Office of General Education

The essence of Southern Methodist University’s educational philosophy is that intellectual and professional excellence rises from the solid foundation of a liberal arts education. Most importantly, general education should provide an intellectual foundation consisting of the broad outlines of human knowledge, providing a context for discipline-specific study, and a framework for a future of lifelong learning. In light of these considerations, an ideal general education course is one which builds a broad, context-rich framework in its content area. To the extent possible, it should transcend departmental boundaries, connecting to ideas in related fields, and relevant social and ethical questions.