University of Wyoming

Though Wyoming became a state in 1890, plans for a new university arose four years earlier. That school, which is now the University of Wyoming, opened in 1886. Its campus consists of several historic buildings as well as acres of green spaces and public facilities that all students can use. One of the unique features of UW, which is what students and faculty call the campus, is that it offers programs designed for students living in rural parts of the state. The university originally offered distance learning classes and now offers dozens of classes online every semester. Its online programs let students living in areas that lack a college campus still complete a degree.

ARWU, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report are just a few of the organizations that ranked UW on a national scale, and Washington Monthly ranked the campus the highest at number 122. QS and ARWU also included UW on their own lists of the best colleges in the world today. Some of its departments and programs that ranked among the country's best include its programs in psychology, engineering, clinical psychology, social work and chemistry. Located in the town of Laramie, the University of Wyoming has a population of nearly 14,000 students.

University of Wyoming Accreditation Details

Regional accreditation is something you should look for when choosing a university, especially if you hope to transfer to another campus or transfer in some credits with you. Those applying to the University of Wyoming can quickly see that it has regional accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS), which also means that it can give graduates degrees. The university also has something called specialty or program accreditation, which means that select programs it offers have their own accreditation. A few examples of the specialty accreditation that the university has comes from:

• American Psychological Association
• Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, Inc. (ABET)
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
• American Bar Association
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
• Council on Social Work Education Office of Social Work Accreditation

University of Wyoming Application Requirements

The University of Wyoming looks for students with high grades and a strong high school background. It requires that you have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher that does not include AP courses and that you scored at least 980 on the SAT or 21 on the ACT. The university also looks for those who completed a college prep curriculum in high school, which includes four years of classes in English, math and science, three years of social studies classes and two years of both foreign language classes and electives. While you can fill out an online application, you must use a debit card or credit card to pay the $40 fee. You'll also send in a transcript from your high school and your official score from at least one of those two tests.

There is a separate online application available for graduate students, but you should check the admissions requirements for any program that interests you. Each program can set its up requirements. You may need to submit a resume, one to three letters of recommendation, a portfolio of your past work and/or a score from a major test like the GRE. The university itself asks that you fill out the online application and pay your fee when you submit it, which covers the cost of processing the application. You will then send the university a final and official transcript from your college that shows your GPA and the degree you earned.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Resident tuition rates apply to any student who is a full-time resident of Wyoming or lived in the state for at least six months before enrolling. The tuition charged to those students is less than $1,900 per semester and lets them take up to 15 credits every semester. Living on-campus and paying for expenses will increase your total costs to around $15,000 a year. Nonresidents pay close to $7,500 per semester and face total annual costs of more than $26,000. The University of Wyoming offers cheaper tuition rates for children of alumni. All undergrads may qualify for some financial aid, but they can also get that aid after completing and filing the FAFSA.

Graduates students must take nine credits of courses each semester to qualify as full-time students. Residents face tuition charges of around $4,100 a year, but this figure rises for nonresidents to more than $12,000 a year. Your total costs will also depend on the program you select. The cost of enrolling in its pharmacy program, law school or MBA program will cost you more. As a graduate student, you should still file the FAFSA to see if you qualify for any loans or grants. The university also has jobs available on-campus for grad students.

Psychology and Counseling Options

If you have an interest in psychology or counseling, you can enroll in a UW program through its School of Professional Studies or Department of Psychology. Students enrolled in its MS in Counseling program can gain additional experience through the campus's Counseling Training Clinic or Rocky Mountain Institute for Play Therapy. The program is available with an emphasis on school counseling or mental health counseling. You'll take 49 credits of core courses and an additional 12 credits of courses in your emphasis area. Classes include counseling theory, multicultural counseling, group procedures, group experience and assessment in counseling.

The university also offers a bachelor's in psychology program for undergrads. You must attend eight sessions on-campus during the semester that asks you basic psychology research questions. The university uses those quizzes to determine how well you understand your course materials and if you should continue in the program. You can also take shorter classes during the school year to gain research participation course credits.

The Department of Psychology also offers four graduate programs for psychology students. The areas you can study include clinical psychology, cognition and cognitive development, social psychology and psychology and the law. The University of Wyoming encourages grad students to do internships and sign up for independent study projects to gain more experience outside of their required classes.

See also: The 50 Best Ph.D. Programs in Clinical Psychology