Originally published in the 2025 issue of the School of Liberal Arts Magazine
Tulane’s School of Liberal Arts is committed to providing a dynamic and relevant education that prepares students for an evolving world. Our recently updated curricula reflect this dedication, creating new departments, enhanced pathways, and innovative courses. These strategic changes underscore our commitment to academic excellence and student success in the 21st century.
Newcomb Department of Music
The Music Department streamlined its undergraduate major offerings to allow students greater flexibility for course selections while maintaining the ability to specialize in specific areas, such as Composition, Vocal or Instrument Performance, Musical Theatre, Black American Music, and Music & Technology. The Music Department offers a BFA and BA degree program in Music, as well as minors in Music and Music Science & Technology.
Department of Africana Studies
Demonstrating a commitment to the growing academic field, the School of Liberal Arts recently granted departmental status to the interdisciplinary program of Africana Studies. Mia Bagneris will lead this initiative as the inaugural chair of the department.
New Foreign Language Offerings
Building upon one of our Pillars of Distinction — a Global Liberal Arts — we recently introduced new foreign language course offerings in Korean, managed by the Asian Studies program, and Choctaw, managed by the Native American & Indigenous Studies program.
Cinema Studies
Emphasizing the theoretical and historical approaches to cinema — the formal analysis of films, cinema’s ties to new technologies, and cinema’s sociopolitical, economic, and environmental implications — “Film Studies” has evolved into Cinema Studies. Students may pursue either a major or a minor, reflecting the multidisciplinary study of cinema in its global dimensions.
Digital Media Practices Program Expansion
Our popular Digital Media Practices Program recently revamped and expanded its curriculum to embrace and explore other forms of media, including Podcasting, Screenwriting, and Video Game Design. This flexible and varied curriculum positions students for another of our Pillars of Distinction — Careers of the Future.