AS&E Students
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
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AS&E Students
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies

Transferring within Arts and Sciences at Tufts

Transferring between bachelor’s degree programs within the School of Arts & Sciences at Tufts University

Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences students may apply for transfer between the Bachelor of Fine Arts and the Bachelor of Arts or Science programs or from a single degree program (BFA or BA/BS) to the Combined BA/BFA or BS/BFA program after their second or third full-time semester. External transfer students are not permitted to apply for an internal transfer to any other degree program for the duration of their time at Tufts. Please consult your Advising Dean to discuss the best path forward for your educational plans.

Applications for all internal transfers within the School of Arts & Sciences are reviewed by a committee, which reserves the right to accept or deny each application. To be considered for internal transfer, applicants must meet the requirements detailed below, but meeting the minimal requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Students may apply only once; students should continue to make progress toward their current degree program until the transfer is approved.

To inquire about classes or the transfer process, please email SMFAAdvising@tufts.edu.

Single Degree to Single Degree Program Transfer

Students in the School of Arts & Sciences can apply to transfer from their current single degree program to another single degree (BFA <-> BA/BS) during their second or third semester of enrollment.

Single Degree Program Transfer: Applying in the Second Semester

Single degree students may apply for transfer into a BA/BS or BFA program at the end of their second semester if they meet the following requirements:

Complete at least five (5) courses during the second semester, including:

  • One 4-credit studio art course.
  • English 2. Those who have completed First Year Writing may select another 3-credit Arts & Sciences distribution course.
  • One 3-credit course that fulfills a BA/BS Foundation or Distribution requirement.
  • For applicants looking to transfer to the BFA program: One 3-credit course with the “BFA Art History” attribute.
  • For applicants looking to transfer to the BA/BS program: One 3-credit course that fulfills Part 1 or Part 2 of the Arts and Sciences Language/Culture Requirement. If a student has already met the language requirement due to language placement or native speaker status, they may instead complete another Foundation or Distribution requirement for the BA/BS program.

Additionally, by the end of the second semester applicants must have:

  • Completed all non-studio courses for a letter grade during semester of application.
  • Earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 in at least five (5) non-studio courses (excluding studio art, Phys Ed, ExCollege, and advising seminar courses) taught at Tufts University.
  • Completed the First Year Writing requirement through coursework or placement.
  • For applicants looking to transfer to the BFA program: Submit a portfolio as part of your application, including between 15-20 images and/or no more than 10 minutes of time-based media representing your artistic practice from the past 1-2 years.

Single Degree Program Transfer: Applying in the Third Semester

Single degree students may apply for transfer into a BA/BS or BFA program at the end of their third semester if they meet the following requirements:

Complete at least five (5) courses during the third semester, including:

  • One 4-credit studio art course.
  • One 3-credit course that fulfills a Distribution requirement in Humanities, Social Science, Natural Science, or Mathematical Science.
  • One 3-credit course that fulfills Part 1 or Part 2 of the Arts and Sciences Language/Culture Requirement. If a student has already met the language requirement due to language placement or native speaker status, they may instead complete another Foundation or Distribution requirement for the BA/BS program.
  • For applicants looking to transfer to the BFA program: One 3-credit course with the "BFA Art History" attribute.
  • For applicants looking to transfer to the BA/BS program: One 3-credit course in your intended BA/BS major. It may fulfill a distribution or foundation requirement.

Additionally, by the end of the third semester applicants must have:

  • Completed all non-studio courses for a letter grade during semester of application.
  • Earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 in at least six (6) non-studio courses (excluding studio art, Phys Ed, ExCollege, and advising seminar courses) taught at Tufts University.
  • Completed the First Year Writing requirement through coursework or placement
  • Earned a C- or higher in all of the following:
    • One course toward your intended major
    • One course with the "AS-Humanities" or "AS-Social Sciences" attribute, and
    • One course with the "AS-Mathematical Sciences" or "AS-Natural Sciences" attribute
  • For applicants looking to add the BFA portion of the Combined Degree program: Submit a portfolio as part of your application, including between 15-20 images and/or no more than 10 minutes of time-based media representing your artistic practice from the past 1-2 years, including work completed since enrolling at Tufts.

Single Degree to the Combined Degree (BFA & BA/BS) Program Transfer

Students admitted to a single degree program in the School of Arts & Sciences, including the SMFA at Tufts, may apply to transfer into the combined-degree program to complete a BA/BS and BFA degree. Students can apply to transfer in their second or third semesters of enrollment. This is a rigorous program designed to take 10 semesters of full-time study, applicants should plan accordingly.

Single to Combined Degree Program Transfer: Applying in the Second Semester

Single degree students may apply for transfer into the Combined Degree BFA & BA/BS program at the end of their second semester if they meet the following requirements:

Complete at least five (5) courses during the second semester, including:

  • One 4-credit studio art course.
  • English 2. Those who have completed First Year Writing may select another 3-credit Arts & Sciences Foundation or Distribution requirement.
  • One 3-credit course that fulfills a BA/BS Foundation or Distribution requirement.
  • For applicants looking to add the BFA portion of the Combined Degree program: One 3-credit course with the “BFA Art History” attribute.
  • For applicants looking to add the BA/BS portion of the Combined Degree program: One 3-credit course that fulfills Part 1 or Part 2 of the Arts and Sciences Language/Culture Requirement. If a student has already met the language requirement due to language placement or native speaker status, they may instead complete another Foundation or Distribution requirement for the BA/BS program.

Additionally, by the end of the second semester applicants must have:

  • Completed all non-studio courses for a letter grade during semester of application.
  • Earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 in at least six (6) non-studio courses (excluding studio art, Phys Ed, ExCollege, and advising seminar courses) taught at Tufts University
  • Completed the First Year Writing requirement through coursework or placement.
  • For applicants looking to add the BFA portion of the Combined Degree program: Submit a portfolio as part of your application, including between 15-20 images and/or no more than 10 minutes of time-based media representing your artistic practice from the past 1-2 years.

Single to Combined Degree Program Transfer: Applying in the Third Semester

We urge students to apply to the Combined Degree program during the second semester of their first year. However, exceptions may be permitted for compelling applications from single degree students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 at the end of their third semester of enrollment. To apply for transfer at the end of the third semester, students must meet the following requirements:

Complete at least five (5) courses during the third semester, including:

  • 4-credits of studio art.
  • One 3-credit course with the "BFA Art History" attribute.
  • One 3-credit course that fulfills a Foundation or Distribution requirement in Humanities, Social Science, Natural Science, or Mathematical Science.
  • One 3-credit course in your intended major. It may also fulfill a distribution or foundation requirement.
  • One 3-credit course that fulfills Part 1 or Part 2 of the Arts and Sciences Language/Culture Requirement. If a student has already completed the language requirement due to language placement or native speaker status, they may instead complete another 3-credit course that satisfies a Foundation or Distribution requirement for the BA/BS program.

Additionally, by the end of the third semester applicants must have:

  • Completed all non-studio courses for a letter grade during semester of application.
  • Earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 in at least eight (8) non-studio courses (excluding studio art, Phys Ed, ExCollege, and advising seminar courses) taught at Tufts University.
  • Completed at least four (4) studio art courses.
  • Completed the First Year Writing requirement through coursework or placement.
  • Completed Part 1 of the Foreign Language Requirement by virtue of native speaker status, placement test, or coursework; or earn grades of C- or higher in at least 2 foreign language courses taught on the Medford Campus. Information on the BA/BS Language Culture requirement can be found here.
  • Earned a C- or higher in each of the following:
    • Two courses with the “BFA Art History” attribute
    • One course toward their intended major,
    • One course with the "AS-Humanities" or "AS-Social Sciences" attribute, and
    • One course with the "AS-Mathematical Sciences" or "AS-Natural Sciences" attribute
    • One course towards the BA/BS Language Culture requirement.
  • For applicants looking to add the BFA portion of the Combined Degree program: Submit a portfolio as part of your application, including between 15-20 images and/or no more than 10 minutes of time-based media representing your artistic practice from the past 1-2 years, including work completed since enrolling at Tufts.