Undergraduate Students

undergraduate students looking at their laptops

Get Involved

There are many ways for Tufts students to get involved at the ExCollege. Since its inception, students have designed and taught courses, served as full voting members on our governing board, evaluated course proposals, interviewed prospective visiting lecturers, and selected the final courses offered each semester. Students also write articles for our newsletter, photograph our classes, and plan events and speakers.

Design and Teach a Course: Two Opportunities

Where else but the ExCollege can undergrads teach a full-credit course? We have two Peer Teaching programs each year. In the Fall, upper-level students can design and teach an Explorations course for entering first-year students. Then, in the Spring, undergrads can design and teach a course open to students in any class year. The deadline for Fall teaching is in March of the previous year; the deadline for Spring teaching is in September. 

Learn more and apply to teach

Interview Teaching Applicants

Each semester the ExCollege seeks student volunteers who help interview teaching candidates. This is also a great opportunity to meet other students and faculty members and gain valuable interview experience. A committee of students and faculty interviews each teaching applicant. Each interview lasts about 20-30 minutes. The committee then completes a feedback form that is reviewed by the ExCollege Board during the final selection process. The total time commitment is short, but the value is immeasurable.

Join the Board

Every year, students join with faculty members and the ExCollege staff as full voting members to select new courses from proposals submitted. Board members also plan campus events, and develop new initiatives. Applications to join the ExCollege board open every Spring semester for the following academic year. 

Auditing for Breadth

The Experimental College provides students with an opportunity to broaden their education by attending courses in which they might not otherwise enroll. With the approval of the instructors in question, students may elect to audit up to three courses during their four years as undergraduates. One credit is awarded upon completion of each course. Please read the detailed the information below which explains the program structure, which courses best lend themselves to auditing, and the tracking requirements.

Learn more about Auditing a course

Quidnuncs

The Latin term Quidnunc translates as "what next?" Quidnuncs are group independent studies that allow students the opportunity to investigate, with their peers, an academic topic of their own choosing.

The role of each student, and of the group's faculty sponsor, will vary according to the model outlined and goals set. Previous groups have studied Synthetic Biology, The MOOC Revolution, Understanding Sustainable Development in Guatemala, and Mock Trial.

For more information on any of these opportunities, email ExCollege or call 617-627-3384.