Graduate School Resources

As you research and prepare for graduate school, make sure you understand the process at every step. Whether that means you are choosing a program, applying for graduate school, or preparing to write your dissertation, you need to be as informed as possible to make the best decisions.

Access our guides and download the eBook versions to help you on your journey as a graduate student or check out our blog, Advancing the Field for more informational material.

Introducing The Moody
School of Graduate
and Advanced Studies

Discover how SMU is supporting world-changing research, competitive funding, & professional and community engagement thanks to a $100 million gift from the Moody Foundation.

How to Get a PhD: A Guide to Choosing and Applying to
PhD Programs

Complete your PhD search with confidence! This guide has the information you need to choose a program, apply successfully and thrive during your years of doctoral study. 

The Graduate Student's Guide to Living in Dallas

What's it like to live, work, relax and study in Dallas? Get to know the city we call home and explore the unexpected opportunities that await you at SMU! We always say big things happen in Dallas. Could your graduate career be one of them?

The International Applicant’s
Guide to a Ph.D.

Read information about choosing and applying to a Ph.D. program, financing your degree, navigating housing and living in the U.S., and finding resources at SMU that can help you to do all these things successfully.

A Guide to Graduate
Admissions at SMU

SMU's Graduate School is proud to offer doctoral and master’s degrees in a wide variety of fields. This guide is designed to give you an overview of the admissions requirements and processes for our Master’s and Doctoral programs.

Competitive Funding and Student Experience

Moody Means:Exploring Graduate Student Resources at SMU

A Guide to Online & Flexible Graduate Degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Our world needs qualified and passionate engineering professionals to provide solutions around the world. Learn how you can make a difference with an advanced degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from SMU.

Discovering Your Planet: A Complete Guide to Earning a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences

This resource highlights the value of Earth Science, details current research among SMU Earth Sciences faculty members, describes the different research areas available within the Earth Sciences discipline, and discusses career options available to a Ph.D. professional in this field. 

Addressing Challenges in Education and Learning: A Complete Guide to Earning a Ph.D. in Education

This resource aims to demonstrate the value of education research, explore current research occurring in the field, and exemplify how SMU offers high-caliber research opportunities to its doctoral candidates.   

A Complete Guide to Earning Your Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Explore the many facets of electrical and computer engineering and the Ph.D. programs that are preparing these engineers to invent the future. The guide also looks at research being conducted within the field and specifically at Southern Methodist University.

Reanalyzing Our World: Humanities PhDs at SMU

Do you want to understand the themes of life's "big questions"? If a passion for history, literature or religious studies is driving you to explore a doctoral degree, we invite you to explore the three interdisciplinary humanities PhDs offered at SMU  and learn about the career opportunities in academia in beyond.  

Exploring the Universe: A Complete Guide to Studying Physics at SMU

A Complete Guide to Studying Statistical Science at SMU

Because of the explosion of data from devices such as sensors, cell phones, and medical instruments, as well as from business processes, surveys, and social media, there is accelerating demand for specialists who are trained in data collection and analysis.