Wyoming Criminal Justice Schools

6 schools offering criminal justice degrees in Wyoming are in our database. (see below)
6 offer associate’s degrees or certificates
We found no schools in Wyoming ranked in US News and World Reports that have a criminal justice program
According to Kiplinger’s, Wyoming has no universities ranked in the top 100 for “Values in Public Colleges”
10 campus-based and online schools in Wyoming are available for requesting information.

Spotlight School

We keep our tuition affordable because it is an integral part of the overall mission for our university. The vision of our Chancellor, Jerry Falwell Jr., is to keep Liberty's Distance Learning Program affordable so as many individuals as possible can experience a Christ-centered education and become equipped for excellence, professionally as well as spiritually.

Programs:

BS in Criminal Justice
AA in Criminal Justice

Profiles of Well Known Schools

University of Wyoming: The Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Wyoming offers a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a Pre-Law or a Pre-Forensic Science Concentration. Students of this program complete internships with numerous federal agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms or the US Marshal’s Office. The department has ten full time faculty with a good portion being forensic science specialists while others are experts in law and policy. The William D. Griffith Scholarship and the John R. Shell Scholarship are financial aid awards for outstanding criminal justice majors.

Casper College: The Department of Criminal Justice at Casper College offers an Associate of Arts/ Science in Criminal Justice (Corrections or Police options), an Associate of Science in Forensic Science, and an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice. All six degree options require 64 hours of coursework with at least 32 hours dedicated to major courses. The Associate of Science in Forensic Science is laboratory intensive while the other degree options focus more on the social and political dynamics of law and punishment. Students very often intern with the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy, the Casper Police Department or the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

Wyoming Criminal Justice Salary and Jobs

Occupation	Number Employed	Average Annual Salary
Correctional Officers and Jailers	1,100	$40,310
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	310	$70,290
Detectives and Criminal Investigators	190	$69,870
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers	1,310	$49,860

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2011.

Respected leaders who have graduated from universities in Wyoming

Cheyenne, WY Chief of Police Brian Kozak- University of Phoenix
Gillette, WY Chief of Police Jim Hloucal- University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY Chief of Police Dale A. Stalder- University of Wyoming
Laramie County, WY Sheriff Danny L. Glick- Laramie County Community College

Police Quote: “The job is simply too important and complex to be left to those without an advanced education. Policing is too important in a democracy such as ours to be left to those who have not had the benefit of a broad liberal arts education.” -Chief David Couper, author of Arrested Development

Wyoming Criminal Justice Degrees

A growing need for paralegals or legal assistants in Wyoming is expected as law firms look to cut costs by hiring paralegals to do work once performed by lawyers. This will open up opportunities for individuals with paralegal degrees at law firms in urban areas of Wyoming. Paralegals work in an office environment and are paid a competitive wage.

Some positions that are needed by the Wyoming Department of Corrections include correctional security, casework specialists, probation and parole agents, recreation therapists, and administration specialists. The state offers generous benefits including 9 paid holidays, 12 days of paid vacation, and correctional security and probation & parole agents are eligible to receive retirement pay after 20 years. In addition to state positions, jobs are available for criminal justice graduates with a number of city police and county sheriff’s departments throughout Wyoming.

State and local agencies encourage applicants to take courses or training related to law enforcement subjects after high school. Many entry-level applicants for police jobs have completed some formal post-secondary education, and a significant number are college graduates. A criminal justice degree will prepare you for job opportunities for whatever path you decide to pursue.

Wyoming Criminal Justice Salary

Several criminal justice careers provide attractive pay and benefits in addition to the intrinsic benefits. The average salary for a Wyoming police officer is $49,250 ¹ and a first-line supervisor of police officers earns an average of $70,390.¹ For correctional officers the average salary is $40,530 ¹ while detectives earn an average of $69,410 ¹ in addition to competitive benefits. Paralegals and legal assistants in the state earn an average of $36,220.¹

Wyoming’s Criminal Justice Employment Outlook

At the start of 2012, Wyoming’s unemployment rate was at 5.8%, well below the 8.5% national average, and it will regain prior peak employment levels by mid 2013. Government related employment, which is a good proxy for Wyoming criminal justice jobs, has excellent prospects with prior peak employment levels reached already with strong growth projected. he Occupational Supply & Demand System shows annual Wyoming Criminal Justice job openings with Police and Sheriff Patrol (45 annual openings / 88% of individuals in these positions report having some college or a bachelor’s degree), Correctional Officers (25 annual openings / 60% of individuals in these positions report having some college or a bachelor’s degree), Detectives / Investigators / Forensic Techs (10 annual openings), Security Guards (30 annual openings) and Paralegals (15 annual openings / 88% of individuals in these positions report having some college or a bachelor’s degree). According to Sunshine Review, Wyoming’s state budget is in the enviable state of surplus but they are being cautious with spending cuts. Wyoming is rich in natural resources which keeps state income relatively positive versus less well endowed states. Wyoming represents a state where an investment in a Wyoming criminal justice degree should help find those openings in a lightly populated state and increase potential for higher pay. We suggest requesting free information from several Wyoming criminal justice schools to weigh options.

Online and Wyoming Criminal Justice Schools

To learn more about earning a Wyoming criminal justice degree, we recommend the following accredited campus-based and online criminal justice programs for students interested in pursuing associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the growing field of criminal justice.

University of Phoenix
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

A.A. in Criminal Justice
B.S in Criminal Justice Administration/Cybercrimes
B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration - Human Services

Baker College Online
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

Bachelor of Criminal Justice

Capella University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

MS - Criminal Justice
PhD - Criminal Justice
BS - Criminal Justice

Keiser University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

Criminal Justice, BA
Criminal Justice, MA (Online Only)
Homeland Security, BA (Online)

Walden University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

B.S. in Human Services - Criminal Justice
B.S. in Criminal Justice - Crime and Criminals
B.S. in Criminal Justice

Kaplan University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

MS in Criminal Justice - Law
MS in Criminal Justice
BS in Criminal Justice

Post University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

B.S. in Human Services / Criminal Justice
B.S. in Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement
B.S. in Criminal Justice

Liberty University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

BS in Criminal Justice
AA in Criminal Justice

Colorado Technical University Online
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice: Human Services
Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Grand Canyon University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

M.S. in Criminal Justice: Legal Studies
B.S. in Justice Studies
M.S. in Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement

Tip: If you don’t live near a campus-based school that offers a program of interest, consider an online degree or a university in an adjacent state (Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Utah).

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Directory of Wyoming Universities Offering Criminal Justice Degrees

Casper College (Casper, WY)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Associate of Applied Science | Criminal Justice
Associate of Arts | Corrections
Associate of Arts | Criminal Justice Policing
Associate of Science | Corrections
Associate of Science | Forensic Science

Central Wyoming College (Riverton, WY)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Associate of Applied Science | Criminal Justice
Associate of Arts | Criminal Justice
Certificate | Rural Justice Training

Laramie County Community College (Cheyenne, WY)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Associate of Applied Science | Legal Assisting
Associate of Arts | Criminal Justice, Corrections
Associate of Arts | Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement
Associates of Science | Homeland Security
Certificate | Legal Assisting
Certificate of Completion | Homeland Security

University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Associate of Science | Criminal Justice

Student Review: “I very much enjoyed my time in the Criminal Justice department at the University of Wyoming. The faculty was great, especially my faculty adviser. He was also great as the instructor for my capstone course which was a senior level independent study where I chose a topic and researched it for the semester. I chose to write about steroids and substance abuse. I enjoyed the variety of classes taught such as those specializing in drug and gang enforcement. I have also took an exceptional Native American Law class. I would highly recommend the Department because of the friendly faculty and wide range of courses offered.” -Jonathon G., student at University of Wyoming

Western Wyoming Community College (Rock Springs, WY)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Associate of Science | Criminal Justice

References:
(1) Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_WY.htm
(2) Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/lau/ see state on page for current unemployment rate
(3) USA TODAY/Moody’s Analytics/BLS: http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-02-06-new-jobs-growth-graphic_N.htm
(4) Occupational Supply & Demand System / OCDS Georgia State University for the U.S. Department of Labor: http://www.occsupplydemand.org/OSD_SelectOcc.aspx?chk=2&ST=ZZ
(5) The Sunshine Review: http://sunshinereview.org/core/home (select state budget button)

Page Edited by Charles Sipe.