April 22, 2025 

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 residency requirement (as explained in the Tufts' Bulletin and this website) states that a student must complete a specific number of full-time semesters of study:

Most students fulfill the academic residency requirement by simply pursuing full-time study 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.

There is frequently confusion about the term "full-time," so it might be helpful to define that term more clearly. A "full-time" semester is defined by an initial enrollment at the start of a fall or spring semester of a minimum of 12 credits, and further, an attempt to pursue at least 12 credits. The key word here is "attempt": students have the opportunity throughout the semester to utilize the drop and/or withdrawal deadlines, which may bring their term credit total below 12 credits. In that scenario, the semester will still count as "full-time" enrollment, and the semester will still count as a semester of academic residency. (Please note that competing varsity athletes, as well as international students on an F-1 visa, must remain enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits.)

There is an opportunity for some students who may wish to graduate early and/or be part-time in their senior year. (These opportunities do not apply to transfer students in any degree program; all transfer students must complete a minimum of 4 semesters of academic residency.) Please refer to the information below:

If you are considering summer coursework at Tufts, please be mindful of any limits to online coursework. For Arts & Sciences BA/BS, students are limited to a maximum of 15 credits of online coursework. For BFA students and Combined Degree (BA/BS + BFA), students are limited to a maximum of two online courses that can be used to satisfy non-studio requirements. There are no online coursework limits for Engineering students.

If you would like to review your status regarding the academic residency requirement, do the following: 

If you wish to enroll part-time after completing the academic residency 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, an ROTC student, 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; ROTC students should contact their unit’s Commanding Officer and Dean Jennifer Stephan; 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 residency 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–D

Matthew Bellof 
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising
Arts & Sciences BA/BS, Last Names E–K

Jarvis Chen
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising
Arts & Sciences BA/BS, Last Names L–Q

Caitlin Casey
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising
Arts & Sciences BA/BS, Last Names R–Z and all REAL students

Leah Gadd
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Advising
BFA and BA/BFA Combined Degree Program, Last Names A–Z

Jennifer Stephan
Dean of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies
Engineering BS, Last Names A–Z