Understanding the Admissions Process

Thank you for your interest in graduate study at Tufts University! The following instructions provide information that will help you complete your application and ensure that it is processed in a timely manner. For additional information visit our FAQs page to learn more about our application and admissions process: FAQs. Please note that:

• All application materials should be submitted online, and there is no need to submit a duplicate hard copy.
• Application deadlines and program requirements vary. Please refer to our website and the requirements and deadlines document for your specific program information.
• All required materials must be received before your application can be reviewed. The application account you create should be used to check on the status of your application to ensure that external materials (such as test scores and recommendations) have been received. The email address you use to create your application account will also be the email we use to contact you with more information regarding admission.
• Materials and supporting documents become the confidential property of Tufts University and cannot be returned to you or sent to anyone outside the university. Please be sure to retain a copy of your application for your own records.
• While deadlines for our programs vary, it is to your advantage to apply early and ensure that all required materials are received by the deadline. Departments are able to review applications received after a published deadline only if spaces remain. Please also note that scholarship aid for late applications is very limited.

Learn more about application requirements and policies, plan a visit, and explore costs and aid.

We offer more than 75+ doctoral and master’s degrees in arts, sciences, and engineering. You may also pursue practice-based master’s degrees or certificates in a number of areas.

As a Tufts graduate student, you’ll learn from and work side-by-side with faculty who are world-class researchers and leading scholars in their fields. Our collegial environment fosters collaboration, as well as opportunities to be involved in meaningful and rigorous interdisciplinary exploration and research.

Our academic departments’ sites have specific information for each of our graduate programs. We strongly encourage you to reach out to the Office of Graduate Admissions with any questions you may have.

Request Program Information through the Admissions Inquiry Form

We believe that the diversity of our graduate students deeply enriches our community. A diverse student body is fundamental to our academic mission to provide multiple views and perspectives that enhance the teaching, research, and development of new knowledge. In addition to promoting academic and research diversity, our mission is also to achieve cultural diversity by creating a welcoming academic and social environment for all students.

Once you submit your application, the relevant academic department or committee will review your materials. The timeline for your decision varies based on the department and degree type you have applied to, as well as when you have applied. If you have not received a decision within six to eight weeks of the most recent application deadline for your program, please contact us about your decision.

Throughout the process, you can follow the status of your application and receive your admissions decision through your Tufts admissions account.

If you are interested in being considered for departmental financial assistance (scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships), you must complete the Financial Aid section of the application. Certificate students are not eligible for these awards, however applicants to the Post-Baccalaureate Studio Art are considered for merit awards.

The deadline for applying for departmental financial awards is the same as the application deadline for your program. Please visit the Tuition and Financial Aid page for information about award availability, which varies by program.

Award notification is posted with an offer of admittance through the online application system and sent to the mailing address on your application either with the acceptance letter, or shortly thereafter. Award offers are official only when made in writing and signed by the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or the Dean for Graduate Education in the School of Engineering. Offer letters from an academic department are not considered official.

Low-interest Federal Direct Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and Federal Work Study programs are administered by Tufts Student Financial Services, which maintains information on all federal programs as well as alternative forms of financing such as non-need-based loans. Federal aid is available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only. To apply for Federal Direct loans and/or Federal Work Study, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Tufts University Institution code is 002219. We recommend that you file the FAFSA by December 1 for spring admission and by March 1 for fall admission.

Application materials are available to be reused in a new application for up to one year. Contact the Office of Graduate Admissions within that time to indicate which documents you would like to reuse in your new application. You will be required to submit a new application form and fee online. We encourage students to update their application with new materials when appropriate. Reapplication must occur by the deadline dates provided for new applicants.

All materials submitted in support of an application become the property of Tufts University and neither originals nor copies of this material will be returned or sent to a third party. Credentials received without an application form and fee are retained for only three months from date of receipt.

The timeline for your decision varies based on the department and degree type you have applied to, as well as when you have applied. If you have not received a decision within six to eight weeks of the most recent application deadline for your program, please contact us about your decision.

Tufts University places strong emphasis on academic achievement and personal character. An offer of admission to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering is dependent on a student maintaining their standard of academic achievement before enrolling at the university. Admitted applicants will be required to submit final official transcripts and academic records to the Office of Graduate Admissions in order to enroll. Please note that these transcripts must be sent directly to Tufts University by the granting institution. Transcripts sent by the enrolling student are not considered official. An offer of admission is also dependent on a student's continued demonstration of character and high standards for personal conduct. Lapses in either category may be grounds for rescinding an offer of admission. 

If you are accepted for admission, you will be required to pay a deposit that will be applied to the first semester's tuition and/or fees. The deposit is $300 for degree programs and $100 for certificate programs. This deposit will not be refunded if you do not enroll. 

We appreciate your interest in our graduate programs at Tufts University and look forward to receiving your application. If you have any questions about the process, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at 617-627-3395 or gradadmissions@tufts.edu.