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csee-faq (CSEE Department) Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Graduate Programs
Q: Why pursue graduate program at UMKC?
A: We have an outstanding faculty who are active in
research and are committed to teaching. We regularly offer special
topics courses in emerging areas. We have outstanding graduate
programs with specialization in many areas; in particular, we are
known for our focus in Computer/Telecommuncation Networking. We
provide an extensive set of graduate courses in our various focus
areas, a combination of courses vary rarely found at other
universities.
Q: What emphasis areas do you offer in your graduate
program?
A: For the interdisciplinary PhD program, you can
choose from the following disciplines as your coordinating or
co-discipline: i) Computer Science & Informatics, ii) Electrical
& Computer Engineering, iii) Telecommunications & Computer
Networking.
In the MS-CS program, we offer emphasis in
Computer Networking, Telecommunications, Software Engineering, or,
Bioinformatics. We also regularly offer courses in Security and
Database areas. Due to our departmental structure, MS-EE students
opt for a set of concentrated courses in
Networking/Telecommunications; furthermore, MS-EE students can do
course work in Digital/Bio-Medical/Genomic Signal Processing,
VLSI, Image Processing/Bio-medical imaging, Wireless Antennas, and
Neural Networks.
Q: What do I need to include in my completed
application package?
A: The following should be included: (i)
Completed Form,
(ii) Official Transcript, (iii) Statement of Purpose,
(iv) Letters of Recommendation, (v)
Official GRE Scores, (vi)
Application Fee (without this, your application won't
be forwarded to our program)
For International Students, also: (a) Official
TOEFL score, (b)
Financial statement showing that you have funds to attend
UMKC
(note: without this, your application won't be processed),
(c)
Syllabus for courses you took at your undergraduate
institution.
Note: International students application will not even
be processed without the financial statement that shows that you
have personal funds. Any scholarship decision is done by
department independent of this information.
Q: Do I need to submit letters of recommendation and
the statement of purpose?
A: Yes (two letters of recommendation for MS, three for
PhD).
Q: Do I need to take GRE?
A: Yes, you do, and official transcript needs to be sent
to the University prior to the deadline.
Q: Can I apply before taking GRE?
A: Yes, you may. But your application won't be forwarded
to the admission committee until the official GRE score is
received by the UMKC admissions office.
Q: Do I need to take TOEFL?
A: This is required for all international students (from
non-native English speaking countries), with a minimum score of
210 (new system), 550 (old system). If you have been already a
student in this country for two years, TOEFL can be waived on
request.
Q: Is there any financial awards available?
A: Normally, incoming PhD students are considered for
Graduate Teaching and Research assistantships; however, this is
high competitive. Currently, all our full-time doctoral students
have some form of funding.
Incoming MS students are usually not considered for
Graduate Teaching Assistantship or Graduate Research Assistantship
prior to arrival on campus. Occasionally, some do get it
after arrival depending upon availability. Most GTAs/GRAs go to
either doctoral students, or MS students who have been here at
least a semester with high GPA; that is, you do have a good chance
of getting GTA/GRA from the second semester onward provided you
maintain a very high GPA. Other than that, we have a very
competitive tuition scholarship (usually part of non-resident
tuition is covered through this program); no separate application
is needed -- you are considered for this scholarship as part of
your application. You can also apply for many on-campus jobs
(outside our department) after you arrive on campus.
Q: What are deficiency Courses?
A: Background in certain core courses is required for
admission to our graduate programs. If you do not have any or
some of these courses (e.g. if you have an undergraduate degree in
another major), you may need to take these core undergraduate
courses. This is referred to as ``deficiency courses." Please see
the catalog for list of core requirements.
Q: Will my work experience count toward fulfilling
deficiencies?
A: Usually, no. You can petition for waiver with proper
documentation, ONLY after admission and arriving on campus.
Q: Do you accept any transfer courses from another
institution?
A: If you took graduate level courses at another
university, then up to a maximum of six credit hours (typically,
this means two courses) may be transferred as long as these
courses have not be applied towards a degree already in that
university. Obviously, these courses need to be applicable to the
appropriate graduate degree. This request can be made ONLY after
being enrolled as a student here and only by petition to the
Dept's MS/Ph.D. Committee with proper documentation (e.g., course
syllabus, official transcript).
Q: What is the minimum GPA required for
admission?
A: In a US educational system, it is 3.0 GPA for
admission to the MS programs, and 3.5 GPA for admission to the
Ph.D. program.
For international students, it varies from country to
country as well as the institutions you have graduated from. For
example, from an university in India, you need to have at least
60\% marks in your four-year undergraduate degree to have any
chance of consideration for admission; often, you need to have
much higher than that due to a large number of high quality
applications we receive; this, however, varies from year to year
depending on the total number of applicants.
In the end, we look at a candidate as a whole to make
admission decision.
Q: Are there campus jobs available?
A: There are quite a few (besides GTAs/GRAs). However,
you need to apply directly for such jobs, and you can apply only
after arriving on campus. Most of our full-time graduate students
have found campus jobs.
Q: Can you make a preliminary assessment on whether
I can be admitted?
A: Due to high volume of such requests, we are not in a
position to make such assessment, especially since we need to look
at additional information as outlined above.
Q: How long does the application process
take?
A: Depending on the volume of applications at the time
you have sent in your application, it can take about ten weeks.
This assumes that your application package is complete, to start
with. For international students, there is additional time needed
by the International Student Affairs Office to complete the
process to generate I-20 etc.
Q: Can I pursue my degree as a part-time student?
A: Being in a metro area, we do have a good number of working adults pursing
MS-CS/MS-EE programs as part-time students. Several of our courses are offered
every semester in the evening to cater to our part-time students. We do
not recommend pursuing doctoral program as part-time students.
Useful/Summary Info:
Application Deadline (Fall (August-December) semester admission):
Ph.D. program: February 1
MS-CS/MS-EE Program: February 1 (for international
students),
June 1 (for US
students/permanent residents)
Note: In all cases, February 1st is the preferred deadline
for assistantship/scholarship
consideration.
Application Deadline (Winter semester admission):
Ph.D. program: September 1
MS-CS/MS-EE Program: September 1 (for international
students),
October 1 (for US
students/permanent residents)
You can apply on-line at (or application forms can be downloaded from):
http://www.umkc.edu/admissions/idx-0101app.html
Office of Admission:
http://www.umkc.edu/admissions/
Form at:
http://www.umkc.edu/admissions/ADM3050308%20loose%20app.pdf
School of Graduate Studies (for doctoral studies):
http://www.umkc.edu/sgs
Form at:
http://www.umkc.edu/iphd/forms/idphdapp.pdf
International Student Affairs Office:
http://www.umkc.edu/isao
Form at: http://www.umkc.edu/isao/intl-app.pdf
