How to get started as an online student at SMU
New to SMU, or starting a fully online program? Here is everything you need in your first week, from your SMU ID to your virtual computer lab, with support that travels with you.
Countries where online Mustangs study
Live technical support in Canvas
Ways to reach the IT Help Desk
Steps to get fully set up
These are the core systems behind your coursework, your account, and your connection to campus.
Your courses on any screen. Assignments, grades, and materials in one place, on the web or the Canvas Student app, with 24/7 technical support built in.
Official SMU email plus the full Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, free on up to ten of your own devices.
A computer lab in your browser. SAS, GMetrix, Office, and lab software with nothing to install, on a Mac, Windows PC, or Chromebook.
Encrypted PERUNANET Wi-Fi covers every SMU campus, and eduroam gives you secure access at partner institutions around the world..
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) with Microsoft Authenticator and passkeys protect your account from the first login, wherever in the world you connect from.
Help five ways: phone, chat, email, walk-up, and a 24/7 Knowledge Base, plus live status updates when something is not working.
Work through these in order. Every step can be completed from anywhere in the world, so you do not need to be in Dallas to start.
Set up your SMU ID and enroll in Microsoft Entra Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). This single step protects your email, Canvas, and every other SMU system from the start.
Your SMU email is the official channel for course and university communication, so check it daily. Microsoft 365 gives you Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, free on up to five devices.
Canvas is where your courses live. Sign in on the web, then add the Canvas Student app for iOS or Android so you can keep up from anywhere. Live technical support is available around the clock.
Apporto runs SAS, GMetrix, Microsoft Office, and lab software right in your browser, with nothing to install, on a Mac, Windows PC, or Chromebook. If you study fully online, this is your lab.
On campus, connect to PERUNANET Wi-Fi, and use eduroam at partner institutions worldwide. Off campus, the SMU VPN gives you secure access to restricted resources when a course requires it.
The IT Help Desk is available by phone, chat, email, walk-up, and a 24/7 Knowledge Base. Save the number now so it is ready when you need it: 214-768-HELP (4357).
Every service on this page is built to work the same whether you are in a residence hall or on another continent. Here is what that means for online and off-campus Mustangs.
Apporto replaces the campus computer lab. Run specialized software from any device, anywhere.
Access courses on the web or the mobile app, with live 24/7 technical support built in.
Phone, chat, email, and a 24/7 Knowledge Base mean support that fits your time zone, not just ours.
Online courses are built with Quality Matters and meet ADA and WCAG accessibility standards.
Authenticator and passkey sign-in protect your account wherever you connect.
The same platforms support face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online study, with no second-class experience.
Stuck on any step above? The IT Help Desk can walk you through it. Pick whichever channel suits you.
| In person | Fondren Library West |
|---|---|
| Phone | 214-768-HELP (4357) |
| help@smu.edu | |
| Live chat | smu.edu/itchat |
| Online request | STABLE service portal |
| Knowledge Base | Self-service answers, available 24/7 |
This page is part of SMU's documentation of academic and student support services for accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Services and contacts are reviewed for accuracy on an ongoing basis.