Frequently Asked Questions
Once a Lyle major is declared, the student can then declare their second major, a dual degree program, and other majors and/or minors. To add these additional programs of study, students must complete the Major/Minor Change Form and submit it to their academic advisor.
A student’s grade point average (cumulative GPA) is computed by multiplying the credit hours of each course attempted by the grade points earned in the particular course and then dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of hours attempted, excluding those hours for which grades are shown with an asterisk on the grade chart. The GPA is truncated, not rounded, at three decimal places. For assistance estimating your GPA see the GPA calculator on the SMU website.
Your DRP will also have your GPA calculate for the term, major/minor, and cumulative. DPRs are accessible at .
For more information, refer to Enrollment and Academic Records, Grade Point Average, in the .
Students may email their advisor or use SMU booking to arrange a meeting time. Lyle advising information can be found here.
If the advising team is offering drop-in hours, you may visit the suite without a scheduled appointment to meet with your advisor.
You can find tutorials on the OIT training webpage.
SMU grants credit and placement for scores of 4 or 5 on most AP examinations taken in high school. Credit will be awarded only for exams taken while in high school. AP test scores are evaluated, and SMU course credit is assigned based on the articulation policies in effect for the term that students matriculate to the University, regardless of when the test was taken.
Students may not receive credit for an AP exam, an International Baccalaureate exam and a college course covering the same subject matter; i.e., the course equivalency will only be awarded once. Students may decline all or part of their test credit in favor of taking the equivalent credit at SMU; declining credit is an irrevocable declaration. Credit granted by SMU is not considered resident credit and does not count toward the 60 resident hours required for an SMU degree.
An official copy of test results must be sent from the testing agency to the University Registrar’s Office for credit. To facilitate advising and enrollment, students should submit their official scores no later than the first day of class.
For additional information, refer to Admissions, Credit by Examination Audition and Portfolio Review in the undergraduate catalog.
When students first matriculate to SMU, they are assigned an academic pre-major advisor by the Lyle’s record’s office. Each student must meet with his or her assigned academic advisor before enrolling for an academic term. The advisor will assist the student in planning a program of study, understanding the Degree Progress Report, and scheduling courses that will count toward graduation requirements. After the initial required advising session, the student is encouraged to seek assistance from the advisor when considering whether to add or drop courses.
For an effective advising relationship, the student must be prepared when meeting with the advisor and initiate the advising appointment. The advisor will assist the student, but the student has the final responsibility for accuracy of the enrollment, the applicability of courses toward the degree requirements, and his or her academic performance.
After completing 24 credit hours and meeting other program admission requirements, students may be eligible to declare their major and transfer their records to an advisor in the department that houses their major. The University requires students to qualify for and declare a major upon completion of 75 credit hours, including credit by examination and transfer work.
Students must meet the subset requirements for their major before declaring it. Each department has a different set of requirements. After students have completed 24 credit hours and all subset required classes, they can submit the Major Declaration Form to make their major official.
First-year students and transfer students entering in or after Fall 2020 will follow the new Common Curriculum.
Information on the Common Curriculum can be found here.
For a more in-depth view of the Common Curriculum, requirements can be found .
The University Curriculum applies to admitted and attending students prior to Fall 2020 or who transferred to SMU with 30 or more hours before the Fall 2020 semester. Information on the University Curriculum can be found here.
For a more in-depth view of the University Curriculum, requirements can be found .
This information can be found on the Registrar’s Office website.
AARO (Academic Advising, Registration and Orientation) is a two-day orientation event designed for entering First-Year Students at SMU. During AARO, students learn more about their intended major requirements and campus resources. Students enroll in classes with the help of their academic advisor. For further information and how to participate in AARO, please visit the Student Affairs website.
Effective for courses taken in Fall 2017 or later, undergraduate students may repeat up to six courses taken at SMU for which grades of D+ or lower were received. The grade from the repeated course, even if lower, will be the grade used to calculate the student’s GPA. A course may be repeated only once under this policy. Students must repeat the exact same course originally taken to be considered a repeat.
*Students who entered SMU during 2016-17 under the 2016-2017 First-Year Repeat policy may repeat classes taken before fall 2017, per the guidelines of that policy.
Additional information on this policy can be found under “Grades for Repeated Courses” in the section titled Academic Records, General and Enrollment Standards in the undergraduate catalog.
SMU and Lyle offer many options to help students with their academics. A list of programs and opportunities you may wish to take part in can be found here. Always ask your advisor about seeking out academic help, as they may have additional resources for you to utilize.
Lyle has five departments and seven majors with various specializations. You can refer to the individual departments on the Lyle webpage or see a list of all Lyle majors and minors in the Advising Degree Plans.
To find detailed information on the different requirements for each major, please go to the undergraduate catalog and refer to the Lyle section in the table of contents