What are the guidelines for applying transfer credit to the IR major?
The following guidelines should assist students and advisors in applying transfer credits to specific parts of the major.

Core Requirements
In general, the IR Program will be cautious in allowing transfer credits to count toward core requirements, because the Core requirements were designed carefully to provide all majors with a common intellectual foundation. A transfer course that appears to deal with foreign policy, societies and cultures, or economic issues might not necessarily provide the foundation that we seek. The key question is whether the course shares similar intellectual content with the approved courses listed for the Core Requirements. If it is, you should ask whether the course would be considered as a Tufts equivalent on your WebCenter request.

Courses in principles of economics at comparable institutions may sometimes transfer as the equivalent of EC 5, and much the same can be said for introductory IR courses (similar to PS 61).

The IR Program will rely on notations of equivalency when evaluating transfer credits. In the absence of notations similar to those given above, it is unlikely that the course will count toward the Core Requirements. Students should secure a written record (i.e., a "Request for IR Credit" form) of any oral agreements regarding the counting of transfer courses in their personal files and in their student file in the IR Program office.

Thematic Concentration Requirement
It is typically simpler to transfer courses to the Thematic Concentration. For example, courses in European, African, or East Asian politics, sociology, or economics will generally apply to the respective regional sub-concentrations so long as they are successfully transferred. Similarly, a course on Environmental Economics (approved by our Economics Department) will likely apply to the appropriate Economics sub-concentration. Nonetheless, despite the relatively straightforward application of courses to the Thematic Concentration, it will prove extremely useful to request a notation of equivalence on your WebCenter transfer request for credit approval.

Seminar Requirement
Students may NOT use transfer courses for their seminar/capstone requirement. This requirement must be fulfilled at Tufts.

Language Requirement
The IR Program defers to the respective language departments for evaluation of language courses. Here again it is advantageous to request equivalents on WebCenter.

OTHER IMPORTANT TRANSFER CREDIT GUIDELINES (From Study Abroad Guidelines)

• Only courses in which a student receives grades of C- or better will qualify for transfer credit. Courses taken abroad may, with the approval of the appropriate departments, be used to satisfy foundation, distribution, and concentration requirements. Remember that courses may not be taken Pass/Fail on non-Tufts programs.
  
• Students should be aware that grades earned on non-Tufts foreign study programs will not appear on their Tufts transcripts, nor be included in their cumulative grade point averages, nor be used for honors. However, professional and graduate school admissions committees and employers may require submission of your foreign study program transcripts along with your Tufts transcript so that they can calculate a composite GPA.
  
• Due to the wide variety of academic schedules, course loads and credit systems in use at colleges and universities throughout the country and abroad, Tufts does not automatically transfer credit on a course-for-course basis. Therefore, the total number of transfer credits you may count toward your Tufts degree may not equal the number of courses taken abroad. All students, in order to earn a full semester's credit at Tufts, must take a full semester's course load as defined by the foreign institution.

How do I receive credit for IR courses taken abroad?
Tufts Programs Abroad: Inquire with your Resident Director or the IR office about courses which are pre-approved for IR credit; courses will automatically guarantee Tufts credit.

Non-Tufts Programs: Students need to complete the following two steps so that courses taken at other institutions may be counted toward the IR major.

1. Follow standard university procedures as described in the Tufts University Bulletin by completing the "Online Transfer of Credit" (course approval) process through Webcenter.
2. Students need to submit the Request for IR Credit form to the IR Program office. Approval takes approximately one week. Students are notified whether a course has been approved for IR credit and the form will be placed in the student's IR major file in the IR Program office.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Transfer students and those who wish to take coursework at another university (whether through summer coursework or semester) should follow the same guidelines outlined for non-Tufts study abroad programs.
• IB, AP and other pre-matriculation courses may not be used toward major requirements but they may be used for University foundation and distribution requirements.