Non-Tufts Programs

Ten Steps to Studying Abroad

1. Attend a General Information Meeting. All meetings are listed on the schedule of events on our website. Attendance at one of these meetings is required. You will receive an information card at the meeting which you must complete and file with the Tufts Programs Abroad Office in order to obtain an appointment with the foreign study adviser.

2. Read carefully the Tufts Study Abroad Guidelines, which you may find in Dowling Hall, both in the lobby as well as in the Academic Resource Library (next to Career Services).

3. Read the program literature and student program evaluations on file in the Study Abroad section of the Academic Resource Library.

4. Talk with students who have returned recently from the program or country in which you are interested. You can locate names and telephone numbers from the student evaluations or directly from the program with which you hope to affiliate.

5. Discuss your foreign study plans with a faculty adviser in the department in which you will major. Declare your major by filing the blue "Declaration of Major" form at Dowling Hall Student Services Center.

6. Programs not listed in the Guidelines (pp. 14-20 of the printed brochure, as well as here) must be approved by the faculty subcommittee on foreign programs well in advance of application. Petitions for program approval for the spring will be accepted no later than October 1, and for the fall and full-year no later than February 28. Appeals received after the deadlines will require a letter from the student and adviser explaining why the petition is late. Consult the foreign study adviser regarding the petition process.

7. After you have researched programs, if you wish to apply to a program not listed in the Study Abroad Guidelines or if you have questions regarding non-Tufts programs, you may consult with the foreign study adviser. (It is not necessary to see the foreign study adviser to drop off the foreign study adviser approval portion of your application.)

8. Obtain brochures for approved non-Tufts programs in the Dowling Hall Resource Library. Sometimes applications are included in the brochure or may be downloaded from the program’s website; if not, request an application directly from the program. Check application deadlines and submit all materials well in advance of the deadline. Popular programs fill early.

9. Once you have been accepted to your selected program, and have made the decision to participate, be sure to attend to the following administrative matters:


• Petition for transfer of credit for each course you plan to take abroad via the WebCenter for Students; it is not advisable to wait until you return to campus to petition;


• Submit an "Undergraduate Leave of Absence to Study Abroad" request online via the WebCenter for Students and return the attendant hard copy 'Advisor Approval' form to the Office of Programs Abroad; by April 30th for fall or full-year study; by November 15th for spring semester;


• Submit a "Housing Update" form, if applicable (only if you have already selected on-campus housing through the lottery process for the semester or year in which you now plan to be away). Please refer to the section "Change in Housing Status"



10. Last but not least, attend the important pre-departure meeting (held during reading period in both the fall and spring semesters) in the semester prior to your intended study abroad semester. Attendance at one of these meetings is required.

Additional Steps for Students in the School of Engineering 

1. Students in the School of Engineering who wish to study abroad (on either a Tufts Program or a non-Tufts program) must have a GPA of 3.2 at the time of application. (Information in printed Study Abroad Guidelines is incorrect.)

2. Students in the School of Engineering who wish to study on a non-Tufts program must submit a "Petition to Study Abroad on a non-Tufts Program for Students in the School of Engineering" (available via the link below) by February 28 (for full-year or fall programs) or by October 1 (for spring programs). All applications must be approved by the study-abroad committee for engineering.

Petition to Study Abroad on a Non-Tufts Program for
Students in the School of Engineering (PDF)