For academic policies and specific requirements for your degree program, please see the UMKC Catalog.
Academic Support and Mentoring (ASM) provides UMKC students with several programs designed to improve their academic performance and transition to the University, including Supplemental Instruction, Tutoring Services, Summer Bridge, Roo Up Seminars, First Gen Roos, and the Writing Studio. In addition, ASM administers UMKC’s federal grant program, Jumpstart (Americorps), which matches college students with area pre-school children to help them build a strong learning foundation for future success.
The Provost’s Office maintains the Academic Policy Library and Academic Catalog for undergraduate programs and graduate & professional programs. Students are expected to become familiar and to comply with all academic policies and program requirements. Please contact your advisor or Department Chair with any questions.
The mission of UMKC’s Career Services is to empower students to successfully develop, evaluate, and initiate career planning and professional development within a constantly changing work environment. Students utilize Handshake to request a career counseling appointment, begin searching for jobs and internships, and to learn about upcoming career events.
Accessibility Services works with students to establish an accommodation plan that will provide the support needed to achieve their academic goals at UMKC.
In general, undergraduate students may graduate after completing at least 120 credit hours and by maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Other requirements include completion of the last 30 hours at UMKC (commonly referred to as “residency requirement”), completion of the HEIghten exit exam, and for students entering after July 2019, completion of the Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination.
Departments and Schools may have additional or more stringent requirements, including a capstone or internship. Students should meet with an advisor throughout their academic career to ensure they are on track to graduate.
If you fail to take the required exams before the end of the semester in which you plan to graduate, you will need to reapply for graduation for a future term.
Transcripts and diplomas may not be released if there are holds on a student’s account.
The PAL Program connects incoming students with a dedicated Peer Academic Leader (PAL) as they begin their studies at UMKC. We strive to empower each Scholar towards personal, academic and financial prosperity via connecting Scholars to resources and aiding them in identifying partners in their educational journey.
Academic advisors assist students in developing their academic goals, help navigate degree requirements, and explore career options related to their chosen majors. Many degree programs require students to meet with an academic advisor prior to enrollment each semester; additionally, some programs utilize professional staff advisors as well as faculty advisors.
Roo Advising is designed to provide students a proactive, personalized, and comprehensive experience organized around Major Academic Paths: Arts & Cultural Studies; Human Behavior, Education, and Justice; Business & Management; Numbers, Engineering, Technology, & the Cosmos; and Natural & Health Sciences. Students engaging with Roo Advising will understand the requirements for their chosen degree programs, have a clear path to graduation, and engage with Faculty Mentors to build a Career Plan to prepare for graduate and professional school or employment opportunities.
UMKC’s Study Abroad and Global Engagement Office (SAGE) serves as a resource for students who are interested in adding international experiences to their education. SAGE helps to connect students, faculty and staff to organizations and resources that enhance international education through study abroad and prestigious fellowships.
Supplemental Instruction (SI) was developed by UMKC’s Academic Support and Mentoring and has been implemented in colleges and universities around the world.
SI is a peer-assisted study model that improves student learning in courses that are historically difficult–in fact, students who regularly attend SI sessions earn a half- to a full-letter grade higher than students who do not regularly attend the sessions.
SI Leaders are students who have successfully taken the course and have been trained in cognitive learning techniques. SI sessions are not review sessions, but rather opportunities for students to assist each other in mastering cognitive learning techniques.
UMKC Tutoring is dedicated to guiding each student through difficult material from understanding overarching concepts to developing learning strategies and tools so students can retain information and solve problems on their own.
UMKC Tutoring is staffed by trained, part-time student tutors who offer free assistance to all UMKC students. Students may work individually or in small groups with tutors. Students are also able to borrow resources from UMKC Tutoring such as whiteboards, scrap paper, and index cards. Students can also request to check-out laptops, scientific calculators, or molecular molecule kits to use in the tutoring space.
Developing and conducting a research project in partnership with a faculty mentor is a highlight of an undergraduate education, not to mention a high-impact experience that puts you in charge of your learning. UMKC’s SEARCH (Students Engaged in Artistic and Academic Research) helps connect students who are interested in research with a faculty mentor to help develop and complete a substantive research project.
University Libraries are dedicated to providing students, faculty, and staff academic resources and services, which are available at the Miller Nichols Library, Music/Media Library, LaBudde Special Collections, Marr Sound Archives, Health Sciences Library, Dental Library, and the Leon E. Bloch Law Library. UMKC also participates in interlibrary loan consortia, making materials from around the country available to our university community. Text a librarian your questions, or stop by the libraries to utilize the lounges and study spaces. LibGuides are available on-line on a wide variety of topics to help you get started on your research.
The Writing Studio offers peer tutoring services to help students polish their writing skills in all academic areas. Students are encouraged to call for an appointment at any stage during the writing process for one-on-one assistance. The Writing Studio also produces writing resource guides as handouts to assist writers at all stages and levels.