Tufts University Top Questions

I love the Tufts academics- I'm double majoring in Spanish and Community Health (CH). CH is a great major, and not every college has it! I'm also in a combined degree program- I'm taking graduate classes now (for free!) and will be able to finish my Master's of Public Health in just one year after I graduate. Tufts has a lot of combined degree programs which are great because Tufts students can take their graduate classes for free, and can apply easily to graduate school as sophomores, avoiding that stress senior year. Class size and professor depends on the department. Intro classes are usually big- 200+ students, but after taking the intro class, the other department classes are much smaller and there's more participation. Some professors know every kid's name, some never learn any. You talk to upper classmen and find out which classes are good, and which aren't so good. Also, because Tufts is relatively small, it's really easy to bend the academic rules. Last semester I designed my own independent study class and took it one-on-one with my adviser. You don't have that flexibility at bigger schools!

I have had some excellent professors at Tufts. I have also had some God awful professors here. Usually by sophomore year or so you hear who you should take classes from and who you shouldn't.

i think academics at tufts varies tremendously within departments. in economics, the faculty was so-so but in international relations, the professors were phenomenal. there is also a problem at tufts with grade deflation. there isn't anything like a forced curve, but professors make it so difficult to get an A sometimes that it is ridiculous, especially since Harvard, which already has a much bigger name, gives out grades of 'A' like crazy. it is also somewhat tough to get a job in certain industries, especially finance. the tufts name isn't big enough yet in the finance world and career services needs to focus more on that

The professors are brilliant!

I have been slightly disappointed by the professors in the Economics department. Many that I have had have been boring and hard to understand. Unfortunately I have not had the luck to take classes with quality professors that I know exist.

I have such great relationships with professors. With some I am on a first-name basis and have gone to their houses. Others are less personal, but they are equally inspiring. Of course, some are lame. Classes are generally great, but I have been in some crappy ones. Seminars are an excellent way to learn from both your professors and your classmates. Everyone does the reading and people honestly debate and sometimes persuade each other in different directions.

Academics are top-notch at Tufts. No matter what major, you are probably not going to have a light load of work, but Tufts is especially known for its international relations program, which carries with it many many stressful nights, but with a huge payoff. Its a grueling program but the international relations professors, along with most of the other professors, have huge connections outside of the Tufts bubble. Classes can either be fiercely intimate or quite spacious (my largest class has been around 150), but no matter what, professors are always available if you need help, and they WANT to get to know you. Every single one of my professors, with a very limited exception, have been extraordinarily helpful if you ever need advice, whether it be for their own class or even if you are thinking about career paths. Something that does annoy me about Tufts though is the distribution requirements that every student has to fill. Even if you are a drama major, you still have to take two math classes, and an assortment of other classes that include humanities, world civilization, english, and natural sciences. As much as it annoys me, Tufts is a school that stresses a liberal arts education, so you will leave the school having a more rounded education.

Tufts students may love to have fun on the weekends, but the focus is first and foremost on academics. It's enjoyable to be in classes full of bright engaging kids who ask questions and care about what they are learning. What I appreciate the most however is how supportive everyone is. I studied with classmates in nearly every single class, and I have yet to meet anyone who wasn't truly glad to offer help and to see everyone else succeed. It's an extremely positive work environment and in my one big lecture class of 40 kids this year I learned more from my friends than from my teacher. My average class size this year was about 14 kids per class and I especially got to know my german professors really well. I've found that if you take the first step and reach out to your teacher, they will always respond and become a great friend and mentor.

Academics at Tufts has a lot of negatives with some sporadic positives thrown in. In small classes characterized by an intimate atmosphere, professors tend to know your name. However, in large lecture classes, it is the complete opposite. My favorite class was Dante's Inferno, which was a small class taught by a brilliant professor who knows any and everything there is to know about Dante Alighieri the poet. I HATE THE BIOLOGY DEPT. AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY...it ruins lives. Class participation is fairly common. Be prepared to share your ideas and thoughts, even if you know very little about the subject matter at hand. I am a biological-psychology students, which basically means I take half of my required courses in Bio and half in psych, and all classes deal with neurobiology. I rarely spend time with my professors outside of class unless I attend office hours or review sessions. Students at Tufts are incredibly competitive which, as a freshman in a challenging class can be very intimidating. Professors are very knowledgeable intellectuals, but often they are unable to portray their knowledge to students in an efficient way. Education is geared toward learning for its own sake rather than getting a job.

I love my classes. Professors are wonderful - some great, some not as great, just like everywhere else. I personally love how available the teachers are outside of the classroom. They love working one-on-one and helping students.

my favorite class is western political thought with professor devigne. he's vibrant and interesting.

Haven't ever been to a professor's house or out to dinner with a professor--wonder if that's all a myth, at least for undergraduates. Still, I do get to know about half my professors personally. I really like the faculty I've dealt with at Tufts, and the workload is pretty appropriate. The distribution requirements (two classes in each of five categories) are annoying, and a nuisance.

There are a lot of really dedicated professors here. I had one professor for School and Society who memorized all 40 students' names, hometowns, and high schools by the second class; this is just a small example of how devoted the prof. was. Healthcare in America (CH2) is one of the best classes I've taken (and most kids would say the same)--it's fascinating, challenging, and applicable to our lives because it teaches students all about the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. healthcare system and the alternatives in other countries. Most Tufts classes are dependent on class participation, especially classes under 50 students; these smaller classes are usually discussion-based, and the professor just serves almost as a moderator. Lectures are less participation-heavy, but there are opportunities to talk in class if you like to. Tufts has pretty strict academic requirements, but it's not too hard to fulfill them (just start planning early!). kids complain the most about the math requirement, but there are some courses in other departments that count for it (like Psych Stats). Tufts emphasizes its global focus, so the foreign language requirements are pretty extensive, but there are a lot of different ways to fulfill them. You have to take 3 language classes, but then you can take 3 culture classes or a combination of language and culture. Even though you may complain about it while you're doing it, I promise it's completely worth it.

I know my professors names and would feel comfortable with going to office hours or for speaking- up constructively and critically if something happened in a class that I did not like. I probably study for four hours a night--my classes have tons of reading,but oftentimes I can do just fine by picking and choosing which readings to do. I am a Community Health Major, and it is by far my favorite department with the best professors. I have developed a nice relationship with the director of the CH program and joined a reading group with her and some other students this past semester. I was able to help her with some research and she also taught me how to knit! I had another professor in this department three times because I liked his teaching style so much and could not get enough! I think that once students find their major they become highly involved with the department and do some pretty cool things. Tufts helps you learn information for both the workforce and both the sake of education. You have to remember that "getting a job" is not as traditional as it used to be, and students here are able to carry a lot of their interests out into jobs they are really interested in doing. Students here are not overly competitive. Everyone is pretty much just wanting to do the best they can for themself. I think the competition in the Natural Sciences is greater than in the Social sciences.

The academics at Tufts are alright. There are

Most of my professors know my name (I'd say about 1 out of 4). I've taken some great classes - Intro to Sociology was great, African American theater and Film was quite a class. I also really enjoyed my freshmen English II class called love and sexuality. I have had a few intellectual conversations outside of class, although I think I had more in high school. I don't have a major yet. Students compete with themselves, people are too nice to do anything to harm any one else's grade (I think). I don't spend time with professors outside of class, although I'd like to. The academic requirements at Tufts are horrible. One of the worst things about the school. There are way to many requirements.

Tufts has very good academics. The classes are challenging and there's not a lot of grade inflation, so students should be prepared to work hard. Tufts also has a pretty rigorous system of academic requirements, but they're not difficult to meet. There are many science classes geared toward non-majors, for instance. Depending on the classes you choose, it's easy to get to know professors. Introductory lectures are large, but I also had classes with five and eight students- even as a freshman.

Academics are important to Tufts Students. People want A's and if they don't slack off they usually get them. There is major grade inflation at Tufts, however, the rigorousness which is required to do well really depends on the class, the professor and even the department. There are entire departments that are considered to offer easier classes and others that are generally considered to offer much more difficult classes. International Relations at Tufts is notoriously intense and demanding, however, it pays off to major in IR at Tufts, because the IR department at Tufts has an internationally recognized reputation due to the praise and acclaim of the Fletcher School of Diplomacy - Tufts' most well-known graduate school. IR students therefore benefit from access to some of the world's most well-known and seasoned International Relations scholars.

Although as my classes become more specialised they also become much smaller, i do not feel as though many professors have personal investments in their students. that said, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. some of the profs i've had are so in love with the topics they teach, it's so inspiring to see them speak about something with such passion. academia was never a field that perked my interest at all, but tufts professors have made me seriously consider it. The requirements are stringent no doubt, but as I'm double majoring in an interdisciplinary major (ir) and a language, they have not been at all difficult to complete. natural sciences were two credits i was particularly dreading, but after taking an anthropology class to fill one, i took two more and even considered switching my major to the subject. what i have realised about the requirements is that so many classes fulfill each one, that they provide a good balance between giving the student flexibility so that he/she doesn't feel trapped taking classes and wasting time/money on a subject totally not of interest to them, and urging the student to step a bit outside of their comfort zone and explore new areas that their peers are experiencing.

The professors at Tufts are amazing at learning names and really getting to know individual students. Office hours are flexible, as professors really try to make themselves approachable and accessible. I have also gone to coffee with a couple professors, and I secured my summer internship through one professors networking recommendation.