Capstone Requirements

All IR majors are required to complete a capstone within their Thematic Concentration. The capstone requirement MUST be fulfilled at Tufts; students may not use transfer courses for their capstone requirement. IR majors must fulfill the capstone requirement by completing one of the following:

Upper-level Seminar

To fulfill the capstone requirement, a course must be a discussion-driven, seminar-style course and require a :
  • Substantial piece of independent research (typically a paper of at least 20 to 25 pages, exclusive of bibliography)
  • Creative endeavor or project that includes a substantial written component (typically a paper of at least 15 pages, exclusive of bibliography)
 

Consult the Curriculum page for more information about upper-level seminars in your Thematic Concentration. Some seminars require pre-requisites or are listed as 'high demand' courses that include specific registration procedures. Therefore, we suggest that students familiarize themselves with seminar requirements that meet the capstone to ensure that they have completed the pre-requisites and/or can meet the 'high demand' procedures.

IR Directed Research (INTR 0195 or INTR 0196)

A Directed Research Project enables students to pursue focused independent research in a specific subject area for one semester. Completion of this project will satisfy the IR capstone requirement. A student may also choose to undertake a directed research project as an elective to reach the total number of courses needed to complete the Thematic Concentration if they have already fulfilled all of the requirements for that Thematic Concentration. Completed applications must be submitted no later than one week prior to the last day for AS&E students to add classes for the current term.

How to Apply

1. Complete the IR Directed Research Application.
2. Submit completed applications electronically to internationalrelations@tufts.edu, with the subject heading "IR Directed Research application".
3. Once the application has been received, the IR Program must certify that the content of the project is applicable to the student's Thematic Concentration. Once the IR Program has approved the project, the student will be given permission to register via the One-on-One Course Form.

IR Senior Honors Thesis (INTR 0197 and INTR 0198)

An IR senior honors thesis enables students to pursue focused independent research in a specific international relations topic in their senior year, produce an outcome that demonstrates exceptional undergraduate achievement, and fulfill the capstone requirement in the IR major.

The Thesis Application

Students interested in writing a senior honors thesis for the 2026-2027 academic year should submit an application no later than April 24, 2026 at 5pm. 

Eligible students majoring in International Relations must:

• Be in good academic standing
• Have been on the Dean’s List at least twice before senior year
  • Waivers are available for transfer students and other exceptional circumstances
• Complete the IR Senior Honors Thesis Application in the spring of junior year. Application form must be submitted electronically; you can preview the PDF here.
  • The application must include thesis prospectus written according to these guidelines
  • Students studying abroad or otherwise away from the Medford campus are still responsible for adhering to the submission deadline
• Complete the Tufts University Senior Honors Thesis Candidate Declaration Form in the fall of senior year

The Thesis Faculty Advising Committee

To undertake an honors thesis, a student must find at least two faculty members willing to serve as thesis committee members, as follows:

• A full-time Tufts IR core faculty member to serve as committee chair/primary thesis advisor
• A Tufts faculty member to serve as second reader

As IR is an interdisciplinary major, students may wish to exercise the option of finding a third reader. This may be a faculty member at Tufts or another institution, or someone with particular and relevant expertise outside of academia.

The Thesis Process

Approved IR senior honors thesis applicants will be given permission to enroll in INTR0197 in the fall of senior year. This is a required weekly seminar, held in conjunction with Political Science honors thesis students, designed to explore research and methodological issues and provide opportunities to critique and improve each other’s written work.

Students who make satisfactory progress in the fall will automatically be enrolled in INTR0198 in the spring of their senior year, at which time they will work independently to complete their research. Typically, students will meet with their main advisor weekly or bi-weekly in the spring, as well as with their second/third reader.

The thesis culminates in a defense (oral, written, or both) with the committee members in late April or early May. The nature and logistics of the thesis process in the spring, including the defense, are up to the student and their committee members to establish. Students are required to submit completed thesis to Tisch library thesis repository in the spring of their senior year. 

Based on the quality of thesis work, degrees are designated bachelor of arts with highest thesis honors, high thesis honors, or thesis honors and will be acknowledged at graduation.

Consult the University’s senior honors thesis overview and timeline (including important deadlines) and more detailed policies and procedures here. Consult the IR academic policies page for policies pertaining to INTR0197 and INTR0198.