ACADEMIC INFORMATION

Prerequisites and backgrounds

During your first few course meetings make sure you feel comfortable with the background and prerequisites the module will require. Remember the language and academic differences and do not assume that what is covered in a US course on linear algebra, for example, is exactly the same as a UK one. If there are prerequisites, discuss them with the professor to make sure you’ve covered all the topics they are assuming you will have done.

Studying abroad is a great time to explore new subjects, but it's important to remember that the UK academic system is more specialized. Students typically focus on one subject for three years, meaning a UK introductory course might be on par with an intermediate course in the US. A UK A-level is approximately equivalent to an AP or introductory course in the US.

Course Registration

All students are required to take 4 modules (what we call courses/classes) except those studying at UAL; UAL students are enrolled in a single programme of study rather than individual modules. When and how you register for your UK modules varies by UK university, and you must follow their instructions both about the initial process and about adding/dropping courses during the beginning of term while you confirm your four courses. Once you have finalised your module selection, you must email your official UK course registration page to Tufts in London by the given deadline. Your UK course listings will then be translated into US format and given by TIL to the Tufts registrar for entry into SIS. Please use this Jotform link to submit the following information per term: Department / Course Code / Course Title Department / Course Code / Course Title Department / Course Code / Course Title Department / Course Code / Course Title Example: Economics Department / ECON246 / Development Economics If your class is a full year, please use “I” and “II” to designate the fall and spring term, respectively. Example: Fall: Economics Department / ECON246 / Development Economics I Spring: Economics Department / ECON246 / Development Economics II You can find your registration information on your UK University’s portal (e.g. Moodle). Please note that this transfer process is done by humans, not machines; it is essential that you check the entries are correct, notifying TiL if any course information changes by the deadlines given. Your instructor for all courses (as far as Tufts is concerned) is the Director, i.e., Dr Hyde.

Transcripting and the Transfer of Credit

Courses taken abroad are assigned

A Tufts department (the corresponding department (or as “All-College” credit if there is no corresponding department at Tufts))

A Tufts course number (340)

A letter (distinguishing between the history courses taught at the various UK universities)

So, for example, UCL’s HIST 0039 “The Industrial Revolution in Britain” becomes Tufts’ HIST 340A “The Industrial Revolution in Britain”. This process happens through Dr Hyde submitting the course lists you have given her to the Tufts Registrar. This is what will appear on your Tufts transcript.

Each course is worth 4 SHU, so you will earn 16 SHU over your four classes per semester. UAL BFA and combined degree students are automatically registered as taking four 4 SHU Studios (so “LCC Illustration Studio I, LCC Illustration Studio II, etc”). UAL BA students will be registered for classes as per their UAL transcripts, and their 16 SHU allocated proportionally.

Year-long courses will be listed twice, once in the fall and once in the spring, counting for a total of 8 SHU (4 SHUs in the fall, 4 SHU in the spring) “I” and “II” is used to distinguish between the semesters (eg LSE’s EC 307 “Development Economics” becomes Tufts’ EC 340A “Development Economics I” (fall) and EC 340A “Development Economics II” (spring).

All courses taken automatically are awarded Tufts credit in the corresponding department (or “All-College” credit if there is no corresponding department at Tufts). However, it is up to each Tufts department to decide if and how the courses will count towards major/minor requirements and to the relevant committee to consider petitions for foundational and distributional requirements.

For how courses may count towards foundational and distributional requirements please see the Tufts Global Education and Undergraduate Degree Requirement Petition pages, and discuss specific courses with your advisor(s).

This process – applying for major/minor/distributional credit – is your responsibility. You can find the departmental transfer of credit representative here, and may request approval for a course taken at your UK university to be designated either as a direct equivalent to a Tufts course or as upper- or lower-level major credit by submitting an 'Equivalence Request for Tufts Programs Abroad' in SIS  here. Some courses and circumstances require a petition and the undergraduate degree petition page is here. There is more information on Tufts Global Education website here.

Assessment

The way assessment works is perhaps one of greatest differences between the US and UK system, and certainly one of the ones that causes the most concern for students. The UK system is much more impersonal — exams and final assessments are governed by an examination board, and it the board, not the professor, who issues the final grade. The UK focusses on anonymity and standardization, prizing objectivity and the removal of bias, while the US system’s more continuous and holistic approach tends to look a broader evaluation of student performance. Both systems have their pros and cons — the UK aims to create a level playing field by focusing strictly on the work submitted, reducing the chances of bias based on the student’s identity, but it is very, very rigid. An exam submitted even four minutes late will not be accepted, and a paper only a few words over the word count limit will have a penalty applied. On the other hand, the US system’s holistic approach considers various aspects of a student’s work over time, potentially providing a more comprehensive evaluation but also opening the door to subjectivity. Different subjects are assessed in different ways – some may use multiple assignments and others expect you to take a single final exam. It is common for a single assignment – a paper or an exam at the end – to be 100% of your grade. Look carefully at your module information and talk to your department when you start so you are clear about what to expect, and be aware that, once again, English is not the “common language” you assume – “paper”, “course”, “tutorial” and “class” all have different meanings depending on who is using them to refer to what. Please be very sensitive about cultural differences and expectations -- US students are used to asking for grades to be ‘reconsidered’. This is absolutely not part of the culture here, and students who do this risk getting a reputation as someone who only cares about grades, playing to a stereotype that is unfair but nevertheless exists. It is the easiest way to change a valuable recommendation for the future into an impersonal and useless one. If you feel there’s been a genuine mistake, please talk it over with Dr Hyde before doing anything else.

Grade conversion and transcripts

Grade entry is done once Tufts receives the UK university transcript to convert into Tufts’ grades, which can be several months after you leave, and may not be until the end of the academic year (Late Summer 2025). You may be able to see your grades earlier, but the transcripts must be delivered institution to institution. This can be an issue when applying to graduate/medical school or for scholarships so please contact Dr Hyde; she can give you a letter to use explaining why your grades are not yet entered.

Students on full year programmes will only have their grades issued by their UK universities at the end of their programme, so they will not have Fall grades on their Tufts transcript until the following summer.

Each course is worth 4 SHU. Year-long courses will be listed twice, once in the fall and once in the spring, counting for a total of 8 SHU (4 SHUs in the fall, 4 SHU in the spring) “I” and “II” is used to distinguish between the semesters (eg UK “Development Economics” becomes Tufts’ EC 340A “Development Economics I” (fall) and EC 340A “Development Economics II” (spring).

Grades which go to decimal points will be rounded up/down -- 0.0 to 0.49 down, 0.50 to 0.99 up.

The specific university grade rubrics are

Pass/Fail, Drop and Withdrawal

Each UK university has its own Add/Drop course change deadline at the beginning of terms one and two. You must comply with these UK university’s deadlines if you wish to make a change after registering for classes. Students must be fully enrolled at their UK university to meet visa and agreement requirements. 

Drop/Withdrawal/Pass Fail, as it will appear on your Tufts transcript, is governed by the TIL calendar below, not the campus one, but the usual Tufts rules for major/minor credit apply re courses taken P/F. Talk to your advisor before making a decision, especially if you are considering applying to graduate school.

To take a course pass/fail, drop or withdraw you must send an email to Dr Hyde, copying in Melanie Armstrong (Melanie.Armstrong@tufts.edu), clearly stating which course you wish to P/F, drop or withdraw by the Tufts in London deadlines below. Students may only take two of their four TIL courses P/F. For full year courses the Spring deadlines apply and the P/F option will be applied for both semesters – you cannot P/F only half of a yearlong course.

The deadlines apply only to your Tufts transcript.  If you decide to take a course P/F that designation will appear on your Tufts transcript, but the grade will appear on the UK transcript. Students are occasionally asked for their UK transcript when applying to graduate schools, so this is something to carefully consider.

Tufts in London/Fall 2024 (UK university term 1)

DROP deadline Monday, Oct 21st, 5 pm

WITHDRAWAL deadline     Monday, Nov 25th, 5 pm 

PASS/FAIL deadline.           Monday, Nov 25th, 5 pm

Tufts in London/Spring 2025 (UK university term 2)

DROP deadline Monday, Feb 17th, 5 pm

WITHDRAWAL deadline     Monday, Mar 10th, 5 pm 

PASS/FAIL deadline.           Monday, Mar 10th, 5 pm

Extenuating Circumstances

Each university and department have their own procedure for extenuating circumstances (incompletes), and you should read the details carefully as they work very differently from the way they do at Tufts. The professor does not have discretion over the process, and not all requests are granted, so you should never assume you have gotten mitigating circumstances/extenuating circumstances until you receive written confirmation.

If you apply for extenuating circumstances for final assignments/for your final grade you must inform Dr Hyde in writing that you have done so no later than the end of term. Please be aware that because of the way grading works in the UK having extenuating circumstances may significantly delay your final grade. If, for example, you’re a fall term senior, and apply for EC for a Fall 2024 grade, you may not receive the grade in time to graduate in May 2025. If you have any questions, please ask Dr Hyde first.

At some universities students who fail their module and/or final exam are allowed to take a resit the following term. This is not always feasible for study abroad students (flying back to the UK, the six-to-nine-month delay in grade). If you fail your module and are eligible for a resit you must inform Dr Hyde in writing that you plan to resit no later than four weeks after grades are issued.

Academic Support

There is a wide variety of support available, both at your UK university and at TIL, so please always feel free to talk to us if you feel you are struggling, or even if you are concerned that you might have issues in future, because the earlier you ask for help the better.

All the UK universities offer a variety of support, including everything from writing an essay UK university style to time management. We strongly recommend you take advantage of what is on offer, as previous students have told us how valuable they’ve found these services. For example, LSE offers workshops in how to analyse essay questions from the point of view of an LSE examiner, and UCL holds workshops on writing for specific departments.

Academic Accommodation

You must declare your need for accommodations by the TGE deadline and be registered with Tufts’ Staar Center, who will provide you with the paperwork you need to give to your UK university. It is very important that once you have your paperwork from Staar you reach out to your UK university as early as possible so there is time to set up what you may need, and for you to understand what may/may not be possible. Accommodations do work differently from the support you may be used to at Tufts, and not every accommodation will be available or operate in the ways with which you are familiar.

Each university has its own service and they are there to ensure you receive the support you need to make the most of your courses here. We are happy to help you connect with them, submit your paperwork and navigate the UK process.

A language note – “accommodation” typically refers to housing services; “learning accommodations” comes under “disability services”.