Liberal Studies, D.L.S.

Curriculum

Doctoral students must complete 36 credit hours of coursework, 24 hours of which are required core courses and 12 hours of which are chosen based on the student’s declared focal area of study.  During and following the coursework, students must complete comprehensive exams, a dissertation (totaling a minimum of 9 credit hours), and an oral defense. Completion of the 45-credit-hour program typically requires 5 years of study. A full-time track is available for international students or those wishing to pursue their studies at an accelerated pace. Students enroll in the required courses listed below for their first two years each fall and spring.

D.L.S. courses are taught in lecture and seminar format and are in some cases available for enrollment to both D.L.S. and M.L.S. students. For D.L.S. students enrolling in M.L.S. courses, students are given additional reading and writing assignments and a leadership component. Students are allowed to engage in as many as nine credit hours of directed reading/tutorial study.

Up to six hours of transfer credit or advanced standing may be awarded, as determined by the executive director and faculty/program chair. Such credits must derive from graduate-level academic work earned at SMU or another accredited university.

Admission Requirements

Students enroll in cohort groups, and cohorts begin in the fall only. Applications submitted by March 1 receive priority review; applications received after March 1 are reviewed on a rolling basis until the fall class is full. To maintain the high degree of individualized attention expected in doctoral programs, admission is limited to approximately 15-20 students per cohort. Applications can be submitted online at www.smu.edu/dls or emailed to smudls@smu.edu. Applications are accepted for fall term only. Admission requirements include the following:

1. Completion of the D.L.S. application.
2. An application fee.
3. Official undergraduate transcripts with a GPA of 3.000 or higher and graduate transcripts with a GPA of 3.500 or higher (preferred).
4. A letter of purpose clearly and specifically outlining the focal area to be explored by the doctoral thesis.
5. An academic writing sample.
6. Three letters of recommendation, including one from a professor from a prior graduate program who can attest to the applicant’s academic proficiency to participate in a doctoral program and one from a direct supervisor in the candidate’s organization.
7. A résumé/curriculum vita.
8. An interview with the program director and/or faculty chair (mandatory).

Degree Requirements

Students must enroll in a minimum of six credit hours of coursework per term for the first four terms to complete foundational seminars (24 credit hours). Thereafter, students must enroll in at least three credit hours per term. Maintenance of good standing requires a 3.000 average GPA. Degree requirements include the following:

• A total of 36 credit hours of traditional graduate coursework (up to six hours may be transferred).
• Comprehensive exams.
• A minimum of an additional nine credit hours of doctoral disertation research and writing. The doctoral thesis will have an oral defense.
• A D.L.S. doctoral dissertation is expected to demonstrate a level of mastery and academic rigor in interdisciplinary studies comparable to, though distinct from, the equivalent level of mastery and rigor expected of a Ph.D. dissertation in a disciplinary field.