Student Life
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
TUFTS.EDU
Student Life
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
Tufts Global Education

Tufts in London

Program Details

Location: London or Egham (Surrey), England
Program Options: 

  • Academic year (LSE, RHUL, QMUL, SOAS, UAL, and UCL)
  • Fall semester (QMUL, SOAS, UCL, and UAL only)
  • Spring semester (RHUL, QMUL, SOAS, UCL, and UAL only)

Tufts in London offers an option for students of nearly every discipline, as it is fully integrated into six highly regarded institutions: 

  1. London School of Economics (LSE)
    Founded in 1895, LSE is our newest partner and one of the world's premier social science institutions. The General Course is designed for dedicated students who wish to undertake a year-long course of study offering in-depth academic inquiry in international relations, economics, management, history, and other related subjects. General Course students will be fully integrated with degree students. LSE is full year only.
     
  2. Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)
    QMUL blends city and university living on a self-contained residential campus in east London (at Mile End). It is one of the UK's leading STEM institutions, offering a wide range of subjects, including engineering, the sciences, humanities, and social sciences as well as courses with a study abroad focus, such as “London: Walking the City”. Students may study at QMUL for the full year, fall, or spring term.
     
  3. Royal Holloway University of London (RHUL)
    RHUL is a member college of the University of London but is situated outside of London near the historic castle city of Windsor in the beautiful English countryside. Less than an hour's journey to the heart of London, RHUL is a campus university akin to Tufts in size and environment and students can take a mix of subjects. Apart from its academic excellence, RHUL is also recognized as the University of London’s top sporting college. Students may study at RHUL for the full year or spring term.
     
  4. School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
    Founded in 1916, SOAS focuses on the languages, cultures, and societies of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. With a student population of around 5,000, of whom roughly 50% are from outside the UK, SOAS has a dynamic student body with a global vision unlike any other and students can take a variety of subjects. Students may study at SOAS for the full year, fall term, or spring term.
     
  5. University of the Arts, London (UAL) 
    UAL is one of the world's premier institutions for art and design and is ideally suited for SMFA students looking to study abroad (yet is open to all Tufts students). UAL offers an extensive range of courses in art, design, fashion, communication, and performing arts. It is comprised of six renowned constituent colleges, each enjoying a world-class reputation of its own. Students take a single course of study, such as graphic design or illustration, rather than different classes. Students may study at UAL for the full year, fall, or spring term.
     
  6. University College London (UCL)
    Founded in 1826, UCL is the oldest, largest, and most distinguished college of the University of London. UCL was the first to admit students regardless of class, religion, race, or gender. With a total student population of approximately 36,000, of whom nearly 40% come from 150 countries across the world, UCL is known for its strong scholastic tradition, and, like Oxford, students apply to and study in a single subject area; access to courses outside of the admitting subject is very limited and should not be relied upon. Students may study at UCL for the full year, fall, or spring term.

Four of the universities are city-style institutions, with university buildings, housing and facilities spread out in their neighborhoods rather than on a defined campus. UCL and SOAS are located in Bloomsbury, the center of academic London and an area known for its intellectual and literary connections. LSE is located a short walk away in the Strand, an area running alongside the Thames and near London’s legal center. UAL’s constituent colleges — CSM, LCC, LCF, Chelsea, Wimbledon and Camberwell — are all located in different areas of the city. Students at these universities commute between their halls of residence and their college classes and studios.  

The two campus-style universities are QMUL and RHUL. QMUL combines city and university living on a self-contained campus in Mile End in East London, the Cockney heart of the city. RHUL is a member college of the University of London but situated outside of London near the historic castle city of Windsor and forty minutes by train from the center of London.

Tufts in London is designed as a one-year program of academic study, but semester options are available as listed above and as follows: RHUL is offered for either the full year or for the spring semester; QMUL, SOAS, UAL, and UCL have full-year, fall-semester, and spring-semester options. LSE is only available for the full year.

Not sure which partner institution is right for you? Each university has its own academic strengths, formats, and cultures, so please reach out to our staff for guidance. Students may only apply to one Tufts-in-London partner institution; should the student be rejected we work with them to find another option. 

Program Staff

Director: Meredith Hyde, BA, Yale University; MPhil, Oxford University; DPhil, Oxford University.

Assistant Director: Vicky Hill, BA, University of Birmingham; MA Goldsmiths College, University of London

Program Administrator: Nicollette Kabat, BA, Arcadia University 

The Tufts in London team act as liaisons between students and their host institution, provide a full range of academic counseling and student support, and arrange extracurricular cultural and social activities to introduce students to all London has to offer. Weekly office hours are held in the Program Office at Faraday House in Bloomsbury, and staff make regular visits to all six London Universities and meet with students in person by appointment for one-on-one chats.

Prerequisites

Applicants should have completed two years of study at Tufts University or another approved university prior to their entry and should meet the general eligibility requirements. Additionally, RHUL, QMUL, and UAL require a minimum GPA of 3.0 while SOAS requires a minimum GPA of 3.3. For LSE and UCL, a 3.5 GPA is strongly recommended; students with a 3.3 GPA may be considered (except in cases where a higher GPA is required by the specific subject at LSE or UCL) but should be aware that LSE or UCL may not consider them a competitive candidate unless they can articulate a strong academic rationale for admission. In addition, Tufts will be examining enrollment capacity and may be unable to nominate all candidates to their partner of choice. All applicants must show college-level coursework in the area in which they wish to study.

*Some departments have additional admission requirements/stipulations – UAL, for example, places great emphasis on the submitted portfolio – and require a higher GPA: 

  • UCL: 3.7 GPA for Neuroscience
  • RHUL: 3.3 GPA for English, History, or Drama
  • SOAS: 3.3 GPA is generally expected, but serious applicants with a 3.0 may be considered if their major GPA is higher
  • UAL: 3.0 GPA and portfolio submission required

Fees

2022-23
$41,001 for the semester, $82,002 for the academic year includes:

  • Orientation program
  • Accommodation within student residences
  • Weekly (excluding breaks) cost-of-living stipend to cover meals
  • Full tuition and fees at LSE, UCL, QMUL, SOAS, RHUL, or UAL
  • A "Clubs & Societies" stipend to pay for student union, sports, and special interest memberships at the UK university 
  • Tufts-in-London events and excursions; free or heavily subsidized tickets for a variety of cultural events such as performances, walking tours, historic visits, and group meals 
  • Please note that airfare and certain other travel costs (visas, etc.) are not included; student is responsible for these charges.

Academics

Undergraduate degrees in England are typically three years, and students study a single subject for that entire period (e.g., English) rather than combine various subjects, majors, and minors. The emphasis is on individual work and students are expected to spend eight to ten hours studying on their own for every hour spent in class. Assessment usually comes at the end of the term or year and can be a single assignment or exam – there isn’t a system of cumulative or continual grading. Academic success depends on an ability to be self-motivated and independent, and on employing time-management skills.

Courses consist of a series of lectures, seminars, and tutorials which in total account for about eight hours per week, while science and engineering students may find that lab requirements are much more extensive than at Tufts and may be scheduled for up to twenty hours per week. Classes vary in size, and students are expected to prepare work in advance for seminars and tutorials. Students typically take three to four classes, each of which is worth 4 SHU, and all courses count for Tufts credit.

Students at UAL follow their chosen program of study (e.g., Graphic Design) rather than choosing individual courses. For more information, please see the UAL study abroad website.

London School of Economics

Study-abroad students join LSE's year-long General Course and are known as 'GC students.' Over 300 courses are available, primarily in the social sciences, which lie at the heart of an LSE education. A selection of available subjects is listed below, but for more details on GC courses, please visit the LSE website. Prerequisites may apply; for information on GPA requirements by subject area, please consult their entry requirements:

  • Accounting
  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • Economic History
  • Finance
  • Government
  • Geography & Environment
  • International History
  • International Relations
  • Law
  • Language Centre
  • Mathematics
  • Management
  • Philosophy, Logic & Scientific Method
  • Psychological and Behavioral Science
  • Social Policy
  • Statistics

University College London

Study-abroad students at UCL are known as affiliate students, and, when applying, will select one admitting department (subject) within which to take the majority, if not all, of their coursework. For more information about the subjects and courses available please visit the UCL website, taking special note of any subject-specific restrictions outlined on the subject pages (e.g., some subjects are only available in certain terms, some subjects require a higher GPA, etc.). Course options may be more limited for students studying at UCL for just one semester. The following subject areas at UCL are most relevant to Tufts students:

  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Biochemical Engineering
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil, Environmental, and Geomatic Engineering
  • Computer Science (limited availability)
  • Earth Sciences
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Electronic and Electrical Engineering
  • English Language and Literature
  • European Languages, Culture and Society
  • European Social and Political Studies
  • Fine Art (Slade School)
  • Geography
  • Global Health
  • Greek and Latin (Classics/Ancient World)
  • Hebrew and Jewish Studies
  • History
  • History and Philosophy of Science
  • History of Art
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Mathematics
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Neuroscience
  • Philosophy

The School of Oriental and African Studies

SOAS is known for its expertise in examining a range of academic subjects through the lens of three specific geographic regions: Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Study-abroad students may take courses from across the school's varied departments. For more information on course offerings, please visit the SOAS website. The following departments at SOAS are most relevant to Tufts students:

SOAS also specializes in language instruction in a range of non-European languages; however, beginner-level instruction is not available to spring-only students. The following languages may be of relevance to Tufts students:

Departments

  • Anthropology & Sociology
  • Chinese Studies
  • Development Studies
  • Economics
  • English
  • Financial & Management Studies
  • Gender Studies
  • Global Liberal Arts
  • History
  • History of Art & Archaeology
  • International Relations
  • Japanese Studies
  • Korean Studies
  • Linguistics
  • Media Studies
  • Music
  • Near and Middle East Studies
  • Politics
  • South Asian Studies
  • Southeast Asian Studies
  • Study of Religions and Philosophies

Languages

  • Arabic
  • Chinese
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Persian
  • Swahili
  • Urdu
  • Vietnamese
  • Zulu

Royal Holloway University of London

Study-abroad students at RHUL can choose from a wide range of subjects, taking courses from up to three departments at RHUL. For more information about choices and course levels please see the RHUL website. The following departments may be of most relevance to Tufts students:

Departments

  • Biological Sciences
  • Classics
  • Computer Science
  • Contemporary Britain
  • Drama & Theatre
  • Economics
  • Electronic Engineering
  • English Literature
  • Geography (including Globalization and Development)
  • History
  • Management
  • Mathematics
  • Media Arts
  • Music
  • Physics
  • Politics & International Relations and Philosophy
  • Psychology (for majors and minors only)

Queen Mary, University of London

Associate students at QMUL can take courses (modules) in a wide range of disciplines, much as they would at a US institution, and are taught alongside degree (matriculated) students.  For more information on available modules, please visit the QMUL website. There is also the option to participate exclusively in one of QMUL's 'Thematic Programmes' of study in English and Drama. The following subject areas at QMUL are of relevance to Tufts students:

  • Biological and biomedical sciences
  • Business and management
  • Chemical sciences
  • Comparative Literature
  • Computer and data science
  • Drama
  • Economics and finance
  • Engineering
  • English
  • Film studies
  • Geography and environmental science
  • Global health
  • History
  • Linguistics
  • Materials science
  • Mathematics
  • Modern languages and cultures
  • Physics and astronomy
  • Politics and international relations
  • Psychology

University of the Arts, London

Students wishing to take studio-art courses abroad should consider UAL. Semester-length options are available through either UAL's 'Semester Study Abroad' program (more hands-on, US-style instruction, alongside study-abroad students) or through their 'Integrated Study Abroad' program (more independent and focused in a specific area/medium, alongside matriculated UAL students). The following subjects are offered at UAL:

Semester Study Abroad' Subject Areas

  • Fashion Business
  • Fashion Product Design
  • Fashion Media and Communications

'Integrated Study Abroad' Program Options

  • 3D Design and Product Design
  • Accessories, Footwear, and Jewelery
  • Animation, Interactive, Film, and Sound
  • Architecture, Interior, and Spatial Design
  • Business Management and Science
  • Communication and Graphic Design
  • Curation and Culture
  • Fashion Design
  • Fine Art and Photography
  • Illustration
  • Journalism, PR, Media, and Publishing
  • Performance and Design for Theatre and Screen
  • Textile and Materials

Program Details

Accommodations and Meals

Tufts students are housed in single rooms within residence halls at the selected institution and all halls are coeducational. Some are on campus (QMUL, RHUL), while others require a commute either on foot or by public transport (LSE, SOAS, UAL and UCL). Students whose halls are more than thirty-minute walk away are given an additional transport stipend. The halls are self-catering with shared kitchens, and students are given a stipend for food and meals.

Orientation

Orientation programs are held prior to the start of term both by Tufts in London and by the UK universities themselves. In addition to attending various information sessions and meeting professors and departmental advisers, there are full programs of social activities and sessions on the British language, how to get around London, positive mental health, budgeting, how to get involved in the life of the city, and how to plan out your time abroad.

Student Activities

Tufts in London arranges free or highly subsidized trips, cultural events, and group meals throughout the semester – recent events have included a behind-the-scenes tour of the House of Commons and a fish and chips dinner at one of London’s oldest ‘chippys’, and the England vs Germany football game. More information can be found on the Tufts in London website.

Each partner institution has an active Student Union that offers a wide range of activities and opportunities to all students, from sports, performance groups, and clubs to religious, political, and cultural societies. Some, like QMUL, LSE, and UAL, have additional special events for their study-abroad cohorts.

Program Dates

Dates are approximate.

Each Tufts-in-London partner institution will have slightly different term dates, but, in general, the fall-semester program runs from September* to December, and the spring-semester program from January until mid- or late June. Full-year and spring-semester students should be aware that they must complete the full program and cannot leave early for an internship or summer job.

*Depending on which course is selected at UAL, the fall semester may begin as early as late August.

Apply Now Visit the Tufts-in-London and Oxford Website