SMU Taos Honors & Scholars Program

2027 Taos Honors & Scholars Information Coming Soon!

2027 Taos Honors & Scholars Information Coming Soon!

To see a full breakdown of costs for the SMU Taos Honors Experience and a list of applicable pro-rated SMU Scholarships - please visit our SMU Taos Cost Calculator.

Honors Richter Fellowship

Students who are in the University Honors Program (UHP) and apply to the Taos Honors & Scholars Program are eligible to apply for the Richter Fellowship. Application deadline for the Richter Fellowship will be announced Fall 2026.  For more information, please reach out to Brandon Miller, Assistant Director, University Honors Program, at bgmiller@smu.edu

Friends of Taos Scholarship  

The Friends of Taos Scholarship is a need-based partial scholarship that can be applied towards the tuition of any SMU Taos course. They are available to full-time SMU undergraduate students. Assistance is limited and is awarded at the discretion of the Friends of Taos Scholarship Award Committee. The award is based primarily on financial need. Students receiving tuition assistance awards are responsible for all remaining fees, room and board and transportation expenses.

The Friends of Taos Scholarship application will become available once a student is accepted to attend SMU Taos.

Students receiving University Honors credit and recipients of the Honors Richter Fellowship must submit a research essay following the guidelines below.

The SMU Taos Honors research paper (due date will be announced soon) is an incredible opportunity for a self-directed scholarly project. It starts with a proposal phase prior to the Taos term, where you will work closely with faculty and staff mentors to articulate your research objectives, integrating course content with experiential learning. The proposal phase encourages deep reflection on how your classroom knowledge intersects with real-world experiences and hones your ability to communicate your ideas in writing and orally. The final paper, a substantial work of 2500-3750 words, captures the essence of your immersive Taos experience, aiming to expand your intellectual horizons and generate new insights.

Timeline and General Guidelines for Completion:

• Research proposal completed 5 days following completion of last class in Taos.
• Due date will follow the SMU Taos term.
• 8 to 12 pages in length (double-spaced).

Expectations:

• Draw on the subject matter from the Honors course taken in Taos.
• Draw on 3 to 4 field experiences where the site and its objects are directed used/these include the weekly field trips, sources available on the Fort Burgwin campus, or other materials available in Taos.
• Organized around a logical, thesis driven argument that uses specific and appropriate illustrations as backup.
• Presents an informed understanding of all the class content and other materials—in terms of their content, argument, parameters, structure, strengths, and weaknesses—using both necessary specificity and an awareness of the larger issues.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the histories, peoples, cultures, and/or environment of Taos and the U.S. Southwest.
• Is clear, well organized, and well written—and has minimal grammatical and typographical errors—even at the paragraph and sentence level

Besides earning Honors credit, your research could be published in prominent platforms like SMU Hilltopics or the Journal of Undergraduate Research, marking this as a uniquely rewarding academic endeavor.