Three of Tulane University’s undergraduate colleges are launching new programs of study available to students from any major, beginning as soon as March 13.
The School of Liberal Arts will host the first iteration of the “Fast 15” courses — one-credit, one-weekend courses that will explore careers in entertainment and the nation’s capital.
Taught by Vicki Mayer, senior advisor to the dean of liberal arts, and Philip de Mahy, professor of practice in American politics, Fast 15 was developed to give Tulane students a structured, in-depth look into opportunities for their future careers, according to the program website.
“It’s pretty much the time span of a weekend, so it seems like a good time for undergraduate students … to really look at career exploration and to do it in an engaging way,” Mayer said. “Each Fast 15 has a focus, and I would say a focus is more oriented around interests and experiences rather than a specific major. I’m a strong believer that knowledge is interdisciplinary.”
Mayer also hoped that in the coming semesters, Fast 15 will expand into more industries for students from any academic background to explore.
“I think a lot of opportunities are the ones that students make for themselves,” Mayer said. “If you’re ambitious, you’re gonna look for your next move. I think we’re just expanding the number of moves that you could possibly make.”
The Tulane School of Science and Engineering is developing a new and improved civil engineering – water and environment major. Tulane’s civil engineering program never returned after Hurricane Katrina, but Ehab Meselhe, department chair of river-coastal science and engineering, is bringing it back to life in the fall 2026 semester, with a New Orleans twist.
The new water and environment major and minor will give engineering students the opportunity to take a multidisciplinary approach to environmental issues, especially challenges on Louisiana’s coast.
“We are trying to adjust the way we train people who want to work in environmental challenges, because traditionally, people are very focused on their sub-field, and that’s not quite helpful,” Meselhe said. “You cannot be an expert in everything, right? You still need to have an area of strength, but you need to have an awareness of who else is working on the environment with you.”
Working with Meselhe on the development of this program, undergraduate research assistant Violet Gagliano emphasized the uniqueness of this program, with laboratories in Tulane’s own backyard.
“If you’re interested in an engineering major, and you’re coming to school in New Orleans, why not make the most of the environment that you live in and learn about the different water and environment aspects, while also still staying on the engineering timeline?” Gagliano said.
At the Goldring/Woldenberg Business Complex, Tulane is opening new opportunities for students with non-business majors, featuring a general business minor and hospitality certificate starting next semester.
Director of Undergraduate Advising Shira Hussain and Myke Yest, associate dean of undergraduate education, are developing this program to give non-business school students a background in business, without sacrificing their chosen major.
“The dean put together a task force, and there were two large goals. One was to offer a program that would be attractive to students outside the business school, that can just complement and enhance the major of study that they currently have,” Yest said. “The second was … to be able to enter into the 4+1 [master’s programs] in a way that they would not feel as if they were two steps behind our BSMs.”
The development of the minor also gave faculty members the chance to look at and adjust the prerequisites for certain classes in the business school, making them more accessible to students in and outside of the A.B. Freeman School of Business.
“I just feel it’s a blessing to be able to expand our impact on campus,” Hussain said. “Now we can bring together a mix of students from [all programs of study to] our own BSMs, so it just enhances the course experience I would imagine for students and faculty.”