IR majors are responsible for securing an appropriate academic advisor. For helpful tips on choosing an advisor, please consult this step by step guide.
Capstone
IR majors can complete their capstone requirement in one of three ways:
The capstone requirement must be fulfilled on the Medford campus.
Culture Requirement
Students in TC1, TC5, and TC6 must take a culture course approved for their thematic concentration.
Students in TC2, TC3, and TC4 may fulfill the culture requirement by taking one of the following:
A culture course approved for their thematic concentration; or
A culture course approved for the language used to fulfill their IR language requirement.
Students in these three concentrations who place at the 122-level or above on a Tufts language placement exam or UPenn exam (i.e. native speakers), as indicated on their transcript, have the additional option of taking a culture course from any approved language in the IR course listings.
Courses that fulfill the IR major’s culture requirement are indicated in the IR course listings. Courses that fulfill the Tufts University culture requirement are so designated in SIS. These are separate designations and may not correspond. Students should always consult the IR course listings to determine whether a course fulfills an IR major requirement.
Degree Audit
Students are strongly cautioned that their degree audit for the IR major may not be accurate. Courses taken abroad, for example, will never appear on the IR degree audit.
The Students Degree Audit is only used to verify foundation and distribution requirements for graduation. The degree audit serves as a guide for major requirements, but the final certification for the IR major is based on the signed major checklist.
You can find instructions for running the Student Degree Audit here.
Double Counting Courses
Core and Thematic Concentration: Courses used for the Core may not also be used for the Thematic Concentration.
Thematic Concentration (TC): A course may fulfill more than one thematic concentration requirement. However, a student who employs double counting TC requirements must still complete a total of 7 courses or 6 courses - see Fall 2024 Curriculum Update below - for their TC by adding an elective (any approved course from their thematic concentration).
Language Requirement and Thematic Concentration: A course used for the language requirement may fulfill a thematic concentration requirement if the course is also approved in the student’s thematic concentration.
IR Major Requirements and other university requirements (e.g. second major, minor, etc.): See The Tufts Bulletin for the most up-to-date information.
Fall 2024 Curriculum Update
Students must choose one curriculum to follow. If a student takes a Classes of 2025, 2026, and 2027 approved Core 5 course, they must complete all 7 of the Thematic Concentration requirements. Similarly, students who take a Class of 2028 and beyond approved Core 5 course must complete all 6 of the Thematic Concentration requirements.
Students will indicate which curriculum they are following when completing an IR major checklist prior to graduation.
Fletcher School Courses
Students may cross register for courses in the Fletcher School through SIS with prior permission of the course instructor.
Fletcher School courses that are not cross-listed in Arts & Sciences must go through the IR major’s transfer of credit process to have them considered to fulfill requirements in the major.
Fletcher School courses that are cross-listed in Arts & Sciences must go through the IR Faculty Board review process. Students may not petition these courses.
Students must demonstrate oral and written proficiency in a single language other than English at the eighth-semester level. Students may demonstrate this level of proficiency in one of the following ways:
For languages taught at Tufts:
Complete up through the eighth-semester level in the course sequence of that language;
Place at the 122-level or above through a Tufts language placement exam
For languages not taught at Tufts:
Take the Penn Language Evaluation Exam and place at the ML122-level or above, as indicated on the Tufts transcript
A thematic concentration (7 courses or 6 courses- see Fall 2024 Curriculum Update above)
Demonstration of eighth-semester language proficiency
If thematic concentration (TC) requirements are completed using a course that fulfills more than one area of a TC, students must use electives to reach the requisite number of courses dependent on class year.
An “elective” is any course that fulfills any requirement for the student’s thematic concentration.
Courses that fulfill the IR major’s culture and/or social science requirements are indicated in the IR course listing. Courses that fulfill the Tufts University culture and/or social science requirements are so designated in SIS. These are separate designations and may not correspond. Students should always consult the IR course listings to determine whether a course fulfills an IR major requirement.
No major course may be taken Pass/Fail with the exception for EP courses taken in Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021
A minimum grade of C- is required in all courses counted toward the completion of the major with the exception of EP courses taken in Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021
All courses used towards the IR major must be at least three credits/SHUs.
Petitioning Courses
Students are not permitted to petition courses to count towards the IR major
Each semester, faculty submit new courses for review by the IR program's Faculty Board (IRFB)
All courses approved by the IRFB count towards the IR major as indicated in the IR course listings, including courses taken prior to IRFB approval
Students may count up to three (3) courses taken abroad towards the IR major.
Students may count only one course taken abroad (of a possible three) towards the IR major core requirements.
Students may count an unlimited number of language courses taken abroad towards the IR major language requirement.
Students may not fulfill the IR major capstone requirement while abroad; the capstone must be completed on the Medford campus.
The IR Program encourages students to complete its transfer of credit process prior to going abroad. Students should not assume that any course taken abroad completes an IR major requirement.
Courses taken abroad that are approved for the IR major via the Transfer of Credit process will not appear on the degree audit in SIS.