Admission Information

Admission FAQs

The Deadline for Application

Applications for all doctoral programs in Psychology must be submitted by December 1st.

Applying for Admission

Applications must be submitted through the on-line application system. To be considered for admission, all of the following documents must be received by the School of Science and Engineering by December 1st.

A completed application form.

  • Three (3) letters of recommendation.
  • Transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended and of any previous graduate work completed [Note: Unofficial transcripts are accepted for admission consideration; enrollment at the University is contingent upon official transcripts]
  • The Graduate Record Examination is not required.
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, or the equivalent, for applicants whose native language is not English.
  •  Commitment to diversity statement
  •  Statement of experiences and interests ("personal statement")

Requirements for Admission

Undergraduate majors in psychology who have satisfactorily completed courses in general psychology, statistics, and research methods are preferred. Applicants to the School Psychology Program should, in addition, have taken psychological testing. Exceptions may be made for outstanding students in other disciplines. In most instances, minimum criteria for consideration for financial aid are an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.2, as well as a major GPA of 3.4; as indicated below in the profile of our current students, most admitted candidates exceed these minimum qualifications. Evidence of research experience in psychology is highly desirable. The primary concern in selection is that the applicant show scientific and professional promise as well as evidence of successful graduate performance. Students are accepted only for full-time graduate study.

Tulane University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity institution, and consequently its policy of nondiscrimination includes recruitment, employment, retention, and promotion of the most qualified students, faculty, and staff, regardless of an individual's race, sex, color, religion, national/ethnic origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, handicap, or veteran status. Tulane University does not discriminate in its provision of services and benefits and in its treatment of students, patients, and employees. This commitment is made by the University as required by federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Inquiries regarding this policy should be referred to the Affirmative Action Office.

Profile of Current Graduate Students

The 2023-2024 body of 27 Ph.D. students in Psychology comprises 9 U.S. ethnic minorities (as defined by the LA Board of Regents) and 4 non-US citizens. Twenty of the students identify as women. The average entering GPA is 3.43. All students hold a tuition waiver while they are on stipend (or internship) and receive partial support for health insurance through the university. At present, 19 students are funded as teaching assistantships, 2 are funded on full-time pre-doctoral internships, 4 are funded as research assistants, and 2 are on fellowships.

Approximately 51% of the students had received a Master's degree from another institution before coming to Tulane University.

Placement of Program Graduates

Our graduates hold positions in universities, school or clinical settings, or government/foundations (52%, 45%, and 3% respectively). Academic positions since 2005 have included tenure-track appointments at Syracuse University, Towson University, Loyola University of New Orleans, and George Mason University, clinical faculty appointments at Tulane Department of Psychiatry, and post-doctoral appointments at Baylor College of Medicine, UCLA, UCSB, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard Medical School.

Requirements for the Ph.D. in Psychology

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology is awarded for superior scholarly achievements and demonstrated scientific research ability, not simply for accumulation of course credits. Qualified students are invited to work toward the Ph.D. after fulfilling all of the requirements for the M.S. degree.

The Master of Science in Psychology requires a minimum of 24 hours of coursework. The student must complete three of the following core courses: 7000, 7010, 7020, 7030, 7040, 7050, 7060, 7070, 7080, 7090 (Psychology Courses). Core courses and Psychology 6110 should be completed within two years of first registration in the psychology graduate program. Any student with prior graduate training may, with the permission of the professor teaching a required course in that area, petition the faculty that he/she be considered to have satisfied the requirement in that area. The seminar on Professional Issues (Psychology 7230) must be completed by the end of the second year.

The student must present an acceptable thesis to the faculty of the Department of Psychology and successfully defend his/her thesis in an oral examination. Following defense of the thesis, the Department faculty will decide whether or not the student is to be invited to continue work toward the Ph.D.

The minimum additional requirements for the Ph.D. degree include:

  • A total of 48 hours of graduate course credits.
  • Completion of a Master's thesis in psychology including the production of at least one empirical study.
  • Satisfactory performance of a comprehensive preliminary examination.
  • Proposal and completion of an original dissertation research project.
  • Successful defense of the written doctoral dissertation through an oral examination.

The requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology with a specialization in School Psychology are similar to those noted above except that students complete a minimum of 62 didactic hours, 24 practicum hours, and a one-year pre-doctoral clinical internship.

Tuition and Fee Structure

Tuition and fees for each semester are due at the time of registration. Changes in charges for tuition and fees probably will continue to occur, depending on the costs incurred by the University in providing quality education. Information on tuition and fees appears on the School of Science and Engineering Website; tuition for students supported on research or teaching assistantships or fellowships is waived during the first five years of study. All of our current full-time Ph.D. students in their first five years of study hold tuition waivers.

Financial Support

Applicants may request consideration for financial support when they apply for admission. Doctoral level students can be considered for any of the following mechanisms of annual financial support:

Full time teaching assistantships are available to the majority of entering students for the first five years of study. A full teaching assistantship involves teaching duties of 12-15 hours per week, including instruction of laboratory sections or assisting in lecture courses. Such a position includes full tuition remission and a modest stipend.  Stipends for 2023-2024 are $26,500 for 9 months. Stipend rates increase periodically in response to changes in cost of living. For students who adopt the university health insurance plan, the School or Department provide partial support (currently 50%) for the individual's own coverage.

Selected students may be funded by research assistantships from internal or extramural grant sources. Research assistantships carry both a tuition waiver and stipend commensurate with the level of a teaching assistantship.

Graduate student fellowships have been awarded to outstanding applicants beginning study in the falls of 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2018. These fellowships are renewable for up to four years and are provided by grants from the Louisiana Board of Regents Support Fund. The fellowships include complete remission of tuition, and a stipend commensurate or higher than teaching assistantships.  

Additional annual summer support is available in the form of research and teaching awards. Research awards of $2500 are granted to all PhD students during their first four years in the program. These grants are intended to help students make progress on their research during the summer. These awards are made possible by our long-time benefactor, Mr. Robert E. Flowerree.  Selected students may receive additional summer research stipends through extramural research grants. In addition, several teaching assistantships are available during the summer sessions that range from $1500 to $2800 each.

Additional funding is available for advanced doctoral students through myriad of fellowship opportunities, dissertation research awards, and through adjunct teaching positions. Students who do not receive other aid may be eligible for graduate work-study positions within the Department. Information concerning long-term loans may be obtained through Tulane University's Office of Financial Aid.

About the Department and Tulane's Uptown Campus Facilities

The Department of Psychology occupies space in Percival Stern Hall (Science Center), where our main office (Phone: 504-865-5331) is located, as well as in Newcomb Hall and Tulane University Uptown Square. Laboratories for student and faculty research are maintained in the various specialty areas. Many laboratory rooms are both temperature-and-light-controlled. Some are electronically shielded, sound deadened, and have one-way vision mirrors and intercommunication systems. The Department has extensive computer facilities for use in faculty and student research, document preparation, and internet use. A computer classroom with internet access was added several years ago. The Newcomb Children's Center (nursery school and child-care center), the Hebert facilities at Riverside for natural observation of animals, the laboratories at the Tulane National Primate Research Center, and the Audubon Zoological Gardens are available as research sites for members of the Department. There are also opportunities for research in organizations in the New Orleans area and in public and private schools in the city and surrounding parishes.

Tulane Technology Services provides microcomputing and mainframe support, volume discounts on licensed software and hardware purchases, email, web, and storage facilities, as well as tutorials and courses in computer use, access to the network facilities, mainframe computational support, and wireless web and off-campus dial-in service. PsycLit, Medline, and many other databases are accessible on-line through the Tulane University library catalogs. Tulane University libraries have more than 2 million volumes, plus 11,000 current serial subscriptions, and approximately 1,200,000 microforms. The Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, which is across the street from Stern Hall, houses nearly all of the relevant journals and volumes of current interest to psychology.

Students typically find accommodations near the campus or in suburban areas of New Orleans. It is recommended that students visit the campus during the summer to secure housing. Meals can be obtained on a contract basis at Bruff Commons or on a cash basis at facilities located in the Pavilion.

Various resources are available for student support and recreation. Tutoring for coursework can usually be arranged within the Department. Counseling is available through the Tulane University Educational Resources and Counseling Center or at the Tulane Medical Center. The campus and the New Orleans area offer rich cultural and recreational resources for students. The University Center contains a food court, a bookstore, and areas for reading, hobbies, etc. Films, major dramatic productions, art exhibits and a variety of musical events are provided as part of campus life. The Reily Student Recreation Center offers a swimming pool, weight rooms and other fitness facilities, intramural sport programs, and a variety of courses in fitness and athletic skills. In the larger community, students can enjoy the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Opera Guild, as well as ballet, theater, art galleries, and a wide variety of musical and other cultural events.