category are required to withdraw for one semester, two semesters, or four semesters. Tufts will accept transfer credit for no more than one semester and one summer's work taken during the absence. Students required to withdraw will be placed on Probation I upon return.

Please note: Students receiving financial aid should be aware that the decision of the Committee on Academic Standing regarding satisfactory progress may have an impact on their financial aid packages; they should consult Financial Services.

Dropping and Adding Courses
During the first two weeks of a semester, a course may be dropped or added by submitting the proper form to Dowling Hall. A petition to drop a course will be accepted from sophomores, juniors, and seniors through the end of the fourth week of classes, and from first-year students through the end of the tenth week of classes. After these deadlines, a student may withdraw from a course until the last day classes meet (before reading period). The grade of W (withdrawn) will appear on the transcript, but does not affect a student's cumulative average. Petitions for W will not be accepted after the last day of classes. After that date, students must either finish the course and receive the appropriate grade, or request an I (incomplete) from the instructor and complete the work by six weeks into the following semester (or by a date set by the instructor).

Reduced Course Load
Permission to take a reduced program of courses may be granted, after application to the academic deans, to students in the Resumed Education for Adult Learners Program and, in exceptional cases, to others whose academic program warrants a reduced course load. Health needs may also merit a reduced course load. Consideration for this is given by the Health Accommodations and Medical Leave Committee. Such students are considered to be making satisfactory progress if they complete each course with a C- or higher. A minimum of three credits is full time.

English Proficiency
To encourage appropriate standards of English composition, each instructor will note any students whose written work habitually lacks the clarity of expression and logical arrangement of subject matter that should characterize the writing of a university student. The instructor will impose on such students whatever corrective work is deemed necessary. The students must satisfactorily complete this corrective work before receiving a grade in that course. Instructors may refer exceptionally deficient students to the dean.

Grades
The standing of the student in each subject is expressed by one of the following letters:

A   Superior work
B   Meritorious work
C   Work without marked merit or defect
D   Unsatisfactory work but allowable for credit, subject to the restrictions specified under the requirements for graduation. Some departments disallow credit toward the concentration requirement.
P   Passing work (D- or better): for courses taken under the pass-fail option, and for selected courses offered only pass-fail by departments. Grade point average is not affected.
F   Failure: No credit is received. A grade of F is averaged into the grade point average.

No-grade status
I   Incomplete: An indication by the instructor that more time will be allowed to complete the requirements of the course. An incomplete may be awarded only if the student has done substantial work in the course, the instructor judges the reasons for granting incomplete status to be valid, and the instructor determines that the work can be completed in the time specified on the incomplete form. The instructor is responsible for specifying on the incomplete form the reason for the incomplete grade and the conditions that must be satisfied for the awarding of a grade. A copy of this form must be submitted to Dowling Hall at the time final grades are reported.

It is the responsibility of the student to request an incomplete before the date of the required work. If an incomplete is granted, all work in the course must be completed on or before the date six weeks after the first day of classes in the subsequent semester (fall or spring only; summer terms excluded). If the student has completed the work within the stated time, it will be evaluated without prejudice. Completed work must be submitted in person or by registered mail to the instructor. Upon the student's completion of work in the course, the instructor must submit a final grade to the registrar within eight weeks after the first day of classes of the subsequent semester. A course not completed by the designated time will receive the default grade specified on the incomplete form. Under exceptional circumstances, such as prolonged illness, a student may request an extension of the six-week deadline. Such an extension may be granted at the discretion of the instructor. Any such agreement between the student and faculty member must be submitted in writing to the academic dean.

W   Withdrawn: An indication that a student has been permitted to withdraw from a course after the fourth week of a semester, but no later than the last day of classes.

Y   An interim symbol used to denote the absence of a grade because the work on which the final grade is to be based extends beyond the time limits of the semester.

NG   No grade: The instructor has no knowledge of the student listed on the grade sheet. The student who never attended the class may request to have the course and NG removed from the transcript by asking the instructor to complete the enrollment correction form, which instructors may get from their departmental staff assistant or from Dowling Hall. 

In computing the average of a student's grades, each course grade of A is counted as 4.00; B, 3.00; C, 2.00; D, 1.00. Appropriate value is given to plus and minus grades and to half-credit courses. Averages are computed to three decimal places, and semester and cumulative averages are rounded to two decimal places. Since changes cannot be made after graduation, seniors are urged to have rectified any errors on their transcripts well in advance of the graduation date.

Changes in Course Grades: Statute of Limitations
Any request for a change in a course grade must be made to the course instructor no later than six weeks into the following regular semester. In cases where the student is not on campus for the following regular semester, the request must be made no later than six weeks after the student returns. In cases where the course instructor is not on campus for the following regular semester, the request must be made to the departmental chair.

Quality Requirements
Students in the College of Liberal Arts must earn grades of C- or better in three-fourths of their courses taken at Tufts under standard grading, students in the School of Engineering must earn grades of C- or better in two-thirds of the courses submitted for the degree and in three-fourths of the courses taken for the concentration.

Pass-Fail Option
Within the limits stated below, students may elect to have their grades in certain courses recorded simply as pass or fail. The purpose of this option is to encourage students to extend their academic interests. Faculty advisers will approve selection of the option if this purpose is clearly fulfilled; it is not designed as a safety valve to permit students to carry unrealistic academic loads. A student will be graded as usual throughout the course, with final grades transcribed by the registrar into pass or fail. A pass does not affect the grade point average; a failing grade is averaged into the grade point average.

In a thirty-four course credit program, students are normally required to take at least twenty-six semester course credits under standard grading; the pass-fail option may be applied to any courses in excess of twenty-six, with the exceptions stated elsewhere in this section.

Transfer students and those students who transfer credit to Tufts from programs at other institutions must complete three-fourths of their work at Tufts under standard grading subject to the stated quality requirement. The pass-fail option may be applied to courses in the remaining one-fourth of the program with the exceptions stated below.

No distinction is made between regular courses that a student elects to take under pass-fail grading and those courses that may only be taken pass-fail.

All decisions with respect to the pass-fail option must be made within the first four weeks of any term. After four weeks, the student must complete a course under the grading system then in force or withdraw from the course. For liberal arts students, only electives may be taken pass-fail; courses offered in satisfaction of the foundation requirements, distribution requirement, and courses taken to fulfill concentration requirements in major departments may not normally be approved under the pass-fail option.

Repeated Courses
Students who receive a failing grade for a course may repeat the course and receive degree credit if a passing grade is earned a second time. Both grades remain on the transcript and both the F and the passing grade are calculated into the cumulative average. Students may choose to repeat a course after receiving a D+, D, or D-. Both the repeated course, if passed, and the original course receive one-half their credit value in computing both grades for the grade point average and both grades remain on the transcript. Students who earn a grade of C- or above for a course may choose to repeat the course for a variety of reasons. Degree credit and cumulative average will reflect only the first passing grade earned in the course; record of the repeat and subsequent grade will appear. Courses such as creative writing, physical education, studio art, vocal/instrumental study, and certain foreign language courses may be repeated with degree credit and cumulative average adjustment for each grade.

Extra Courses
Students may register for a maximum of 5.5 credits each semester. To add an additional credit, students must petition their class dean for permission. Such permission is rarely granted to first-year students.

Missed Classes
Students should make themselves aware of each professor's attendance policy. Students who must miss a class because of an illness or family emergency should speak with the professor directly, or consult their class dean.

Dean's List
Each semester, students who have been enrolled with a minimum of 4.0 credits, received letter grades in a minimum of three credits, completed every course in which they were enrolled with no work incomplete (with the exception of Y), and earned a grade point average of at least 3.40 in the College of Liberal Arts or 3.20 in the School of Engineering will be placed on the Dean's List in recognition of their academic achievement. An indication of Dean's List status will be placed on their permanent record. Students in the combined-degrees program with New England Conservatory of Music whose total course load equals 4.0 credits or more will be awarded Dean's List honors at both institutions if they meet Dean's List GPA requirements for the course work taken at each institution.

Internship Programs
Internships provide juniors, seniors, and in some cases sophomores with the opportunity to apply various types of knowledge and skills in a field-based situation. Two internship programs are available: internships for academic credit and internships that award transcript notation but no academic credit.

Internships for academic credit in a wide range of fields are offered by several departments or through the Experimental College. Students granted internships for academic credit must register for a relevant course and have a faculty adviser on campus as well as professional-level supervision at their workplace. They also complete and submit an internship agreement at the time they register for the course. All agreements must be signed no later than the add-drop deadline of the semester. Participants are expected to demonstrate in a written project the learning that has taken place on the job by placing the work experience in an academic context. A minimum of twelve hours of work each week or 150 hours for the semester is required, and only two one-credit internships are normally accepted toward a degree. No credit is granted retroactively for these activities, and the two internships cannot be done in the same semester. Students may develop their own field-placement programs. However, all new proposals must be submitted to the appropriate department for approval.

Students may also participate in the All-College Internship Program, which awards transcript notation but no academic credit. A faculty adviser is not needed to participate in this program since there is no academic component, but students do receive official recognition of their work on their transcript. Students register for the internship with the Internship Coordinator in Career Services by the second week of classes, spend a minimum of 100 hours over the course of the semester at the site, and complete an evaluation form at the close of the semester. Internships cannot be done retroactively and students may receive no more than two notations on their transcript.

Study Elsewhere
To meet the costs of administrative procedures connected with study at other institutions (both in the United States and abroad), all students studying elsewhere will be charged a fee of $200 at the time that their credit is transferred. Students on Tufts-sponsored programs will not be charged this fee. Automatic exemption will be given to students receiving financial aid in the current academic year. Please note: students must be in good standing at the time of a program of study elsewhere to be eligible to transfer earned course credit to their Tufts' record.

Study Abroad
To study abroad, students must plan a program relevant to their degree program at Tufts, and must secure in advance the approval of their adviser and the Director of Programs Abroad. Good standing is also a requirement of participation. Students are encouraged to study under one of the established programs sponsored by Tufts University. (See Tufts Programs Abroad.) A list of recommended non-Tufts programs is available in Dowling Hall.

Leaves of Absence and Transfers
Students considering a leave of absence or transferring to another school must consult their class dean and complete a form available in Dowling Hall. The Residential Life Office must be notified if a housing contract has been signed. There is a penalty for failing to notify the Residential Life Office by certain deadlines (consult the Residential Life Office). Students receiving financial aid should also notify Financial Services.

Medical Leave 
Medical Leave is an option available to students who, for physical or psychological reasons, are unable to continue at the university. Appropriate medical evaluation is a required part of the process. In certain case, mental health practitioners or physicians may recommend that it is not in a student’s or the community’s best interests for the student to continue at the university. The standard medical leave is for one year. In unusual circumstances a student may successfully demonstrate readiness to return earlier. Decisions about return eligibility are made by the Health Accommodations and Medical Leave Committee, a group composed of the staff of the Dean of Student Affairs, staff of the Dean of Undergraduate Education and medical health practitioners or physicians.  Student wishing to return from medical leave must apply by notifying Marisel Perez, Associate Dean of Students, Dowling Hall, and 617-627-3158. To be eligible to return for spring semester, application must be made by November15 and by August 1 for the fall semester. For additional details, see the Pachyderm, a publication of the Dean of Student Affairs Office, or visit: http://studentservices.tufts.edu/dos/healthaccommodations.htm

Academic Ethics
A university is a community of students interested in the search for an understanding of knowledge. No less important to the true student is a high level of honesty and integrity. Absolute honesty on the part of every college student, therefore, is and always shall be an integral part of the plan of higher education at Tufts University. Examples of academic dishonesty include plagiarism, handing in one paper for two or more courses without the knowledge and consent of the instructors involved, dishonesty on examinations, and the purchase of papers to be submitted in a course.

The academic departments of the university have varying requirements for reporting the use of sources, but certain fundamental principles for the acknowledgement of sources apply to all fields and to all levels of work. The use of source materials of any kind (including the Internet) in the preparation of essays or laboratory reports must be fully and properly acknowledged. In a paper or laboratory report, a student is expected to acknowledge any expression or idea which is not his/her own. In submitting the paper, the student is stating that the form and content of the essay or report, in whole and in part, represent his/her own work, except where clear and specific reference is made to other sources. Even where there is not conscious intention to deceive, the failure to make appropriate acknowledgement may constitute plagiarism. Any quotation--even of a phrase--must be placed in quotation marks and the precise source stated in a note or in the text; any material that is paraphrased or summarized and any ideas that are borrowed must be specifically acknowledged. A thorough rewording or rearrangement of an author's text does not release the student from these responsibilities. All sources that have been consulted in the preparation of the essay or report should be listed in the bibliography.

Allegations are reported Office of the Dean of Students. If a student agrees with the charge and/or the nature of the evidence makes it clear that academic dishonesty has taken place, the dean may take appropriate action. A decision made in this way may be appealed to the Committee on Student Life (CSL) according to the policies set forth in Tufts University Student Disciplinary System.

Working through the Office of the Dean of Students, it may be possible for the faculty member and the accused student(s) to reach a resolution through mediation. Note that both parties must be willing to use mediation as an alternative means of dispute resolution for this to work. The mediation process is described in Tufts University Student Disciplinary System.  Disciplinary decisions resulting from hearings may be appealed to the CSL.

Consequences for academic dishonesty include disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion. Instructors commonly assign an F for a course in which ethical practice is violated. For more information, please refer to Academic Integrity @ Tufts.edu, available online or in Dowling Hall.

Privacy
The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) gives each Tufts student access to his or her educational records, the right to correct inaccuracies in the records and the right to control distribution. Since September 11, 2001, the Department of Education has stated that a college must provide (absent a request) information it reasonably believes will assist law enforcement officials in investigation or preventing terrorist activities. In addition, there are exceptions in the statute, such as a subpoena, that allow Tufts to release student records even if the student objects. A description of your rights under the act, the location of records pertaining to you, and the procedures for requesting access and invoking your right to control access appears in the Pachyderm, the Arts, Sciences, and Engineering student handbook. 

Please note:  Only directory information is made available to the public. Directory information includes whether a student is in attendance at the university, the student’s local telephone number and e-mail address. Students may request that directory information not be released to anyone by completing a privacy request form available at the Student Services Desk. Such requests are subject to the exemptions provided by certain policies, including FERPA and the Patriot Act of 2001. Students should verify implementation of their request by calling Dowling Hall. A change in phone number, along with the request not to release the information, is suggested as the best way to ensure privacy.

Non-Discrimination Policy
Tufts University is committed to the fundamental principle of equal opportunity and equal treatment for every prospective and current employee and student. It is the policy of the university not to discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, race, color, national or ethnic origin, disability, status of a disabled veteran or status of a covered veteran in the administration of its educational policies, admissions, policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other university-sponsored programs.

For more information or to file a complaint of discrimination, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action at 617-627-3298 or visit www.tufts.edu/oeo.