Application Procedure and Minimum Criteria for Admission

When preparing an application for admission, applicants must designate which one of the disciplines is to become the primary discipline for initial advising and record-keeping in the event that admission is granted. A student's primary advisor must be affiliated with the primary discipline.

All applicants are encouraged to review the requirements for the selected primary discipline by visiting the Natural Sciences Ph.D. website. It is recommended that applicants talk to the Ph.D. Discipline Coordinator in their area(s) of interest before applying to the program. Discipline Coordinators offer valuable program, academic, and application information.

Please read through all steps below before beginning an application.

To apply to the Natural Sciences Ph.D. Program:

• Visit https://futureroo.umkc.edu/apply
• Select the "Graduate" level of application and "Start New Application"
  • Note: There will not yet be an option to choose the Natural Sciences Ph.D. program as the intended field of study - this comes at a later step.
• Complete the "Personal Info" section and "Continue."
• Within the "Academic Information" section, choose your intended starting semester.
  • Place a checkmark in the appropriate box for whether you have previously enrolled as a degree-seeking student at UMKC.
  • For "Degree Program," select "Natural Sciences Ph.D." Another drop-down menu will appear for you to select your primary discipline. Some primary disciplines have the potential secondary disciplines available at the time of application - you are welcome to choose a secondary discipline but are not required to do so at this time.
  • Click "Continue" after selecting your choices.
• Complete the "Academic History" section. Your official transcripts are required for every institution listed here, with the exception of UMKC if previously attended.
• In the "Test Scores" section, each test score entered will require the official scores to be sent to UMKC.
• Within "Letters of Recommendation," enter the contact information for your recommendation writers. Recommenders will receive an email with a link where they will be able to upload a letter and complete and online form of information.
  • If you already have letters in hand, you can upload those at the end of the process, after submitting the application.
• Complete the "Additional Information" section.
• Complete the "Signature" section with your full name.
• Review your application and "Submit" it.
  • NOTE: You cannot alter any information in the above steps after you click this "Submit" button.
• If there are other documents you would like to submit, use the next page to upload them under the appropriate categories (such as resume, writing sample, cover letter, etc.).

To check your application status, visit https://futureroo.umkc.edu/status

Official transcripts should be sent directly to the UMKC Admissions Office. Please check with the Admissions Office (domestic applicants) or the International Student Affairs Office (ISAO – international applicants) regarding the receipt of your official transcript(s). Your application cannot be reviewed until official transcripts have been received.

Test scores should be sent directly to UMKC from ETS - Institution code: 6872

Waiver requests for TOEFL/IELTS/GRE: Applicants must talk with the Ph.D. Discipline Coordinator(s) in their area(s) of interest before requesting a waiver for the official test score requirements. After talking with the Coordinator(s), a waiver request can be submitted in writing through the Application site. Upload your waiver request in PDF format. Choose “Other” for the document type listed in the drop-down menu.

If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact the School of Graduate Studies at 816-235-1301 or umkcsgs@umkc.edu.

Additional Information

1. The deadlines for applications to the Natural Sciences Ph.D. program vary by discipline. All application materials must be uploaded, and test scores and official transcripts must be received in Admission Offices by the primary discipline deadline. Discipline deadlines are updated online.

2. The timeline for applicants to expect admission decisions varies by discipline. Most admission decisions are made by approximately four weeks after the latest deadline. For example, if a discipline deadline is February 1st, an admission decision should be received, approximately, by March 1st.

3. Applicants will be notified of admission decisions by email within the application system. Newly admitted international applicants will receive necessary admission documentation from the International Student Affairs Office.

4. Admission decisions cannot be provided over the telephone.

Admission to UMKC is made through the Admissions Office or, in the case of international applicants, through the UMKC International Student Affairs Office (ISAO). For additional program information, applicants should contact the School of Graduate Studies. E-mail requests may be sent to umkcsgs@umkc.edu; the phone number is (816) 235-1301. Application information and an online application system are also available from the School of Graduate Studies website.

Mailing Address
University of Missouri-Kansas City
School of Graduate Studies
ASSC 120
5000 Holmes Street
Kansas City, MO 64110

The general criteria for admission for Natural Sciences Ph.D. program study are as follows:

• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required (except in the case of a primary discipline in Biomedical and Health Informatics) but is suggested to submit to strengthen the application.
• A grade-point average of at least 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) covering all college work taken prior to the bachelor's degree, or a grade-point average of at least 3.0 covering all post-baccalaureate work completed to date.
• Recommendation for provisional or full admission by the faculty review group in the chosen discipline for a primary discipline and a secondary discipline (if selected).

Graduates of schools outside the United States may be considered for admission to this doctoral program at UMKC, subject to the following criteria.

1. They must have completed a course of study at least the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree.
2. They must have above-average grades in previous college study.
3. They are required to establish proof of adequate English proficiency as part of the UMKC admissions process. Applicants from countries in which English might be one of the official languages, but is not necessarily the first language of the majority of the population, must attain a minimum composite score of either 79 on the iBT Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or a score of 6.0 on the IELTS to be considered for admission (or higher if required by the chosen primary discipline). The results of the examination must be received in the UMKC International Student Affairs Office before the application deadline. Exceptions to this policy can be made for (1) international transfer students from other U.S. or Canada institutions who have spent a minimum of two years in successful full-time study and (2) non-native speakers with degrees/diplomas from post-secondary institutions in selected English-speaking countries – please contact ISAO for more information.
4. In addition to 1 through 3 above, international graduate students must satisfy any program-specific admission criteria. Several programs require TOEFL scores that are well above the minimum stated previously. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE), including the appropriate Advanced Test, is either required or strongly recommended for all other international graduate applicants. International students planning to apply are directed to consult the appropriate degree program listing for additional criteria and medical requirements. There are detailed instructions for the application process for international students available on the International Student Affairs Office (ISAO) website: http://info.umkc.edu/ISAO/future-students/apply/

Participating disciplines may establish whatever additional criteria or higher standards they consider to be appropriate and such discipline-specific criteria will take precedence over the general criteria. Applicants should note that several discipline areas have set more rigorous admission requirements, and a number of discipline areas have established qualifying requirements for students who intend to include that discipline in their doctoral programs. These discipline-specific requirements range from specific prerequisite coursework, to successful completion of a qualifying examination, to having the equivalent of a master's degree in the area, to having higher scores on specific segments of the GRE and are listed in greater detail later in this section.

Students may apply for admission with or without meeting the general criteria of the School of Graduate Studies and any additional criteria established by the discipline areas. Meeting these criteria does not automatically make any student eligible for admission. In exceptional circumstances, students who do not meet the general criteria of the School of Graduate Studies and the disciplines may be admitted.

Admission to the Natural Sciences Ph.D. program is subject to availability of adequate faculty and other resources within an applicant's chosen disciplines and the approvals of the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

Application Procedure

The deadline for applications varies by discipline.
Although new students in most disciplines may be accepted in all terms, some disciplines will only consider applications for the fall term.

Applicants are responsible for:

1. Submitting a completed Application for Admission to the UMKC Admissions Office, or in the case of international applicants, to the UMKC International Student Affairs Office (ISAO). All applications must be accompanied by the appropriate non-refundable application fee ($45 for domestic applicants or $75 for international applicants).
2. Uploading the following supplementary materials (shown below) into the online application site. 
   • A narrative statement / Statement of intent outlining professional background and educational plans.
   • Three letters of recommendation. (The applicant provides referee contact information in the online application site. The referee receives an email invitation to upload the reference letter into the site.)
   • Any supplemental material requested by the discipline(s). Note that several disciplines require professional writing samples, tentative outlines of plans of study, or other supplemental materials to complete the application packet. Applicants should consult the discipline-specific information to determine whether supplemental materials are required by the discipline(s) they select.
   • Resume / Vita
3. Having the following supplementary documentation sent to the UMKC Admissions Office or in the case of international applicants, to the UMKC International Student Affairs Office (ISAO):
   • Official test scores (GRE, TOEFL, etc.). The applicant must request the testing agency to send official GRE test scores to the School of Graduate Studies. According to the Educational Testing Service:
     • GRE test scores are part of your reportable history for five years after the testing year in which you tested.
     • Scores from individuals who tested between July 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019, were purged from the GRE database in mid-July 2024.
   • Official transcripts from all colleges attended. All applicants must submit an official transcript from the school where their bachelor's degrees were obtained. This transcript must show all courses, grades and credits attempted or completed at the undergraduate level. Unless the transcript of the degree-granting institution shows the complete record of undergraduate work taken at all other schools, an official transcript from each of the other institutions must be supplied. In addition, applicants must submit an official transcript from each school where other coursework has been taken or degrees have been obtained after the bachelor's degree.
   • Waiver requests for TOEFL/IELTS/GRE: Applicants must talk to the Ph.D. Discipline Coordinator(s) in their area(s) of interest before requesting a waiver for the official test score requirements. After talking with the Coordinator(s), a waiver request can be submitted in writing through the online application system as an additional document.

International applicants must submit the following additional forms:

1. Official Statement of Finances form (Guidelines online here)
2. Affidavit of Support – if a friend or family member is providing a Statement of Finances
3. If transferring from another U.S. institution:
   1. Transfer-In Form
   2. Copy of passport
   3. Copy of visa
   4. Current I-20 or DS-2019
   5. I-94 Form

All credentials submitted in support of the application for admission to the Ph.D. program become UMKC property. They will not be returned to the applicants and UMKC cannot copy them for release to a third party.

For questions about the contents of their admission files, or to determine whether their official transcripts or test scores have been received, applicants may contact the Admissions Office (816) 235-1111 or admit@umkc.edu. International applicants may check on the status of their applications by contacting the ISAO at http://www.umkc.edu/isao/ (816) 235-1113 or isaoadmissions@umkc.edu. Applicants may also contact the School of Graduate Studies, (816) 235-1301 or umkcsgs@umkc.edu for information on the status of their applications.