University of Kansas Edwards Campus: Programs for Working Professionals and Adult Learners

The University of Kansas Edwards Campus (KUEC), located in Overland Park, Kansas, is dedicated to providing accessible and career-focused educational opportunities for working professionals and adult learners. Established in 1993, KUEC offers a range of undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs designed to meet the needs of individuals seeking to advance their careers, complete their degrees, or pursue new professional paths.

Bachelor's Degree Completion Programs

For individuals who have started a bachelor's degree but have not yet completed it, the KU Edwards Campus offers degree completion programs that allow students to transfer approved credits from previous institutions, including community colleges, to accelerate their path to graduation. These programs are designed to be flexible and accommodating for students with work and family obligations.

Several career-focused degree completion programs are available, including:

American Sign Language & Deaf Studies
Applied Biological Sciences
Applied Cybersecurity
Biotechnology
Criminal Justice
Environmental Studies
Exercise Science
Information Technology
Literature, Language, and Writing
Operations Management
Professional Studies
Project Management
Social Work

These programs provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a variety of fields, and they are taught by experienced faculty who bring both academic expertise and real-world experience to the classroom. Many of the faculty are tenured professors and many of them have experience working in their respective fields for businesses, non-profits, government agencies and other organizations. This means students will learn fundamental theories, the latest concepts, applied practice and in experiential learning opportunities.

Certificate Programs

In addition to degree programs, KU Edwards Campus offers a variety of certificate programs for working professionals who want to enhance their credentials and gain a competitive edge in their careers. These certificates provide focused training in specific areas and can be completed in a relatively short amount of time, typically after taking just four courses.

The new certificate programs include:

Accounting
City and County Management
Performance Management
Professional Workplace Communication

Earning a certificate is a fast way to enhance your credentials and give you that competitive edge to help you stand out in your professional career.

Designed for Non-Traditional Students

The KU Edwards Campus is specifically designed to serve non-traditional students, including those who work full-time or part-time, those with children, first-generation students, and transfer students. The campus offers a range of services and resources to support these students, including:

Academic advising
Career services
Flexible class schedules
Transportation options

The University of Kansas including the Edwards Campus is a multi-year member of the Phi Kappa Theta Honor Roll for Excellence in Community College Transfer Pathways.

Affordable Education

Completing a bachelor's degree is a major investment of time and money. Fortunately, KU offers financial aid as well as guidance on how to secure support from other sources. KU awards more than $200 million annually in financial aid, and 69 percent of undergraduates receive aid. At the Edwards Campus, students have access to a dedicated financial aid advisor who knows the many sources of potential aid, knows the steps to apply for it and is available to help you.

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Qualifying Missouri residents in the Kansas City area pay tuition equivalent to Kansas in-state rates with the MetroKC rate exclusive to the Edwards Campus. Many KU Edwards Campus students complete their degree with employer tuition assistance. Students will be supported through that process as well. Finally, a monthly payment plan is available, so students can pay any out-of-pocket tuition and fees in installments.

It is important to contact the university as soon as possible to give yourself the best chance of obtaining financial aid. Many deadlines are well in advance of class start dates.

Quality Education and Faculty

Many students choose the Edwards Campus because it is conveniently located in the Greater Kansas City area and has the quality and recognition that comes with a degree from the University of Kansas. The Edwards Campus maintains the high academic standards of the University of Kansas, a Research 1 institution and a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU).

The KU Edwards Campus brings the quality of a KU education to our local community, which is of immeasurable value to our citizens and businesses. It provides students an accessible, affordable and flexible pathway to obtaining in-demand degrees and new career opportunities, especially in critical STEM fields. KUEC is responsive to our employers’ needs by continually developing academic programs to remain at the cutting edge of technology and to meet the ever-growing needs of area businesses for a highly skilled and educated workforce.

School of Professional Studies

The School of Professional Studies (SPS) was formed in 2019 and is headquartered at KUEC. Many SPS programs have classes on the grounds. Other programs like Criminal Justice within SPS hold classes on the Lawrence Main Campus. Holding classes on the main campus allows for the Criminal Justice program to hold larger classes, like the popular courses like Notorious Kansas Murders and Murderers, taught by Dr.

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JCERT Support

Initially, JCERT funded 10 new degrees at the KU Edwards Campus. Now, JCERT-supported programs include more than 20 graduate and 15 undergraduate degrees and certificates in business, engineering, science and technology, with more launching every year. JCERT programs like Civil Engineering, Project Management, Information Technology, Health Sciences and Exercise Science continue to attract more students to KUEC.

Scholarships made possible with JCERT funds are another benefit of this partnership. To be eligible for these scholarships, students must live in Johnson County, be enrolled in six or more credit hours in a JCERT-supported undergraduate or graduate program and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. More than 700 students have received funding since the scholarship was created in the 2010-2011 academic year, starting with just seven students and growing to nearly 100 students in recent years.

BEST Building

The BEST building continues to serve the needs of KUEC and the community. It houses 21 classrooms, a computer lab, an exercise science lab, 35 faculty offices and a 350-seat conference center.

A History of Academic Excellence

The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital in Kansas City, Kansas; and the Edwards Campus in Overland Park. There are also educational and research sites in Garden City, Hays, Leavenworth, Parsons, and Topeka, an agricultural education center in rural north Douglas County, and branches of the medical school in Salina and Wichita.

The school opened for classes on September 12, 1866, and the first class graduated in 1873.

During the early development of the University of Kansas, Chancellors Joshua Lippincott, Francis H. Snow, and Frank Strong, along with the Kansas Board of Regents, worked to establish the university as not only a center for higher education but also a representative agency of the state. Snow, who served from 1890 to 1901, emphasized scientific research and public engagement, while Strong, beginning in 1902, advanced the university’s role in public service.

During World War I, the University of Kansas became a key training ground for military personnel, and courses were added for male students to reflect this. Military drills and coursework in military science were made mandatory for male students, and in 1918, KU established a unit of the Students' Army Training Corps (SATC) to provide academic and military instruction. Faculty contributed to war-related research, while female students supported Red Cross efforts. Chancellor Frank Strong emphasized KU’s role in preparing students for both military service and national responsibility.

KU is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity". KU features the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, which includes the School of the Arts and the School of Public Affairs & Administration; and the schools of Architecture, Design & Planning; Business; Education; Engineering; Health Professions; Journalism & Mass Communications; Law; Medicine; Music; Nursing; Pharmacy; and Social Welfare. The university offers more than 345 degree programs.

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