Academics
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I declare an IR major?
A. Complete the
Declaration of Major/Change of Advisor form by the end of your sophomore
year.
Q. How do I declare my Thematic Concentration?
A. Any declarations of or changes to a previously declared Thematic
Concentration must be made using the
Declaration of Major form available through SIS.
Q. What materials do I need to graduate?
A. Complete the IR
Major Checklist and follow the instructions on the IR Graduation Information
email you will receive in the fall of your graduating year. Additional
information on steps to graduate can be found on the
Registrar's Office website.
Q. The IR Major requirements are not appearing on my Advisement Report, is this ok?
A. Yes; the Advisement Report is only used by the Registrar's Office to track
fulfillment of University Distribution Requirements. All IR Major requirements
are documented directly with the program, and are logged in our internal system
and on the IR
Major Checklist.
Q. How many SHUs can I use towards another major/minor?
A. For students with more than one major, no more than 5 courses, and no more than
15 SHUs, used to fulfill the requirements for one major may be used to satisfy
the requirements for a second one. No more than two courses used for any minor,
regardless of the number of SHUs they carry, may be used toward another major or
minor.
Q. Can I use SHUs counted towards the IR
major to also fulfill University Distribution Requirements?
A. Yes; there is no limit to the number of SHUs used towards the IR major that may
also be used to fulfill University Distribution Requirements.
Q. Can I double count a course among the
Core Requirements, the Thematic Concentration Requirements, and/or the IR
Language Requirement?
A. There is no double counting between the Core and Thematic Concentration
Requirements. Students are permitted double count courses approved for their
Thematic Concentration and the IR Language Requirement.
Q. Can one course within my Thematic Concentration fulfill more than one TC requirement?
A. Yes; within a Thematic Concentration, a single course may
fulfill more than one Thematic Concentration requirement. This will be indicated in the course announcements
and historical course listings for each TC. However, a student who uses a single course
to satisfy multiple requirements must still complete a total of seven courses in the Thematic Concentration.
Q. May I petition courses to count towards the IR Major?
A. Students are not permitted to petition courses to count towards the IR
major. Each semester the IR Program invites faculty members to submit their
courses to the International Relations Faculty Board. The IR Faculty Board then
approves these courses, as appropriate, for inclusion in the IR major.
Q. Can I use an Ex-College course to count towards the IR Major?
A. Only if the course is listed in the
IR Course Announcement.
Ex-College courses must be submitted to the IR Faculty Board and reviewed for
inclusion in the IR major, just like any other course offered within the
University.
Q. I am planning to study abroad. When should I begin the Transfer of Credit Process?
A. As soon as possible! Courses taken at both Tufts and non-Tufts study abroad
programs must be approved by the IR Program in order to be used towards the
fulfillment of the IR major. Students are strongly encouraged to start the
approval process before they enroll in the course. Please visit the
IR Transfer of Credit webpage for more information.
Q. How many courses can I count towards the IR major from study abroad?
A. No more than three courses taken abroad may be applied towards the 12 course IR
major (only one of which can be applied toward the IR Core requirements). There
is no limit on the number of language courses taken abroad to satisfy the IR
language requirement. Please visit the
IR Transfer of Credit webpage for more information.
Q. How do I register for a Fletcher course?
A. Tufts students wishing to enroll in Fletcher courses should refer to the Fletcher
website for
Cross-Registration for Non-Fletcher Students.
To receive IR credit for Fletcher courses, follow the
IR Transfer of Credit process.
Q. How do I fulfill the Culture requirement for my Thematic Concentration?
A. Students in TC1, TC5, and TC6 must choose from the courses approved for the Culture
requirements of their Thematic Concentration. Students in TC2, TC3, and TC4 may
alternatively fulfill the Culture requirement by taking a course from the
linguistic region they are using to fulfill their Language Requirement. A
student FULLY EXEMPT (e.g. native speaker) from the IR language Requirement
(with required proof of eighth semester-level of proficiency on Tufts
transcript) may select a Culture course from any language category.
Q. How do I fulfill the IR Major Language Requirement?
A. Majors in International Relations must display oral and written proficiency at the
eighth semester level in a single foreign language. Please see the
Language Requirement webpage for more information.
Q. I took a language course where some
instruction was in English. Does that still count?
A. No. Courses used to fulfill
the IR language requirement must be taught entirely in the target language.
Q. Can I use a course to fulfill both my IR major language
requirement and a TC requirement?
A. Yes. A course used to fulfill the IR major language requirement may
also be used to fulfill a thematic concentration requirement.
Q. Who needs to take the Penn Language Evaluation Exam?
A. Any student – including native
speakers – needing to demonstrate proficiency in a second language not offered
at Tufts. All such students should take this exam early in their academic career
so they know their language level as soon as possible and can plan accordingly.
Q. How do I get more information about taking the Penn Language Evaluation Exam?
A. Consult with your
senior academic advisor.
Prior to each semester, all undergraduates will be sent an
email containing information about registering for the exam
that is proctored at Tufts. Students should not register on their own. If you have
further questions, email languageevaluation@tufts.edu.
|