Tom Schulman graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Philosophy. He studied at the USC Graduate School of Cinema, the Actors and Directors Lab with Jack Garfein, and more recently with director Joan Darling. He directed the Actors' Studio, West production of Harold Pinter's The Caretaker.

Tom wrote the film Dead Poets Society for which he received an Academy Award. He also wrote What About Bob?, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Medicine Man, and Holy Man. He wrote and directed Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag. He was an executive producer on Indecent Proposal and Me, Myself and Irene. He was the writer/producer of Welcome to Mooseport. He co-wrote and co-produced The Anatomy of Hope, a pilot for HBO.

Tom served on the board of directors and then as vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West. Tom served on the board of directors and then as president of the Writers Guild Foundation.