PhD FAQs

Please choose a question from the list below:

  • When Do I Need to Apply for Admission?

  • I’ve Missed the Application Deadline. Do I have to wait until next year?

  • How long will it take to get my PhD at UMKC?

  • Can I attend part-time?

  • What is the residency requirement?

  • Are there any time constraints?

  • How many of my transfer hours will apply toward your program?

  • Do I have to take the GRE? What if I already took it?

  • What if I don’t have a clear research focus?

  • Can I take the entire program on-line?

  • What’s a collateral?

  • What are your out-of-state fees?

  • Are there scholarships to help me?

  • How are classes scheduled?

  • What if I still have questions and want to talk with someone?

    • Question: When Do I Need to Apply for Admission?

    Answer:
  • Students are admitted into the doctoral program in a Summer Semester
  • Completed application packets should be submitted by February 1


    • back to top

    gradbar

    Question: I’ve Missed the Application Deadline. Do I have to wait until next year?

    Answer:
  • February 1st is a priority deadline, so it will depend on whether the fall class still has vacancies
  • You can call 816.235.1740 to see if there are any spaces left.


    • back to top

    gradbar

    Question: How long will it take to get my PhD at UMKC?

    Answer: That will depend on several factors such as:
  • whether you attend school full or part-time
  • whether you have a master’s degree

    • Some students have completed in three years, others have taken four or more. For the most part, the student is the major factor in determining how long it takes.

    back to top

    gradbar

    Question: Can I attend part-time?

    Answer: Yes, you can attend part-time with the exception of meeting the residency requirement.

    back to top

    gradbar

    Question: What is the residency requirement?

    Answer: The residency requirement does not mean that you have live in KC. Residency is used to define the time frame during which you must complete 21 credit hours.

  • Successful completion of at least 21 credits, exclusive of dissertation research, in no more than 18 months.

    back to top

    gradbar

    Question: Are there any time constraints?

    Answer: Yes, there are two:
       1. Students must take and pass the doctoral comprehensive examination and advance to PhD candidacy within five years from the beginning of doctoral coursework (within four years if entering with a master’s degree in the same or closely related field)
       2. After the establishment of degree candidacy, a maximum of five years will be allowed for completion of degree requirements.

    back to top

    gradbar

    Question: How many of my transfer hours will apply toward your program?

    Answer: Graduate credit earned at another institution prior to admission into the PhD program might be applied if it's of acceptable quality and appropriate to the student’s degree program.

    After admission to the doctoral program, if a student wishes to take graduate coursework at another institution and apply it to his or her doctoral program, the student must receive written approval from the student's supervisory committee before the coursework is taken. Such coursework is not considered as transfer credit. Upon completion of the coursework, the student must have the official transcript forwarded to the UMKC Registrar's office.

    back to top

    gradbar

    Question: Do I have to take the GRE? What if I already took it?

    Answer:
  • Yes, you must take the GRE; your application will not be considered complete until official GRE scores are submitted.
  • You must take the newer version of the GRE that includes the Analytical Writing section.


    • back to top

    gradbar

    Question: What if I don’t have a clear research focus?

    Answer: The clearer your research focus the better. A clear focus enables us to (a) evaluate our ability to meet your educational needs, and (b) help you find your faculty mentor match.

    back to top

    gradbar

    Question: Can I take the entire program on-line?

    Answer: You will be required to come to campus two times, both in the summer. The summer Research Institutes are each five days long and generally held in late July. Students attend the first Summer Institute immediately prior to their fall admission, and the second will be the following summer. Dates for the Institutes are posted on the PhD website.

    back to top

    gradbar

    Question: What’s a collateral?

    Answer: A course taken outside the School of Nursing that supports your research focus area. There are 12 hours of collateral coursework required in the program. If appropriate, 6 of the hours may be taken at a school of nursing. All collateral coursework must be pre-approved by the student's supervisory committee.

    back to top

    gradbar

    Question: What are your out-of-state fees?

    Answer: Due to the fact that you are a doctoral student, if you take no more than nine credit hours each semester you will not be assessed out-of-state fees.

    back to top

    gradbar

    Question: Are there scholarships to help me?

    Answer:
  • There is financial aid available which can be accessed over the web at www.umkc.edu/finaid.
  • There is some scholarship information at http://sgs.umkc.edu/financial.asp
  • The School of Nursing has limited scholarships available and criteria is dependent on application for financial aid.
  • There is a Nurse Traineeship grant that is usually available for students attending full-time (nine plus hours/semester) both fall and winter semesters. Applications are on the web.
  • There is a National Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) available which has an educator focus and is loan money that can be forgiven (up to 85%) if you choose to teach full time for 4 years upon graduation in a school of nursing.


    • back to top

    gradbar

    Question: How are classes scheduled?

    Answer: Other than the summer institute, they will all be on-line and utilize Blackboard and webcam technology. Most courses are asyncronous; however, there are some syncronous courses. Schedules are usually posted a semester prior to class startup for advance planning.

    back to top

    gradbar

    Question: What if I still have questions and want to talk with someone?

    Answer: Please contact:
  • Maithe Enriquez, PhD Program Chair (816.235.1711) or enriquezm@umkc.edu or

  • Judy Jellison, Student Services Director (816-235-1740) or jellisonj@umkc.edu


    • back to top

    gradbar