Graduate Certificate programs of study must include a minimum of 12 graduate credits. No more than 25% of the credits on the program of study may be 300- and 400-level courses. 

A majority of the coursework applicable to any graduate certificate awarded by UMKC must be completed at UMKC. UM traveling scholar credits are not considered transfer credits. 

Credit over four years old at the time the certificate is awarded may not be counted toward the certificate unless validated to the satisfaction of the department or school offering the certificate and the School of Graduate Studies. Petitions and affidavits for this purpose may be obtained from the School of Graduate Studies. A maximum of 25% percent of the certificate program of study may be validated under this procedure.

A maximum of 25 percent of the graduate credit hours appearing on the program of study (rounded up) may be transferred from a recognized graduate school for a graduate certificate at UMKC. Such transfer credits must meet with approval of the student's graduate advisor or graduate officer and be in accordance with all of the following criteria:

1. The coursework must have been:

• Offered by an accredited college, university, or conservatory.
• Applied toward a graduate degree or taken for graduate credit.
• Approved by the appropriate graduate faculty.
• Completed with a grade of B (3.0) or higher for 300- and 400-level courses and C (2.0) or higher for 5000-level courses or other courses restricted to graduate students only. (CR or P will be accepted on receipt of a statement from the institution where credit was received that the CR or P designation is equivalent to the UMKC letter grade standards required for course transfer).

Transfer credit may be allowed for correspondence courses, provided the credits meet the criteria outlined above. Transfer credit will not be accepted for research and thesis/dissertation hours (defined by UMKC), travel experience or work/life experience. Foreign university transfer credit must meet the above criteria as attested by the registrar.

After approval of the program of study, graduate credit may be earned at another institution only with prior approval of the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. Forms to request such approval are available from the Registration and Records Office. A current catalog of the institution where the course is to be taken or an official catalog description of each course must be attached to the request form. The official transcript for such work must be forwarded to the Registration Office upon completion of the course.