Dallas Hall at SMU is the home of Dedman College and the M.S. in Organizational Psychology program.

Undergraduate programs

Mexican-American studies

B.A.

Minor

Overview

The ethnic studies program offers an interdisciplinary examination of Mexican-American life experiences and culture through the social sciences and humanities. Students receive instruction in important periods of Mexican and American history, probing the roots of traditions beginning in pre-Columbian cultures, as well as examining minorities in contemporary U.S. society.

Top 20%

Best National Universities

U.S. News & World Report (2026)

11:1

undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio

90+

undergraduate majors at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

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Tuition and financial aid

2 out of 3 first-year students are awarded grants and/or scholarships with an average total of $38,598.

Tuition and costs

Explore the cost breakdown of tuition for undergraduate programs.

Financial aid

Find information on scholarships and financial support available at SMU.

Curriculum and learning

Featured courses

HIST 3324

The Mexican Americans, 1848 to the Present

Traces the historical evolution of the Mexican-American people in the Southwest from pre-Columbian to modern times with emphasis on the era since the Mexican War.

ANTH 3312

Mesoamerican Archaeology

Examines development of civilizations from village life to the great empires of Mexico.

ETST 2385

Internship in Ethnic Studies

Offers experience in varied careers serving ethnic communities. Opportunities include advertising for public service, community organizing, nonprofit economic development, local historical preservation and more.

Outside the classroom

Facilities

The historic Dallas Hall on the SMU campus is the home of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

Dallas Hall

This 57,687-square-foot facility is utilized by Dedman College as both academic and office space.

Heroy Hall hosts classes for the Master of Science in Data Science and Applied Statistics at SMU.

Heroy Hall

Heroy Hall hosts the Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences; the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man; and the Statistical Science, Anthropology and Sociology departments.

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Frequently asked questions

The ethnic studies program offers an interdisciplinary examination of Mexican-American experiences through the social sciences and humanities. Students receive instruction in important periods of Mexican and American history, probing the roots of traditions beginning in pre-Columbian cultures, as well as examining minorities in contemporary U.S. society. This program provides good preparation for graduate work in the social sciences, the humanities and professional schools, as well as jobs and careers in many fields. Education, law, journalism, urban planning, business, social work and politics are a few of the fields for which ethnic studies provides a strong background.

Courses to fulfill the requirements for the program should be selected in consultation with the program director.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, undergraduates with an ethnic studies degree earned a median wage of $68,000 and were employed across a wide variety of fields, including law, education, and social and community service. (2023)

Education, law, journalism, urban planning, business, social work and politics are a few of the fields for which ethnic studies provides a strong background.

Yes! This program provides good preparation for graduate work in the social sciences, the humanities and professional schools, as well as jobs and careers in many fields.

The location of the region being studied: Mexican-American studies focuses on the Texas-Mexico border and their relationship to each other. Latin-American studies encompasses all of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula.

Yes. The Mexican-American studies major is a 34-credit-hour program.

The internship in ethnic studies offers experience in varied careers serving ethnic communities. Opportunities include advertising for public service, community organizing, nonprofit economic development, local historical preservation and more.

Students and faculty participate in research at the Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center, where they conduct policy-relevant, action-oriented research on the dynamic relationship between Texas and Mexico. Specific research programs focus on five key areas: border issues, energy, trade and economy, human capital, and trade and investment.

Established in fall 1996, the William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies promotes research, publishing, teaching and public programming in a variety of fields of inquiry related to Texas, the American Southwest and the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.