Southern Methodist University Reviews

"As an international student, I have benefited greatly from this program primarily because the agreeable academic environment enhanced my ambition to pursue my degree of anthropology. All the faculties are very helpful and are always ready to offer support to students here."

"This program is great to jump start your legal career."

"Overall, I believe SMU to have the best law school in Texas, and in my opinion, ranks right up there with the best in the nation! There are definitely some areas to work on: diversity (mainly in terms of the socio-economic background of the students and in terms of the faculty members) and the fact that many of the faculty members don't go out of their way to interact with students. However, the professors are exceptional in their fields, the school goes out of their way to support you and find you funding for research/travel to conferences, and the career services office bends over backwards to help you find a job in an area you want. Not to mention, our alumni are also incredibly active and want to help you out! Lastly, Dallas is the best place to be in terms of a vibrant community."

"Overall program is good, quality and content of teaching is great, but very small and ineffective alumni network and Dallas is an expensive place to live, especially if you want to be near campus."

"The first year is incredibly strenuous and has a high workload, but the faculty and students are welcoming, helpful, and a lot of fun. The faculty are top notch scholars, also."

"Great program, excellent funding, but not a walk-in-the-park"

"Great program that blends the study of sport management with business from the Cox school."

"The program could stand to be more intensive. It was a walk in the park this semester. I understand that most students are also teachers, but for the time and money I expect a more substantial education. The professors are great though, and the school has incredible resources for the students!"

"I wish that the graduate program made it easier to connect with other students... I only know people from my program and a handful of others. Other than that, it's a good program!"

"everyone is very nice and ready to help. professors are knowledgeable enough to give you good guide in study and research."

"Dallas has a thriving legal market, and a JD from SMU holds great value and great connections. The school itself is small but offers great programs, speaker series, opportunities, networking events and guidance. While not every professor is the best out there this is likely at almost every school. Most professors however are tough in class, but very approachable outside the classroom."

"Great graduate program. Would highly recommend"

"Pros: Great financial support, top-notch faculty and courses, smart peers"

"Excellent school, great value and quality of education and life."

"Program is small with good faculty engagement. Surrounding area provides many professional opportunities."

"Pros: Anthropology is a small department, so grad students do not compete with each other but often collaborate and mentor each other. The faculty are accessible, and all students come in with funding while in coursework in exchange for a research or teaching assistantship. The department also provides pre-dissertation funding to conduct preliminary research the summer after your second year of coursework for sociocultural grad students, and this is extremely helpful when writing your proposal for your dissertation research. There are also plenty of collaboration opportunities with the medical/health centers in Dallas if you're a medical anthropology student. The anthropology department houses the new Forced Migration Innovation Project, which is great if you're interested in researching refugees (Dallas is currently the place to study this). Cons: SMU isn't exactly well known for the best things, and people not from Texas have no idea what Dallas has to offer. Dallas has its charms, but you have to follow them. Rent prices are also increasing because "old" buildings are being torn down and replaced with luxury apartments. Without a roommate, rent is getting expensive unless you're willing to drive further from campus (the DART transportation system is practically free for students however). The university doesn't cover the cost for health insurance to grad students anymore, so budget this cost in as part of your graduate school expenses."

"This program has many advantages, especially for working professionals who are coming back to grad-school and already have a career. The professors prove to be experts in their field and are extremely supportive. The program is without a doubt life changing. I have acquired a new way of thinking and feel that I've become a better person after completing this program. Dispute Resolution is a very difficult field to break into, yet the professors have given me tremendous support in trying to get my career started. However, I would like to mention that this program is expensive with no financial aide offered to most students. The only scholarships the University offered were for current educators/teachers. Another con is the location of the program's operation. It is a satellite campus in a suburb of Dallas. In my opinion the main university campus is much easier to access via public transportation. It is also a much nicer and prettier campus. If I had to do it over again, I would still participate in this program but I would have waited to first establish myself in a company or organization. I am optimistic that this program will help me attain a rewarding career in helping resolve conflicts and disputes."

"The graduate program at SMU is challenging and costly, but as an undergraduate student at SMU they give you a great opportunity to start graduate courses early to make graduate school a little easier. I only have to take seven classes, instead of ten, because I took three in my undergrad! The benefits of going to SMU are exceptional. The networking in Dallas is elite."

"I could talk about how the class sizes are small and everyone is encouraged to participate. Or about the wonderful people I've met in the classroom. Or perhaps the extremely nice security guard who walks us out to our cars at night after class. But I find myself thinking about an expression I've heard a few times in my classes: "we don't get the clients we want, we get the ones we need". It was an adjustment moving to Texas (to say the least) and now that I'm in school, doing what I enjoy, I realize that this program, with all of its Texas-ness, isn't just what I want, it's what I need. It has opened my eyes to my own prejudices and has given me a safe place to confront them. I am extremely grateful."

"SMU has a great fine arts program that should be more well known among students. They have pretty decent fund available, especially for international students. Faculty is excellent and administrative people are helpful!"