Interdisciplinary, human-centered education for the twenty-first century.

Graduate liberal studies education allows each student the intellectual and personal freedom to chart his or her own self-directed course to a master’s degree, advanced certificate, and/or doctoral degree without the typical constraints or requirements of a traditional graduate program. Students are encouraged to cultivate their own passions with the opportunity to personally distinguish themselves personally and professionally to make greater contributions to society.

SMU offers three graduate programs:

Doctor of Liberal Studies

Prospective Students

The Doctor of Liberal Studies (D.L.S.) degree is designed for adult learners who want to challenge themselves with rigorous advanced study on a part- or full-time basis in a variety of topics with the goal of benefitting their workplace, professions and society.

Career and Personal Benefits

Under the guidance of senior faculty, DLS students engage in focused scholarly reading and research on an interdisciplinary topic or issue, culminating in a doctoral thesis that demonstrates interdisciplinary analysis, synthesis, and interpretation.

Program Details

Master of Liberal Studies

Prospective Students

The pursuit of a Master of Liberal Studies degree from SMU is an adventure in intellectual freedom, unique to graduate-level programs of advanced education in America. Each journey is guided by personal passion and scholarly curiosity. Every individual passage is accompanied by fellow seekers of knowledge who collectively enrich the experience.

Career and Personal Benefits

Designed to offer freedom and flexibility to students in planning their master’s level study, MLS coursework encourages critical and imaginative thinking on intellectual, social, political, historical, literary and artistic issues within a broad humanistic perspective.

Program Details

Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS)

Prospective Students

This program is designed for students with a Master's degree who wish to pursue advanced graduate work in a focal area of interdisciplinary study.

Career and Personal Benefits

The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study serves to provide adults the opportunity to pursue advanced study in the liberal arts in a focused and disciplined manner. The program encourages in-depth study of a core topic, while drawing upon various disciplines to provide a broad understanding of the subject.

Program Details