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Exxon-Mobil. AT&T. American Airlines. These are just a few of the over 22 Fortune 500 companies that have chosen Dallas for their corporate headquarters. Drawn by the area’s excellent labor pool (read highly educated young people!), friendly tax and regulatory systems, and Dallas’ central location within the United States, these top-ranked companies become major employers in the region.
Dallas’ concentration of Fortune 500 companies across many industries means that there are highly competitive work opportunities right in your backyard. No need to even leave the area!
Dallas already boasts the 4th largest GDP of all metropolitan areas in the United States, and the economy continues to boom. Recent data indicates that between 2016-2017, Dallas had both the highest job growth rate and the most jobs added for any metropolitan area in the United States. One example of this — Uber recently broke ground for its new headquarters in Dallas and plans to hire 400 employees by the end of 2020 and another 4,000 by the close of 2023.
Why does this matter to you as a graduate student if you’re not interested in a career in business? Because a rapidly growing economy and a continued influx of new workers means that the opportunities in every field increase. Whether you’re interested in teaching, research, data analysis, or the social sciences, the Dallas area will need your skills and interests as it continues to grow.
Despite the rapid growth taking place in and around Dallas, the area is still manageable for a graduate student budget. You shouldn’t have to be scraping by to afford your basic necessities simply because you are in graduate school. Choosing to go to graduate school in an area of the country with all the advantages of a major metropolis, but without the major price tag, will make your years of study much more pleasant.
Consider just this: the cost of living, including food, housing, and transportation, is estimated to be 55% more expensive in New York City and 40% more expensive in Washington, D.C. than in Dallas. That’s a significant chunk of change that you won’t be spending on daily necessities.
Are you a fan of art, music, beautiful spaces, and other types of artistic or cultural life? Dallas is home to beautiful museums, concert venues, and park spaces. In fact, Dallas as a city places a huge emphasis on making the urban experience as culturally rich as possible by bringing in renowned architects like Renzo Piano and Thom Mayne to construct key cultural buildings in the heart of the city.
The Dallas Arboretum has been named “One of the World’s 15 Most Breathtaking Gardens,” and the Dallas Arts District “is said to be the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation,” according to Forbes.
Hosted on the campus of Southern Methodist University, the city of Dallas can boast about the presence of two world-class research facilities: the supercomputer complex known as ManeFrame and the George W. Bush Presidential Center. For graduate students who are interested in American history and historical research or in data analysis, statistical science, computational chemistry, and drug design and discovery, these resources offer a unique opportunity to be at the heart of cutting-edge research developments.
This resource will offer you everything you need to know about how to select, apply for, and succeed during your years of graduate study.
There are several offices at SMU that are designed to support graduate students, and meet their academic, professional, and personal needs while they pursue their degrees. Check out these helpful resources, and don’t hesitate to contact these offices if you have any questions before or during your graduate education.
The Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies
We are here for general admissions questions for all Ph.D. and Dedman College Master’s applicants. Our school manages University Ph.D. Fellowships, McNair Scholar tuition waivers, graduate student travel grants, graduate student life initiatives, changes in academic status, dropping/adding courses, and other forms for Dedman College students. We also track dissertation submission and graduation requirements for Dedman College students.
The Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies also provides students with numerous professional development opportunities including a series of workshops focused on furthering education and professional development and access to the Graduate Writing Center for consultation on all academic writing.
Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)
This office is there to help provide immigration services for those on F or J visas. We help with the coordination of pre-arrival information, current compliance issues, data management, and programming for SMU’s many international students. We also handle necessary reporting to the U.S. Federal Government, immigration orientations, and the creation of cultural and educational programming opportunities for students.
Hegi Family Career Development Center
Our career development center helps to match SMU graduates with employers. Through coaching from our counselors, students develop the skills necessary for lifelong career management. This center also offers opportunities for employers to recruit students through campus events and online resources, assists students with the transition to postdoctoral work or research, and guides international students in forming partnerships that will lead to their professional success.
Are you interested in learning more about how to choose, apply for, and thrive in a Ph.D. program? Or perhaps you are an international student who is considering SMU for graduate work? We have two other resources to offer you as you consider your options.
Choosing, Applying for, and Thriving in a Ph.D. Program
In this resource, we offer you some of the insider information you need in order to choose a program, apply successfully, and thrive during your years of graduate study. You’ll get answers to common questions, tips for putting together your application, and testimonies from students who made it through the application process and are now pursuing Ph.D. ’s.
In this resource, you will find 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. You will also learn from current and past international students at SMU, as they share their experiences and tips for success.
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