Beginning your grad school search is a significant milestone that opens doors of opportunity and personal growth.
At SMU Moody, all elements of graduate student life are integrated under the Moody School. This creates a central hub dedicated to celebrating accomplishments and milestones from orientation to Ph.D. completion ceremonies and everything in between. Let’s explore just a few reasons why we believe this structure holds tremendous value.
Fostering Collaboration Inside Moody Hall
At Moody Hall, home to the Moody School, you’ll step into the future of graduate education. This revolutionary building brings new opportunities, innovative spaces, and unparalleled support to graduate students.
Unprecedented Funding for a Hub of Excellence
The Moody Foundation's landmark $100M gift is the largest single contribution in SMU's history dedicated to graduate education.
Thanks to this gift, Moody Hall is the first building in a planned complex of five, reinforcing SMU's commitment to enhancing graduate education and setting the stage for a holistic academic experience for graduate students who attend graduate school at SMU.
Additionally, the access to support staff who specialize in fellowship advising, career development, postdoctoral affairs, and student life exemplifies our pledge to ensure the success and well-being of our graduate student cohort at every step of their academic journey.
A Spacious and Advanced Facility
Boasting approximately 45,000 square feet over three floors, this state-of-the-art facility accommodates 65 offices, the graduate writing center, and a high-tech seminar room, ensuring a cutting-edge learning environment fostering collaboration. It also provides access to communal workspaces, kitchen space, a reflection room for meditation and prayer, silent reading rooms, study spaces, and more.
“We all know that transformative discoveries come when people from different disciplines and broad perspectives are free to collaborate in unique ways. SMU’s Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies will encourage and support such innovative connections. I am eager to see what the combination of world-changing students and faculty coupled with exceptional resources will produce on this campus, in the region, and across Texas.”
— Frances Moody-Dahlberg, Executive Director and Chairman at the Moody Foundation
Encouraging Relationships Between Academia and Industry
The Moody School aims to enhance the graduate student experience at SMU by nurturing a vibrant culture reaching beyond academics alone. By building a global graduate population of the highest caliber and connecting students with the broader Dallas-Fort Worth community, the Moody School bridges the gap between academia and industry.
This initiative fosters a collaborative ecosystem that allows the graduate community to strengthen ties with influential industries that reside in Dallas. Industry and academia collaboration empowers graduate students with practical insights and hands-on experiences but also enables local businesses to tap into a pool of talent, providing benefits for local and state landscapes and beyond.
Easing the Burden of Grad Student Health Insurance
As Ph.D. students play a large role in shaping the university research landscape and academic community, the Moody School is committed to helping alleviate the financial burden of grad student health insurance. Through the Ph.D. Health Insurance Program funding for insurance premiums is available to eligible students:
- Full-time enrolled Ph.D. students automatically qualify for coverage if supported by an SMU fellowship or assistantship
- Coverage is extended to Ph.D. students who are within five years of their term of matriculation in their program and are making satisfactory progress
- Options may be available for those who are supported by external fellowships or internships that do not include health insurance
- Students are notified of coverage eligibility prior to the start of each term, ensuring seamless access to essential healthcare services
Your Graduate School Search Ends at Moody School of Graduate & Advanced Studies
Your success in graduate school isn’t just our goal; it’s our mission and our passion. From the structure of Moody Hall to the emphasis on collaboration between academia and industry, the Moody School is dedicated to enhancing the graduate student experience while fostering a vibrant community
As you consider your next steps, we invite you to explore the possibilities awaiting you at the Moody School. You can begin by browsing our list of our master’s degrees and doctoral degrees.
If you would like to learn more about what it takes to earn a graduate degree, check out our free resource—Guide to Choosing, Applying for, and Thriving in a Ph.D. Program.
There’s a place (and resources) at SMU for all who aspire to change the world — we hope you will join us!
