15 Best Mfa Programs In Kansas City, MO (2022 Updated)

It's hit or miss with the staff. I'm transferring about 60 credits in from elsewhere and just needed residential credits to graduate. I've been trying to get a degree audit since I started in March. I took 6 credits in the spring, am taking 3 now and 6 more in the fall. I can't get an answer as to whether I'm in need of any credits in any areas to graduate. I never had this problem at any school. When I asked for an audit, they told me, "You just completed your first semester with us. Transfer credits are posted after the students complete a semester with us. Look for those to show this Summer or next Fall." I already completed a semester. I'm on my last 2 classes. This should've been done by now. This is how people waste thousands of dollars on classes they don't need while still coming up short for their program. It's a bad policy, and they shouldn't do that. Update: I'm about 3 weeks from graduating. Taking classes on campus rather than online makes a huge difference in satisfaction levels. I'm changing my star rating because the teachers are pretty good. I'm still a little annoyed with how unresponsive the staff was while trying to get info together for my last semester of college, but it worked out. Three more weeks of class, and I'm blowing this popsicle stand. Best classes: camping, philosophy, anthropology The bookstore staff is nice, but do your own research online for possibly cheaper books.Jyl L.

The school is what you pay for. Some things could definitely use some improvement. I had to pull out of my fifth class, which I didn't sign up for, 2 days too late to get a refund. I wasn't even aware that I was in it till I saw an email about late assignments. I paid the amount they requested after they said it was my fault, at which point they sent me a check for that same amount and then told me that I owed it to them again. It just seems to me as if the entire process is just overcomplicated. I was furious when they signed me up for a class without informing me. I got over it, but when your going to school with a GI bill you don't have the luxury to go back and forth with classes like that. I had explicitly told them that with work, school, and family I couldn't manage more than 4. My experience with the school other than that instance has been well. The instructors have been great and the classes have been educational. The buildings themselves are "rustic" but the staff works within those confines to create the best experience possible.Timothy Taylor

I went to this school after leaving from my four year college just to save my income and somehow, this school did helped me succeed easier after getting my Associate's Degree in Computer Engineering! Both main campus and the technical education center campus are welcoming regardless of what field you're studying for. Whether you prefer day courses, online courses, or night courses, the time and budget will be worth your time as long as you maintain things properly. I hope that in the near future, there will be better services and new expansions being developed for the students of tomorrow.Jonathan Ruiz

The book rental service the school insists you use by building the cost straight in to the tuition cost is a nightmare. I have to contact customer service every time I have to make a return. Also, some of my textbooks are always late. I never have them all before the first day of class. I am having an ongoing battle with the business office about a bill for the classes I dropped. As per the refund agreement I signed, I had until the start of class to withdraw for a full refund. I did and I have emails (with date and time stamps) between my academic adviser and I where I asked to be removed from classes and was told it was handled before that deadline and I am still getting emails pestering me to pay for a portion of the class. When I call no one seems to know how to fix it. I am starting to believe this is all one big scam. I have also taken off work to go to the financial aid office with an appointment to be told the lady I was supposed to meet wasn't in that day and I should have received a cancellation email which I did not. I missed four hours of paid work and drove an hour and twenty minutes each way for nothing. Then she emailed me the next week and asked me to come in again to handle business which I could not do because I need to be at work to make a living. Lunatics are clearly running the place. Garbage institution. Would never recommend.Nikki Squirrel

This is an amazing school . I am studying here for getting my MBA . The instructors or employees are so friendly and dedicated .even if it is not large school .every student can be taken care much better than other school .hongmei zhao

I attended Avila for both undergrad and graduate degrees. I had a exceptional experience! The class sizes are small, the professors are dedicated to the students, and the campus is beautiful.Sarah Keto

If you are a parent thinking of sending your kid here, or a student thinking about attending….DON’T!! Unless you are a parent that likes getting calls once a week that they just heard gunshots or someone they knew was robbed or had their car broken into. Or if you’re a student that doesn’t want to leave campus without wearing a bulletproof vest. They might as well pick this place up and drop it in the middle of Baghdad. Your kid would probably safer. Oh and good luck hoping the KCPD would ever patrol the area around this place and risk their lives. Lol! They even know to stay away.Dominic Foley

Many of my professors didn’t take me seriously because I didn’t follow their beliefs. In one of their classes I failed because, “since you didn’t grow up in a catholic family you’ll never get it.” I was trying as hard as I could, SI’s, tutors, everything, but as soon as the professor knew I was atheist I felt extremely ostracized, not only from the student body but from the staff as well. Don’t go here.Taylor Kersten

Rockhurst has a beautiful campus in Kansas City. It is a smaller college campus and it is located close to the Plaza. Although I haven't personally taken classes, I have been told it is a good experience. They are partnering with St Luke's for the nursing program. The security officers that I've encountered have been super friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend checking out this college.Kimber Mata

I was in the animation major, and the department is not only severely underfunded but overall at this school the teachers are extremely biased and unable to teach in an effective way. Students have to take turns to use the equipment and then get told it's their fault when they're unable to meet deadlines. I personally have problems with learning computer programs, and when I asked for help I was told to "Google it". I'm paying $30,000 a year in tuition, I expect to be helped, not told to do something I could do on my own. The teachers also, instead of teaching, would have "video tutorials" for students to watch and would refuse to help and instead redirect students to the videos, which were only good if you had a Mac computer. They made no sense if you used a PC, which is what 80% of the students in the major had. The school says it embraces creativity, but the classes expect you to do things in a very specific way, and if you don't do it you're docked on your grades for it. The school itself is also very elitist. I was told by many students who take the foundation classes that they were strongly advised against getting jobs while at school, but then we're also expected to buy expensive art supplies. Not only that, but the school itself shows blatant bias against the applied art majors like animation and illustration and graphic design. They also showed no care or concern for the interactive arts major. They actually closed the major down when there were students halfway through finishing and told to move to other majors. Signing up for classes is a nightmare. Advising counselors don't help with sign up whatsoever, have admitted multiple times via email they don't know which classes count towards required credits for degrees, and half the time there's not enough room in the required classes or there's classes you need that aren't being taught/available. This was especially prevalent during senior year which was absolutely ridiculous and stressful. The buildings themselves are very underkept. They're building new buildings while the baty house and illustration department building are infested with cockroaches and mold. Their student website also is really bad. It constantly locks you out and makes you reset your password, and the school itself has bad wifi connections. They are impossible to get in contact with, I would send multiple emails asking for help with admissions or signing up for classes and would only be redirected to multiple people, all who showed very blatantly that they didn't care. Teachers use the website called Moodle for their online assignments, which sucks because Moodle is one of the worst websites I've ever had to use. Not only is it stupid that this school doesn't have online classes, which for a lot of people I know would've helped a lot, the website they do use looks and works like it was made and last updated in the early 90s. The neighborhood around it is also bad. It's relatively safe around the Nelson, but that's because they have good security. The school, however, does not. There have been mutliple instances while I've been there where students have been robbed at gunpoint. Another family had their car stolen off campus. The school sends out a monthly crime report of everything going on around the school and it's usually a couple pages long. It's ridiculous the amount of crime that goes on around and on campus. The only reason I came to this school was because it was closer to my hometown than other animation schools, something I really regret doing now. Personally, if you are considering going to this school I would say to give it a hard pass. Keep your options open, because this school will not hesitate to screw you over. It costs too much for what you're getting in return, and you'll be on your own because it's impossible to get help from anyone who works there.S

Honestly a really crappy school, their buildings are disgusting and falling apart, their food is awful, wifi works maybe once every few weeks. Their school program is great but honestly everything else is such a whirling storm of crap that with all the money you're paying you wonder where your money is even going. If you do decide to go here DONT live in the dorms, also they'll make everything so stressful that you might end up having a phsycotic breakdown, because seriously somebody had one. If you asked me if you should go here I'd say no. Even if their program is great their facilities and services and care of their students is so poor that not even the great classes can make up for it.Anonymous Gopher

I stayed in the dorms and had a roommate who at first glance appeared to be quite ordinary until the evening of my 4th Tuesday here. I returned to my dorm to find my roommate cloaked in black. She stood in the center of a pentagram of candles. She threw salt at me. At first I was confused but then I realized how blessed I am to be attending such an institute. Best experience of my life.Lauren Bahr

I'm not saying this is a bad school. It is a really affordable option for people who want small class sizes and one-on-one opportunities with professors. But be warned, the small class sizes come with a price. Professors are required to take attendance and often grade for participation. The campus is nice, but quite small. Park does offer some clubs and campus activities, but obviously nothing compared to a larger school. The Copley Quad dorms are very nice and while there isn't a super large community of students who get involved those who do seem to have a great time. That being said, if you are looking for a "typical" college experience this isn't the place. Most of the students commute and many of them are non-traditional meaning they are older than the average student, part-time, or using their GI bill. I don't regret going to Park because it is an affordable school. However, I do wish I'd gone to a more rigorous school, or at least a school with more life. The students for the most part aren't sure engaged and don't have a lot of school spirit. I don't know many students in my classes who are going to drive around with Park bumperstickers or wear the t-shirts around after graduation. For me, when I imagined going to college I pictured a campus filled with the hustle and bustle of student life. I hoped there would be enough of a residential presence that some parties would take place and I kind of anticipated having my mind opened to the world. I thought I'd participate in lively in-class discussion and do research that would prepare me for grad school much more than I have. There's not much diversity and not much student activism (they brag about all of the international students at Park but they aren't integrated into the campus very well). I also thought going to Park would come with the added freedom and flexibility most students dream of after high school graduation. In reality, Park feels a lot like a grownup high school. I want to be clear Park is a good school, you should just know what you're getting into. You can only be as immersed in the college experience as you allow yourself to be and I will admit I didn't really want to drink the Park kool-aid. If you're looking for a school you can become deeply immersed in, this might not be the place. But if you're just looking to get a degree and get out for a good price I do recommend checking it out.Brooke Rhoads

Do not waste your time with this schools online program. It is a for-profit institution in that aspect, and is on par with University of Phoenix. This school should be taken off of military installations. Pretty much what Sara said. It claims to be for military veterans, which is a lie. Just about every education officer you encounter will advise you to not go to Park University. This school gouges you for money. They've developed Online programs that sound appealing to Military members, but like Sara said, you learn nothing in. They're priced appropriately to rob you of all the Tuition Assistance you earn, and quickly at that. The administration is a joke. There is no accountability and they just pass you from person to person if you have an issue. I have had Marines file student grievance reports against different departments and not have them ever be solved. They eventually just switch institutions. The phone clerks respond with e-mails and claim they have M.A.'s that they earned at Park. If you want to be a highly qualified phone clerk go to Park.Danielle Troop

This university is a joke. i have two bachelor's degrees and an MA from a top ranked liberal arts institution. Going to back to school for my second graduate degree, I thought I'd try the online thing, and I wanted to stick with a private university. Clearly, Park was the wrong choice. Administration is riddled with bureaucracy, instructors have very little power over the course shells (if they care enough to bother), and e-courses are horribly disorganized and dated. I've yet to take a course with a completely updated syllabus. Neither have I had a single chance to take a course with actual tenured faculty. Nothing against adjuncts. They work hard, and they get almost nothing back in return for their hard work. But good grief; you'd think at least some of the upper-level classes would be taught by professors. In the end, I would never recommend this school. Thankfully, come spring, I'm transferring to a college that actually shows an interest in its students. I'm not giving any more money to the incompetent bureaucrats that run this institution.Cat L

I spent two years taking pre-requites for the program of physical threapy. I went for an interview the day they were deciding who would be getting accepted into the program and I can tell you that I am very disapointed because the majority of the people there werent even students at KCKCC but other people with more experience in the field who aren't even attending this college. DO NOT ENROLL IN THE PTA PROGRAM. you are likely to get rejected.Richie Alamillo

Cosmetology program didn't learn much. Went through 4 different teacher in 2 semester because they are unprofessional an need better management and listening skills. Made a complaint as well as filed grievance and they turned around and kicked me out for asking for help to get to the bottom of things. 2 weeks before I was due to graduate. Only had 6 credits left, out 1500 hrs only had 280 left like they are so wrong and ran so wrong it's sad.JaNee Parker

Terrible experience! Went for 3-5 years finished my tech program, been over a year and talked to multiple people and still never received my certificates! Still to this day trying to get my certificates. All the teachers were fantastic but what’s the point of taking classes if you can’t receive your certificates and go Into the area you went to school for!Justin Porter

I applied for admission and provided transcripts from my prior colleges, military training etc. I was given 65 transfer hours which were displayed on my web transcript. I had to leave town for awhile because I'm still in the reserves. When I returned i got online to enroll in classes when I noticed that 18 hours had been taken back and I only had 47 hours on my transcript. When I engaged the college, they told me I could have those hours back, but only if I paid a certain amount per hour to have them returned to my transcript. When I asked why they were given then taken away, my concerns were simply dismissed as I was told "I don't think that's what happened", even though I had a printed web transcript to prove it. I never received a good explanation why my hours were taken away and why I was being extorted money to have them returned. Because of this shenanigan, I chose to go to school somewhere else. Bottom line; the integrity of park university is in question, it has been in question for sometime and remains in question. This doesn't seem to bother the college one bit as I'm sure they're still utilizing their less than ethical practices to admit students under false pretenses of transferred credits. I gave them 3 stars out of benefit of the doubt because of their good reputation for providing quality education. Due to their deceptive admissions practices, I never took my first class and cannot verify anything beyond the botched admissions process.Jimmy V

This is a horrid school for computer science and they do not care about the students' education at all. The professors here seem to be horribly unorganized. They seem to bounce around with who will be teaching you within the same semester, leaving you with a mess of grading expectations and teaching lectures. The grading is done sporadically. In fact, in my current programming class for the spring semester, I have not received a single grade. It is beyond me how you are expected to improve if you have no idea how well you are actually doing on any of the material. Classes can be taught by legitimate students, something I have never had happen before (I am a transfer student). I would not mind this as much if they were at least knowledgeable about the topic they are teaching or able to convey the lessons in a decent way, but they cannot. Referring back to my programming class, I am completely convinced this school hired someone who is not only completely unqualified to do this but does not actually know the programming language this individual is assigned to teach. In addition to being a student, this individual is never prepared, has yet to write a functioning program without the students walking him through what to do, and will "cover" a topic for about 15 minutes. I could go on, but I feel like what's been explained here is enough. Every CS course I have taken at this school except one has been like this. I have complained to this school's administration about my concerns with the professors and the department to be met with essentially a shrug. If you are going for a CS degree, pass this place up. You will most certainly receive a sub-par education and poor teachers. This place does not care and , frankly, you will be paying thousands to learn nothing. *note decided to edit this to be more specific/grammarIamme Me

If your looking for a clean,respected and open school look no further. The staff here are amazing people who I know personally work hard everyday to help those they teach. They make sure you understand the criteria. Too many schools out there are like education mills where the mentality is ship them in and ship them out but not here. Here you will find teachers who do it for way more than just pay. Here you will find educational heroes who are leading examples of what it means to be a teacher. Also I must give a shout out to the janitorial employees as well for keeping amazingly clean grounds as well as rooms too. Also management or principals and dentention officers here also deserve a shout out as well so overall five ⭐'s and a must attend if in the need for this type of serviceBelieveInYourself AndIfYouFailTryAgain

MONEY is the only incentive at this college. I tried & tried to hope but no matter who you deal with, they are on the offensive on simple questions like how can you charge housing for a student not enrolled🤣. Seriously Crazy Experience at Every Turn. Love MO, but in my opinion that’s the worst college I’ve ever dealt with & as a dad of 3 I have dealt w/ plenty. Believe me they aren’t all this difficult & void of personality, cooperation, and communication:). Most places make taking thousands of dollars from you easy but even when you go to just be rid of them it’s somehow hard to even get them to take the money. Just a broken link in every link of the chain. Actually that’s just it, there is no chain of anything???David Joe Norman

This school is awesome even though I am not there if your wondering how I know this school it because my friend told me about the school and I heard that there is science class and when I get to my he school I am going to science class and learn new thing about chemistry and chemical reaction. If your wondering what grade I am in I am in 5th grade and when I get in 7th grade I am coming to paseo with my friend. His name is going to be ibrahim byaumbe and my name is mwebantu Sumaili. We can’t wait to come to Paseo.Tambwe Patrick

My daughter would attend here for her Junior/Senior years ; graduate with honors as an Art major to go on for her undergrad at The Kansas City Art institute then ultimately on to The Pratt Institute of Design in Brooklyn, NY for her Masters in Design/Architecture . I feel, her experience at Paseo prepared her so well for a successful design career.Chris Getzoff

I was there from 2008-2009 when I was a freshman i wish I didn't leave from that school i moved from Kansas city in the summer of 09 and moved to Raytown that year. Best school I ever went to.classicnerdy nostalgia

Useless their law clinic is just as useless as their dental clinic is supposed to offer legal services to entrepreneurs to help get certain licensing so it helps those in school get experience and help the entrepreneurs cut out the middle man. You can never get ahold of them and when you do they give you 1,000 and 1 reasons why they can’t help you and make up excuses about the holidays having them shut down a week before Christmas and 2 weeks after Christmas lol. Put the building to use and turn it into a homeless shelter or something truly useful.Bre Raquel

(Translated by Google) Half gas no more, very old outdated infrastructure and no wifi (Original) Medio gas no mas, la infraestructura muy antigua anticuada y no hay wifiHuggies Cobo

For a business school, they do not care about continuing education students. If you work a normal business schedule, good luck completing your degree in a timely manner. Examples: Required Class for your degree? Only available Tues/Thurs 2:30pm Need to see a counselor? Office closes at 5pm Try to enroll in fall classes where your summer class is the prerequisite? Have to see counselor. Happen to be on campus when you realize this? Empty counselor office, but no walk-ins allowed. Try to set same day appointment for later that day? Don't allow same day appointments Graduated from UMKC last year, decide to re-enroll? Have to pay application fee again. It's a good thing this place is the cheapest option in Kansas City, because it's also the worst.Chris Lehman

Well it has it's ups and downs here, but I really like the student atmosphere. It feels like we are a team, and I feel like I can ask anyone for help. The student body is really diverse, and I feel like I've learned a lot about people. I also feel confident that I am receiving a quality education. I recommend this school for business and accounting majors.Shannon Hilton

MPA students beware! Their program is an extension of their business school, with faculty crossing between biz and public affairs classes. Don't do your MPA here. Go to a school with a dedicated public affairs department. An MPA from here is worthless and a waste of your time!Barry McCockiner

My daughter is a Kindergartner and absolutely loves it here. They are looking for a new building! We are beyond excited about the future of this little Charter School. We were really worried about where we were going to send our daughter. As we were caught up in the "lottery" in other charter schools in town. We were mysteriously put on the waiting list right next to all of our friends, in order I might add. There is no lottery at AFIA! The principal and the staff are amazing! They aren't looking at you as more funding! They really care about what they are doing…….could not be happierMarasmus (Marasmus)

What this school has done is amazing seeing and watching my daughter grow the teachers and staff are amazing my 10 yr old went thru a traumatic experience in public school in 1st grade she lost all interest in school she was even scared to go to school took her out and came across afia the staff welcomed me and my child with open arms my daughter got her light back this school has helped us in ways I am forever grateful! Both my kids love this school fingers crossed that it can go to 8th grade!Kateia Goulden

The school is great for the community but I have some concerns about the neighborhood surrounding the school. The neighborhood lacks sidewalks and completed sidewalks. Excessive speeding on Troost Ave and no crossing guards or crosswalks for students or parents to cross Troost Ave safely. Congested street during school dismissal (east 79th street) because of lack of parking lot. What is the school going to do address the issue?Hazel G

The building can be kind of depressing because it has a lot of technology and innovational elements and a lot of intentional interior design like observation classrooms where you can imagine a group of students watching someone else teach as part of their training but ultimately it's kind of sad because all these things are outdated and many of them not in use anymore money is being put towards training engineers and pharmacists instead of teachers it seems when looking at this building.Joseph Gilligan