UMKC - The Bloch School

Bloch

Public service offers a career charged with excitement, challenge and significance. Opportunities are numerous, ranging from positions in local, state, national and international agencies to those in health institutions and nonprofit organizations. Public service leaders and executives have a great opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in solving the most important leadership and community challenges facing these organizations in an increasingly complex, changing world.

The Bloch School’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) provides a top-notch education in policy development, administrative practices, ethics, and other vital aspects of public service management. Kansas City provides an exceptional setting for the MPA program. Rich in the number of federal regional offices, Kansas City is known nationally for excellence in local government. You will also find many unique public service and health service agencies that can become laboratories for learning.

The Bloch MPA provides the ideal combination of academic knowledge and professional expertise. Our nationally recognized faculty all have doctoral degrees as well as extensive real-world experience in their respective fields. Classes are offered during the evenings and on weekends so you can work as you learn.

You may apply to and begin the MPA program in any semester. Our priority deadlines are the following:

• Fall: May 1
• Spring: October 1
• Summer: March 1

Notes:  You are encouraged to apply by the priority deadlines, but we do offer rolling admissions. However, if your completed application is not received by a semester's priority deadline we cannot guarantee admission for that semester.

A completed application includes all of the following:

• UMKC application, available online here, plus application fee.
• Official transcripts (one copy) from all colleges/universities attended, sent to this address:

UMKC Office of Admissions
120 Administrative Center
5100 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110-2499

• You must have completed a bachelor's or first level professional degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  
• An official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score.
  • To see score ranges for admitted students, click here.
  • While the GRE is preferred, our admissions committee will also consider GMAT scores with your application.
  • If you have a prior master's degree, you will be waived from the GRE requirement.
  • The LSAT will be considered in place of the GRE only if you are participating in the JD/MPA program and have already been fully admitted to the UMKC Law School.   
• International students should start the process with UMKC’s International Student Affairs Office.
  • If you are not exempt from the TOEFL requirement (see the list on the ISAO web site) , a minimum TOEFL score of 550 paper/213 computer/ 79-80 internet is required for international applicants.
  • TOEFL waivers are not granted. 
• The Health Services Administration emphasis requires a supplemental application packet.

Bloch School reviews completed applications in the order received and will inform you of admission committee decisions in writing, mailed to your address. You should allow 2-4 weeks from when the completed application is received by Bloch until there is a decision from the committee.

Notes:

• Letters of recommendation: none are required as part of the application process (unless you are applying to the Health Services Administration emphasis area).
• In order to be given financial aid/scholarships, you must be admitted to UMKC as a degree-seeking student. The priority deadline for financial aid is February 1, which means you should apply early in order to be considered for the best possible aid package.
• Transfer credit: we will accept up to six (6) credit hours applicable to your program and completed with distinction at an accredited institution. An official transcript must be supplied. All transfer credit is approved by your academic advisor during your first semester.
• Tuition: There is no 'metro rate' for graduate students. However, if you are a part time student in the MPA program (which means one class (3 credit hours) to two classes (6 credit hours) in fall and spring semesters, and one class in summer semester), you will pay in-state tuition regardless of your residency*. To view the UMKC tuition and fee schedule, click here.
  • *International students should consult UMKC’s International Student Affairs Office regarding tuition and fees.
• Information regarding the UMKC Chancellor's Non Resident Award can be found here.

For more about the Bloch School’s MPA program, click here.

To request a packet of information about this degree program, click here.  

Provisional admission to the MPA program

If your undergraduate cumulative grade point average is 3.0 or above, but you have not taken the GRE, you may be admitted provisionally for one semester. Provisionally admitted students are restricted to certain core MPA classes and are limited to a maximum of nine hours of course work. (Your cumulative GPA includes all attempts at all undergraduate coursework; however, up to 15 credit hours of repeated coursework may be excluded.)

You must supply a written statement with your application notifying the admissions committee of your intent to apply provisionally.  

Normal admission requirements for the MPA must still be met even if provisional admission is granted. Provisional admission does not change the MPA admission requirements, it merely allows you additional time to take the GRE.  If you take the GRE after the recommended dates, your registration for subsequent semesters, as well as progress toward your degree, may be delayed.

The GRE exam should be completed by:  

• October 1 for a provisionally admitted student starting in fall semester;
• March 1 for a provisionally admitted student starting in spring semester; and
• June 15 for a provisionally admitted student starting in summer semester.  

If you do not meet the above admission requirements, you may be considered for admission due to exceptional circumstances. You must provide written supporting evidence with your application. Provisional admission is very competitive due to the limited number of students who can be admitted in this fashion.

The BA (Urban Studies)/MPA Program

Students obtaining a BA in Urban Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at UMKC may pursue early admission to the master's degree program in public administration and obtain a master's degree in one additional year. The program allows students to utilize some of the MPA courses to satisfy Urban Studies requirements, thereby reducing the number of courses needed to complete both degrees. Students interested in this option should contact Dr. David Renz in the Bloch School.

The BBA/MPA Program

Students completing the bachelor of business administration at UMKC may complete their MPA degree in one additional year (three semesters). For more information about this option, contact the Bloch School Student Services Office. Please note that this program is available to UMKC undergraduate students only, and must be started while you are still working on your undergraduate degree.

Combined JD/MPA Program

The Bloch School and the UMKC School of Law offer a combined JD/MPA program. Students must satisfy the admissions and degree requirements for each school.

• All of the materials required for admission to the MPA program (listed above) must be submitted.
• You may use your LSAT score in lieu of a GRE score. Please contact Adela Fleming in the School of Law and ask her to send a copy of your score to the Bloch Student Services Office.  

Click here for detailed information about this combined degree program.

Please email Bloch with any questions.