Lyle School of Engineering – General Information
The Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering traces its roots to 1925, when the Technical
Club of Dallas, a professional organization of practicing engineers, petitioned SMU
to fulfill the need for an engineering school in the Southwest. The Lyle School of
Engineering has grown to become a thriving school, with graduate programs in a
variety of areas.
Corporate support for the engineering school has generated a remarkable array
of equipment and laboratories. Recent additions include a microwave lab from
General Dynamics and a robotics lab from General Electric. Additional laboratories
are being developed with funds from AT&T and Southwestern Bell. The Dallas
area’s national prominence in high technology and research is a major benefit for
the Lyle School of Engineering.
All programs of education and research in engineering and applied science are
conducted through the Lyle School of Engineering. The school is organized into
the following five departments: Computer Science and Engineering; Electrical
Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Engineering Management, Information
and Systems; and Environmental and Civil Engineering.
The Lyle School of Engineering offers curricula leading to M.S., Doctor of
Engineering and Ph.D. degrees. The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees generally are directed
toward specific branches of engineering and applied science, whereas the curricula
for the professional degree of Doctor of Engineering is directed toward professional
practice based on a broad range of engineering fundamentals. All graduate programs
are individually designed in conference between the student and his or her supervisory committee.
The following table shows the major areas in which students may major at the
several graduate-degree levels:
Engineering education beyond the baccalaureate degree may have one or any
combination of the following four objectives, some of which may relate only indi-
rectly to a graduate degree:
- Upgrading: taking advanced work to raise the level of one’s formal
capabilities.
- Updating: keeping one’s education current; for example, a person who
received a B.S. degree 10 years ago may take coursework to make his or
her formal education comparable to that of a person receiving a B.S. degree
this year.
- Diversification: seeking to obtain formal education in another field, but
not necessarily at a higher degree level.
- Maturing: adding new perspectives on one’s own field without raising the
academic level of the education.
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Applicants who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees in engineering, mathemat-
ics or the sciences from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting
association, or who have completed an international degree that is equivalent to a
U.S. Bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing, will
be considered for admission to the Graduate Division of the Lyle School of Engineering for the purpose of pursuing work leading to an advanced degree in engineering or applied science. Each case is considered on an individual basis, and due
to the wide variations in student education, past performance, age, experience and
academic objective, individualized graduate-program requirements for each student
may be anticipated.
Admission Requirements
Applicants for admission to the Graduate Division must have a minimum GPA of
3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all previous undergraduate and graduate studies. Three letters
of recommendation are required for all doctoral applicants and for all applicants
requesting financial aid. In addition, an official GRE general test for graduate admissions is required in the following cases: 1) for Master’s applicants in civil engineering,
computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, environmental
engineering, environmental and mechanical engineering programs; 2) for all doctoral
applicants; and 3) for all applicants requesting financial aid.
Graduate students applying for admission to the Lyle School of Engineering are
required to pay an appropriate application fee, which must accompany the applica-
tion. Applications will not be considered unless the complete official transcripts
of the applicant’s prior undergraduate and graduate work are in the possession of
the Graduate Division. The transcript is regarded as official only if it is received
directly from the registrar of the institution in which the work was done, or if it is
an original and authenticated transcript bearing the institutional seal. A Statement
of Purpose is required.
Graduates from foreign countries are required to submit three letters of recom-
mendation and a notarized financial certification form. All international students
whose native language is not English and who have not graduated from an American
university must submit a TOEFL English proficiency test or its equivalent with a
minimum score of 550 on the paper-based examination, 213 on the computer-based
examination or 79 on the Internet-based examination. For further information,
write to TOEFL, PO Box 899, Princeton NJ 08541, U.S.A., or visit their website:
www.TOEFL.org.
Students may apply for admission at any time. However, initial review for admis-
sion in a given term is dependent upon receipt by the Graduate Division of all requisite
application materials by no later than July 1 for fall admission, November 15 for
spring admission and April 15 for summer admission. All international students
use the following dates: May 15 for fall admission, September 1 for spring admis-
sion and February 1 for summer admission. Students should write directly to
Graduate Admissions, Lyle School of Engineering, Southern Methodist University,
Dallas TX 75275-0335. The student will be supplied with the necessary application
forms, which then must be returned to the same office.
Readmission of Students
Students who formerly attended SMU but who did not attend the immediately
prior regular term or terms (not including the summer session) are considered
readmission students and are required to file an application for readmission by the
application deadline. If a student applies for readmission, all incomplete grades
must be removed prior to readmission.
Financial Aid
Graduate students who would like to be considered for financial aid must first
be accepted for admission to the Lyle School of Engineering. For financial aid
from the Lyle School of Engineering, apply to the Office of the Associate Dean.
For other sources of financial aid, apply to the Office of Financial Aid, SMU,
PO Box 750196, Dallas TX 75275-0196. All applicants will be considered for Texas
Tuition Equalization Grant eligibility.
Residence Hall Directorships
A limited number of residence hall directorships are offered to men and women
graduate students. These positions offer room and board in a residence hall plus a
monthly stipend. Students who have been admitted to the graduate school may
request applications from the Office of Residence Life, Southern Methodist University, PO Box 750452, Dallas TX 75275-0452.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available for students whose scholastic attainments are outstanding. Holders of scholarships must maintain a grade average of B.
Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships for teaching and research are available in the Lyle School
of Engineering. These carry monthly pay and tuition benefits. The school also has
a limited number of instructorships. Applications for these appointments should
be submitted before March 1 to the individual department of interest.
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