Grow Academically and Socially
Engineering education at SMU goes beyond classroom learning. We push our students to get involved and shape the SMU community. Lyle students participate in all areas of campus such as athletics, academic organizations, engineering organizations, Greek life and other organizations.
Hands-on Education
Recognizing that the best engineers learn by doing, the courses taught at the Lyle School of Engineering are extremely hands-on. From the cornerstone to the capstone of our curriculum, our students see the practical side of engineering that go beyond solving complex mathematical problems. Freshman Design and Senior Design classes give our students opportunities to master the art of engineering by creating, designing and collaborating. Outside of the curriculum, our students will also have the chance to perfect these skills through Immersion Design Experiments in the SkunkWorks Lab in the Innovation Gym and through projects in the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity.
Research Opportunities
Beyond educating our students in lecture halls and laboratories, the Lyle School of Engineering encourages students to get involved in the many research projects our faculty are conducting. In the fall of 2010, the Department of Defense commissioned two faculty engineering members from SMU to open the Neurophotonics Research Center that will develop two-way fiber optic communication between prosthetic limbs and peripheral nerves. Already, a handful of undergraduate students have played a part as student researchers on this initiative. At SMU, our undergraduate students get opportunities typically only available to graduate students.
Building Technological Leaders
While other universities limit their education to building technological experts, we go beyond this and educate technological leaders. The Hart Center for Engineering Leadership partners with industry to help students create personal plans for professional success. Early exposure to corporate leadership tools, such as 360° feedback, customized development plans, and leadership coaching help our students build confidence and gain an understanding of how the process of becoming a leader works.
Gender Parity
SMU is among the nation’s leaders for women engineering students. Women made up 37 percent of last year’s incoming class compared to the national average of approximately 19 percent. While those numbers are impressive, that’s not good enough. The goal at SMU, through the School of Engineering’s Gender Parity Initiative, is to become the first engineering program in the nation that attracts an equal number of men and women.
Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!
In addition to the wonderful career services available to our students through the Hegi Career Development Center, Lyle Engineering students have the Hart Center for Engineering Leadership (HCEL) to use as a resource. The HCEL conducts a career fair specifically for our engineering students in the fall and in the spring. In addition, the HCEL provides excellent resources through the industry mentor program, resume writing workshops and weekly e-mail updates of job and internship listings to all students.
Location! Location! Location!
In 2010, Texas surpassed New York as the state with highest concentration of Fortune 500 corporate headquarters – a total of 58. Dallas alone boasts 12 of those, and its suburbs are home to seven more. Dallas is definitely a tech city. Our students are minutes away from industry leaders like Ericsson, Stryker, Texas Instruments, Raytheon, IBM and Lockheed Martin. Thus, these and many other top companies actively recruit our students for internships, co-ops and full time job opportunities.
World Class Facilities
The Lyle School of Engineering has seen tremendous growth when it comes to facilities. In the last nine years, the engineering quad has been formed with the opening of 3 new buildings. In addition to the Jerry Junkins Building, which opened in 2002, SMU has now added the J. Lindsay Embrey Engineering (2006) Building and the new Caruth Hall (2010). The Embrey and Caruth Building were constructed to LEED Gold Standards.
Academic Diversity
The Lyle School of Engineering excels in educating the multi-interested student. Our most popular major is the double major. Whether you are pairing an environmental engineering and dance double major like Allison Leopold, computer science and French double major like Thomas Griffin, Management Science with a business administration minor like Elise McDonald or mechanical engineering and math like Braden Reiner, we push our students to explore their academic interests.
Welcome
At the SMU Lyle School of Engineering, we are committed to developing the new American engineer, one prepared to excel and lead in creating new economic opportunities through the advancement of technology while addressing the most difficult challenges facing society.
We want you to learn more about the Lyle School of Engineering and just why you should choose to spend your next four years studying Engineering here at SMU.
Special Notice
Meningitis Vaccination Requirement
Texas State Law effective January 1, 2012: Any entering student at any Texas college or university who is under 30 years old must be immunized for meningitis before attending classes (and must have received the vaccine within the preceding 5 years and at least 10 days prior to the first class day) or provide exemption information. Information on submitting your immunization records or request for a waiver is provided by the SMU Memorial Health Center.