The Tufts in London program began the fall of 1967, and was originally designed to serve as a program for junior year students of drama, English, and related arts. At its founding, Tufts in London was the only international academic year program in drama operated by an American university.

Tufts in London, originally run by James Forsyth, a famed British dramatist, poet, painter, and sculptor, was not affiliated with any universities in London. Instead, students took seminar classes taught by distinguished British academics and artists. Although students praised the faculty and the courses, there were complaints about isolation from British students and the British educational experience. Students also felt that their living quarters were overcrowded. Instead of being housed in a university-style dorm, students originally lived in the Reynolds Hotel, described as "quaint, personal, and very British," but unfortunately also very crowded when class size grew from the original thirty three to forty two students.

By the early eighties, it was clear that the Tufts in London program needed to be restructured. By 1981, it was the only Tufts abroad program not affiliated with another university, and complaints about isolation continued. To remedy the problem, Tufts instituted a one-year trial affiliation with Westfield College in the fall of 1982. Unfortunately, Westfield, a branch of the University of London, began experiencing major financial troubles by 1983. A 1984 Tufts study subsequently concluded that the program should be moved to a different location in London. Finally, in the fall of 1988, Westfield College closed, and Tufts in London moved to the University College of London, the oldest, largest, and most distinguished college of the University of London.

Currently Tufts in London enrolls up to fifty students for a yearlong program. Students are completely integrated into the University College of London, and are housed in co-ed UCL dorms. The program is administered by a full-time resident director and occupies offices on the UCL campus in central London.

Source: TD, OBS, PAG

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