If you intend to graduate this semester, please remember to apply for graduation in Pathway prior to the October 31st deadline. You will then receive information from your School's Commencement Coordinator regarding the applicable ceremony or ceremonies in December.

If you are graduating in a program that requires a thesis or dissertation, please also contact Sarah Beach in SGS and review our thesis/dissertation deadlines here.

Monday, October 27, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. CT is the deadline for graduate students to submit the following to the SGS

(1) Thesis/Dissertation (T/D) draft as an attachment via email directly to Sarah Beach or to the general SGS email account

(2) Preliminary Approval online Kuali form via https://gradproroo.umkc.edu/

(3) MOspace license agreement online Kuali form via https://gradproroo.umkc.edu/

Students are encouraged to submit their files earlier.

Please see the webpages Theses and Dissertations and Submitting your Thesis or Dissertation for Review for more information, including formatting guidance resources.

Who is eligible: Senior students and first-year graduate students who will be pursuing next year a graduate degree program in an applicable field (Chemistry, Computer and Information Science & Engineering, Engineering, Geosciences, Life Sciences, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences, Physics & Astronomy, Psychology, Social Sciences, and STEM Education and Learning Research). Applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents.

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program's solitication is live on their website.

Updated application deadlines (5pm local time of applicant's mailing address) include:

• November 10th - Life Sciences
• November 12th - Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Materials Research; Psychology; Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences; STEM Education and Learning
• November 13th - Engineering
• November 14th - Chemistry; Geosciences; Mathematical Sciences; Physics and Astronomy

Please contact Misty Vaughn with any questions at mrvaughn@umkc.edu. 

The UMKC Graduate Student Council will host “Immigration Insights with Attorney Judy Bordeau” on October 29 at 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union Theater.

Attorney Bordeau, a licensed immigration lawyer in Kansas and Missouri with over 25 years of experience, will cover key topics including visa types, legal rights, work and internship opportunities, and pathways to residency. Handouts will be provided, and attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions.

For more information, please contact gradstudentcouncil@umkc.edu.

Celebrate National First Gen Week

UMKC is proud to celebrate our incredible First Gen Roo community! This year, 59% of first-time college students and 54% of all undergraduate students identify as first-generation.

Join us for National First Gen Celebration Week, November 10–14, and share yo​​ur story. This year’s theme, “Writing Our First Gen Story,” is all about embracing your unique journey and connecting with others.

We are collaborating with campus partners to host over 15 events, this year. Here is a sneak peak at some of the events: 

• Pizza with a First Gen Professor: Enjoy pizza and hear inspiring stories from professors who’ve walked your path.
• Coffee Connection with UMKC Alumni Association: Enjoy coffee and learn how alumni turned their first gen experience into career success.
• Book Bedazzling with UMKC Libraries:  Add sparkle to your favorite book and celebrate creativity!
• Sharing Your First Gen Story Open Mic: Showcase your journey and connect with fellow students, staff and faculty. 

RSVP and explore the full schedule: https://bit.ly/25NationalFirstGen.

First year graduate students, please join us online 4-5pm on November 18th for a post-orientation information session, including:

• Introduction to Professional Development items from Dean Christine Getz
• Introduction to GradProRoo site and Kuali forms from Michelle Heiman
• Graduate Writing Initiative information from Graduate Writing Specialist Dr. Annie Lowe
• Preparing Future Faculty program information from Program Director Dr. Candace Schlein
• Community of Scholars and Three-Minute Thesis information from Associate Dean Stephen Dilks

Email umkcsgs@umkc.edu for the Zoom link.

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science has opened its applications for the summer of 2026. This program offers pre- and post-doctoral researchers from the US, Canada and Europe the opportunity to spend two months of your summer conducting research at a Japanese university or research institution under the guidance of a host researcher.

For more information, visit the application listing here, and reach out to Dr. ZhiQuiang Chen.

The School of Graduate Studies invites applications for two Faculty Fellows, preferably one in a STEM field and one in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, to serve in the Graduate Writing Initiative (GWI) for AY2025-26.

The fellows will develop and co-facilitate a one-week (at 3-4 hours per day) in-person grant-writing seminar for a maximum of 25 graduate students and postdocs to be held during late May 2026.

Successful applicants will be current members of the Doctoral or Graduate Faculty who have experience in writing and advising external grant applications to support research and dissertation fellowships. The School of Graduate Studies will provide each Faculty Fellow with a stipend of $3000 and organizational support for the seminar via the Graduate Writing Initiative, and the Graduate Writing Initiative will make available individual writing consultations for participants.

During the Spring 2026 semester, fellows should expect to spend approximately 3 hours per week helping finalize the call for applications, developing the Canvas site for the seminar, designing the in-person programming, reviewing applications and selecting the graduate and postdoc participants, and meeting with the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Graduate Writing Specialist as needed. They further will work with the School of Graduate Studies to identify the week in which the in-person seminar will be offered, co-facilitate it, and follow up with each participant individually to ensure they are moving forward with their advisor on next steps in submitting their proposal. The School of Graduate Studies will administer a brief survey of the graduate and postdoc participants to collect feedback on the experience for what is intended to become an annual professional development event.

Interested faculty should fill out the brief application and provide a current CV. Review of applications will begin on October 27, 2025, and the fellows will be chosen by November 15, 2025, so that they have adequate time to design the seminar in collaboration with the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Graduate Writing Specialist Dr. Annie Lowe.

GWI Second Saturdays Writing Retreat on November 8 with special celebration to kick off National First Gen Week

• Register at tinyurl.com/GWINov2025  for the November 8 Writing Retreat, held 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. CT in the Miller Nichols Learning Center room 451 in the morning and the Miller Nichols Library 4th floor Theater space for lunch and the afternoon, as well as online all day for virtual participants via RooLearning+.
• The retreat will consist of a morning and an afternoon session featuring brief goal-setting exercises followed by blocks of dedicated writing time, with a break for lunch at noon. Optional lunch provided for in-person attendees.

The Second Saturday Writing Retreats are free, one-day events for graduate students to work on their own writing projects with expert tips and techniques, graduate writing consultants, and optional lunch for in-person attendees all provided by the GWI. Attendees are welcome to bring food and beverage into the retreat. Coffee and hot tea beverage service also included. 

Find out more about the GWI, Second Saturdays Writing Retreats, and our other services and resources for graduate students here!

Questions can be directed to Graduate Writing Specialist Dr. Annie Lowe at Annie.Lowe@umkc.edu. 

GWI contact: Graduate Writing Specialist Dr. Annie Lowe,  Annie.Lowe@umkc.edu.

Next week on October 20th and 22nd, we're (re)launching the GWI's weekly virtual writing groups! 

• Starting October 20th, the Monday accountability group will meet weekly from 6-7 pm, hosted by GWI GTA Angel Williams via RooLearning+. Meet with other graduate students to set goals together, discuss the process of writing, and hold each other accountable for meeting goals. Join when you are able (consistent attendance not required).

• Starting October 22nd, the Wednesday working group will meet weekly from 6-8 pm, hosted by GWI GTA Sarah Feldmann via RooLearning+. Meet with other graduate students to write together for two hours. This is a way to carve out writing time along with your fellow graduate writers. Join when you are able (consistent attendance not required).

Accessing GWI Writing Group sessions

Sign up for a GWI Writing Group session in advance:

• Log into RooLearning+ with your SSO credentials.
• Double check that “Writing Studio” is selected in the Support Centers list in the bottom left corner of the calendar display.
• Click on the tile for the GWI Writing Group session that you would like to attend to open the session information panel.
• Click the “Subscribe” button in the session information panel that appears on the right side of the calendar display. 

Join a GWI Writing Group session anytime throughout the duration of the session:

• Log into RooLearning+ with your SSO credentials on the scheduled day and time of the session.
• Click on the tile for the GWI Writing Group session to open the session information panel on the right side of the calendar display.
• Click the “Join the session” button in the session information panel.
• Confirm your device’s microphone and video permissions for the virtual session and click “Join.”

 GWI for the Academic and Academic-Aligned Job Market: New Module! 

The academic and academic-aligned job market season is in full swing, as is graduate and post-doc application season. To support your academic and professional goals at and beyond UMKC, the GWI has added a new Academic and Academic-Aligned Job MarketCanvas module.

We will continue adding resources to this and other GWI modules for application documents, Writing Teaching Philosophies and Writing Personal Statements. Send your suggestions for the application documents you would like to see resources for and/or share resources you found helpful via email to Annie at Annie.Lowe@umkc.edu!

As always, you can book an individual consultation for your application documents with a GWI team member (Annie, Angel, and Sarah) on RooLearning+!

The Graduate Writing Initiative is pleased to introduce UMKC graduate students to the GWI Graduate Teaching Assistants for 2025-26. In addition to designing and delivering GWI events and resources with Dr. Annie Lowe, GWI Graduate Assistants are available for graduate students to schedule individual writing consultations through the Writing Studio page on RooLearning+.

Angel Williams holds an A.A. in Liberal Arts and General Studies from Johnson County Community College and a B.A. in Psychology from UMKC and is in his final year of the Counseling M.A. program here at UMKC. As a researcher with the Community Health Research Group in Kansas City and the NITE Lab at UMKC, Angel contributed to the development of proposals to secure funding for critical projects, conducted laboratory trials, composed literature reviews, and synthesized findings from experimental data. He fulfilled his counselor-in-training practicum with KC’s Community Counseling and Assessment Services and now interns with the Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault (MOCSA) while completing his Master’s studies. In addition to his academic research and professional counseling experience, Angel has served as a Lead Peer Career Coach at UMKC, leading peer career coach trainings and events and working with fellow students to realize their professional aspirations.

Sarah Feldmann holds her B.A. in Creative Writing and Publishing with a minor in English and M.A. in English from Northwest Missouri State University and is a second-year MFA student studying creative writing and media arts at UMKC. While an undergraduate English major, Sarah already gained years of experience as a Writing Center tutor and literary publishing intern at Greentower Press. During her M.A. studies at Northwest Missouri State, Sarah served as a graduate assistant in their Writing Center, further honing her expertise working with academic writers across disciplines. As a writing center GA, Sarah consulted with graduate writers, held student conferences on behalf of English Department faculty, and fulfilled administrative responsibilities. Her poetry and prose has appeared in Medium Weight Forks student journal.

UMKC Central can help students tackle financial and enrollment barriers!  As the one stop service center on campus, the team at UMKC Central can help with questions and concerns related to financial aid, scholarships, billing, enrollment, and records.

The office is located on the 1^st floor of the Administrative Center, room 120, and does accept walk-ins.  Students can schedule an in-person or virtual appointment through the UMKC Central Service Page in UMKC Connect.

Students are also welcome to call 816-235-6000 or email umkccentral@umkc.edu.

Office hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm, except Wednesday, 9:00am – 4:30pm.

Looking for assistance with your resume or job search? Career Services is here to help! Visit umkc.joinhandshake.com to schedule your appointment.

You have access to many campus resources, such as the CARE team, Campus Recreation, Financial Aid, Career Services, University Libraries, and more. More information is available online.