Non-Tufts Programs

Transferring Credit from a non-Tufts program

For more detailed information about Tufts' transfer of credit policies, please refer to the Registrar's website. The same policies and procedures apply to study abroad transfer credit as to other transfer credit. The following conditions and policies also apply:

• Transfer of credit requests must be submitted for each course through WebCenter for Students and approved online by the appropriate departmental transfer credit representatives. (Students wishing to receive credit towards their MAJOR for pre-approved courses must discuss this with their major advisor before going abroad.)
• If courses are not pre-approved, it is sometimes possible to get courses approved after the fact (although, it is strongly encouraged that students avoid this), but be sure to save course descriptions, syllabi, assignments, reading lists, and/or exams — enough material to show what was learned in the course.
• Only courses in which a student receives grades of C- or better will qualify for transfer credit. Courses taken abroad may, with the approval of the appropriate departments, be used to satisfy foundation, distribution, and concentration requirements. Remember that courses may not be taken Pass/Fail on non-Tufts programs.
• No credit is awarded for pre-session courses, orientation courses, introductory seminars, or other courses taking place before the semester begins.
• Students should be aware that grades earned on non-Tufts study abroad programs will not appear on their Tufts transcripts, nor be included in their cumulative grade point averages, nor be used for honors. However, professional and graduate school admissions committees and employers may require submission of your study abroad program transcripts along with your Tufts transcript so that they can calculate a composite GPA. Students planning to apply to medical, dental, veterinary, and other health professions graduate programs should know that those schools will require transcripts from study abroad programs; for such students, if possible, it is safest to choose a program sponsored by an accredited US college or university.
• Due to the wide variety of academic schedules, course loads and credit systems in use at colleges and universities throughout the country and abroad, Tufts does not automatically transfer credit on a course-for-course basis. Therefore, the total number of transfer credits you may count toward your Tufts degree may not equal the number of courses taken abroad. All students, in order to earn a full semester’s credit at Tufts, must take a full semester’s course load as defined by the foreign institution. It is recommended that students in Engineering consult with the foreign study adviser.

World Civilizations Credit
If a course has been approved as the equivalent of a specific course at Tufts, it will count for World Civilizations credit just as the Tufts course would count (see the current Bulletin for more information). Otherwise, the petition for World Civilizations credit is available here. The completed petition and supporting materials should be submitted to the Student Services Desk in Dowling Hall.

Foreign Culture Credit
If a course has been approved as the equivalent of a specific course at Tufts, it will count for Foreign Culture Credit just as the Tufts course will count. For other courses, the transfer credit representative will determine the culture area for the course at the same time the course is approved online for transfer credit.

Distribution Credit

• Courses approved for credit by the departments of History or Comparative Religion will count for Humanities distribution.
• Courses approved for credit by the departments of Art and Art History, Drama and Dance, or Music will count for Arts distribution. Please note: Dance performance and Music performance courses are not eligible for transfer credit.
• Courses approved for credit by the departments of History or Political Science will count for Social Science distribution.
• Courses approved for credit by the departments of Astronomy, Chemistry or Physics will count for Natural Sciences distribution.
• Courses approved for credit by the departments of Mathematics or Computer Science will count for Mathematical Sciences distribution.
• Courses approved as equivalents of specific Tufts courses will count for distribution credit accordingly (see Tufts Bulletin).
• For other courses, the transfer credit representative will determine the distribution area at the same time the course is approved online for transfer credit.

• You may not transfer more than three courses earned in one summer.
• You may transfer a maximum of five summer courses toward a Tufts degree.
• Courses must be taken at institutions of higher education that are recognized by the government of the country in which they are located or accredited according to the U.S. system of accreditation.
• Summer school courses may be used, with approval, to satisfy foundation, distribution, and concentration course requirements.
• Students attending non-Tufts summer programs are asked to notify the Programs Abroad Office of their destination.

Internships Abroad

• A total of three credits may be awarded for internship programs such as BU London, Arcadia Dublin Parliamentary, and Arcadia London Internship. All coursework, as well as the internship component, must be pre-approved by the appropriate departmental representative for credit to be transferred. Once pre-approved, the internship component yields one credit; the coursework yields a total of two credits. Summer internship programs must offer a minimum of two accompanying academic courses to be eligible for credit; the internship component yields one credit and the coursework yields a total of one credit.
• Other programs which offer an internship opportunity in addition to or in lieu of a class, e.g. IES, CIEE, yield no credit for the internship or for courses that frame and/or support the internship. The same policy applies for volunteer opportunities.

NOTE: Students who participate in non-Tufts study abroad programs must make sure that official transcripts of their work abroad are submitted by the program to the Student Services Desk in Dowling Hall so that their requests for transfer credit can be processed. The Office of Tufts Programs Abroad cannot assume responsibility for obtaining transcripts from non-Tufts programs.