This past May term, a group of our students and Professor Mark Allen had the opportunity to study in Taos, New Mexico. The SMU-in-Taos program offers students a chance to break away from their normal college routine and experience learning in a new environment.
Combining adventure and academics, students enjoy lots of free time to explore the beautiful area and engage in fun outdoor activities such as rock climbing and fly fishing. Additionally, the classes are relatively small and intimate, making it easier to build connections with classmates and professors. Professor Allen shared that this environment helped encourage meaningful conversations in his classroom about creativity, art, life, advertising, and academics.
Another highlight of the program was the convenience of the location. Professor Mark Allen reflected on how nice it was to trade his usual commute for the beautiful surroundings of the Taos campus.
“As someone who typically commutes an hour both ways to and from SMU, it was amazing to roll out of bed and right into a class taught in a log cabin with aspen trees just outside our classroom door!” – Mark Allen
Another advantage of studying in Taos is the opportunity to lighten your Fall and Spring schedules. SMU currently offers ADV 1321 Intro to Creativity in Taos, which satisfies your Creativity and Aesthetics (CA) CC credit. Plus, all prerequisites are waived for this section, meaning that you can take the course early without needing to meet the ADV 1300 requirement. The best part is that you earn your CC credit in just 12 days while enjoying stunning scenery and perfect weather.
Students truly cherish their Taos experience, as highlighted by Susan Wilson, who participated in the May term this past summer.
“Taos has been my favorite SMU experience so far! I loved my Intro to Creativity class because we all became very close and truly enjoyed what we were learning. Now that I’m back on campus, I always catch up with my Taos friends whenever I see them. I met people I wouldn’t have otherwise, all in a place completely different from SMU!” – Susan Wilson
Do not miss this fantastic opportunity to study in Taos, applications are now open for January and Summer of 2025! For more information email smutaos@smu.edu or visit their website.