The Plan of Study major has been open to all Liberal Arts students since 1968, offering them an opportunity to tailor their own multidisciplinary areas of concentration to pursue courses with greater freedom of choice than in the listed majors. At the same time, it requires a high degree of both independent initiative and self-discipline from the student. A major in the Plan of Study program involves a selection of courses from the social sciences, arts, humanities, natural sciences, quantitative and engineering areas, with at least two of these six areas being represented, plus a senior-year thesis project chosen to integrate the student’s program. The thesis topic should therefore not be one which could be done within a regular departmental program. Rather, it represents a separate field of study with an identifiable methodology appropriate to the topic.
- When and Where to Apply
- Application Procedure
- Requirements of the Major
- Role of the Faculty Advisors
- Application Time-Line for Sophomores
- Who to Contact for More Information
- Plan of Study Application Forms
- Examples of Plan of Study major topics
When and Where to Apply
The completed Plan of Study proposal must be submitted no later than April 1 of the spring semester of the sophomore year. Direct the completed proposal to the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at: cis@tufts.edu
Remember that the application approval process requires some time, so you should plan accordingly: it would be best to submit the proposal early in your fourth semester.
Application Procedure
The application procedure will require you to create an advisory committee, develop a proposal for a major, and obtain approval for this proposal.
1. Advisory Committee. You are responsible for selecting a principal advisor and two other advisors who will support your proposal. At least two of these advisors must be full-time members of the Arts and Sciences faculty with the rank of lecturer or above, at least one of them a tenure track member of the A&S Faculty, and they must represent at least three departments in two of the previously listed six areas. Should one of your advisors be from outside the Tufts community, a brief indication of his or her professional affiliation should be included. It is important to choose advisors who will not be leaving Tufts while your Plan of Study is in progress. We suggest that you make sure that each of your advisors is familiar with the information presented in this guide.
2. Proposal. This site includes forms for your program proposal. The proposal includes a description of your Plan of Study, the methodology you will use and a bibliography, a list of the courses you have taken, are taking, or plan to take as part of this major, and a preliminary title of your proposed senior thesis project. In addition, a copy of your most recent transcript should be included. You will find it useful to consult your advisory committee members several times while drawing up your proposal. Writing professionals at the Academic Resource Center and the Chair of the Committee on Curricula can also help you refine, clarify, and polish your proposal. Note that the PoS application form requires a substantive statement of support for your proposed program from each of the three advisors. We suggest that you keep a copy of your proposal for your own records.
3. CIS Faculty Committe. After your application has been completed, send it via email attachment in Microsoft Word to CIS at cis@tufts.edu. Faculty on this committee are responsible for reviewing your application, possibly suggesting changes, and ultimately approving or rejecting your proposal. The committee will contact you and arrange a time to meet with you to discuss your proposal. If changes are suggested, more than one such meeting may be required.
Requirements of the Major
A Plan of Study program consists of:
1. At least ten courses from various departments and programs, at least five of which should be taken at Tufts or as part of a Tufts Study Abroad Program. One Experimental College course may be included, as long as it is consistent with your program description.
2. Regular meetings of you and your advisory committee.
3. A Plan of Study thesis project that counts as two additional credits. As noted in the Tufts Bulletin, All College courses ACL 91/92 are reserved for the Plan of Study Thesis:
ACL 91/92 Plan of Study Thesis. Guided research on a topic, which has been approved as part of your Plan of Study (for the PoS Honors Thesis, see next paragraph).
The thesis topic is chosen to integrate the various courses in your program. The thesis manuscript plus two copies should be submitted in final form to the advisory committee several weeks before the end of classes in your final semester at Tufts, or at an earlier date, if required by the advisors. Students pursuing a Plan of Study major may opt for a PoS Honors Thesis if you were placed on the Dean’s list at least two semesters before your senior year. The PoS Honors Thesis is ACL 191 for the fall and ACL 192 for spring.
4. An oral defense of your thesis, carried out with your advisory committee.
Role of the Faculty Advisors
Members of the faculty who agree to serve as advisors for a Plan of Study should realize that it will involve significant time both in the initial planning with the student and in continuing to advise him or her once the Plan has been approved. Thus, the following suggestions are made to all potential Plan of Study advisors:
1. The advisor should take the time to know both the student and his or her program. No student proposals will be considered by the committee that do not carry a substantive written statement of support from each member of the advisory committee.
2. In this connection, advisors must meet with the student to evaluate both the objectives of the student’s program and the courses and thesis chosen to achieve those objectives before the proposed Plan is submitted to the committee for approval.
3. Further, as the student’s program develops, the advisors as a committee should meet with the student at least once a semester, (unless the student is away from campus). Progress toward the stated objective should be evaluated and alterations in the originally suggested curriculum or thesis made when necessary. These joint meetings become particularly important when the student enters the thesis phase of his or her program. Responsibility for arranging these meetings should be shared by the student and principal advisor.
4. Faculty members who are going on temporary or permanent leave should not sign proposals as advisors. If unforeseen circumstances arise that make it necessary for an advisor to leave Tufts, it is his or her responsibility to arrange a suitable temporary or permanent substitute.
5. Advisors are responsible for the final evaluation of the student’s work, including an oral defense of the thesis.
6. All Plan of Study students may be considered for honors through the Thesis Honors program, provided that they have been on the Dean’s List at least twice prior to their senior year. A written assessment of the student’s work and recommendations for the honors to be awarded, signed by the members of the advisory committee, must be in the hands of Stephanie Ripley in Dowling Hall by early May for May graduates and by late December for February graduates.
7. It is the responsibility of the student to deliver a copy of the student’s Plan of Study thesis to the Tisch Archives to remain on permanent file.
Plan of Study Application Time-Line for Sophomores
* By April 1: Deadline for your full proposal , including all letters of support. Send all materials to CIS by email to cis@tufts.edu. Letters of support should be emailed by the faculty member directly to CIS:cis@tufts.edu
* Late-April: Each student who has submitted a complete, viable proposal by the deadline will be invited for a 20-minute interview with the CIS Faculty Committee. This interview will require the student to give a 4 to 5 minute “elevator speech,” telling the committee your intellectual goals and rationale for this Plan of Study.
* Early May: The CIS Faculty Committee makes its decision to accept or reject each Plan of Study Major proposal in early May. Some students may be asked to rewrite their proposal or submit more evidence of their ability to work independently.
Who to Contact for More Information
Submit complete proposals to:
Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS)
Email: cis@tufts.edu
For general questions about the Plan of Study major, how to prepare your proposal, and for assistance in writing your proposal:
Carmen Lowe, Director of Academic Resource Center
Email: Carmen.Lowe@tufts.edu
Sample Proposals:
Are kept in a binder at the Academic Resource Center , 7th floor Dowling Hall. The ARC is open weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.