Return to Tulane Website

  

Undergraduate Degrees, Programs, Majors, and Minors

 

Degrees and Requirements

Degrees

Degrees offered in Newcomb-Tulane College expose students to a wide range of thought, fact, and human experience. Such a liberal education broadens students' knowledge and awareness of each of the major areas of human understanding into which the disciplines are divided and prepares students for a constructive role in society and for continued learning that contributes to a productive career and a rewarding personal life.

  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
  • Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.)
  • Bachelor of Science in Management (B.S.M.)
  • Bachelor of Science in Public Health (B.S.P.H.)
  • Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.Arch.)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

The degree awarded to the student is dependent on the major program(s) completed. Candidates completing a major program in the humanities or the social sciences receive the B.A. degree; those completing a major program in the fine arts receive either the B.A. or the B.F.A. degree. The B.S. degree is awarded to candidates completing major programs in the sciences or architecture. Candidates completing major programs in anthropology, economics and linguistics receive either the B.A. or B.S. degree.

Degree Requirements

The credits presented for an undergraduate degree must satisfy the core curriculum, school specific core curriculum and major requirements described within the appropriate program of study. Each candidate for degree is required to have completed at least 120 credits of academic work and to have achieved a 2.000 cumulative grade-point average at the university and in the major. At least 66 of the 120 credits must be earned in courses above the 1000 level. Academic credit is awarded on the credit-hour system. A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates:

1. Not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time, or

2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required outlined in item 1 above for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Students who have not completed the first-year writing core requirement (ENGL 1010 or presented an appropriate AP test score) by the end of the second semester of enrollment may not early register for the following semester and may not return to the College until this requirement has been fulfilled.

The College's foreign language requirement is competence at the 1020/1120 level and at least one semester of coursework in this language taken at Tulane. Students who entered Tulane as transfer students may be permitted to satisfy this requirement with transfer credit. See the individual school sections of this catalog for any additional requirements set by the schools. All students must receive formal placement in any foreign language they plan to take while at Tulane.

These policies apply to all students, including those who contemplate leaving for any reason prior to graduation.

The recommended semester program consists of 15 credits to 19 credits. All degree candidates must have completed the last 30 credits of coursework in residence in the college and a minimum of 60 credits at Tulane University. Students who participate in a Tulane study abroad program or other Tulane-sponsored program in the senior year are earning Tulane grades and credits and, therefore, are considered to be meeting the senior residency requirement.

Subject to approval, students may count a maximum of 15 credits of summer work at Tulane, or up to six credits of summer work from other four-year, regionally accredited institutions, as part of their last 30 credits that must be completed in residence. Other school- or program-specific restrictions may apply. Students are encouraged to consult with their advisers.

A maximum of nine credits from courses offered by schools that are not within Newcomb-Tulane College (in the Schools of Continuing Studies, Law, and Social Work) may count toward graduation requirements.

At any time, students can access automated degree audits from the University Registrar's website (http://www.registrar.tulane.edu) showing all completed courses and indicating the general degree requirements and major requirements that remain to be fulfilled before graduation. Students should discuss their degree audits with their advisers and report errors to their academic adviser as soon as possible. Each student is responsible for knowing the exact degree requirements as stated in the school sections of this catalog and for enrolling in appropriate courses to satisfy those requirements.

Dual Degrees

Tulane University offers the option of obtaining two undergraduate degrees. Newcomb-Tulane College students should refer to the school-specific sections for more information on pursuing dual degrees within the same school and consult with their advisers early in their academic careers.

To qualify for two baccalaureate degrees (dual degree) from any of the schools, a student must complete a minimum of 150 credits (75 credits completed at Tulane University) at least 82 of which must be above the 1000-level and satisfy all requirements for each degree and each major. A candidate also must file a degree application for each degree at least two semesters prior to the anticipated date of graduation.

Joint-Degree Programs

Tulane University offers joint-degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) in Business, Law, and Public Health & Tropical Medicine. The undergraduate schools allow qualified students who have completed three years of undergraduate work to begin graduate studies in one of the professional programs. A student who completes the junior year in residence in any of the schools (not on a Tulane year-long study abroad program) and then begins study in one of these professional programs may receive a bachelor's degree from the respective school after satisfactorily completing one year of full-time professional study.

To enter one of these programs, students are required to be accepted by the professional program and to obtain approval from the Newcomb-Tulane College dean by the end of the sixth semester of study. Joint-degree candidates are required to complete 90 credits in Newcomb-Tulane College during three years of study before starting work in the professional program. Credits earned in divisions outside Newcomb-Tulane College (in Schools of Law, Medicine, Social Work or Continuing Studies) may not be applied to the 90 credits. Candidates must meet all core curriculum and major requirements for the bachelor's degree in the undergraduate school. Students in joint-degree programs must complete 120 credits by the close of their fourth year of study in order to receive a degree from the undergraduate school. Students who fail to do so will be required to attend Tulane Summer School to make up their credit deficiency before beginning their second year in the professional school. Transfer students must complete two years of undergraduate work at Tulane to be eligible for a joint-degree program.

All students must file an application for degree at least two semesters prior to the anticipated date of graduation. Every course taken during the first year in the professional program must be passed, and the student's performance in the first year's work in the professional program must be of sufficient quality for advancement to the second year. A student who fails to meet this requirement may become a candidate for a degree in the undergraduate school after satisfactorily completing an additional year of study in the undergraduate school. If a student in a joint-degree program is a candidate for honors, the grade-point average used to determine the eligibility includes the applicable work done in the professional program.

Advanced Standing and Exemption

Although the university awards placement or credit to students who have earned sufficiently high scores on AP or IB exams, students not in these programs also may have special expertise in a foreign language. Students, who prove proficient in a foreign language through a sufficiently high score on the College Board Achievement Test or on a departmentally administered proficiency exam, are exempted from the competency portion of the foreign language requirement only, with no credit awarded; all students must take at least one foreign language course in that language at Tulane University. Exemption may be given in other departments on an individual basis.

Advanced Placement (AP)/ International Baccalaureate (IB) Credits

Advanced placement or college credit is awarded to students who receive the required scores on the College Board AP exams as established by Tulane University academic departments. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that an official report of the AP test scores is sent to Tulane University.

When planning their fall schedules, first-year students should not enroll in courses for which AP credit is expected. AP credit does NOT count toward the minimum or maximum course load or toward the minimum number of earned credits required to remain in academic good standing. No more than four credits of English and no more than four credits of a single modern foreign language will be awarded to any student, even if the student has high scores on the language and literature tests.

A complete listing of AP credit and placement for individual subject areas is located at here. Questions regarding advanced placement credit should be directed to the Newcomb-Tulane College Academic Advising Center.

In addition, Tulane University also awards credit for scores of 5 or better on higher-level International Baccalaureate exams. For more information about IB credit, please contact the Newcomb-Tulane College dean's office.

Residency

All degree candidates must have completed a minimum of 60 credits at Tulane University (excluding Tulane study abroad and Washington Semester programs).

Students must complete the last 30 credits of coursework in residence in the College. Students who participate in a Tulane study abroad program or in the Washington Semester program in the senior year are considered to be meeting the senior residency requirement but these credits will not apply toward the 60 credit university residency requirement. Students participating in dual degree physics and engineering programs (Tulane and approved partner universities) are exempted from the senior residency requirement but not the Tulane residency requirement.

At least half of the credits required for each major must be completed at Tulane University.

CLEP

Full-time undergraduate students enrolled in Newcomb-Tulane College may not earn credit toward a degree through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).

Core Curriculum

The core curriculum is designed to provide a common academic experience for undergraduates across all schools of the university, the core curriculum ensures the attainment of basic competencies in writing, foreign language, scientific inquiry, cultural knowledge, and interdisciplinary scholarship. Use the links on Core Curriculum webpage to see how individual school requirements affect the core requirements.

Major Component

A major field of study provides each student the opportunity to explore a single area of inquiry in depth and to gain the self-confidence derived from mastery of a subject. The major must be selected no later than the beginning of a student's fourth semester of college study. The selection of a major program also determines the school with which the student will be affiliated. Students may change their majors at any point in their academic careers; students choosing to change their majors should be aware that:

  • this action may necessitate a change in school,
  • not all previously completed coursework may apply to the newly selected school or major, and
  • additional coursework may be necessary to meet the new major requirements

Students who elect to complete more than one major must complete all courses for each major. Students declaring a second major must submit their programs of study to the appropriate dean's office for approval. At least half of the coursework required for each major must be completed at Tulane University. Newcomb-Tulane College students should be aware that obtaining a second major in professional degree programs requires obtaining the professional degree, i.e. B.S.E., B.S.M., B.S.P.H., M.Arch.

Minor Component

Undergraduate students may complete one or more minors. The minor is optional and is designed to provide structure to the study of a secondary field of interest chosen by the student. Students who elect to complete the requirements for a minor must earn a grade-point average of at least 2.000 in courses counting toward that minor. No courses counting toward the student's first minor will count toward the student's second minor. Individual schools or departments may specify the number of credits allowed on major-minor overlap. Students should consult departmental listings for additional information.

Master of Architecture

Bachelor of Arts Majors

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Bachelor of Science Majors

Bachelor of Science in Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Management

Bachelor of Science in Public Health

Joint Degrees in Public Health

Certificates

Self-Designed Majors

Students in the School of Liberal Arts can, with faculty approval, self-design a major.  For additional information click here

Coordinate Majors

Coordinate majors are interdepartmental second majors that are linked to one of the primary majors listed previously. Students must complete all courses for each of the majors.

Coordinate Majors

Coordinate majors are interdepartmental second majors that are linked to one of the primary majors listed previously. Students must complete all courses for each of the majors.

Minors

Programs


Self-Designed Majors

A student with a 3.00 GPA may construct a unique self-designed coordinate major program of study by grouping courses from different academic departments and programs primarily in Liberal Arts. While interdisciplinary in nature, a self-designed major should be focused in the School of Liberal Arts. Self-designed major proposals require a petition to the Committee on Undergraduate Academic Requirements, which may grant approval after a review of the proposal, rationale, and proposed list of courses. Detailed instructions for preparing the proposal can be found here.

Double Majors

Newcomb-Tulane College students must have a primary major in the Schools of Architecture, Business, Liberal Arts, Public Health and Tropical Medicine, or Science and Engineering. Any student may also pursue a second major. If the second major is not housed in the primary school, the student does not have to complete the school-specific core of the secondary school. Subject to approval by their advisers, students may also pursue a second major in a professional degree program; however, this option requires completing all degree requirements for the second major and obtaining the professional degree, i.e., B.S.E., B.S.M., B.S.P.H, M.Arch. (See Dual Degrees.)

Full-time students may pursue second majors or minors in the School of Continuing Studies only as a voluntary overload. The second majors available are journalism or media arts; the second minors available are journalism, Louisiana studies, graphic design, media arts, telecommunications, Web application development or website development.

Premedical and Pre-Professional Health Programs

While undergraduate students are completing the regular baccalaureate curriculum of their choice, they may work concurrently to complete the courses required to enter programs in the health professions, including dentistry, medicine, optometry, osteopathy, podiatry, and veterinary medicine. Preparation for such programs normally includes two semesters each of biology (with laboratory), general chemistry (with laboratory), organic chemistry (with laboratory), and physics (with laboratory). Many schools have additional entrance requirements including mathematics and upper-level science courses. Due to the variations in course requirements imposed by these professions, students should request specific information from schools in their fields of interest or from the health professions adviser.

Students interested in one of these professions may pursue a baccalaureate degree in any discipline. In the first three years, however, they should plan a course of study to meet the basic requirements of the professional school. Students considering a career in medically related fields should begin consulting the health professions adviser early in their undergraduate career to discuss available options in their choice of and preparation for a future profession.

Creative Premedical Scholars Program

Through the Creative Premedical Scholars Program, a limited number of well-qualified creative students are accepted to Tulane's School of Medicine following their sophomore year of college. The certainty of having a reserved place in medical school following completion of the undergraduate degree frees the student from the stresses and concerns associated with the competition for entrance. Furthermore, it allows students to take maximum advantage of educational opportunities they might be reluctant to experience if still concerned about gaining acceptance, such as studying abroad.

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must have a 3.6 GPA, complete a minimum of 60 credits of undergraduate work and all of the premedical science course requirements during the regular academic year (not summer) of their freshman and sophomore years (one year each of general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics, all with laboratories). Students with Advanced Placement (AP) credit in biology should discuss their status with the health professions adviser. Qualified applicants are interviewed by a faculty committee during the spring semester of the sophomore year. Students who have completed more than two years of undergraduate work and have transferred to Tulane from another college will not be eligible. Applicants are expected to pursue a non-science field of inquiry during their junior and senior years. Usually, this will take the form of a major in the humanities or social sciences, with a culminating honors thesis. Majors in the schools of Business and Public Health are not appropriate for this program but students can minor in whatever subject they would like. Applicants must present a proposal that demonstrates a substantial difference in their Junior and Senior schedules, and fulfill that schedule if accepted into the program. The proposed academic schedule needs to include courses that demonstrate depth of inquiry. The academic schedule for Creative Scholars is expected to be rigorous, including enrollment in at least 15 credit hours per semester.

For further information please contact the Pre-Health Advisor. http://tulane.edu/advising/prehealth/index.cfm

Prelaw Program

There is no standard prelaw curriculum that must be followed to qualify for admission into law school. A well-rounded education is the best preparation for the study of law, because such an education ensures exposure to a wide variety of ideas and leads to an understanding of the various social, political, economic, and cultural forces that have shaped laws and the societies they govern. Students should develop analytical reasoning and communication skills. Proficiency in writing is essential. Students considering law school are encouraged to begin consulting with the prelaw adviser early in their undergraduate career.

Prelaw Early Acceptance Program

Particularly well-motivated and well-qualified juniors may apply to the Tulane University Law School through the Prelaw Early Acceptance Program. Prelaw Early Acceptance Program candidates complete all requirements of the normal baccalaureate program, but are guaranteed admission to the Law School upon graduation. Students are expected to follow an academically rigorous program while maintaining a high level of academic performance throughout their college careers. Only students who complete all four years of college at Tulane (with the exception of the Tulane study abroad program) are eligible. (This program should not be confused with the 3+3 program, in which Tulane students are accepted to the Law School during the junior year and permitted to enroll at the Law School during what would otherwise be the student's senior year, receiving the baccalaureate degree after the first year of law school and the law degree after two additional years of law school.)

To be considered for the program, students must provide a Tulane transcript showing normal progress (at least 30 credits per year) for at least five regular, full-time semesters of Tulane coursework, and evidence of in-depth study in at least one area. Students must present a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.400 and a score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) of at least 161. Applications should be submitted between October 1 of the junior year and February 1 of the senior year. The LSAT may be taken anytime between June after the sophomore year and December of the senior year. The earliest point at which the Law School will offer admission occurs after the fall semester of the junior year.

Internships for Academic Credit

Consult the individual schools' sections of this catalog for information on internships for academic credit within a major or degree program and for policies regarding limitations on internship credit.

A one-credit internship, INTR 1990, is available to students in the College who are seeking opportunities with organizations that require interns to receive credit for their experience. INTR 1990 credit applies toward the degree but does not apply to any specific degree requirements. This course is offered only on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis and counts within the credit limit for S/U courses. It may be taken more than once but will count as credit toward the degree only once. Before registering, students must apply for this internship course with Associate Dean Molly Travis.

Co-Operative Education

A co-operative education program is offered for seniors in Chemical Engineering. Consult the School of Science and Engineering for details.

Independent Studies

Many departments and programs offer to a limited number of students with superior scholastic standing creative opportunities for independent study normally under the direction of full-time faculty members. The work may take the form of directed readings, laboratory or library research, or original composition. Instead of traditional class attendance, the student substitutes conferences, as needed, with the director. An independent study is a stand-alone course that may not be added to another course and may not replicate existing courses.

Graduate Work

Students in Newcomb-Tulane College with a grade-point average of at least 3.33 in their major program may register, normally in their senior year, for up to six credits of graduate-level courses, for credit toward a baccalaureate degree. Approvals from the course instructor, advisor, chair of the major department, dean of the College and dean of the school offering the course are required.

Provisional Graduate Credit

A senior who completes all baccalaureate requirements before the end of the senior year and intends to enter a Tulane University graduate program may apply for provisional graduate credit in up to, but not more than, 12 credits of graduate 6000- and 7000- level courses. These courses must be approved by the applicable department beyond the credits needed for the baccalaureate. Graduate credit for such work, if passed with a grade of B or better, will be awarded when the student is admitted to full graduate status in the applicable school, upon recommendation of the department chair and approval of the dean. These provisions do not apply to transfer of credits to or from other graduate institutions.

4+1 Programs

Tulane University has developed "4+1" programs in which students can obtain a master's degree within one year of completing the bachelor's degree. Students who pursue this option take courses in the fifth year at a substantially reduced tuition rate. Fields of study in which these programs are offered include anthropology, art history, classics, biomedical engineering, economics, environmental biology, environmental science, English, French, history, linguistics, statistics, neuroscience, philosophy, physics, psychology, and Spanish and Portuguese. Interested students should contact their academic advisers for more information.

Tulane UniversityNew Orleans, LA 70118504-865-5000website@tulane.edu