Graduate Student Orientation - SOE

Welcome to the School of Engineering!

If you received an acceptance letter from Dean Karen Panetta and are beginning an engineering program, you are required to attend the School of Engineering's Graduate Student Orientation. The schedule below is for incoming School of Engineering graduate students. Please contact enggradstudies@tufts.edu if you have any questions. If you are an incoming Graduate School of Arts and Sciences student, please visit the GSAS Orientation webpage.

SOE Graduate Student Orientation

Friday, September 5, 2025 | 1:00 - 5:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time)
Location: Medford Campus, details to be shared upon registration

Check-in and a Resource Fair will be from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm and the orientation presentation is from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Attendance is mandatory for all School of Engineering graduate students matriculating into their program in Fall 2025. We encourage in-person participation, but we will allow the option to participate via Zoom if needed for remote learners. The program will also be recorded for asynchronous viewing if there is an extenuating circumstance.

SOE Teaching and Research Assistant Orientation

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time)
Location: Medford Campus, details to be shared upon registration

School of Engineering TA/RA training has in-person and online components. Online training will open on Canvas on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. In Canvas, there are 3 modules that TA/RAs need to view and pass to be eligible for payment. Training must be completed with passing grades by September 15, 2025. All SOE students who are in a new position as a TA or RA are required to attend orientation and take all training.

AIT Academic Integrity Training

All graduate students are required to complete the training before matriculating into their program. A link to the training will be sent to your Tufts email.

International Graduate Student Orientation

Thursday, August 28, 2025 | 8:30 AM - 1:45 PM (Eastern)
Location: Distler Performance Hall, 20 Talbot Ave, Medford, MA 02155

International Graduate Student Orientation will introduce incoming international students to Tufts International Center staff. You will meet other incoming international graduate students, learn about your student visa and how to maintain your immigration status while studying at Tufts, and explore campus resources. There will be lunch following the orientation session.

Tufts Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) Training

Tufts University is committed to providing a safe and positive workplace for all students, staff and faculty. To help achieve this goal and to comply with university, state and federal policies and regulations, OEO requires training for all students, faculty and staff.

Mandatory for Incoming and Transfer Students

Tufts Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) provides a 5-module asynchronous training about the University’s Non-Discrimination Policy, Sexual Misconduct Policy, affirmative consent, legal and policy obligations for reporting and how to access resources and support for all students. Students are required to complete all five modules by Monday, August 18, 2025. Students who do not complete this mandatory training in full will have a hold placed on their record in SIS which will prevent course registrations (adds and drops).

A Canvas course invitation will be sent to your Tufts email beginning July 7th. Log in to the Canvas Learning system. Your Enrolling Checklist will be updated 1-2 days after completing the Canvas course. Questions should be directed to OEOtraining@tufts.edu.

Mandatory for Employees and Student Employees

Tufts’ Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) provides mandatory employee training regarding discrimination and harassment prevention which is mandatory for all staff, faculty (full-time, part-time, temporary), and student employees who are new to Tufts or who have not already attended. Attendance must take place within 90 days of your hire date. Please visit our website for dates of all employee OEO training sessions.

Student ID Cards

Tufts University Identification Cards will be available for pick-up by appointment. If you haven’t already done so, log into the Tufts ID card photo upload site and submit your photo. Your appointment will be cancelled if your photo has not been submitted and approved in advance (within 24 hours). Please bring a government issued ID to your appointment. Pick-up will be in Suite 101D at 574 Boston Avenue.

Schedule a Tufts ID appointment

Other Training for the School of Engineering

Incoming students will be sent virtual resources and materials, which will help orient you to graduate life and will be a resource you can use throughout your first year. This virtual resource will complement in-person and/or virtual orientation events which will be hosted by your academic department. Questions should be directed to the dean’s office at enggradstudies@tufts.edu. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Graduate Student Life Welcome Events

All graduate students in the School of Engineering, School of Arts and Sciences, and the SMFA at Tufts are invited to jump into their life outside academics! Join the Office for Campus Life during welcome week between September 4 - 11. Connect with graduate students at Student Life Orientation, tour the Medford/Somerville campus, win prizes at Bingo Extravaganza, and enjoy drinks and snacks during pub night at Hotung Café.

Thank you,

Dr. Karen Panetta
Distinguished Professor, Tufts University
Dean of Graduate Education for the School of Engineering
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Secondary Appointments, Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering