Admission Requirements

Admission to Bloch School graduate programs is based on evaluation of qualifications including, but not limited to, cumulative undergraduate grade point average, career/educational goals, work experience and exam scores. Individual program application and admission requirements can be viewed at https://bloch.umkc.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions.html. 

Applicants to the Executive M.B.A. (E.M.B.A.) program are considered for admission based on educational record and career history, quality and length of professional and managerial experience, strength of personal interview and one written essay, and two references. Detailed admissions information can be found at https://bloch.umkc.edu/graduate/emba/index.html.

Most classes are offered on weekday evenings. Selected courses may be offered in an intensive weekend format. E.M.B.A. courses are offered on scheduled Saturdays.

Retention and Graduation Requirements for Graduate Students

All students enrolled in any of the Bloch School graduate programs (M.B.A., E.M.B.A., M.S.F., M.S.E.R.E., M.S.A., M.P.A., and certificates) must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in all courses for which graduate credit is given. Students with GPAs that fall below the minimum 3.0 are placed on probation and are allowed two successive semesters (including the summer semester, if enrolled) to restore their GPAs to the required 3.0 level. While on probation, graduates must achieve a 3.0 term GPA in order to enroll for the ensuing term.  If a student's term GPA is below a 3.0 or, if after two successive semesters, the cumulative GPA is below a 3.0, the student will be dismissed from the Bloch School.  Good standing is achieved only if the GPA is 3.0 or above.  No course with a grade below B- (2.7), in any 300- or 400-level course, or below C (2.0) in any 5000-level course or above, will count toward any advanced degree program; however, the grade will be included in the calculation of the student's GPA. Eighty percent of the credits for the degree must be passed with a grade of B (3.0) or better.

M.B.A., M.S.A., M.S.F., M.S.E.R.E, and certificate students must file an official program of study with the Graduate Programs Office when reaching the 50% completion point in their degree programs. For the M.P.A. program, this must occur once a student has reached 18 hours. This form constitutes a contract and must be signed by the student and department chair. Any changes to the program must be approved on a new form by the same individuals. Students are responsible for ensuring their program of study falls within the program guidelines.

All students must file an application for graduation by the announced campus deadline during the student's last semester (students are encouraged to submit earlier if possible). This application and the program of study must be filed by the announced deadline in order to obtain the degree.

Transfer Credit

Students may petition to transfer up to 6 hours of graduate credit into their program. Coursework must be from an accredited institution, with a grade of B or better, and appropriate to the student's program. Also, the coursework must have been taken within seven years of completion of all requirements for the Bloch School degree. Credit must not be more than seven years old at the time of graduation.  Evaluation of transfer credit is done by faculty and requires documentation provided by the student.

Course Repeat Policy

Whenever students repeat a graduate-credit course, they must submit a course repeat form to the Graduate Programs Office no later than the fourth week of the term. Students seeking graduate degrees are limited to repeating no more than 20 percent of the credits applicable toward a graduate degree. If approved by the school or department or Interdisciplinary Ph.D. supervisory committee, students may repeat a course once to improve their GPA or satisfy the program requirements. The second grade received will be used to calculate the GPA that will be used in satisfying degree requirements.

Credit/No Credit

All graduate courses in the Bloch School must be taken for a letter grade, except for most internship courses (numbered 5595); ACCTNG 5522, Seminar in Accounting; and ACCTNG 5523, Applied Taxation and Client Relationship Management Accounting, which are taken credit/no credit. 

Independent Study and Internship For Credit

Students are limited to no more than six hours of independent study and internship for credit and no more than three hours of any one practicum, including the small business practicum. For the M.P.A. program, students are limited to a total of six hours, of which three credit hours can be an internship. Interested students should consult with their advisor or staff in the Graduate Programs Office.