Absorption and fluorescence spectra are reported for four different 1 : 3 $Dy^{3+}$ : ligand systems in aqueous solution under mild alkaline pH conditions. The ligands included in this study are oxidiacetate, dipicolinate, iminodiacetate and methyliminodiacetate. The oscillator strengths for the 4f→4f multiplet-to-multiplet transitions are empirically determined from the absorption spectra and the intensity parameters ${Omega}_{lambda}$}(${lambda}$ = 2, 4, 6) for the systems are also obtained by applying the Judd-Ofelt theorem to the observed oscillator strengths. The values of the intensity parameters for the systems are compared and discussed in terms of ligand structural properties to investigate how the intensity parameters can response to the minor changes in the ligand environment. In addition, the relative oscillator strengths for fluorescence are evaluated and compared to the results obtained from absorption spectra.