Return to in-person instruction for fall

We are happy to announce that plans are currently under way to resume in-person instruction starting in the Fall 2021 semester for the Public Health programs and the MS in Biomedical Sciences program.
Biomedical Research & Public Health sign
Exterior of the Boston Health Sciences Campus where the Public Health and Community Medicine department is housed.

 

Dear new and continuing Public Health students,

We are happy to announce that plans are currently under way to resume in-person instruction starting in the Fall 2021 semester for the Public Health programs and the MS in Biomedical Sciences program. 

This past year has certainly challenged us all to adapt in new and unexpected ways; returning to in-person classes and re-opening campus will be the next major set of challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic we will face as a community. We ask for your continued patience as we weigh all the important considerations—and make these next decisions—using the best information available to us throughout the coming weeks and months. 

COVID-19 will continue to be a serious threat, but effective vaccines continue to become widely available and there is reason to have hope that we will be able to gradually move toward less constrained lives. We continue to be guided by our fundamental priority of the health and well-being of our community, which is why we feel it is important to remain remote for the summer semester for our Public Health courses. Since we are located in the heart of an urban center, this allows for continued effective social distancing, vaccination distribution and city-wide efforts to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 as well as protecting the health of the Tufts community. 

Provided public health guidelines and city and state policies allow, we intend to resume in-person instruction beginning with the fall semester, which will start in mid-August to early-September of 2021, depending on your program. It will be very important that all members of our community adhere to updated COVID-19 prevention and mitigation measures implemented by the University to ensure the success of our reopening plan. More information about these policies and guidelines will be provided to students over the summer. 

We appreciate the sacrifices that all students at the School of Medicine have made during this academic year to protect and preserve their own health and the wellbeing of others while pursuing their education and career development. We look forward to starting this next phase of recovery from the pandemic together as a community focused on ensuring all members of society can enjoy the highest attainable standard of health. 

Sincerely,

Aviva Must
Dean, Public Health and Professional Degree Programs

Janice Gilkes
Assistant Dean of Student Services, Public Health and Professional Degree Programs