Learn By Doing

Gain academic credit, quickly

Short-term courses (2-4 weeks) without distractions to help you get closer to graduation. Have a lighter course load during the academic year and have an opportunity to boost your GPA.

  • “It helped improve my GPA so that I could qualify for other academic programs.”

    Paule Nguyen, January 2016

  • “This trip helped me take a biology course that counted towards my degree. It helped me get a three-hour credit out of the way in a short time and allowed me to fit it in my schedule.”

    Jackie Lara, Jan 2016

  • SMU-in-Taos student with llama

    “I definitely learned things and had experiences I never would’ve expected. The information we were taught is stuff I wouldn’t have thought to learn about if it wasn’t for this class.”

    student from Jan 2022

  • “I needed the credits, and this seemed like the perfect way to get them.”

    Student from Jan 2023

Explore

Are you ready to explore new ways to think outside of the traditional classroom setting? The students, faculty, staff and groups who visit SMU-in-Taos are curious about learning, and exploring new ways to think outside of the traditional classroom. They’re eager to try new ways of approaching intellectual, emotional, and physical challenges.

Student rock climbing with the camera looking down on them from above.
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A group of SMU-in-Taos students gather at the Wolf Creek Pass, Continental Divide marker

“Taos benefits students on every possible level. They receive a truly experiential education, while seeing the world and themselves in a new light. They have the ability to create a unique connection with their professor.”

Troy Perkins, Film professor

SMU-in-Taos student hiking in the mountains

“I learned a lot more than any class in 11 days on the Dallas Campus because of the immersive learning. I was always with my professor and we were able to take a lot of field trips after learning about the subject matter in class.”

student from May 2023

Three SMU-in-Taos students in front of a local church

“Being in Taos and being able to interact with the material we were learning gave us such an advantage in comprehension, compared to if you were taking any random class.”

Student from May 2022

Focused attention & Small class sizes

Get to know your professors and classmates intimately.

  • Small class gathers at a table in SMU-in-Taos

    “The small class sizes and super focused eight-day course was really beneficial to me and my learning style. I wish I could take all my courses that way in Taos.”

    Joshua Lauer, January 2016

  • “The small class size allowed the instructor to get to know each of us on an individual basis.”

    Raul Machorro, Jan 2016

  • “The Taos experience benefited me academically by offering a very focused look at statistics. During a regular semester with many classes, my attention is split in many directions. During J-Term, it was possible to throw my entire effort and focus into an interesting and engaging topic.”

    Andrew Timmins, Jan 2016

  • SMU-in-Taos class gathers in a studio

    “I think the condensed course helped to make connections easier because every day I was learning new information while the previous content was still fresh in my mind.”

    Student from Jan 2021