About UHP

The University Honors Program, open to students of all majors, began in 1966 and is at the heart of SMU’s intellectual community. Students are prepared for the future through a program that centers on the values of a broad-based education in the humanities and sciences.

Honors students enjoy intellectual challenges from dedicated University faculty in small classes (15 to 20 students whenever possible) that place a premium on in-class conversations and faculty-student interaction. The Honors curriculum encourages students to explore their individual interests through special research projects and interdisciplinary studies—on campus in Dallas, at SMU-in-Taos (New Mexico) and elsewhere in the United States or abroad.

Honors students take the same number of classes that non-Honors students take, but do so in an environment that encourages greater individual learning and achievement. The Program extends beyond the work in the classroom to the development of a community of scholars—students and faculty—who relish the challenge and adventure of the life of the mind. In so doing, the University Honors Program serves as the intellectual heart of SMU, broadens students’ perspectives, and raises the level of discourse across campus.

SMU’s Honors students are active and visible in all facets of University life. In short, the University Honors Program expands and enriches the undergraduate possibilities and horizons.