The Fletcher School’s combined-degree program, announced on Mar. 24, allows undergraduate students at Tufts University to begin graduate-level coursework before completing their senior year. Through this joint initiative with the School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering, students can transition directly into Fletcher’s Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) program while finishing their undergraduate studies.
The program aims to provide a professional advantage by giving students early access to advanced classes, faculty mentorship, and Fletcher’s global alumni network. Participants earn both a bachelor’s degree and a MALD upon graduation.
Jacob Hafey, who participated in the program, said he was drawn to international relations and government from his first days at Tufts. “I knew that I wanted to go into international relations and Chinese language and government,” Hafey said. “It seemed obvious that the next step for me would be applying to Fletcher.” He described being inspired by classmates with firsthand experience in military or diplomatic roles: “When they talked about the Iraq war or Afghanistan, it wasn’t just theory… It was incredible to learn from them.”
Julia Shufro also joined as an undergraduate through cross-registration. She found value in learning alongside experienced professionals: “But once I realized that if you’re admitted to Fletcher, you’re meant to be there, it became one of the most transformative experiences of my life,” she said. Shufro credits her career advancement—including her current consulting role—to connections made within the Fletcher network: “People go out of their way to help each other.”
Shane Suksangium learned about the combined pathway early on as an undergraduate after hearing about prominent Thai alumni who attended Fletcher. He said classroom exposure helped him bridge his own experience gap: “That made me quiet in classes at first… But that was a good thing: it allowed me to learn from the people around me.” After graduation, he used skills developed through coursework focused on climate policy for positions at both the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. “I would not be where I am today if it hadn’t been for the things I learned in those [Fletcher] classes,” Suksangium said.
Participants highlight mentorship opportunities and curriculum flexibility as key benefits of the MALD program. Students are encouraged to pursue diverse topics across international affairs—ranging from negotiation skills and conflict resolution training for Shufro, who applies these daily at work; to cybersecurity policy courses for Hafey which shifted his career interests toward technology regulation.
As more undergraduates seek direct pathways into professional fields related to global affairs, programs like this offer earlier engagement with advanced study while fostering lasting networks among peers and faculty.
