Tulane University

Tulane University was established in 1834 as the Medical College of Louisiana, the South's second medical school, after a smallpox outbreak. A decade later, the state's legislature renamed it the University of Louisiana. The Civil War brought significant changes as Tulane was privatized and chose its first president, William Preston Johnston. Tulane University now stands as a prestigious private, non-sectarian institution with "very high research activity." As an AAU member, Tulane enrolls more than 8,300 undergraduates and 5,100 post-graduates. Sprawling over 110 urban acres, Tulane is located in Uptown New Orleans adjacent to Audubon Park. Satellite locations operate in Elmwood, Biloxi, Madison, and Houston.

According to the U.S. News, Tulane University is the 41st best national college and 33th top school for military veterans. In particular, Tulane is recognized for having America's 105th best graduate engineering and 106th top biological science programs. Forbes ranked Tulane as the country's 93rd best research university with the 126th most grateful grads. The Princeton Review distinguished Tulane for the 10th happiest students and 12th best quality of life nationwide. Kiplinger's crowned Tulane University the 57th best private value in the United States. Tulane also placed 19th in Newsweek's list of the 25 "Most Service-Minded Schools."

Tulane University Accreditation Details

Last reaffirmed in 2011, Tulane University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This regional agency is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Tulane has specialized accreditation from the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Chemistry courses are approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS). Engineering management classes also align with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Tulane University Application Requirements

Master's of Engineering applicants to Tulane University must pass a highly selective admissions process with an average acceptance rate of 27 percent. Graduate students must already hold a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. university or foreign equivalent. Preference is given to a B.A. or B.S. in Engineering disciplines. For non-engineering majors, curriculum prerequisites mandate one year of calculus, one year of physics, one year of biology, and one year of chemistry. Master's programs require a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.3 in the last 60 hours. Taking the General GRE test within the last five years is necessary. International learners must score at least 90 on the TOEFL or 6.5 on the IELTS.

Online applications for admission must be submitted before July 15th for Fall or December 1st for Spring enrollment. Interested students can send the following to Tulane University:

• $50 non-refundable application fee
• Unofficial copies of college transcripts
• Self-reported GRE scores
• 500-word statement of purpose
• Three letters of recommendation
• Certification of English proficiency (if foreign)

Tuition and Financial Aid

Full-time graduates in the School of Science & Engineering will pay $24,515 per semester or $49,030 annually. Part-time master's students are charged $2,724 per credit hour. Graduates must budget for the $400 academic support fee, $120 student activity fee, $150 recreation fee, and $320 health center fee. Total tuition is approximately $25,505 each semester. Residential students are billed $8,862 for graduate housing and $5,150 for meal plans yearly. Unless waived, health insurance adds another $3,030. It's not uncommon for graduates at Tulane to have expenses upwards of $65,000 each year.

Luckily, the NCES reports that two-thirds of full-time Tulane students earn assistance. Financial aid packages average $24,221 each year. After filing the FAFSA, master's pursuers can qualify for borrowing Federal Direct Unsubsidized, Perkins, or Grad PLUS loans. Flexible monthly payment plans are available via Tulane's secure portal, Gibson Online. In-state residents may apply for the Louisiana Leveraging Educational Assistance Program (LEAP) or Louisiana GO Grant. Financially needy students can earn the No Loan Assistance (NOLA) Award. Master's of Engineering students serving as research or teaching assistants waive their tuition. Industry employers could apply tuition benefits. Institutional awards, including the Freeport-McMoran Endowed, Herman John Janssen Memorial, and M.H. Rykoski Scholarships, are abundant.

Master's of Engineering Degree(s) Available

Tulane University currently houses 13 master's programs within its School of Science & Engineering. There are also eight 4+1 combined degrees for saving 35 percent of graduate tuition expenses. Engineering majors benefit from working at some of the nation's leading research centers, including the Institute for Macromolecular Engineering, Center for Polymer Reaction Monitoring, and Coordinated Instrumentation Facility. Classes are delivered in the state-of-the-art Lindy Boggs Building with a student-faculty ratio of 9:1 for personalized learning. Available master's programs for engineers are:

Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Requiring 30 credits, Tulane's M.S. in Biomedical Engineering program prepares STEM graduates to develop creative solutions to today's pressing healthcare problems using advanced engineering principles. Coursework will explore physiology, biomechanics, biomaterials, tissue engineering, quantitative methods, and biophotonics. Students can complete a master's thesis or follow a non-thesis track with extra electives. During summers, the Bioinnovation Fellowships are available for added research experience. There's a Nikon TE-2000i fluorescent microscope accessible in the Microscopy Suite.

Master of Science in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Drawing from 11 active, full-time faculty, the M.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering program allows Tulane students to practice applying principles and designing processes that involve the use of chemicals. The two-year, 30-credit curriculum offers coursework ranging from thermodynamics and herterogeneous catalysis to gene therapy and polymer science. Students join relatively small research groups in the Boggs Center for Energy and Biotechnology. Writing a culminating master's thesis paper is generally required. There's also a 4+1 option for Bachelor of Science in Engineering students.

Master of Science in Computational Science

The School of Science & Engineering offers the M.S. in Computational Science as one of the Gulf Coast region's first programs devoted to experimental work in computation. Engineering majors can pursue this 30-credit program for classes like biomechanics, fluid mechanics, statistics, neuroscience, population ecology, quantum physics, bioengineering, data analysis, and multi-scale modeling. Students work hands-on in supercomputer labs connected by a high-speed Infiniband network. After the master's thesis, graduates possess the skills to perform computer simulations of various engineering phenomena.

Graduate students at Tulane University may also be interested in the M.S. in Physics, M.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, M.S. in Computer Science, M.S. in Chemistry, or M.S. in Applied Mathematics.