School of Graduate Studies Mission

The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) provides a support network that promotes excellence in graduate education, and supports current and prospective graduate students in achieving their full potential. We do this by:

• Advocating for graduate education
• Recruiting and retaining students
• Assuring quality control in graduate programs
• Managing and distributing financial support
• Providing support services for graduate students
• Partnering with others to promote graduate education

School of Graduate Studies Vision

The vision of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) is to be a leader in urban graduate education through the support of a diverse student body who advances knowledge and positively impacts our regional, state, national, global, and disciplinary communities.

School of Graduate Studies Composition and Organization

UMKC currently offers more than 50 graduate degrees at the master's, educational specialist and doctoral levels, in addition to more than 20 graduate certificate programs. Graduate students represent about 33 percent of the total campus enrollment. The graduate student population is diverse in ethnicity, gender and racial background. As an urban university, our programs strive to accommodate adult working students. Nearly two-thirds of all graduate students are enrolled part time and the average age is 35.

The Graduate Council, representing a cross section of campus graduate faculty, sets policy, establishes minimum graduate education standards, and monitors the quality of graduate education at UMKC. The graduate faculty in the various graduate degree programs may set standards more stringent than the minimums outlined in this catalog section, and in such cases, the program standards take precedence over the campuswide minimum regulations. The School of Graduate Studies is responsible for monitoring compliance to the campuswide minimum graduate academic regulations; providing leadership and coordination of all graduate programs; and serves as the academic home for students admitted to the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program. Information on the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program may be found in the School of Graduate Studies section of this catalog.