Admissions Information and Policies

Tufts University
Graduate Program in Arts, Sciences, and Engineering

Application Fee
The application fee is not refundable. Your credit card statement is your receipt. No action can be taken on your application until this fee has been received.

The application fee is waived only for current Tufts undergraduate and graduate students, students in Tufts certificate programs, Project 1000 applicants, and IRT and McNair Scholars. No other fee waivers are considered.

Late Applications
Since graduate admissions are both limited and competitive, it is to your advantage to apply early and to ensure that all required materials are received before the deadline. Late applications will only be reviewed when openings remain after all applications received and completed prior to the deadline have been considered. Financial aid for late applicants is very limited.

Accuracy of Material
It is important that all material submitted in support of your application be accurate. Any information that is determined to be erroneous or incomplete may cause a student's association with Tufts to be immediately terminated.

Notification and Decisions
Communications about the status of your application are sent by electronic mail. Please be sure to provide us with your e-mail address and check it regularly. Shortly after receiving your application, we will notify you by email if any of the required materials are missing. You will also be given access to a web site where you can track the receipt of any missing credentials.

Once complete, your application will be reviewed by the relevant academic department/committee. When a decision is made, you will be notified in writing at the mailing address provided on your application form.

Decisions on admission to degree programs are normally conveyed in March or April for fall admission and in December for spring admission. Applicants to certificate programs are usually notified of a decision within four weeks of receipt of a completed application. Offers of admission are official only when made in writing and signed by the dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or the dean of the School of Engineering.

Tufts University places strong emphasis on academic achievement and personal character. An offer of admission to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering is dependent on a student maintaining his or her standard of academic achievement before enrolling at the university. If your credentials at the time of admission indicated that you were a candidate for an academic degree (or were transferring from another graduate program), you will be required to submit your final transcript and academic records to the Office of Graduate Studies before enrolling. An offer of admission is also dependent on a student's continued demonstration of character and high standards for personal conduct. Lapses in either category may be grounds for rescinding an offer of admission.

If you are accepted for admission, you will be required to send a deposit to be applied to the first semester's tuition and/or fees. The deposit is $300 for degree programs and $100 for certificate programs. Under no circumstances will this deposit be refunded if you do not enroll.

Retention and Property of Material
If you are granted admission but decline to accept (or are not offered admission), your materials will be kept for one year. You can reactivate your application within that time by submitting a new application form and fee. Deferring admission is not an option at Tufts. Reapplication must occur by the deadline dates provided for new applicants. We encourage students to update their application folder with new materials when appropriate.

All materials submitted in support of an application become the property of Tufts University and neither originals nor copies of this material will be returned or sent to a third party. Credentials received without an application form and fee are retained for only three months from date of receipt.