Prospective Graduate Students

Newcomb Hall, Tulane University School of Liberal Arts

Please read all the general application information below before starting your application. After reading the information below, to begin the application process, create an account using the First-time Users: Create an Account link at the bottom of the Graduate Admissions Application Portal page.

The School of Liberal Arts offers a range of Ph.D., MA, and MFA programs. The Ph.D. prepares students to be practicing scholars in the offering disciplines. Students receiving the Ph.D. from departments and programs in the School of Liberal Arts have received teaching jobs at prestigious colleges and universities all over the country. The MA is an appropriate degree for students who are unsure whether they want to continue in a Ph.D. program, for students who want to teach in secondary school, and for a wide range of other careers, depending on the discipline. The MFA is the terminal degree for practitioners in studio art, music performance, and theatre. In addition, Tulane University undergraduates can pursue post-graduate work by spending an extra year at Tulane in a "4+1" MA program, which is offered by many departments.

To find out more about the departments and programs that offer each of these degrees, please see the Degrees Offered page.

Applying to an SLA Graduate Program

Applicants who have earned an undergraduate degree from a recognized institution may be offered admission to the School of Liberal Arts graduate program if their academic record and personal attributes indicate the ability to pursue advanced study successfully. Applicants must present evidence, to the satisfaction of the department or the program committee concerned, of adequate preparation for the subjects in which they seek to specialize. All students must hold an undergraduate degree before enrolling. For most programs, applicants with a Bachelor's degree may apply directly to a Ph.D. program; it is not necessary to have a Master's degree to apply to a Ph.D. program. With special permission from the department, an applicant may seek admission as a special, non-degree student to pursue up to 9 hours of study which does not lead to a degree.

The School of Liberal Arts offers MFA, MA, and Ph.D. degrees. Not all departments/programs offer both Master’s and Ph.D. degrees. Please check the department/program website for the specific degrees offered in your program of interest before you begin your application.

Current Tulane undergraduate students may apply for the 4+1 MA degree. This allows students currently enrolled in a TULANE undergraduate program to gain graduate credits toward an MA degree while still enrolled as an undergraduate. The 4+1 MA option is not offered by all departments so please check the appropriate department website for information on this option. The 4+1 MA is ONLY for students currently enrolled in a TULANE undergraduate program.

Application Deadlines

All department applications open August 20, 2024 but application submission deadlines vary for each department. In order for your application to be reviewed, the application and application fee must be submitted online and all required materials received by the application deadline. Please review the Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of the page before starting your application.

Degrees Offered and Department Application Deadlines:

All application deadline dates below are in 2025 except Anthropology which closes in December 2024. Applications are due by 11:59 PM EASTERN U.S. time on the application date listed below.

The GRE is only required for application to those programs noted above as required. It is NOT required/is waived for all other departments.

The English, Economics, and Philosophy MA programs allow admission for the Spring semester on a very limited basis with approval from the department. All other MA programs and all MFA and all Ph.D. programs admit for Fall semester only.

Online Application Information and Application Form

Applications must be submitted online. The application fee is $30 payable by credit card or checking account transfer at the time the application is submitted. Verified Mc Nair Scholars are the only applicants eligible for a waiver of the application fee.

Once you create an account and start your application, if a specific degree or department/program does not appear as an option on the application it means that department/program either does not offer that degree OR is not offering it for the current application period.

Applications open August 20, 2024 for enrollment the following fall.

NOTE: Current Tulane students applying for the 4+1 MA program in ANY department MUST select the “4+1Liberal Arts” department/program application option that appears after creating your application account and NOT the option for the specific department/program. All other MA (not 4+1) applicants, MFA and Ph.D. applicants should select the specific department/program application option and NOT the “4+1” option.

*** APPLY HERE : School of Liberal Arts MA, 4+1 MA, MFA, or Ph.D. Graduate Admissions Application Portal ***

Frequently Asked Questions about Submitting an Application to the School of Liberal Arts Graduate School

Please review this information before starting your application.

  1. What documents will I need to submit with my application? The online application system will not allow an applicant to submit an application until all information on the application form is complete and required documents are attached to application. You may save a partially completed application and complete it later. To submit the application you must:
    1. fill in the required information on all sections of the application
    2. upload a personal statement
    3. enter the names and requested contact information of three people who will submit (online) letters of academic and/or professional recommendation
    4. upload the most recent unofficial transcript from each university attended (for transcripts in a language other than English, please upload the original copy of a certified English translation with an explanation of the grading system)
    5. upload writing sample, if required by the department
    6. enter self-report GRE scores ONLY if required by the program and request ETS send the official scores to Tulane School of Liberal Arts.

    Please check the individual department websites for application materials required by individual departments/programs. More details about personal statements, GRE scores, language scores and letters of recommendation follows in the questions below.

    Should you be offered admission, you must send an official copy of your transcript from each institution you attended when you accept the admission offer. Official copies must either be in a sealed envelope, signed on the back by the University Registrar or sent electronically from the University's certified transcript transmission service. Please ONLY send an OFFICIAL transcript if you accept an admission offer.

    FULL TIME (9 or more credit hours(per semester)(per year)
    Tuition (Ph.D., MA, MFA)**$33,502$67,004
    Tuition MA*** (English, Linguistics/Computational Linguistics, Political Economy with Data Analytics, Philosophy, AND all 4+1 MA programs except Economics MA)$11,167$22,334
    Tuition - Economics MA (Policy Economics) and Economics 4+1***$1,241 per credit hour
    Academic Support Service Fee$400$800
    Reily Center Fee$237$474
    Campus Health Center Fee$396$792
    Student Activities Fee$120$240