The United Methodist Church in Dallas, U.S.A, founded the Southern Methodist University or SMU in 1911. SMU is a private university and a renowned global research center. It offers undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs in Humanities, Sciences, Arts, Engineering and Business among other fields.
SMU has a diverse student culture with 12000 students from all over the U.S and 90 foreign nations. A significant number of foreign students are from China, India, and Mexico. SMU is one of the best colleges in the United States for merit aids (#11 by Money) and awarded USD 143 million scholarships and grants to its students last year. It has hosted world leaders and dignitaries like several former U.S Presidents, Stephen Hawking, and His Holiness Dalai Lama among others, as speakers on the campus in various University programs.
Southern Methodist University Rankings
Ranked #64 among National Universities by U.S News and World Reports in 2020.
Ranked #701 – #750 by QS Global World Ranking in 2020.
Ranked #351 – #400 by Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2020.
Ranked #84 by Times Higher Education U.S University Rankings 2020.
Ranked #401 by Webometrics World Ranking 2020.
Highlights
| Type of University | Private |
| Faculty members | 1231 |
| Number of undergraduate seats | 1674 |
| Number of undergraduate students | 6479 |
| Number of graduate students | 5170 |
| Percentage of international students | 14% |
| Annual acceptance rate | 51% |
| The basic tuition fee for international undergraduate students | 50,560 USD |
| The basic tuition fee for international graduate students | 40,896 USD |
| Test scores accepted | TOEFL, IELTS |
| Website | smu.edu |
Southern Methodist University Campus
The Southern Methodist University has a 234 acres campus in Dallas-Fort Worth. Dallas-Fort Worth is a major business hub in the country and houses the headquarters of 22 Fortune 500 companies and 42 Fortune 1000 companies.
The SMU campus consists of 131 buildings fashioned in Georgian architecture.
Two of the most prominent buildings in the campus are – the Meadows Museum and the George W. Bush Presidential Center. The Meadows Museum is an internationally renowned museum exhibiting Spanish art.
The George W.Bush Presidential Centre has a library, a museum, and an institute. It also offers students and faculties to participate in research programs and host prominent speakers. The center is open to visitors and has a restaurant as well.
The other buildings include academic buildings, labs, bookstores, schools and colleges, auditorium, stadium, residential facilities, and dining halls. The schools and colleges on the campus offer full-time, part-time and professional programs.
Residential Facilities at Southern Methodist University
SMU provides housing facilities to about 3000 students on the campus. There are 11 residential common and 7 upper-division halls. The commons are for first-year and second-year students. There are also 10 graduate or family residential halls.
All rooms are furnished, double, single or triple occupancy and have shared bathrooms. Graduate residences are apartment-style housing. All housing facilities are co-ed and air-conditioned. Other facilities include internet connections, laundry service, 24-hour exterior card access, etc.
First-year and second-year students residing on campus have to purchase meal plans which offer whole week access of food at Umphrey Lee Centre and Arnold Dining Commons. They can select meal plans during housing application and the plan is renewed after the semester. The meal plan for undergraduates is The Works.
Meal plans for graduate students differ from freshmen. All students can use flex dollars to buy meals. All first-year students can apply for housing after admission and payment of a deposit. The application should be made online at the SMU Housing Portal.
Programs offered at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University offers various programs in undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees through seven schools and colleges.
There are 100 majors and 85 minors for undergraduates in the fields of Humanities and Sciences, Education, Business, Arts and Engineering. More than 120 graduate and professional degrees are offered in Law, Theology, Arts, Engineering, Business, Humanities and Sciences, and Education.
Some of the popular undergraduate majors are – Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Business, Economics, Accounting, Psychology, Applied Physiology and Health Management, and Journalism.
Application Process
International students who want to seek admissions at Southern Methodist University can follow the below-mentioned admission details:
How to apply: Freshmen applicants can choose to apply for Early Action, Early Decision – I/II and Regular Decision. Undergraduate applicants can choose one of the online application links mentioned here – SMU Online Application; The Common Application; ApplyTexas; The MyCoalition Application.
Graduate applicants have to apply through the link – SMU Graduate Studies Application.
Application Fee – USD 60 for undergraduates and USD 75 for graduates
Application Deadlines
For international undergraduate students, application deadlines are as follows –
- Early Action and Early Decision – I – November 1
- Regular Decision and Early Decision – II – January 15
The application deadline for graduate courses differs for each program. Here we have mentioned few deadlines for Masters programs.
- Engineering – May 15 (Fall) and September 1 (Spring)
- Economics – May 1
- Psychology – December 1
Admission Requirements
- Official transcripts – high school/college/university
- Scores of Standardized exams to study in the US
- Letter of Recommendations
- Extracurricular resume for undergraduates/ professional resume for graduates
- Passport and visas
- Financial statement
- Initial interview for undergraduates
- English Proficiency Test scores
English Language Proficiency
International applicants have to submit proof of English Language Proficiency. The accepted tests are IELTS and TOEFL. The minimum required score for graduate courses might differ based on the individual program. Here we have presented the minimum English Language test scores needed to be eligible for admission to SMU.
| Tests | Min. Req. Score Undergraduates | Min. Req. Score Graduates (can differ) |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 90 | 80 – 83 |
| IELTS | 6.5 + | 6.5 + |
Cost of Attendance
The tuition and other charges for undergraduate courses are mentioned in the table below.
| Expenses | Charges (for Spring term 2020) |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees | 50,200 USD |
| General Student fees | 6360 USD |
| Housing | 3650 USD – 6800 USD |
| Dining | 3100 USD – 3340 USD |
| Miscellaneous* | USD 3476 |
The tuition fees for graduate courses differ for each program. The following table contains the expenses for a few graduate courses.
| Course/Expense | Charges |
|---|---|
| The tuition fee for MBA | 23,487.50 USD |
| The tuition fee for Engineering (Masters) | 1200 USD – 1450 USD per credit hour |
| The tuition fee for Arts | 500 USD – 1600 USD per credit hour |
| General Student fee | 3180 USD (Max) |
| Housing | 3900 USD – 6120 USD |
| Dining | 769.50 USD – 2136 USD |
Financial Aids and Scholarships
SMU offers academic scholarships to international first-year students who have applied for admission by January 15. No separate application is required. These scholarships are awarded based on merit and academic achievements. SMU offers academic scholarships worth a total of USD 78,067,136 to students.
- President’s Scholarship offers Full tuition fee
- The Nancy Ann and Ray L. Hunt Leadership Scholars Program offers USD 42,000 per year or a total of USD 168,000 over four years
Alumni Network
Few notable alumni of the Southern Methodist University are –
- Laura Bush – Former First Lady of the U.S
- James Cronin – Physicist and Nobel Prize winner
- Beth Henley – Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
- Richard Weekley – Co-founder, David Weekley Homes
- Lamar Hunt (Late) – Founder of the American Football League
According to Princeton Review 2017, SMU has the 13th best alumni network in the United States. The alumni members can enjoy several benefits, out of which few are Professional support, License plates, Insurance benefits, Shopping, and hotel discounts.
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