Application Process: External Programs
Eligibility
All Tufts students who intend to study abroad for the semester or year (on either Tufts Programs Abroad or external programs) must submit an Intent to Study Abroad in the fall semester of the academic year prior to the academic year in which they intend to study abroad (by November 1st).
Tufts requires that all students be in good academic and disciplinary standing at the time of enrollment through participation in an approved external study-abroad program. “Good standing” means that students are not on Disciplinary nor Academic Probation. Students should note the GPA requirement of their program, as the minimum GPA for consideration varies across programs and institutions.
Engineering Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 at the time of application and at the start of the program. However, please confirm the GPA requirement of the intended external program as it may be higher.
Application Process, Deadlines, and Requirements
Applying to a Tufts Approved External Program means balancing the responsibilities and requirements listed in your Tufts Global Education application portal as well as those indicated by your External Program Provider's process. To assist with your organization, we have provided an abbreviated timeline in the table below. Upon completing your review of this table, we encourage you to continue reading on for other vital details related to this process.
Failure to complete any of the following steps will result in the withdrawal of your Tufts application and rescindment of your approval/home school nomination (see below for details). Applicants will no longer be eligible to pursue an external program provider’s application regardless of their posted deadlines." It is your responsibility to verify the status of your applications.
| 1. Register Tufts Intent to Study Abroad | November 1, 2024 Deadline to register your Intent to Study Abroad for study abroad in the 2025-2026 academic year. This is non-binding but must be submitted to continue with the education abroad process. |
| 2. Submit Tufts Application | February 1, 2025
Deadline to submit the Tufts external program application for Fall, Spring, and Full Year programs via the TGE application portal; application links for each approved program can be found in the Approved Programs list or you can do a program search in the portal.* You may only submit an application to a pre-approved program or program track. *This institutional deadline applies to students interested in Fall, Spring, and Full Year programs and late requests will not be permitted. |
| 3. Update Your Status to “Commit” in the Tufts Portal | March 15, 2025 Deadline to Commit to education abroad in the 2025-2026 academic year. Enter the Tufts application portal and click the “commit” button by this date. “Committing” represents your final choice of program, the one you intend to fully pursue. There should be no program changes beyond this date. It is each student’s responsibility to complete all research related to academic course availability and program costs by this date. In the event you are not admitted to your program, please contact us immediately. Applicants who do not finalize this process are withdrawn from further consideration and are no longer eligible to pursue an external program provider’s application regardless of their posted deadlines. |
| 4. Submit External Program Provider’s Application* | Tentatively from March – Onward You must have an active Tufts Global Education application on file to proceed with the external provider’s application. Students who have allowed their Tufts application status to lapse are automatically withdrawn from the Tufts Global Education cohort and are no longer eligible to participate, even if the external program provider’s application process is still open. *Note: External application deadlines vary. It is your responsibility to consult your program’s website for their submission deadline. |
| 5. Request Leave of Absence | April 1 – fall or full-year programs Take a study abroad leave of absence; other types of institutional leave do not qualify. We recommend initiating this process two weeks in advance of the listed deadline. Students planning to attend a full-year program will need to submit a leave of absence request in SIS for each semester they will be off-campus. Applicants who do not finalize this process are withdrawn from further consideration and are no longer eligible to pursue an external program provider’s application regardless of their posted deadlines. |
| Post-Acceptance | Once you have completed the above criteria, you must complete all required pre-departure items. See Accepted Students page for more information. |
External Program Provider Application Materials
External programs set their own requirements, application procedures, and deadlines and many fill earlier than the posted deadline. External program applications can be extensive, and you should be prepared to submit any of the following items. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list.
- Essay or Personal Statement: Programs often need to assess a student’s motivation for studying abroad and may ask for a short essay or statement of purpose. It is important to highlight your academic and, if relevant, career goals as reasons for studying abroad. Avoid over-focusing on the desire to travel to remain a competitive candidate.
Get Help Writing Your Personal Statement - Letters of Recommendation: Recommendations should come from a student’s professors or faculty advisor. The best person is an instructor who can comment on your academic abilities and how the study-abroad program will fit into your overall academic plans and ability to succeed in an international academic environment. Be considerate and ask for recommendations with a minimum of two weeks’ notice.
- Study Abroad Advisor Approval/Home School Nomination: Many external program applications require confirmation from the Assistant Director for Tufts Global Education that you are eligible to study abroad. To qualify for a signature, you must:
1. be in good academic and disciplinary standing, and
2. have an active TGE application in our portal.
This approval is routine and typically does not require an individual appointment. Most approval forms can be obtained electronically by listing the Assistant Director for Tufts Global Education as the contact within your program’s application portal. If your program only offers a PDF form, please email it to globaleducation@tufts.edu for the appropriate signature.
Note: Approval/nomination forms be submitted to the Assistant Director at least two weeks in advance of the date they are due. It takes time to review student files and prepare approvals. Requests for same-day approvals are not accepted. - Transcripts: Your program may ask to verify your academic eligibility via a transcript. Your program will verify what type of transcript they require (official or unofficial) and what method of receipt is preferred (electronic or mailed). To order an official transcript, please follow the steps outlined by the Registrar. Transcript requests can take a few business days to be mailed, so students are encouraged to plan ahead.
- Health Evaluation: Some form of a health evaluation may be required by your external program provider once enrollment is confirmed. Consider speaking with your healthcare provider(s) about any physical or mental health conditions that might affect your experience abroad and make arrangements in advance for any medications or support services you may need while abroad. We also encourage you to find out what immunizations are recommended for the country (or countries) you will be visiting. See International Health, Safety, and Security to learn more about managing your health abroad.