University of Wyoming (UW) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

As the only university in the state of Wyoming, the University of Wyoming is in a unique position to enrich the lives of its students and its community. Because of this, the school enjoys incredible support and benefits from numerous resources on both the financial and social levels. The school is a major research institution and has produced high-quality educational opportunities at both the undergraduate and graduate level since 1886. UW’s dedication to research and teaching is attested to by the number of Truman, Rhodes and Goldwater Scholars that have been educated at the university.

Located in Laramie, Wyoming, UW’s student body is diverse and consists of students from all over the world. The school believes that this variety enriches the education of all by encouraging students to share their cultures and heritages with those around them. UW believes that it is this kind of open dialogue that promotes appreciation for diversity and respect for other people and cultures.

Offering over two hundred different clubs and organizations, the University of Wyoming encourages students to interact in a manner that encourages cohesion and acceptance of others. There is an active Greek life on campus and numerous political, religious and social clubs from which to choose. Students are required to live on campus during their freshman year and this is yet another way that the university encourages a spirit of community and interpersonal cooperation.

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Information Summary

Ranks 1st in Wyoming and 302nd overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	90.2
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$19,960
Admission Success rate	N/A
ACT / SAT 75%ile scores	28 / 1280
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	14 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	78% / 8%
Enrollment Total (all students)	12,450

Academics

The University of Wyoming offers about eighty undergraduate and over ninety graduate degrees and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The university also offers doctorate programs and post-graduate professional certificates. Students seeking an education at UW may choose from numerous undergraduate, graduate or doctoral programs in order to fulfill their educational needs. Credits may be earned via the traditional fall and winter classroom courses, during summer terms or online. The university strives to provide an array of choices so that students may achieve their goals regardless of their situations.

Bachelor’s Programs

Students seeking a Bachelor’s degree may study in one of six colleges in order to do so. Students may also choose to enroll in more than one college in order to seek a dual degree. In order to do this, students require approval from various department heads, so proper planning is required. The colleges are Engineering, Health Sciences, Business, Education, Agriculture, Education and Arts and Sciences.

All of the majors are administered by department faculty members and expertise is broken down into narrow categories that range from schools, departments, divisions and finally the individual programs. Students who have not yet decided upon a major may enter UW as an undeclared student and take some of the core curriculum while deciding upon a major. Some of the majors that students may pursue include agricultural business, agroecology, animal and veterinary science, art, finance, history and nursing.

Graduate Programs

Students seeking to pursue post-graduate work may do so in a number of nationally-recognized programs. The University of Wyoming is known for its research in ecology and agriculture and students frequently have works published during the course of their studies. Offering over ninety graduate majors, UW strives to provide an educational experience that will enrich the lives of their students and the world.

Some of the master’s degree choices that UW has available include such diverse subjects as accounting, agronomy, education, entomology, microbiology and music. Students get the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways including online, in traditional classrooms and in hand-ons learning environments and research studies.

Doctoral Programs

The University of Wyoming offers over twenty different doctorate degrees including agronomy, botany, civil engineering, computer science and nursing. One of the advantages that UW offers is that it has numerous programs that students may complete from the undergraduate through the doctorate level at their institution. Students will need to maintain eligibility and meet application requirements in order to do so, but the opportunity is there. The university also has a law school in addition to other programs so students have a wide array of options.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Admissions

Undergraduate Admissions

The University of Wyoming has an open admissions policy for new freshmen and transfer students who are still in their freshman year. This means that as long as the student meets basic requirements, admission is automatic. There are high school course requirements for admission, so prospective students should visit the website or contact UW for current information. The university recommends that students that are concerned about being eligible for assured admission submit an essay and letters of recommendation from teachers or other professionals that can attest to student work ethic and educational potential.

Conditional admission may be granted for students who do not meet the criteria for assured admission. In this situation, students are admitted but must meet certain criteria in order to be eligible for registration the following year. Students that are admitted conditionally must also participate in Synergy, a nationally acclaimed mentoring and support program that pairs students with faculty and other students in order to learn time-management and study skills necessary to a successful college career.

Students may apply for admission to the University of Wyoming either online or by requesting a paper application from the school. After submitting the application, application fee and all required documents including high school transcripts and ACT or SAT scores, students will receive email alerts about how to proceed. Students will need to submit a health certificate and immunization form prior to registering for classes, so it is recommended that this be submitted as soon as possible after notification of acceptance.

Graduate Admissions

Admission to all of the University of Wyoming’s graduate programs is extremely competitive. Since all of the programs have their own admissions requirements, student seeking to attend should contact their program of choice to obtain current application and admission requirements. New students are only accepted in the fall term, so the application process should be initiated early.

There are two separate processes used to accept students into a graduate program. Some of the programs require the student to make formal application the University of Wyoming directly through the main admissions office and some require that students apply directly to the graduate program to which they are seeking acceptance. This process is used to screen potential students prior to inviting them to apply formally to the university.

Students that are not immediately accepted may choose to enroll in the university as a non-degree seeking student in order to show academic potential. There are limitations to this program such as how many classes may be taken, so students should familiarize themselves with this course of action prior to initiating the application process.

Financial Aid

The University of Wyoming offers financial aid in the form of private and public scholarships, grants, work programs and federally subsidized loans. To determine eligibility for any aid, students will need to complete and submit the Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA) by the beginning of March in the year prior to admission. The form is available in January, so it is recommended that this form be completed as soon as possible in order to be eligible for all forms of aid.

Financial aid is awarded based on full time attendance which is twelve semester hours or more for undergraduate, law and pharmacy students and eight semester hours for graduate students. Should the student drop below the minimum hours, the financial aid packet will be adjusted accordingly. The school also offers special financial aid programs for veterans, graduate students and children of alumni that do not live in Wyoming.

Though most scholarships are based on student GPA, there are a few that are situation-specific or program-specific. In order to determine eligibility for any of these programs, students should contact the financial aid office or the graduate program into which they are entering.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 3748th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Wyoming.

Athletics

The University of Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls compete in the NCAA Division I-A and are members of the Mountain West Conference. UW offers a variety of sports opportunities to its students including varsity, club and intramural sports as well as regularly scheduled campus activities targeted at increasing the overall health and physical fitness of students. The school’s colors are gold and black and the fan chant is “Go Pokes!”

Should a student want to participate at the varsity level, UW offers both men’s and women’s basketball, track and field, cross country, golf and swimming and diving. Men also have the additional choices of football and wrestling while women may choose to participate in tennis and volleyball.

Students who prefer sports other than those available at the varsity level may choose to participate in one of the club sports the UW offers. There are over eighteen teams that compete within the Rocky Mountain region and beyond and include badmitton, cycling, fencing, lacrosse, baseball, softball, hockey, rugby, racquetball, nordic ski racing, soccer, ultimate frisbee and shotgun sports.

The University of Wyoming also offers intramural sports including tennis, billiards, skiing, golf and soccer among many others. This is a great way for students to stay active, compete and get fit without the rigorous training and scheduling required at the varsity level.

Finally, a program unique to UW is the National Outdoor Leadership School. This is a program that allows degree-seeking students to earn academic credit while participating in outdoor expeditioning activities in order to gain knowledge of the environment and develop leadership skills. Students that are interested in this program should contact the University for more information.

Bibliography

University of Wyoming. University of Wyoming. 2011. Web. 1 May 2011.

“University of Wyoming.” The Princeton Review. The Princeton Review. 2011. Web. 1 May 2011.

Wyoming Official Athletics Website. Wyoming Athletics. 2011. Web. 1 May 2011.

University of Wyoming