2013–2014 The Bulletin - USS at Tufts - Tufts University

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Concentration (Major) Requirement
The object of the concentration (or major) requirement
is to provide the student with an integrated
and thorough program of study in a well-developed
field of learning. Most students satisfy the concentration
requirement within established academic
departments and programs, selected from among
those listed below. An alternative program, called
the Interdisciplinary Studies major, is available to
students with unique academic interests not clearly
encompassed by the established fields of concentration.
All courses used toward fulfillment of the
concentration requirement must be taken for letter
grades.
Department or Program Major
Students are expected to choose their major and to
have a faculty advisor in the major field during the
second semester of the sophomore year. With the
assistance of the faculty advisor, the student plans a
concentration program of ten or more courses as
specified by the major department. In some cases,
the student must complete prerequisite courses in
addition to those that constitute the concentration
program.
For students with multiple concentrations, no
more than half the credits used to fulfill the requirements
for one concentration may be used to satisfy
the requirements for a second or subsequent one.
However, for courses taught in a foreign language
beyond the third-year level of instruction, this
overlap can be extended: up to 80 percent of the
courses used to fulfill the requirements for one
concentration may be used to satisfy the requirements
for a second or subsequent one. Departments
and programs may further restrict the amount of
overlap between concentrations. Students who wish
to complete two sets of concentration requirements
are urged to continue to design such programs with
minimal course overlap.
Interdisciplinary Studies Major
(See also Center for Interdisciplinary Studies)
The Interdisciplinary Studies major offers students
the opportunity to create a self-designed, individual
concentration that draws on courses from at least
two of the following six areas of study: humanities,
arts, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics
(quantitative), and engineering.
Students proposing an Interdisciplinary Studies
major must have a high degree of initiative and
self-discipline. The Interdisciplinary Studies major
consists of an integrated program of at least ten
credits plus a two-semester thesis or honors thesis
(for eligible students) or a substantial project
comparable in scope to a thesis, including a written
component. A student who wishes to pursue an
Interdisciplinary Studies major must submit a
detailed application describing the planned
program of study. The student selects an advisory
committee of three faculty members who support
the application, including representatives from
three departments in at least two of the six areas
listed above. At least two of the committee
members must be full-time members of the Arts
and Sciences faculty with the rank of lecturer or
above; at least one of the committee members must
be a tenured or tenure-track member of the Arts
and Sciences faculty. In consultation with this
advisory committee, the student develops a
rationale for the major, selects courses, and outlines
the thesis plan. The proposal is reviewed for
approval by the CIS Board or its designated
subcommittee.
Note: Two credits used to fulfill another major may
be used toward the Interdisciplinary Studies major;
students may not triple major if one major is in
Interdisciplinary Studies.
For specific information and application guidelines
visit the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies
website: http://cis.tufts.edu.
Departmental, Interdepartmental, and Program
Concentrations:
Africana Studies
Biopsychology
American Studies
Biotechnology
Anthropology
Chemical Physics
Applied Mathematics Chemistry
Applied Physics
Child Development
Arabic
Chinese
Archaeology
Classics
Architectural Studies
Cognitive and Brain
Art History
Sciences
Asian Studies
Community Health
Astrophysics
Computer Science
Biochemistry
Drama
Biology
Economics
Biomedical Engineering Economics/Quantitative
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