Master's Degree in Earth & Environmental Sciences

Overview

A Master’s degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences at the Tulane School of Science and Engineering prepares students to address pressing challenges such as climate change, coastal resilience, and environmental sustainability through interdisciplinary study and hands-on research. Located in New Orleans, Tulane offers a unique living laboratory and close faculty mentorship that equip graduates for impactful careers in environmental science, policy, and research.

Applicants pursue either a course-based (one year) or a thesis-based (two years) program for a Master of Science degree. Note that the MS degree is tuition charging; under rare circumstances tuition can be covered by research grants to faculty advisors or fellowships (e.g., Fulbright Program). The department does not offer teaching assistantships to MS students.

The course-based MS degree requires 30 credit hours of coursework that may include a research project or internship to be carried out over the summer semester. For the two-year program, the MS thesis must contain an original contribution to knowledge and be in form and of literary quality worthy of publication. In addition to the thesis, 24 credit hours of course work are required. Those expecting to continue into a PhD program can either finish their MS degree or pass a PhD qualifying exam after their fourth semester. A detailed description of the Master of Science curriculum and requirements can be found in the SSE Graduate Handbook.