Southern Methodist University
Dallas, Texas
SMU provides a great education for professionals interested in more than just their professions. It combines an expansive curriculum with core, general education requirements to ensure that students can immerse themselves in their particular interests while still benefiting from exposure to different academic disciplines. Over the last decade, SMU has reaped the benefits of explosive growth while maintaining its sense of community. SMU is large enough to offer almost unlimited opportunities and small enough for students to truly take advantage of them.
Get to know Southern Methodist University
College Highlights
AN EDUCATION THAT GOES AS FAR AS YOU TAKE IT
SMU students have the opportunity to explore a wide assortment of subjects in an innovative, interdisciplinary way. Described as “open-minded, outgoing and friendly,” SMU students are known to be forward-looking, yet they tend to appreciate traditional values and lifestyles.
A CITY OF OPPORTUNITY
According to a survey by Inc. Magazine, Dallas is the hub of the country’s fastest-growing private companies. This gives SMU students tremendous opportunities for internships. For example, 80% of Lyle School of Engineering graduates complete an internship during their undergraduate careers. Students in Cox School of Business are offered internship opportunities both locally and nationally with top-ranking companies.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
The University provides several opportunities for undergraduates to conduct research. The Richter Fellowship awards grant money to support the costs SMU students incur while researching international or multicultural topics, often in a foreign country. Students studying biomedicine can take advantage of summer research opportunities through the Biomedical Researchers in Training Experience Scholars Program. SMU psychology majors start researching and conducting experiments as early as their sophomore year.
AREAS OF STUDY
SMU offers 100 majors and 75 minors as well as 148 study abroad programs in 48 countries. SMU’s campus in northern New Mexico, also known as SMU-in-Taos, offers summer and fall credit and noncredit courses in disciplines such as anthropology, geology, biology, art history, music, music history, photography, painting, sculpture, literature, and history. Additionally, the program offers a variety of wellness activities, including hiking, biking, river rafting, rock climbing, horseback riding, and fly-fishing.
ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY
Non-U.S. Citizen: 6%
Hispanic/Latinx: 13%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 5%
White, non-Hispanic: 64%
Native/Indigenous American or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 0%
Asian, non-Hispanic: 8%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 0%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 4%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown: 1%
AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM THAT’S INNOVATIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE
“One-on-one interaction is the heart of an SMU education,” says one faculty member. Every first-year student takes a rhetoric class with 18 or fewer students to ensure that the classroom experience is mutually beneficial for both the students and the professor. The SMU faculty is known for their accessibility to students outside scheduled office hours. Some professors even offer their home or cell phone numbers for students who need assistance after hours.
A-LEC
The Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center (A-LEC) offers an array of programs to help students stay on track, including seminars for time and stress management, writing tutorials from full-time faculty, and a course titled ORACLE (Optimum Reading, Attention, Comprehension and Learning Efficiency). These services are offered to students Sunday through Friday, free of charge.
A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS
The SMU campus features beautiful classic Georgian architecture, perfectly groomed landscape and smiling students, but the University is definitely a 21st-century college. Students can find their home in one of several living arrangements, including first-year halls, four-year halls, honors halls, and a community for the fine arts.
RESIDENCE COMMUNITIES
Honors students have the opportunity to live in special communities. The Hilltop Scholars Program is a live-and-learn community for first-year students. These students live together in Perkins Hall and take up to three classes together. The University Honors Program also offers honors students the option to live in Virginia-Snider, a hall dedicated to the honors community. Students interested in community service can live in the Service House, paying for room and board through volunteer work.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
SMU is home to about 200 student organizations in which students can get involved in community service, student government, professional associations, and more. SMU also hosts an active intramural athletics program. About 36% of SMU students are involved in the fraternity and sorority system. In addition, students can stay active at Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports, which includes a 3,000-square-foot cardio and weight room, an indoor soccer field, racquetball courts, two sand volleyball courts and a three-story rock-climbing wall. Varsity athletic events also help bring the students together—SMU is a Division I school and a member of Conference USA. In addition to student clubs and intramurals, the Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series hosts world famous guests such as Colin Powell, Anderson Cooper, Tony Blair and Katie Couric.
A THRIVING NEIGHBORHOOD
In addition to all the exciting activities on campus, there’s also a lot to do in both the neighborhood across the street and within the city (accessible by a nearby light-rail system!). There are numerous shops and restaurants within walking distance of campus. Some of the best shopping, art and cultural activities in the world can be found in Dallas. SMU’s Meadows Museum houses one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of Spanish art outside of Spain. The Dallas area is also home to the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers, and FC Dallas.
CAREER SERVICES
Whether students are planning to attend graduate school or join the workforce, the SMU Hegi Family Career Development Center is prepared to help. The center provides comprehensive testing services, academic guidance, seminars on résumé building, and mock interviews. The career center also has a job and internship placement program and is proud to say that there are more internships available to SMU students than there are students to fill them.
ACTIVE ALUMNI
SMU has approximately 100,000 alumni worldwide who continue to show their appreciation for the education they received at SMU. They stay connected to the University through donations, guest lectures, and mentoring opportunities.
NEARBY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Nearly 40,000 SMU alumni live and work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Dallas is home to more than 10,000 businesses and is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s best locations for its thriving environment for commerce. Because of SMU’s close ties with the community, area companies and other organizations, students can gain valuable work experience through internships and part-time jobs. In addition, many top executives serve as student mentors and visit campus for lively exchanges of information and ideas.
Admission
TEST SCORES
Required
FRESHMAN PROFILE
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
25th Percentile: 630 | 75th Percentile: 710
SAT Math
25th Percentile: 620 | 75th Percentile: 740
ACT Composite
25th Percentile: 29 | 75th Percentile: 33
ACT Math
25th Percentile: 26 | 75th Percentile: 31
ACT English
25th Percentile: 29 | 75th Percentile: 35
Tuition & Cost
Tuition: $51,958
Fees: $6,582
Room: $10,724
Board: $6,386
Contact Southern Methodist University
Contact Admissions
www.smu.edu/admission
(214) 768-2058
ugadmission@smu.edu
Campus Location
6425 Boaz Lane
Dallas, TX 75205
(214) 768-2000
Visit Southern Methodist University Online