Course Provider
Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a private research university in Dallas, Texas, offering the course "Plants of the Gods: Religion and Psychedelics" through its Religious Studies department, taught by University Distinguished Teaching Professor Dr. G. William Barnard. The course examines the historical and cultural significance of entheogenic plants — including peyote, ayahuasca, and psilocybin mushrooms — across diverse religious traditions.
SMU is a well-established private research university rather than a specialist psychedelic school, so this sits firmly in the academic rather than practitioner-training lane. The psychedelics offering appears to be a religion-and-culture course led by a senior Religious Studies professor with recognised scholarship in mysticism and ayahuasca, which gives it real intellectual pedigree. Best read as a credible university course for people wanting a historically and religiously grounded perspective, not a clinical or facilitation credential.
Best suited to undergraduate or interested adult learners who want an academically serious introduction to psychedelics in religious studies, especially from a humanities and cultural studies angle. It is not pitched as professional therapist training.
No specific prerequisites were found for the course itself in the sources reviewed. As a university course, normal SMU enrolment and course registration requirements would apply.
SMU is an accredited university, with institutional accreditation compliance tied to SACSCOC. The sources reviewed do not show any psychedelics-specific certification, CME, CE, or professional credential attached to this course.
No course-specific tuition for 'Plants of the Gods: Religion and Psychedelics' was found. As an SMU undergraduate course, the likely cost would follow SMU tuition and fee schedules, which for 2025-2026 list undergraduate tuition at $61,880 plus fees and other charges for a full academic year; summer or intersession pricing differs. The course itself was not shown with a separate fee in the sources reviewed.
Learners likely gain academic understanding of entheogens in religious history and comparative religion, plus exposure to scholarship on peyote, ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms and related traditions. No formal external credential was identified.
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