Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

Founded in 1911 and named in 1981 for Robert H. Dedman, Sr. ’53 and his wife, Nancy McMillan Dedman ’50, Dedman College is the largest of SMU’s schools, with almost 100 majors and minors, over 30 graduate programs, and 275 faculty. As the cornerstone of the University, Dedman College serves to shape leaders who will effect positive change in Dallas and the world from a broad foundation in the liberal arts and sciences. Dedman College combines strengths in the traditional disciplines – History, Economics, Physics – with a profound commitment to interdisciplinary collaborations in areas of immediate need like human rights, the analysis of “big data,” and pharmaceutical innovation.

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Centennial Decade Priorities

Student Quality

Enhancing Undergraduate Education

• Endow the Tower Center Scholars Program in the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies
• Endow the Dedman College Scholars Program

Faculty and Academic Excellence

Supporting a Faculty of Excellence

• Endow Interdisciplinary Professorships and Chairs in the areas of:        
• Analytics
• Urban Studies
• Medicine and the Humanities
• Drug Discovery Design and Delivery
• High Performance Computing
• Expand program support for the Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute
• Endow new dual Biostatistics PhD program in SMU Dedman College’s Department of Statistical Science and UTSW

Campus Experience

Providing Real-Word Experience

• Expand  the internship program across programs and disciplines in Dedman College
• Increase undergraduate civic engagement

Dedman College at a Glance

Dedman College is the heart of SMU. We are home to the humanities and social, natural and mathematical sciences – disciplines that are all at the core of higher education. Nearly half of all declared majors and minors are in Dedman College. We house 16 different departments, over 130 academic programs as well as numerous interdisciplinary centers such as the Richard B. Johnson Center for Economic Studies, and the Center for Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery.

With a faculty of more than 275, Dedman College offers:

• More than 90 majors and minors across 16 academic departments
• Numerous interdisciplinary and pre-professional programs 
• 19 graduate programs leading to a Master’s degree 
• 13 programs leading to a Ph.D. degree

Dedman College's 16 departments are:

• Anthropology
• Biological Sciences 
• Chemistry 
• The Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences 
• Economics 
• English 
• The William P. Clements Department of History 
• Mathematics 
• Philosophy 
• Physics 
• Political Science 
• Psychology 
• Religious Studies 
• Sociology 
• Statistical Science
• World Languages and Literatures

Other programs and initiatives at Dedman College include the University Honors Program, Hilltop Scholars, and the Embrey Human Rights Program. The College also is the home of numerous centers and institutes, as well as endowed lecture series and community outreach, including:

• Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute
• Richard B. Johnson Center for Economic Studies
• Center for Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery
• Center for Statistical Consulting and Research
• Institute for the Study of Earth and Man
• John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies
• William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies
• Tower Center Forum

Students also can complete joint degree programs or select minors from other schools on campus, including Cox School of Business, Meadows School of the Arts and Lyle School of Engineering.

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