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Graduate Students

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Some people choose to complete a graduate program for their love of science, exploration or discovery. Other want to sharpen their skills, elevate their professional career and increase their earning potential. We’ve got programs for both. 

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University of Missouri-Kansas City
Office of Admissions
5100 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110

 

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Graduate Degrees with Unique Opportunities

Our graduate programs are designed to meet the unique needs of their students, including a path to a five-year bachelor's-to-master's degree, shorter certificate programs and plenty of research opportunities.

  • Master’s degree programs with classes held in newly renovated laboratories, including a new $20-million facility dedicated to research
  • Interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs that allow you to dive deeply into your field alongside faculty performing cutting-edge research in a wide variety of disciplines 

Ready to Apply?

Some of our programs have individual admission requirements, so be sure to explore your chosen area of study for more information.

Start your master's program application

Learn how to apply to the I.Ph.D. program

Learn how to apply as an international student

Admission Requirements

Learn about admission requirements, application options and deadlines for some of our master's and doctoral programs.

 Required

  • UMKC general admissions application completed by May 1 for Summer start; completed by July 15 for Fall start
  • Baccalaureate degree in biology or chemistry
  • Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • Three letters of recommendation on letterhead with signature
  • Statement of purpose
    • Your motivation to seek a career in the health professions
    • Experiences that have informed your perspective about a health-care career
    • Unique hardships, challenges or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits
    • How the M.A. degree will help you achieve your long-term goals
    • Other information you feel is relevant to your long-term career goals
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Minimum score on one of these exams

Required

  • UMKC general admissions application
  • A baccalaureate degree in biology, chemistry, physics or related discipline
  • 3.0 cumulative grade point average (3.2+ preferred)
  • Three letters of recommendation from those familiar with your academic and intellectual capabilities
  • One- to two-page statement about your career goals and why you want to earn your M.S. degree
  • Minimum TOEFL score of 90 (out of 120) or an overall band score of 7.0 on the IELTS exam for international students. Not required if you have earned a baccalaureate degree from a U.S. college or university.

Application deadlines

A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) on all college work for bachelor's degree or post-baccalaureate work. Due to the sequencing of coursework, new students will normally only be admitted in the fall term.

Applications are due for all applicants on February 15.

Download information about the iPhDs in the Biological Sciences (PDF)

Required

  • Baccalaureate degree in biomedical engineering or closely related discipline
    • Pre-program requirements include undergraduate courses in general biology, general chemistry, general physics, and differential equations
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA in last 60 hours of undergraduate engineering coursework

Recommended

Required

  • Equivalent of an American Chemical Society-approved bachelor’s degree in chemistry
  • Statement of purpose
  • Two letters of recommendation

Priority deadlines

  • Fall start - April 15
  • Spring start - October 15

Required

  • Equivalent of an American Chemical Society-approved bachelor's degree in chemistry, which includes coursework in general chemistry, analytical chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and one year of physical chemistry requiring calculus and physics as prerequisites.
  • Official transcripts.
  • Statement of purpose.
  • Three letters of recommendation (academic and/or professional).
  • English language proficiency requirement.

Required

  • UMKC general admissions application
  • Official transcripts of all college coursework showing these items
    • Baccalaureate degree in civil engineering or related discipline (pre-program requirements may be specified in case the bachelor’s degree is in a discipline different to which the candidate is applying)
    • Minimum 3.0 GPA in last 60 hours of undergraduate engineering coursework

Recommended

  • Two letters of recommendation from professors at previous institutions or mentors at places of employment
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Statement of purpose
  • GRE test score, but students may submit if it will strengthen their application for admission
Application Deadlines
Rolling deadline for Fall and Spring semesters. Applications are not accepted for Summer start.

Required

  • UMKC general admissions application
  • Official transcripts of all college coursework showing these items
    • Baccalaureate degree in engineering or related field combined with construction-related work experience (pre-program requirements may be specified in case the bachelor’s degree is in a discipline different to which the candidate is applying)
    • Minimum 3.0 GPA in last 60 hours of undergraduate engineering coursework (conditional admission may be granted when minimum GPA requirement is not met when other indicators promise applicant’s success in the program)
  • Statement of purpose

Students who have a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and who complete the Engineering and Construction Project Management certificate courses may be eligible to have up to 12 credit hours applicable to the Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Construction Management.

 

Required

  • UMKC general admissions application
  • Official transcripts of all college coursework showing these items
    • Baccalaureate degree in engineering or related field (pre-program requirements may be specified in case the bachelor’s degree is in a discipline different to which the candidate is applying)
    • Minimum 3.0 GPA in last 60 hours of undergraduate engineering coursework (conditional admission may be granted when minimum GPA requirement is not met when other indicators promise applicant’s success in the program)
  • Statement of purpose

Students who have a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and who complete the Structural Engineering certificate courses may be eligible to have up to 12 credit hours applicable to the Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering.

 

Required

  • Minimum 3.0 GPA in last 60 hours of undergraduate engineering coursework
  • Minimum 3.5 GPA in all post-baccalaureate coursework
  • 302 (verbal + quantitative) and a minimum of 158 on the quantitative portion of the GRE score (this requirement may be waived if the applicant has passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam)

Recommended

  • Contact the graduate program director ZhiQiang Chen before applying for admission.

Required

  • Baccalaureate degree in computer science or closely related discipline. Previous academic programming experience required.
    • Pre-program requirements may be specified in case the bachelor’s degree is in a discipline different to which the candidate is applying
    • Domestic students (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) who have a bachelor's degree in an unrelated discipline may enter as a Post-Baccalaureate Undergraduate student to take prerequisite coursework to be eligible for the Master's degree. Please contact the School of Science & Engineering for more information.
    • International applicants without Computer Science or Data Science undergraduate degrees are welcome to contact the School of Science & Engineering to confirm their degree is closely related before applying.
  • Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA in computer science coursework

Recommended

  • Letters of recommendation from professors at previous institutions or mentors at places of employment
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Statement of purpose
  • GRE test score, but students may submit if it will strengthen their application for admission

Priority admission deadlines for Fall semester start

  • International students - May 1 
  • International transfer students in the United States - August 1 (please contact sse@umkc.edu to apply after July 1)
  • Domestic students - August 15

Priority admission deadlines for Spring semester start

Required

  • Baccalaureate degree in computer science, information technology, applied math, applied statistics or closely related discipline
    • Pre-program requirements may be specified in case the bachelor’s degree is in a discipline different to which the candidate is applying.
    • Domestic students (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) who have a bachelor's degree in an unrelated discipline may enter as a Post-Baccalaureate Undergraduate student to take prerequisite coursework to be eligible for the Master's degree. Please contact the School of Science & Engineering for more information.
    • International applicants without Computer Science or Data Science undergraduate degrees are welcome to contact the School of Science & Engineering to confirm their degree is closely related before applying.
  • Minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA

Recommended

  • Letters of recommendation from professors at previous institutions or mentors at places of employment
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Statement of purpose
  • GRE test score, but students may submit if it will strengthen their application for admission

Priority admission deadlines for Fall semester start

  • International students - May 1 
  • International transfer students in the United States - August 1 (please contact sse@umkc.edu to apply after July 1)
  • Domestic students - August 15

Priority admission deadlines for Spring semester start

  • International students - November 1
  • International transfer students - December 1
  • Domestic students - December 15

Download information about the M.S. in Data Science (PDF)

It is expected that any applicant already has at least upper division undergraduate level core courses in a typical computer science program. All applications will receive careful and diligent consideration. Our admission decision is based on the whole student and the student's experience (more than the numbers) and the willingness of a faculty member to be the interim advisor.

Required

  • Master's degree in computer science (in exceptional cases, we consider applicants with a bachelor's degree in computer science or graduate degrees in related fields) 
  • Minimum 3.5 GPA in all post-baccalaureate coursework
  • Minimum mid-80s quantitative portion on the GRE score

Recommended

  • Contact the graduate program coordinator, Yugyung Lee, before applying for admission

A doctorate in computer networking and communication systems offers graduate students a fundamental understanding of the industry and a chance to explore developments of network architecture, new routing algorithms and protocols, new performance evaluation models for networks, new prototcol development and network security.

Required

  • Master's degree in computer science (in exceptional cases, we consider applicants with a bachelor's degree in computer science or graduate degrees in related fields) 
  • Minimum 3.5 GPA in all post-baccalaureate coursework
  • Minimum mid-80s quantitative portion on the GRE score

Recommended

  • Contact the graduate program coordinator, Sejun Song, before applying for admission.

Required

  • Undergraduate degree with a major in a geosciences field such as environmental sciences or studies, geography or geology
  • 3.0 overall GPA
  • 3.0 GPA in your major
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Declaration of either the thesis or non-thesis degree option. If you are declaring the thesis option, you must secure a thesis advisor and declare this in your application.

Recommended

  • GRE scores, which may be used to award assistantships

Application deadlines

  • Fall semester start - March 31 
  • Spring semester start - October 1

Students are expected to hold an undergraduate or master's degree in environmental sciences, geology, geography or a closely-related field. Opportunities within the department range from the physical sciences to the humanities. Because of the wide range of faculty expertise, and in keeping with the general spirit of the entire interdisciplinary program, the faculty in Geosciences has deliberately chosen to establish broad guidelines for admission of Interdisciplinary Ph.D. students. All prospective graduate students must attain a GPA of 3.0 or above, on a 4.0 scale, in all university work prior to admission. Three letters of recommendation from professors as well as a proposal from the prospective student detailing goals and expectations are needed for an evaluation of the application. Students are expected to have an advisor at the time of admission.

Required

  • Baccalaureate degree in electrical and computer engineering or related discipline
    • Pre-program requirements may be specified in case the bachelor’s degree is in a discipline different to which the candidate is applying
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA in last 60 hours of undergraduate engineering coursework
  • Two letters of recommendation for applicants with an overall GPA of less than 3.0 in the last 60 hours of their undergraduate degree program

Recommended

  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Statement of purpose
  • GRE test score, but students may submit if it will strengthen their application for admission

Expected

  • Upper-division undergraduate level core courses in an electrical or computer engineering program

Required

  • Bachelor's degree in electrical or computer engineering
  • Minimum 3.5 GPA in undergraduate coursework
  • 85th percentile in quantitative portion of the GRE score

Recommended

  • Minimum 3.5 GPA in all post-baccalaureate coursework
  • Master's degree in electrical or computer engineering
  • Prior projects and publications
  • Contact the graduate program coordinator, Ahmed Hassan, before applying for admission

Direct Ph.D. program

It is not required to have an M.S. or equivalent degree to apply to the Ph.D. program. We accept well-qualified and motivated students with a bachelor's degree. We encourage students in the direct Ph.D. program to try to complete their doctoral study within four or five years after the bachelor's degree. Students must make a comprehensive plan at the beginning of the doctoral study to complete all the relevant steps within this strict timeline.

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with a satisfactory GPA
    • If your degree is not in mathematics, statistics or equivalent, you must have taken Calculus I, II and III and at least three other mathematics or statistics classes beyond Calculus III, with satisfactory grades
    • Students who do not meet these admission requirements can contact the Mathematics Graduate Program Chair to discuss options
  • Statement of purpose

Recommended

  • GRE scores
  • Letters of recommendation
    • Three letters of recommendation are required to apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA)

Priority deadlines

  • Fall semester start - March 1
    Spring semester start - October 15

Application processing times can take longer than two months. To be considered for a GTA, applicants must meet the priority deadline.

Required

  • Minimum requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies. This information may be found under the Prospective Students tab on the School of Graduate Studies website.
  •  At least a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Statistics, or related field from an accredited college or university. A bachelor’s degree in another subject will suffice, provided that the applicant has successfully completed at least three Mathematics courses beyond Calculus I, II, and III.
  •  An overall grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale during the Bachelor’s program, or an overall GPA of at least 3.0 on all post-Bachelor’s work.

    Download information about the iPhD in Math or Statistics (PDF)

Required

  • Baccalaureate degree in mechanical engineering or related discipline
    • Pre-program requirements may be specified in case the bachelor’s degree is in a discipline different to which the candidate is applying
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA in last 60 hours of undergraduate engineering coursework

Recommended

  • Two letters of recommendation from professors at previous institutions or mentors at places of employment
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Statement of purpose
  • GRE test scores

Required

  • Minimum 3.0 GPA in last 60 hours of undergraduate engineering coursework
  • Minimum 3.5 GPA in all post-baccalaureate coursework
  • 302 (verbal and quantitative) and a minimum of 158 on the quantitative portion of the GRE score (this requirement may be waived if the applicant has passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam)

Recommended

  • Contact the graduate program coordinator, Travis Fields, before applying for admission

Expected

An undergraduate major in physics is not required; however, a background in a related area of science or engineering is expected

Recommended

  • Three letters of reference
  • Statement of purpose
  • GRE aptitude test
  • GRE physics subject test
  • Personal interview

The basic criterion for admission is the likelihood that an applicant will be successful in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, particularly in the research component of the program. All applicants must satisfy the graduate studies committee that they meet this criterion through evidence such as transcripts, letters of recommendation, statements of purpose, GRE scores (general and optionally the subject), performance on the department written examination, etc. Furthermore, a member of the doctoral faculty must be willing to accept the applicant as a research student.