Degree Requirements, Electives, and Course Equivalencies

Beginning in Summer 2018, Tufts University adopted the credit-hour system—used by most universities in the United States. This change applied to the School of Medicine and its Public Health and Professional Degree Programs. Most courses are worth 3 credits, and half semester courses are worth 1.5 credits. Listing below are the required credits by program.

*Students who matriculated prior to the implementation of the new credit system will see a change in the way in which course credits appear, but Tufts will make every effort to keep degree requirements consistent with information provided in the Student Handbook of the student’s year of matriculation. The new credit-hour system will make transfer of credit easier for students and will make the Tufts transcript more self-explanatory to most graduate and professional schools. Because the credit hour generally reflects the amount of time required for the course, students may find it easier to create a balanced course-load each semester. For example, a 3 credit course generally requires 3 hours of class or instructional contact per week. In 2011, the United States Department of Education instructed all accreditation agencies to review university credit policies and ensure that universities use a common standard for awarding credit hours. This has resulted in the need for Tufts to move to a system where credit hours and instructional contact hours are linked.