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Dedman College
Dedman College is the heart of SMU. It is home to the humanities, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, and natural sciences disciplines central to the traditions of higher education.
In 1915 when SMU opened the doors of Dallas Hall to welcome the first class of students, those students matriculated into the College of Arts and Sciences, the academic unit that would eventually become Dedman College. In 1963, with the formulation of the Master Plan, the College became the School of Humanities and Sciences in recognition of its role in the specialized education of students in the liberal arts. From 1963 until 1980, the basic liberal arts education for all SMU students was provided by University College, an independent, nondegree granting academic unit.
The School of Humanities and Sciences was merged in 1980 with University College to create a new entity central to the enterprise of undergraduate education. It would not only provide the basic foundations in liberal arts education to all SMU students through the General Education Curriculum but also serve as a center for the integration of specialized education in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. As an indication of its centrality to the educational process, the name was changed from school to college, emphasizing that it is a community of students and teachers, whose life together, no matter how diversied and specialized, is unied by the implicit and explicit values derived from a liberal arts education. In 1981, the newly formed college was endowed by Robert H. and Nancy Dedman and became Dedman College.
In addition to being the oldest academic unit at SMU, Dedman College is also the largest. In 2002, it enrolled more than 1,400 undergraduate majors and nearly 340 graduate students. More than 250 full-time faculty are based in the College. Undergraduate students in Dedman College may major in any one of 52 programs, and choose from 50 minor programs. The College offers 22 graduate programs leading to a Master's degree and 11 programs leading to a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Its 15 academic departments include: Anthropology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Economics, English, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Geological Sciences, History, Mathematical Sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Statistical Science. In addition, the College offers three part-time multidisciplinary evening degrees: Bachelor of Humanities, Bachelor of Social Sciences, and a Master of Liberal Arts.
Majors in Dedman College include:
Minors available include:
Specific degree requirements and additional information for any of these programs can be found in the departmental sections of this catalog.
Dedman College students may also complete minors in other schools on campus, including the Edwin L. Cox School of Business, Meadows School of the Arts, and the School of Engineering. Interested students should contact the office of the Dean in those schools concerning specific requirements.
During their first and second years at SMU, a number of Dedman College students participate in The University Honors Program described in the Academic Programs section of this catalog and subsequently graduate with "Honors in the Liberal Arts."
Students participating in the University Honors Program are encouraged to join the Departmental Distinction Program to earn the designation of "Liberal Arts Honors with Departmental Distinction" on their transcripts.
During the junior and senior years, students may participate in the honors courses and seminars offered within their major departments. A variety of internships and research programs are also offered in some departments to provide practical exposure and experience within the disciplines. More specific information on the programs in each department can be found in the "Courses of Study in Dedman College" section.
Successful completion of the departmental honors program earns the student "Departmental Distinction."
Before arranging a program in Dedman College, the preprofessional student should become familiar with the entrance requirements of the particular professional school that the student intends to enter. Requirements differ to some extent even within the same profession, and the student will nd that some schools require that specific courses be included in the preprofessional training.
To be a prelaw student at SMU does not require any particular major or academic program. Prelaw seniors who go on to law school include majors in all four undergraduate schools. Success in law school requires skills in critical analysis, logical reasoning, and written and oral expression. Students should keep in mind that the spoken and written word are the principal tools of the legal profession. Students who intend to study law must develop an excellent knowledge and grasp of the English language as well as a clear and concise style of expression.
Furthermore, a sound liberal arts education is generally best for most prelaw students. Courses in political science, history, economics, statistics, and anthropology help a student understand the structure of society and the problems of social ordering with which the law is concerned.
The study of philosophy, literature, ne arts, foreign languages, and other cultures imparts familiarity with traditions of universal thought and trends that have inuenced or tend to inuence legal developments nationally and internationally. The examination of human behavior in sociology and psychology will aid the prospective law student in understanding the types and effects of human behavior with which law is involved.
The systematic ordering of abstractions and ideas acquired by studying logic and the sciences contributes much to a prelaw student's capacity to analyze, understand, and rationally organize his or her thoughts. And, in some elds of law practice, it is useful for a student to have a fundamental knowledge of technology, engineering, computers, and accounting.
Law School Admission TestCandidates for admission to an American Bar Association-approved school of law must take the Law School Admission Test administered by the Law School Admission Service of Newtown, Pennsylvania. Candidates are urged to take the test on the June, October, or December testing dates preceding the fall term in which they seek admission to law school.
For additional prelaw information, undergraduate students may consult the prelaw services in the Dedman College Advising Center.
Credit RequirementsExcept in very rare circumstances, all approved law schools require that an applicant for admission have been granted a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
Admission to Dedman School of LawAdmission to Dedman School of Law is by selection based upon the academic record of the applicant, the applicant's Law School Admission Test score, and other available data. Further information can be obtained by writing the Admissions officer, Dedman School of Law, PO Box 750110, Dallas TX 75275-0110. www.law.smu.edu/admissions
Medical and dental schools seek students who have demonstrated strength in their major any major of the student's choosing and in the sciences. There is no preferred major. Honors work is appropriate.
Most medical and dental schools require the following coursework for entry: English, six hours; Mathematics (including calculus), six hours; Biology, 8-14 hours (14 for Texas medical schools); Chemistry, 16-21 hours; and Physics, eight hours. In addition, some schools require biochemistry. This coursework may be done as part of a major or minor in the sciences or as electives in a non-science major or minor. These courses should be completed by the end of the junior year.
Candidates for admission to medical school must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The MCAT should be taken in the spring of the junior year. Candidates for dental school should take the Dental Admission Test (DAT), also in the spring of the junior year.
Further information concerning the program can be obtained from the Chair of the Health Professions Recommendation Committee.
The Dedman College Undergraduate Internship Program helps students begin to prepare for employment. Internships are designed to demonstrate and reinforce the valuable and highly marketable skills that our students acquire.
The following guidelines apply:
*Noncredit-bearing internships may either be paid or unpaid and are without faculty, department or program supervision. Internship orientation is strongly suggested. A University Release of Liability is required.
Students are individually responsible for knowing and complying with all regulations and requirements that may apply to their respective programs.
The University offers a program of studies in teacher education and recommends candidates for certification by the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC). The recommendation is based on a candidate's successful completion of 24 term hours in education (EDU) courses and six hours of student teaching. In addition, candidates must pass the TExES examinations. Education courses are designed to include all standards tested on the TExES and to prepare students for the requirements including a major. (Prospective secondary teachers must have majors in appropriate teaching fields.) For more information, please contact the Center for Teacher Education at 214-768-2346. For a general description of the program in teacher education, please refer to Center for Teacher Education in the Academic Programs section of the catalog.
Students are encouraged to broaden their education by taking full advantage of the University's diverse undergraduate programs. Although only one major is required for graduation, with careful planning students may complete two or more majors and/or multiple minors within the prescribed total hours.
Students may also qualify for baccalaureate degrees from two schools in the University. Some characteristic pairings are: English or political science in Dedman College and journalism in Meadows School of the Arts; physics or mathematics in Dedman College and electrical engineering in the School of Engineering; and foreign language in Dedman College and a major or minor in the Cox School of Business. Since all requirements for both degrees must be met, students should confer with advisers in both schools at an early date in order to prepare a proposed plan of study.
Once matriculated at SMU, students wishing to enroll for and transfer in courses offered at other institutions in subject areas within the Dedman College curriculum must receive prior approval from their adviser, the chair of the SMU department that normally would offer the course, and the dean of Dedman College. Approval may be denied for educational reasons. Post-matriculation transfer work from two-year institutions will not be approved.
All incoming first-year students to the University are admitted to Dedman College. Please see the Admission to the University section of this catalog for requirements. Students wishing to pursue majors in the humanities or in the social or natural sciences or in various multidisciplinary programs remain in Dedman College for their undergraduate education. Specific degree requirements and additional information for any of these programs can be found in the departmental sections of this catalog. Admission is open to qualified undergraduate and graduate applicants without regard to race, color, ethnic or national origin, creed, gender, or physical disability.
An individual enrolled in another school of the University may apply to the dean of the school in which the student is currently enrolled for permission to transfer into a degree-granting program in Dedman College. A student who has achieved a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.00 on all SMU work attempted will normally be admitted to candidacy for a degree in Dedman College.
If three or more years have elapsed since the last enrollment at SMU, the student must meet any new requirements and is subject to any new regulations that have been instituted in the interval.
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