TC1: World Regions and Identities
How individuals, groups, nations, and states shape and are shaped by their interactions in the world is the central focus of the World Regions and Identities concentration. It centers on courses that examine the history, politics, economics, and cultures of geographic regions outside the United States, both independently and in comparative perspective. Emphasis on the key role identities such as gender, class, religion, race, nationality, and ethnicity play in international affairs.
Requirements
TC1 World Regions and Identities requires a minimum of 6 total courses (3 of which must be from the same regional area) as follows:
- 2 Social Science
- 1 History
- 1 Culture
- 1 Research Methods
- 1 Capstone
The course list below is organized by regional area for ease of reference, however after the 3-course minimum in the same regional area has been satisfied, students may choose any course from the list below for their remaining TC1 requirements. Regarding the Research Methods requirement, students may alternatively take a course from the Research Methods course list.
Approved Courses
This course listing includes all the courses offered over the last four years that may be applied to the TC1 World Regions and Identities concentration. For a listing of these courses by semester, consult the IR Program Courses page.
Be advised that course ID numbers, titles, and prerequisites often change from semester to semester so consult SIS or individual departments for the most current information. If you have any question about whether a course counts towards your thematic concentration, please contact the IR office.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No.
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The U.S. Role requirement may be fulfilled in one of two ways, either by taking a U.S. Role course:
- Approved for the TC; or
- Approved as meeting the U.S. Role requirement from the list here
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Yes.
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The Research Methods requirement may be fulfilled in one of two ways, either by taking a Research Methods course:
- Approved for the TC; or
- Approved as meeting the Research Methods requirement from the list here
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The Capstone requirement may be fulfilled in one of three ways. You may:
- Take an upper-level seminar from the list of TC1A-approved seminars; or
- IR senior honors thesis (requires IR Program approval and one-year commitment); or
- Directed Research with an IR Core Faculty member
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No. If a Tufts course is not on the IR Program’s list of approved courses, it does not count towards the major, even if it seems relevant. To have courses taken abroad considered for credit in the major and to learn more about transfer of credit policies in the major, consult the IR Transfer of Credit page.
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Yes. Some courses will satisfy two or occasionally three or more thematic concentration (TC) requirements. If you fulfill a TC requirement by using one of these courses, you must select additional courses off the approved course listings as electives to meet the requisite number of courses. See Academic Policies for more details.
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Yes. Students of the Classes of 2026 and 2027 may choose to follow the curriculum for the Class of 2028 and Beyond. Such students will need to take six (6) courses to fulfill their Thematic Concentration requirements and also must take a Core 5 course from the Class of 2028 and Beyond approved list.