What is the University Studies Program?

A university education is grounded in a broad understanding of human knowledge developed through a range of courses and co-curricular activities, the most important of which at the University of Wyoming is the University Studies Program. From general studies, the specialized knowledge of a major evolves. These two components of an education are complementary, enhancing one another throughout a student's career.

The University Studies Program ensures that each student's program includes the elements essential to a lifetime of personal and professional growth: habits of mind, practices of active citizenship, and development of intellectual skills.

The University Studies Program requires students to develop skills necessary for full participation in a technologically complicated world. these include the ability to express oneself in speech and writing, to locate, evaluate, and effectively use information, and to examine problems from quantitative, qualitative, and scientific perspectives. University Studies encourages students to become active citizens in a diverse democracy. Through multi-and inter-disciplinary inquiry, students gain the perspectives necessary to deal with complex issues, appreciate the viewpoints of others, function effectively in multicultural communities, understand the responsibility to participate in democratic society, and communicate clearly in a civic environment.

The University Studies Program assesses student achievement (summative assessment) and program effectiveness (formative assessment) by identifying, then measuring specific program outcomes over time.

While the University Studies Program is designed to server students, it also offers innovative opportunities for growth to faculty members, departments, colleges, and the university as a whole. Indeed, ongoing faculty development and curricular modification play a key role in a vigorous general studies program.