Dear Student,
We want to be sure you are aware of one often-overlooked requirement for completing your degree. For all undergraduate students, including Arts & Sciences, SMFA, and Engineering, the academic residence requirement (as explained in the Tufts' Bulletin and the Residency Requirements website) states that a student must complete a specific number of full-time semesters of study:
- Arts & Sciences BA/BS, BFA, Combined Degree BA or BS/BFA, and Engineering students must complete 8 full-time semesters of study;
- Arts & Sciences BA/BS, BFA, Combined Degree BA or BS/BFA and Engineering transfer students must complete 4 full-time semesters of study; and
- Tufts/NEC Combined Degree students must complete 10 full-time semesters of study.
- Students in the Resumed Education for Adult Learners (REAL) Program do not have an academic residence requirement.
Fall 2020 Exceptional Residency Waiver
Students who attempted at least 12 credits in person or remotely through Tufts in Fall 2020 qualify for the Exceptional Residency Waiver and are allowed to complete 6 full-time semesters of study instead of 8 full-time semesters, if they choose. With the exception of this exceptional waiver, all other graduation requirements for Arts & Sciences BA/BS, BFA, and Engineering BS students remain the same.
- 2 of the 6 full-time semesters can be at other approved institutions or on approved external study abroad programs.
- After completion of 6 full-time semesters, students can graduate (if all degree requirements are complete) or enroll part-time.
- Tufts/NEC students may be able to complete their two degrees in 8 full-time semesters.
- Attempting at least 12 credits means a student began the semester enrolled in at least 12 credits regardless of how many credits they ultimately earned for the semester.
- Students with a Reduced Course Load accommodation through the StAAR Center in Fall 2020 are considered to have completed a full-time semester and qualify for the exceptional residency waiver.
- Please note that transfer students cannot graduate in fewer than 4 full-time semesters.
Traditional Academic Residence Requirement
Most students fulfill the academic residence requirement by simply being full-time students for the number of semesters required, whether here at Tufts, on a Tufts Program abroad or approved external abroad program, or at another approved domestic institution. Students who did not enroll at Tufts in Fall 2020, and therefore do not qualify for the Exceptional Residency Waiver, may still graduate early or be part-time in their senior year.
- 5 credit-bearing pre-matriculation course equivalencies and/or Tufts summer courses that total at least 17 credits may be used to substitute a student’s final semester of the 8-semester academic residence requirement to graduate 1 semester early or be part-time during senior year.
- 9 credit-bearing pre-matriculation course equivalences and Tufts summer courses that total at least 32 credits may be used to substitute the final 2 semesters of the 8-semester academic residence requirement to graduate 2 semesters early.
- Students who qualify for the Fall 2020 exceptional residency waiver may not use pre-matriculation and/or Tufts summer courses in order to graduate in fewer than 6 full-time semesters but can use those credits and courses to fulfill degree requirements.
If you would like to review your status regarding the academic residence requirement, do the following:
- Review the academic residence requirement policy on the Residency Requirements website.
- If you do not qualify for the Fall 2020 exceptional residency waiver and want to use pre-matriculation and/or Tufts summer credits to substitute your final semester of residence, look at your unofficial transcript to see how many pre-matriculation credits are posted. Your transcript is viewable on SIS.
If you wish to enroll part-time after completing the academic residence requirement, then you must submit the Part-Time Semester Petition form to your Advising Dean. This form must be submitted in advance of any semester in which you plan to enroll part-time; students are not eligible to apply for part-time status after the start of the semester in which they intend to be part-time. The final deadline is the day before the first day of classes for the semester in which you plan to be part-time. This is a firm deadline with no exceptions granted. You can always reference official deadlines on the Tufts academic calendar.
If you are an athlete competing in a varsity sport at Tufts, an international student on an F-1 visa, and/or a student who receives financial aid, it is your responsibility to connect with the appropriate Tufts office to discuss your eligibility to pursue part-time enrollment. Athletes must contact Coach Martha Whiting, international students must contact the I-Center, and students who receive financial aid should connect with their financial aid coordinator. We strongly recommend that you connect with the above designated office as far in advance as possible.
Please email your Advising Dean if you have questions regarding the academic residence requirement or are interested in planning for future part-time study.
Sincerely,
Tanesha Leathers
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising
Arts & Sciences BA/BS, Last Names A-E and BA/BFA Combined Degree Program
Matthew Bellof
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising
Arts & Sciences BA/BS, Last Names F-L
Susan Koegel
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising
Arts & Sciences BA/BS, Last Names M-R
Caitlin Casey
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising
Arts & Sciences BA/BS, Last Names S-Z and REAL students
Leah Gadd
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising
BFA, Last Names A-Z & BA/BFA Combined Degree Program
Jennifer Stephan
Dean of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies
Engineering BS, Last Names A-Z
