This article is the first in a two-part series examining students who pursue a combined degree while at Tufts. The first installment will take a look at the experience of juggling courses at multiple schools; the second will discuss friction between students at Tufts and its partner schools.
Trudging through the snow on a blustery day in winter, the walk from Carmichael to Anderson may seem like miles for the average Tufts student. But to the students who also take classes at Boston's School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) and the New England Conservatory (NEC), this commute is nothing compared to the trek they make routinely to downtown Boston.
For students who pursue combined degrees with the SMFA or NEC, the benefits of incorporating paintbrushes or instruments into their undergraduate educations seem to outweigh the scheduling and extracurricular sacrifices that come with their decisions.
In addition to taking classes at Tufts, students in the combined-degree programs with the SMFA and NEC take at least one class a week at another campus, and students pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the SMFA are required to commute to Tufts to take courses for their Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.
The combined-degree programs allow students to complete two degrees - which would require a total of eight years to finish - in only five years.
The program with NEC awards students a Bachelor of Music degree from NEC and a Bachelor of Arts or Sciences from Tufts, while the SMFA program awards a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree along with the Bachelor of Arts or Sciences from Tufts.
To participate in the programs, a student must first apply to Tufts and either SMFA or NEC independently. Once the student has been accepted to both of the schools, the admissions teams of both institutions meet and determine whether the student can be accepted into the combined-degree program.
Although most students who are accepted to both schools are also accepted to the program, there have been a few rare cases in which a student was rejected from the combined-degree program even after being accepted to both institutions.
"I have heard of cases where a student was accepted to both schools, but not accepted to the program," said David Schockett, a freshman who is pursuing a combined degree with NEC. "I'm just hypothesizing, but it could be because the kid might not have been organized enough to handle the double load."
The incentive of earning two degrees, which would normally require eight to complete, in only five years, attracts many students to the program.
"To be able to get two degrees in five years is an incredible benefit," said Laurie Sabol, Tufts' academic advisor for combined-degree students. "[The students] save time on education, and no matter what the student is majoring in, the program is very enriching."
Sophomore Kendall Trotter, who is completing a combined degree with SMFA, said that the duality in education is what attracted her to the program.
"I went to an arts high school and have grown up with art being a really large part of my life, but I transferred to a college prep high school after 10th grade because I wanted more challenging academics, so I wanted to be able to combine the two," Trotter said.
Another advantage of the program is exposure to a more diverse range of people and ideas.
"If I hadn't done [the combined-degree program with Tufts], I would have done regular liberal arts school," Schockett said. "I wanted a musical education, which I'd never had, but I didn't want to just know musicians ... So I chose the program more for social reasons. I think it makes you a more well-rounded person."
The program also exposes students to different kinds of learning.
"It's cool to be able to juxtapose such different educational styles. Classes at the NEC are such a different atmosphere. There's a different vibe in the different settings," Schockett said.
Despite these incentives, the programs still remain very small. Currently, there are only 11 students in the combined-degree program with NEC and just under 50 in the SMFA program.
One reason the programs are not more popular is the dedication they require of the students. In order to complete the requirements of both schools, students must carefully plan out their courses of study.
"Whether the program is a good idea or not depends on the student. It is hard to juggle the requirements of both programs," Sabol said.
Students participating in the SMFA program are required to complete a minimum of 24 academic courses at Tufts and 84 studio art credits at the museum school. The NEC program also requires its students to complete a minimum of 24 academic credits at Tufts and 82 credits at NEC.
With a hefty load of requirements, it can be difficult for combined-degree students to schedule their classes.
"My students work hard to figure out how to maximize their time," Sabol said.
Schockett explained that the key to a successful schedule is to plan far in advance.
"It's a planning game. I have to spend a week and a half making spreadsheets of what courses I want and can take," Schockett said.
One of the biggest challenges is making classes fit with the different class schedules at both institutions. While Tufts has many class blocks throughout the day, the SMFA offers half-day and full-day classes.
"The way the program is set up is hard because many of the courses I need for SMFA are six hours long, so it takes up the whole day. I usually have to sacrifice one for the other each semester," Trotter said.
Indeed, part of the combined-degree program requires a sacrifice of some of the leeway that a traditional liberal arts education allows a student.
"A lot of my friends have the mindset of taking four classes and then one fun class, but I've tried not to sign up for any class that doesn't fulfill one of my requirements," Schockett said.
To help with this scheduling challenge, students in the combined-degree program are allowed to register before other students at both schools.
Another negative of the program is that it can take away from time pursuing activities outside the classroom.
"Because I'm not as wholly involved in the school, it's harder to be involved in extra-curriculars," Schockett said.
But Schockett explained that while his friends at Tufts may be spending their time outside the classroom arguing on the Senate or running for the cross country team, he considers his piano playing his individual activity.
"Most people here are doing very individual things anyway; [playing piano] is just the thing I do" Schockett said.
