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

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arts, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics
(quantitative), and engineering.
Students proposing an Interdisciplinary Studies
major must have a high degree of initiative and selfdiscipline.
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.
CIS Senior Thesis
Arts, Sciences, and Engineering students who wish
to write a senior thesis outside their major area of
concentration may be eligible to write a CIS senior
thesis. The student must satisfy the CIS Board or
its designated subcommittee that the topic falls
outside the purview of any department or interdisciplinary
program and that significant course work
and/or faculty directed research relevant to the
thesis topic has been accomplished. The student
must assemble a committee of three faculty readers
with expertise in the disciplines involved, one of
whom will serve as the chair of the committee and
be responsible for submitting the final grade. One
member of the committee must be from a depart-
ment or program in which the student is majoring.
The proposed thesis topic must be approved by the
CIS Board or its designated subcommittee.
Application instructions and relevant timeline can
be found on the CIS website.
Students who would like to be recommended for
degrees with honors by a department or program
that requires a thesis should be aware that a CIS
thesis will not usually count as a substitute for an
honors thesis within the department or program.
However, once the thesis proposal is approved by
the CIS Board or its designated subcommittee,
eligible students can apply to the Thesis Honors
Program by filing the appropriate paperwork at
Dowling Hall. If the CIS thesis is to qualify as an
honors thesis, the chair of the thesis committee
must be a member of the department or program in
which the student is majoring.
Affiliated Programs
For information about majors and/or minors
offered by interdisciplinary programs at Tufts please
see the relevant program website. The academic
programs affiliated with the collective enterprise of
the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies include:
Africana Studies
American Studies
Asian Studies
Asian American Studies
Communications and Media Studies
Community Health
Environmental Studies
International Literary and Visual Studies
International Relations
Judaic Studies
Latin American Studies
Latino Studies
Leadership Studies
Medieval Studies
Middle Eastern Studies
Multimedia Arts
Urban Studies
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
For more information visit the Center for Interdisciplinary
Studies website: http://cis.tufts.edu.
Other interdisciplinary programs at Tufts include:
Biochemistry
Biopsychology
Cognitive and Brain Sciences
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