Interdisciplinary PhD Program

Applying for Admission to the Primary Discipline


Admission to the Primary Discipline in Bioinformatics of our Interdisciplinary PhD Program requires all application materials submitted by the deadline listed below. Applications that completed after the deadline will be reviewed on a space-available basis. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission. Applicants selected for admission will begin coursework in the fall semester.

Deadline: April 1

Applicants the Primary Discipline must submit all application materials and supporting documents no later than April 1. If April 1 falls on a weekend, the deadline will move to the next business day.

The deadline is the same for both domestic applicants (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) and international applicants.

Students applying to the Bioinformatics I PhD Primary Discipline must submit the following:

Application Process

Step 1: UMKC General Application for Admission

U.S. citizens and permanent residents must complete the UMKC General Application for Admission. Please follow the instructions provided on the application. When selecting a primary academic plan, select:

*Interdisciplinary PhD Studies

After selecting this primary academic plan, applicants should select Biomedical and Health Informatics as the Primary Discipline. Other disciplines are selected and identified as Co-disciplines, and an applicant may select up to three Co-disciplines.

Step 2: UMKC Supplementary Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Documents

Once the UMKC web application is submitted, applicants will upload the following documents to the UMKC General Application for Admission.  Additional supplemental materials for Interdisciplinary Ph.D. applicants must be uploaded as PDF documents.

  • Personal Statement
  • Resume/Vita
  • Three letters of recommendation (The applicant provides referee contact information in the Application site. The referee receives an email invitation to upload the reference letter into the site.)
Step 3: Transcripts & Test Scores

All applicants are required to submit official college/university transcripts to the university.

U.S. citizens or permanent residents may send official transcripts to:

University of Missouri – Kansas City
Office of Admissions – Processing
5115 Oak Street
Kansas City, MO 64112

International applicants should submit transcripts to:

University of Missouri-Kansas City
International Student Affairs Office
Student Success Center
5000 Holmes Road, G-04
Kansas City, MO 64110

GRE scores should be submitted electronically by identifying UMKC as a score recipient. The UMKC GRE code is 6872.

TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for international applicants whose native language is not English.

  • TOEFL Scores: A minimum score of 550 (paper-based exam), 213 (computer-based exam) or 79 (Internet-based exam) is required.
    • UMKC TOEFL electronic code: 6872
  • IELTS Scores: A minimum score of 6.0 is required for graduate level study at UMKC.
    • IELTS scores should be sent to:

University of Missouri-Kansas City
International Student Affairs Office
Student Success Center
5000 Holmes Road, G-04
Kansas City, MO 64110

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If you have any questions about your application or the application process, please do not hesitate to contact the School of Medicine Office of Admissions at 816-235-1870 or medicine@umkc.edu.