Student working in class on their laptop.

Canvas LMS

Canvas is a modern Learning Management System (LMS) that provides an easy-to-use clean layout allowing instructors to quickly set up course content and tools efficiently while students navigate course sites and submit work.

Non-Credit Course?

If you are using Canvas for a non-credit course, please use the following link:

The Canvas LMS provides the digital tools and resources that instructors use in a cloud-based environment with strong mobile capabilities for students and instructors available 24/7. The Canvas Teacher app supports most course features on and mobile devices, as does the Canvas Student app, which is also available for iOS and Android.

Please Note: For the best experience, we recommend using Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox when using Canvas.

Get Started

Logging In

To begin using the Canvas, just click the "Sign In" button (above). Use your SMU ID and password as your login.

Access Your Courses

Your list of available courses will be listed under the "Courses" menu in the Canvas LMS. instructors may begin to add content to any or their existing courses or may request a demo course for training purposes, content development, or testing. If you experience any login issues, please contact the IT Help Desk at 214-768-HELP (4357).

Any Instructor interested in obtaining a Canvas template for the next term, please contact your school's Academic Technology Service Director.

Getting Help & Support

There are many ways to get help with Canvas. For most basic "how to" questions, we encourage all of our users to contact IT Help Desk. For additional information about Canvas support, please visit Academic Technology's Instructional & Teaching Technology Guides pages. You can also utilize the , a site with comprehensive documentation curated by Instructure and the Canvas community. For further assistance and consultation, you can contact your school's Academic Technology Service Director.