MBS Frequently Asked Questions

No, the MBS program is a special master's degree program that requires students to have already taken the undergraduate-level premedical science courses before matriculation. 

For college graduates who have not completed all of their undergraduate prerequisites, Tufts offers a Post-baccalaureate Premedical Program. This program is based in the School of Arts and Sciences on Tufts Medford Campus. Students take an individualized program of study alongside Tufts Undergraduate students.

The MBS program includes Fall Semester courses which run from the middle of August to December, Spring Courses which run from January to May, and Summer semester from June until August when students can complete the thesis. It is designed to be a one year program, but students have the option of extending the thesis into the Fall or Spring semester of the second year. There is no tuition for the second year, only a continuation fee. The fraction of students who elect to complete the entire program within one year is typically 40%, while 60% elect to take additional time.

There are no minimum GPA or test score requirements; we holistically evaluate candidates using your personal statement, letters of recommendation, experiences, and coursework. For accepted students, the average overall undergraduate GPA is 3.3, the average MCAT is a 506, and the DAT average is 390. To gauge your competitiveness, we encourage reviewing our class averages alongside the rest of your application materials.

While four year on campus coursework is preferred, the MBS program will consider applicants who have taken prerequisite courses at community colleges or online. We encourage you to discuss the reasons for your educational pathway on your application. Whenever possible, a student should choose the most rigorous possible academic preparation.

For the medical track students typically will apply to medical school the summer after they have completed the MBS coursework. The guaranteed linkage interview for the medical track requires completion of all the didactic coursework. For the dental track, students apply to TUSDM during the summer prior to starting the MBS program in August. Guaranteed interviews take place in the early winter after the fall coursework is completed for the dental track.

Yes, all students are required to do either a literature or lab-based thesis. For students who enroll in the dual MBS-MPH degree, the capstone MPH project will fulfill the MBS thesis requirement.

No, you will be taking the same coursework, but you will only be in class with other MBS students.

It depends on the medical school you attend, but at Tufts School of Medicine you would be required to retake these courses.

Though some of the MBS classes may have similar titles to undergraduate coursework you have done, keep in mind these are graduate level courses that are the same as the first year of medical school. All students must take all courses in the MBS program; there are no exemptions or transfer courses accepted.

No, the MCAT/DAT prep is optional and is offered to students in the spring and summer semesters.

The MBS program is only offered full-time and has a very rigorous schedule. So, we strongly recommend that you don't work in the first two semesters. Students do typically work during the second year of the program while completing their thesis. Our Career Services office helps students craft resumes, find jobs, and prepare for interviews.

We have approximately 140 students in the MBS program each Fall.

We recommend submitting your application as soon as possible; even if, for example, you still have to take your MCAT, GRE or DAT.

Yes, the Tufts MBS-DMD Pathway is designed to help students achieve their goal of attending dental school. A growing number of pre-dental students complete the MBS program with high admissions rate into dental school following completion of the program.

This program is specifically designed to help students gain admission into medical or dental school. If that is not your goal, this program may not be the best fit for you.

No. Our MBS program is not the same as the Master's in Biomedical Research (MBR) Program offered by the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). The GSBS MBR program provides students with significant research experience and fundamental biomedical science knowledge that will prepare them for a career in academia or the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry or for further study at the PhD level. Information about the MBR can be found at on the GSBS website. 

You have most likely started an application for the wrong department within Tufts. The MBS program is in the under the School of Medicine. You can find the MBS application here.

Yes, you may submit your online application before your test scores, transcripts, or recommendations arrive, but the Admissions Committee will not begin reviewing your application until all required materials have been received. You will receive an automated confirmation email as soon as your application is complete.

• MCAT - In the ‘Test Scores’ section of the application, there will be a space to provide us with your AAMC ID, Verification Code and Score Report PDF. We will then verify this information with AAMC to get your official score.
• DAT - When requesting scores on www.ada.org, enter “Tufts University Graduate Programs” in the alternate school text box enter our mailing information.
• GRE - Use CEEB code 3889 - Tufts School of Medicine. Please note that Tufts has many different reporting codes, and if scores are sent to the wrong code we will not be able to retrieve them. DO NOT use codes 0438, 6997, or 3891 which are codes used for other Tufts programs.

You can upload unofficial transcripts directly through the online application for initial review, though official transcripts from all attended colleges are required prior to matriculation (official digital copies can be emailed to mbs.admissions@tufts.edu or paper copies mailed to the admissions office). Detailed instructions for sending letters of recommendation—whether as individual letters, a committee packet, or via Interfolio—will be provided directly within the application portal.

Yes, we need to see transcripts from every institution you have attended.

Students who are in the Tufts MBS-DMD Pathway can transfer their materials from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine DMD program application after expressing their consent. Unfortunately, we are not able to access any materials on file with the Tufts University School of Medicine MD program—you will need to send your materials directly to our office.

Yes, we are happy to accept letters of recommendation written for medical/dental school.

We recommend writing a personal statement tailored specifically to the MBS program and its prompt. Your personal statement must be 5,300 characters or less.

A red X means that materials has not been received and your application is not complete. The status will be updated when it has been received. Please note that applications are not reviewed until all materials have been received and your application is complete.

On average, decisions are rendered four weeks from the date your application is completed (not submitted). Review timelines vary based on individual file complexity, so applicants who completed after you may occasionally receive a decision earlier. Once complete, your application is automatically under review, and the next update you receive will be an email notification prompting you to view your decision in the status portal.

We do begin the review process in the order in which applications were marked complete. However, there are many factors that determine how long a file will take to be reviewed, and the review time can vary.

Yes, we would be happy to include updated materials. You can email them to mbs.admissions@tufts.edu and we will take care of uploading them to your application. Please note, if your application is already under review, we cannot guarantee that the Admissions Committee will be able to take new materials into consideration.

We are not able to disclose how many seats are left in the program at a given time, though it is not a capped program. We will update our website if the class has been filled.

Yes, we encourage students to start the Financial Aid process as soon as possible. You do not need to wait to receive an admissions decision to apply for Financial Aid. View more information on Financial Aid.

You have three weeks to reply to an admissions offer. Applicants who apply late in the cycle may receive a shorter reply deadline and should prepare to decide quickly.

The MBS Admissions Team is happy to provide brief, written feedback at the end of the cycle to applicants who submitted a complete application, including how to strengthen a future MBS application. To request feedback, please email mbs.admissions@tufts.edu on or around August 15.

We are unable to reconsider your application in the same cycle. If you’re still interested in the MBS program, we encourage you to apply in our next application cycle. Please note you would need to re-submit the application and all required documents for the subsequent cycle.