Post-Baccalaureate, Non-Graduate Student Classification:

Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree and who are seeking only additional undergraduate courses may be admitted under a post-baccalaureate (code 4-E) classification. Students in this classification are restricted to enrollment in courses numbered 499 and below and may not take any courses for graduate credit. Courses taken while classified as a code 4-E student may not be included for credit on a graduate degree program at a later date. Code 4-E students wanting to reclassify as graduate students for a future term must reapply and be regularly admitted to the graduate programs in which they want to seek advanced degrees.

 Degree-Seeking and Non-Degree-Seeking Graduate Student Classifications:

Students admitted to any of the graduate classifications (whether degree seeking or non-degree seeking) will be enrolled automatically for graduate credit in courses numbered 300 to 499 unless they indicate on their enrollment forms that they do not want graduate credit for the course or the instructor specifies the course may only be taken for undergraduate credit. Courses numbered 299 and below may not be taken for graduate credit, are not calculated in a student's graduate grade-point average and cannot be included as credit courses on a graduate student's program of study.

The following six admissions categories are used for degree-seeking graduate students at UMKC:

1. Regular Master's Degree Seeking - (Full Admit) Degree-seeking graduate students admitted to a master's degree program without reservation.
2. Conditional Master's Degree Seeking - (Provisional Graduate). Degree-seeking graduate students admitted to a master's-level degree program who have not yet fulfilled all admissions requirements specified by the academic unit responsible for the degree program.
3. Regular Educational-Specialist Degree Seeking - (Full Admit). Degree-seeking graduate students admitted to an Educational-Specialist degree program in the School of Education without reservation.
4. Conditional Educational-Specialist Degree Seeking - (Provisional Graduate). Degree-seeking graduate students admitted to an Educational-Specialist degree program who have not yet fulfilled all admissions requirements specified by the School of Education.
5. Regular Doctoral Degree Seeking - (Full Admit). Degree-seeking graduate students admitted to a doctoral degree program (Ph.D. or D.M.A.) without reservation.
6. Conditional Doctoral Degree Seeking - (Provisional Graduate). Degree-seeking graduate students admitted to a Ph.D. or D.M.A. program who have not yet fulfilled all admission requirements specified by the academic unit responsible for the degree program.

Full admission of provisional graduate students to a degree program and appropriate reclassification are subject to students' removal of deficiencies and approval of satisfactory performance.

Admission to graduate study and to a particular degree program is no guarantee that students will be advanced to candidacy or granted a higher degree. All candidates are expected to perform at a consistently high level and to satisfy all the requirements for the degree. The final determination, as to whether or not students will be recommended for a graduate degree, is made by the graduate faculty in the fields concerned. The graduate faculty reserves the right to deal with exceptional cases on individual merit.

Degree-seeking graduate students who plan to change their field of study must reapply for admission and be regularly admitted to the desired graduate program in the new department or school.

The following three admission categories are used for non-degree-seeking graduate students:

1. Non-Regular Graduate - Continuing Education, Non-Degree-Seeking Student - (College Continuing Education). Students taking courses for graduate credit through the Division of Continuing Education. It should be noted that admission to this category (generally through self-certification) does not constitute regular admission to a graduate program at UMKC. However, on the recommendation of the adviser and approval by the graduate officer, a limited number of graduate credit courses (normally no more than six credit hours) may be applied to individual degree programs after students have been regularly admitted to do graduate study (see Application for Graduate Study, above).
2. Visiting Graduate Student - (Visiting). This includes students who have been properly certified as graduate students at an accredited institution other than UMKC, and have permission to enroll in specific courses (including 5000-level courses) at UMKC. Note: Students who have previously been enrolled in a UMKC graduate program must have been in good academic standing at the end of their last UMKC graduate enrollment to take graduate courses as a visiting graduate student.
3. Graduate Special Non-Degree Seeking - (Non-Degree Graduate Special). This classification is used for three categories of students: (1) Community access, non-degree-seeking students wanting access to graduate level courses not available through continuing education; (2) Potential graduate applicants, not meeting requirements for conditional admission and wanting to take graduate-level courses in order to qualify for admission; and (3) Community access students applying to graduate certificate programs. The following restrictions apply to Non-Degree Graduate Special Classification graduate students:
   • Students apply to the academic unit, if declared. If undeclared, students are admitted as undeclared graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences.
   • All graduate academic regulations apply.
   • Students must have a baccalaureate degree prior to admission.
   • Students are subject to the campus graduate academic probation and ineligibility policies.
   • Students with a Non-Degree Graduate Special classification are not eligible for financial aid unless they are enrolling at least half-time in a graduate certificate program.
   • International students may not be issued I-20 forms for admission under a Non-Degree Graduate Special classification.
   • International students considered under the Non-Degree Graduate Special classification must meet the University standards for evidence of English proficiency.
   • Students admitted under this classification must reapply to the academic unit and be admitted to a graduate degree program in order to be changed to degree-seeking status.
   • At the discretion of a department or area, the graduate-level courses completed with a grade of B (3.0) or better while classified as a Non-Degree Graduate Special student may be applied toward a graduate degree in that department or area. Of the courses listed on a degree, no more than 12 semester credit hours may have been completed while enrolled as a Non-Degree Graduate Special student.

All non-degree-seeking graduate students (College Continuing Education, Visiting, and Non-Degree Graduate Special) wishing to enter a degree program must reapply for and be regularly admitted to the department or school from which they want to receive an advanced degree.