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University of Wyoming

Why the Curriculum & Instruction Program at the University of Wyoming?

What UNIVERSITY FEATURES attract graduate students?

  • UW’s location is convenient and appealing.
    • Laramie is an appealing community with a small population, low crime rate, and extensive access to outdoor recreation opportunities; and
    • Wyoming offers tremendous diversity in geography and people.
  • UW is an affordable choice. 
    • Tuition is reasonable;
    • Laramie generally has a low cost of living; and
    • UW offers a wide variety of support.
  • Extracurricular activities found at UW and in the community. 
    • The University offers N.C.A.A. Division 1 athletic programs, such as football and women’s and men’s basketball;
    • The University offers a variety of intramural sports; and
    • There are a wide variety of mountain activities available close by such as hiking, skiing, bouldering/climbing and snow shoeing.
  • UW is a relatively small university.
    • class sizes are small and reasonable; and
    • UW offers much individualized support, such as extensive experience, mentoring, and close contact with the professors and committee members.
  • UW is a research-extensive university.
    •  UW has a reputation as a research university which has implications later when looking to find employment.

What PROGRAM FEATURES attract graduate students?

  • Graduate assistantships.
  • Philosophical Alignment.
    • UW’s College of Education’s Conceptual Framework  emphasizes:
    • developing competent professionals;
    • promoting democratic, socially-just education pedagogy and practice; and
    • utilizing various approaches to and definitions of education.
  • Flexible Educational Opportunities.
    • The courses offered at UW provide a breadth and depth of knowledge that supplements student research and interests.
    • The program features both quantitative and qualitative research methods;
    • it encourages the exploration of educational interests; and
    • it balances tapping into current credentials and fostering new areas of interest.
  • Professional Preparation.
    • The program offers many unique features such as:
    • Opportunities for teaching and research experience prior to dissertation;
    • The ability to develop and maintain close ties with educators and policymakers from throughout the state; and
    • the ability to conduct research in Wyoming communities. 
  • Diverse Course Delivery Methods. 
    • The program offers a variety of courses that can be completed through outreach courses or summer sessions.
  •  Student cohorts. 
    • Students are recruited in small cohorts.
    • This provides a peer support network and a cooperative, rather than competitive, environment; and
    • this builds collaborative networks that extend beyond graduation.
  • Meaningful research. 
    • Students are encouraged to develop research programs that are meaningful to them.
    • Students are encouraged to bring research ideas and projects with them to the department;
    • students are encouraged to develop relevant, current research agenda; and
    • student experiences, professional and personal, matter to the C&I faculty.

What about the FACULTY attracts graduate students?

  • Program/Department Research and Reputation. 
    • C&I faculty are leaders in their respective fields. 
    • Faculty have published innovative work and are eager to continue learning themselves;
    • they are respected nationally throughout their fields by other leaders;
    • they participate in regional and national events/conferences;
    • they demonstrate enthusiasm for their field; and
    • they see themselves as teachers as much as researchers. 
  • Experience.
    • Faculty bring a tremendous variety of research interests and professional experiences to the department.
    • They have experience with people or events behind the research that most experience from reading; and
    • they will likely have experience with student research approaches
  • Strong relationship between faculty and students.
    • There is a careful match of professors and graduate students;
    • Faculty represent a wide variety of research interest areas, leading to much compatibility in areas of interest;
    • Experienced faculty offer quality advice/guidance in developing a program of study, as well as mentorship in research, writing, and professional service.
  • Opportunities for collaborative Ph.D. research with faculty. 
    • The C&I program engages graduate students with a mentor-professor in a research/writing context:
    • It provides opportunities to learn to write scholarly articles with professors so that many graduate students depart from the program as published authors; and
    • faculty are often willing to share with graduate students their own research.