Science at Tufts - If you have Questions

<p>For all of the prospective students out there, I just wanted to create a thread for those who might have questions about science at Tufts. Premed, biology, chemistry, physics, etc. I know a lot more about some departments than others (e.g. chemistry and biology more than physics), but I'm sure I, and others, would love to answer questions.</p>

<p>How strong are they? Are there many people in the programs? I understand that tufts is often labled a "research" university, but a lot of people that I have spoken to consider tufts more of a liberal arts school, which I associate with strength in the humanities, etc.</p>

<p>Guildsman will certainly add more, but here's my 2 cents. I think you have a mistaken impression.</p>

<p>When you hear people compare Tufts to a liberal arts school, what they mean is that while it is a research university, it operates on an intimate scale like a LAC, that is a college without grad schools. It has nothing to do with strength in the humanities; indeed many LACs have outstanding science programs.</p>

<p>Tufts, with its grad and professional schools in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and nutrition, has particular strength in the biomedical sciences. There's also an engineering school with programs that overlap with many of the science options. And there are some hidden gems, Tufts' small geology department for example.</p>

<p>The current most popular major at Tufts is international relations, but there are plenty of students in strong science programs.</p>

<p>Trust me, a ton of people are pre-med, like half the people I've met are</p>

<p>The Liberal Arts and Research are not mutually exclusive. </p>

<p>The Liberal Arts refers to a style of education, not a subject or an area of study or even the size of the school. Wikipedia Article on the Liberal Arts Wikipedia</a> Article on the Liberal Arts. Most huge schools have schools of Liberal Arts, and at many many institutions (Tufts included) the sciences are housed within the school of Liberal Arts.</p>

<p>Likewise, research and the humanities are not mutually exclusive. Part of the reason Tufts is a research school is the research that happens in programs like Art History, Drama, Music, and English in addition to Biology, Engineering, and other science programs.</p>

<p>This is to Guildsman or any other Tufts person familiar with science courses :</p>

<p>Do most or all profs make their power points available to students? who leads discussion sections? how competitive is pre-med?
Thanks.</p>

<p>Well in Bio 13, which is the Introductory Biology course, the professor provides the lecture slides online, as well as podcasts of the lecture.</p>

<p>Professor Minardi provides the powerpoints for EN2, which is the introduction to engineering graphics/CAD that all engineers have to take.</p>

<p>would you say that pre-med is super competitive between students or just competetive with yourself?... if that makes sense haha</p>

<p>How do you handle the double major requirement as a science major?</p>

<p>There is no requirement to double major at Tufts. But a lot of students do, including a lot of science students. Even engineering students (disciplines in which it's almost impossible to double major at many schools) double major at Tufts, sometimes in a liberal arts discipline. But requirement? There's none.</p>

<p>How's the pre-dent program there (if there is one)? I'm currently a freshman at GT and am considering transferring there (since I'm changing to a science major), and want to know how strong it is.</p>