The School of Education, organized officially as a separate academic division in 1954, was the result of the University of Kansas City's involvement in professional education since 1940. At that early date the University was offering an M.A. in education, heavily liberal-arts laden, with most classes conducted in the summer and evenings. An undergraduate major in elementary education was established in 1952, and the first University of Kansas City doctoral program, the Ph.D. in education, was inaugurated with the organizing of the school in 1954. Since 1954, the school has grown to include three disciplinary divisions with 19 programs, offering bachelor of arts, master of arts, educational specialist, education doctorate and doctor of philosophy degree programs. Several degree and certification programs are offered in cooperation with the the School of Biological Sciences, the Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts and Sciences. The mission of the School of Education is to recruit, prepare and support outstanding teachers, mental health professionals and administrators who will create lifelong opportunities through education for America's diverse urban communities. This mission is centered on six key values which embody the knowledge, skills and dispositions expected of our candidates across the School of Education. The goals defined by individual programs are more specific subsets of these broader goals:

1. Academic excellence.
   
2. Strategic innovation.
3. Inquiry leading to reflective decision making and problem solving.
4. Skilled and knowledgeable professionals working collaboratively.
5. Democracy, diversity and social justice.
6. Caring and safe environments.