PhD in Criminal Justice Programs in Wyoming

Updated October 5, 2026

No Wyoming school currently offers a doctorate specifically in criminal justice or criminology, so the state’s handful of PhD and DCJ candidates typically complete the degree through an accredited out-of-state or online program. University of Wyoming’s Criminal Justice and Criminology program tops out at a bachelor’s. The degree is most relevant to postsecondary teaching, research, and senior justice-administration roles, not to becoming a judge, which requires a law license and practice experience, not a doctorate.

Wyoming is the second-least densely populated state in the country, behind only Alaska (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). That shapes what a criminal justice doctorate is actually good for here. You’re not training for a big-city prosecutor’s office or a specialized federal task force—you’re preparing to run programs, write policy, or teach the next generation of officers and corrections staff in a state where one agency often covers several counties.

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What Can I Do With My PhD in Criminal Justice in Wyoming?

Cultural competency work matters here too. Wyoming Highway Patrol is one of several agencies working the Safe Trails Task Force, an FBI-led effort on the Wind River Indian Reservation that also includes the DEA, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and local Fremont County and Riverton law enforcement, focused on cutting off fentanyl trafficking in the area (U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Wyoming, 2024). A doctoral track that includes cross-jurisdictional or tribal justice coursework prepares you directly for this kind of multi-agency work.

A criminal justice doctorate is most directly relevant to postsecondary teaching, research, policy work, and senior justice-administration roles in Wyoming, not to the judiciary. Becoming a Wyoming judge instead requires meeting the legal qualifications for the particular court, which center on being licensed to practice law in Wyoming plus specified legal experience. For reference, the national median pay for judges and magistrates is $153,990 per year, according to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data. Wyoming has too few sitting judges for BLS to publish a state-specific figure, so this is a national occupational average, not Wyoming’s judicial pay scale, which is set separately by state statute. Demand for the role holds flat through 2034: Wyoming’s 2024-34 state projections (ProjectionsCentral) show 10 judicial positions, unchanged from today.

Criminal justice professors in Wyoming earn a median salary of $69,530 per year, according to the same May 2025 BLS data. This job is actually growing: state projections call for 40 positions by 2034, up from 30 today, an 11.8% increase. If you’re weighing the professor track against the bench, teaching is the faster-growing path, and the one this degree actually prepares you for.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Judges and Hearing Officers and Postsecondary Teachers. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026.

What Will It Take to Earn My Criminal Justice Graduate Degree in Wyoming?

Plan on a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school before you apply. If you already hold a related master’s degree, some programs may accept transfer credit or grant advanced standing, which can reduce your remaining coursework, depending on the school’s policy.

Credit requirements vary considerably by program. Check each school’s total doctoral-credit requirement and transfer-credit policy directly, rather than assuming a standard number. Across most programs, you’ll work through criminology theory, ethics in criminal justice administration, and the mechanics of running a justice-system organization, plus an internship or practicum if you don’t already have field experience.

Common coursework includes:

Public Policy and Crime: Policy analysis and planning across criminal justice systems, with a critical look at the assumptions baked into day-to-day practice.
Survey of Criminal Justice: A field-wide evaluation built on the major studies and papers that shaped how the system works today.
Comparative Criminal Justice: How the US system stacks up against other countries’ approaches to prevention, sentencing, and punishment.
Social Inequality and Criminal Justice: How class, race, and gender shape sentencing outcomes and system contact.
Crime Causation: The social and theoretical factors researchers point to when explaining why crime happens where it does.
Leadership and Management in Criminal Justice: Running a justice-system organization, not just working inside one.

PhD programs generally culminate in original dissertation research and an oral defense. The dissertation stage can take several years depending on the program, your research design, and whether you’re enrolled full- or part-time; a DCJ or other applied doctorate may use a capstone project instead of a traditional dissertation.

Where Wyoming Residents Actually Earn This Degree

Here’s the straight answer: I found no Wyoming institution currently offering a doctorate in criminal justice or criminology, per federal education data on the criminal justice CIP family. The University of Wyoming’s Criminal Justice and Criminology program is undergraduate-only and available both on campus and online. Seven community colleges across the state (Casper, Central Wyoming, Eastern Wyoming, Laramie County, Northern Wyoming, Northwest, and Western Wyoming) offer associate degrees and certificates in criminal justice, legal support, fire protection, and homeland security, but none offer further degrees.

Wyoming residents who want to remain in the state can pursue an online doctorate from an out-of-state institution, which is exactly what the sponsored programs above this section represent. Confirm accreditation, current enrollment, and admission requirements directly with any school before applying; program offerings shift between data collection cycles.

School and program data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, institution file May 2025 and field-of-study file April 2025. Data accessed October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I earn a PhD in criminal justice without leaving Wyoming?

Not from a Wyoming institution specifically in criminal justice or criminology. The University of Wyoming’s Criminal Justice and Criminology program stops at the bachelor’s level, and none of the state’s community colleges offer programs beyond an associate degree or certificate. Wyoming residents who want to stay in-state typically complete the doctorate through an accredited online program based elsewhere.

Do I need a master’s degree before I apply to a doctoral program?

It helps but isn’t universally required. Some programs admit directly from a bachelor’s and build master’s-level coursework into the front half of the doctorate. If you already hold a related master’s, check with the school about transfer credit or advanced standing, which may shorten your path.

Does a criminal justice PhD help me become a judge?

Not directly. Wyoming judges are required to be licensed to practice law in the state and meet experience requirements set by statute, not to hold a doctorate. A criminal justice PhD is more relevant to postsecondary teaching, policy research, and senior justice-administration roles.

How long does the program take?

It varies by program and by whether you enroll full- or part-time. Beyond coursework, expect the dissertation or capstone stage to take several years on top of your coursework timeline. Check each program’s published completion rates and credit requirements directly.

Key Takeaways

No doctoral program in the CJ family exists in-state. The University of Wyoming’s Criminal Justice and Criminology degree is undergraduate-only; the doctorate is typically completed online or at an out-of-state institution.
This degree doesn’t lead to a judgeship. Wyoming judges need a law license and practice experience, not a PhD. The degree’s real payoff lies in teaching, research, and justice administration work.
Wyoming projects flat demand for judges (10 positions, unchanged) and growing demand for CJ faculty (30 to 40 positions, +11.8%) through 2034, per ProjectionsCentral’s 2024-34 state data.
A master’s isn’t always mandatory, but it may shorten your path if a program accepts transfer credit toward the doctorate.

If an online doctorate is new territory for you, start by comparing the programs listed above against your own timeline and budget before you apply anywhere. The state finder below can point you toward in-state options if you decide to start at the associate or bachelor’s level first and work up to the doctorate later.

Looking for This Program in Another State?

Want the bigger picture? Read the full guide to Doctoral Degrees in Criminal Justice | DCJ and PhD.