Admissions Information and Policies

Tufts University
Graduate programs in Arts, Sciences, and Engineering

Application Fee
The application fee is not refundable. Your credit card or e-check 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, City Year Corp members, GEM fellows, and IRT, Leadership Alliance, and McNair Scholars. Gordon Institute M.S.E.M. applicants who attend an information session will be granted a fee waiver.

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 by 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 check your e-mail 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 secure web site where you can track the receipt of any missing credentials.

Only when complete, will your application be reviewed by the relevant academic department/committee. When a decision is made, it will be available on the secure admissions website.

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 complete 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. Admitted applicants will be required to submit final official transcripts and academic records to the Office of Graduate Studies in order to enroll. 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 (this does not apply to students enrolling in the M.S.E.M. program). 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.

Obtaining Immigration Documents (International Students)
If you are an international students, you must return your enrollment confirmation form and $300 deposit to the Tufts Office of Graduate Studies by December 1 for spring admission, or April 15 for fall admission. Along with your official letter of acceptance, you will receive links to an International Student Information form and an Estimate of Expenses. The International Student Information form must be completed and returned to the International Center at Tufts. Please do not send these documents until you have been admitted.

You will be asked to verify that you are financially able to cover your educational and living expenses. Living expenses are estimated at $20,000 per year. Tuition charges vary by program. If you have not been awarded financial assistance (not available to certificate students), you will be required to demonstrate your ability to support yourself while at Tufts and pay the expenses for traveling both to and from this country before we will grant you official admission into your program.

International students who need visa assistance are admitted to Tufts University only as full-time students. The Tufts International Center will issue you your form I-20 or form IAP-66 and will offer you assistance while you attend Tufts.

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 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.