How to Become a School Counselor in Wyoming
To become a school counselor in Wyoming, you’ll need a master’s degree in school counseling, an Institutional Recommendation from your program, a fingerprint background check, and proof you know the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions. Wyoming doesn’t require the Praxis. The Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) issues the license, which is valid for five years.
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Ana finished a psychology degree in Laramie two years ago. She’s been working as a paraprofessional at an elementary school, and the counselor down the hall keeps asking when she’s going to apply to grad school. The question Ana really has is simpler: what does Wyoming actually require, and in what order?
Here’s the answer. Wyoming’s path is shorter on testing than most states. There’s no Praxis, but you will need a specific degree, PTSB’s own fingerprint background check, and a civics requirement that catches some out-of-state applicants off guard.
The outlook is worth knowing before you commit. In May 2025, Wyoming’s median salary for educational, guidance and career counselors and advisors (the federal category that includes school counselors) was $63,430. Projections Central expects employment in that group to grow 14.7% in Wyoming from 2024 to 2034, compared with 3.5% nationally over the same period. In a small state, that works out to about 70 openings a year. For the full picture, visit the Wyoming school counselor overview page.
This guide covers the path for three groups: people just starting out, people who already have a bachelor’s degree, and counselors licensed in another state.
I’m a High School Graduate…
You don’t need to have it all mapped out yet. School counseling requires a master’s degree, so your first goal is finishing a bachelor’s degree. It doesn’t have to be in counseling.
Step One: Earn a bachelor’s degree in any field
Psychology, sociology, education and human development are natural fits, but none of them is required. Admission rules vary by graduate program. Most mainly want to see a completed bachelor’s degree from an accredited school, and many weigh your grades and experience with young people as heavily as your major.
Step Two: Get experience working with young people
Before or during college, find ways to spend time with kids and teens. Youth mentoring programs, coaching, summer camps and classroom aide jobs all count. This tells you whether school counseling is the right fit, and it gives graduate programs something concrete to look at.
The Wyoming school district list can help you find districts near you that hire paraprofessionals or welcome volunteers.
When you’re ready for graduate school, pick up at the next section.
I Have Already Earned a College Degree…
This is the section most readers need. You have a bachelor’s degree and you’re ready for the master’s and the license. Here’s the full path.
Step One: Earn a master’s degree in school counseling
Wyoming statute requires school counselors to hold a master’s degree in their field of specialization. PTSB asks for an Institutional Recommendation (IR) showing you completed a master’s degree in school counseling, so a general counseling or education master’s won’t meet the requirement on its own. The degree must come from an accredited institution of higher education, and under PTSB rules the IR verifies that you completed an approved program.
In Wyoming itself, the University of Wyoming offers a 61-credit M.S. in Counseling with a school counseling concentration. It’s CACREP-accredited through March 31, 2028, according to the CACREP directory. You can take it on campus in Laramie, where it’s designed as a two-year program, or as a hybrid at UW Casper, which mixes online coursework with intensive in-person weekends each semester. The Casper cohort starts only every three years, so check the next start date early.
CACREP is a national accreditor for counseling programs. It’s a useful quality signal, but it’s separate from Wyoming licensure. What PTSB asks for is the IR.
You don’t have to study in Wyoming, but an out-of-state or online program has to be able to recommend you for Wyoming licensure. Before you enroll, ask whether the program will complete Wyoming’s IR form for a school counselor endorsement. If the answer isn’t clear, check with PTSB.
One point of confusion worth clearing up: a school counselor license and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) license aren’t the same thing. PTSB licenses school counselors to work in Wyoming schools. A separate agency, the Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board, licenses LPCs. A school counselor license doesn’t authorize independent clinical practice. If you want to work in a school, the PTSB license is the one you need.
Step Two: Complete your supervised fieldwork
Your fieldwork happens inside your master’s program, not as a separate state step. It’s the part where you work in a real school under a licensed counselor’s supervision. At UW, that means a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship. Other programs may structure fieldwork differently, so ask how many hours they require and whether they can place you in a Wyoming school.
Plan ahead for the internship. It’s the hardest part of the program to fit around a full-time job.
Step Three: Complete PTSB’s fingerprint background check
PTSB requires its own fingerprint background check, and it won’t accept background reports from other agencies, even if you were fingerprinted last week for another job.
To get started, email [email protected] with your name, phone number and mailing address. Use the subject line FINGERPRINT CARD REQUEST. PTSB will mail you a packet with two blue FBI fingerprint cards. Your local school district can recommend where to get fingerprinted in your community. Expect a $50 fingerprint processing fee unless PTSB already has a current fingerprint record for you. Fees are subject to change, so confirm the amount on PTSB’s fingerprinting page.
Step Four: Show you know the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions
This one surprises a lot of applicants. Wyoming requires every licensed educator, school counselors included, to show knowledge of both constitutions.
You can meet it two ways. If you’ve taken approved college coursework, your transcript covers it. Graduates of the University of Wyoming or a Wyoming community college have usually already done this, as long as they earned a C or higher. Otherwise, you’ll take two 20-question multiple-choice exams online through the PTSB Educator Portal as part of your application. They’re scored automatically, and you can retake them if you don’t pass. PTSB posts study guides for both exams.
The Wyoming School Counselor Certification page covers this requirement in more detail.
Step Five: Apply through the PTSB Online Educator Portal
Submit your application through PTSB’s Online Educator Portal (also called the Online Licensure System). You’ll need:
- Official transcripts sent directly to PTSB from the school that granted your degree
- An Institutional Recommendation form completed and signed by your program
- Your two fingerprint cards
- The application fee, listed on PTSB’s current fee schedule
Once approved, you’ll hold a Wyoming Educator License with a Professional Services Endorsement for School Counselor. It’s valid for five years.
PTSB’s posted estimate for processing a complete application is about four to six weeks, and it says to expect six to eight weeks from June through August. Those estimates change, so check PTSB’s site when you apply. Incomplete applications slow processing and can be canceled, and PTSB keeps any fees you’ve paid, so double-check everything before you submit. Questions go to PTSB at (307) 777-7291 or [email protected].
A note on the Praxis: PTSB doesn’t list the Praxis among the requirements for a school counselor endorsement. On the standard path described here, the constitution exams in Step Four are the only test you may need to take. Confirm current testing requirements with PTSB before you apply.
If a district wants to hire you before you finish
Sometimes a district can’t find a fully licensed counselor. In that case, it can request an Exception Authorization from PTSB. PTSB has described Exception Authorizations to state legislators as its version of what other states call a provisional license. Under the PTSB rule text we reviewed, the district has to show it searched and couldn’t find a fully licensed candidate, and you have to be enrolled in an accredited program you can complete within one year. It isn’t a shortcut around the degree. PTSB refiled its rules in 2026, so confirm the current requirements with PTSB.
I’m a Certified Counselor from Another State…
PTSB says Wyoming participates in reciprocity with all states, and it’s also clear that reciprocity doesn’t mean your license transfers. You’ll still apply through the Educator Portal with transcripts, Wyoming fingerprint cards and the constitution requirement.
If the state where you were licensed or prepared required a licensing exam, PTSB says it will accept that exam for Wyoming licensure. Other requirements can depend on how you earned your license. If you came through an alternative route, for example, PTSB may ask you to verify recent experience. The Wyoming School Counselor Certification page walks through reciprocity in full, and PTSB’s out-of-state applicants page lists current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a school counselor in Wyoming?
If you’re starting with a bachelor’s degree, most of the time goes to the master’s program. UW’s Laramie program is designed to take two years, and that includes your supervised fieldwork. After you apply, PTSB’s posted estimate is four to six weeks for a complete application, or six to eight weeks in summer. Start your fingerprint request early so it doesn’t hold up the rest.
Can I work while completing my school counseling master’s program?
Many students do during coursework. UW’s Casper hybrid option was built for working professionals, with online classes and intensive in-person weekends. The internship is harder. It requires hundreds of hours in a school during school hours, so most people cut back or adjust their work schedule for that stretch. Ask your program how internships are scheduled before you enroll.
Do I need a teaching license or teaching experience first?
No. Wyoming doesn’t require you to be a certified or experienced teacher before becoming a school counselor. UW’s program, for example, admits students with no previous P-12 experience. Your master’s program and its fieldwork prepare you for the role.
Can I use an online or out-of-state master’s program?
Often, yes. The program has to be at an accredited institution of higher education, and it has to be able to recommend you for a Wyoming school counselor endorsement through an Institutional Recommendation. Ask about the IR before you enroll, and check with PTSB if the program isn’t sure. CACREP accreditation is a good quality signal, but it isn’t the same thing as meeting Wyoming’s licensure requirements.
Can I work in a Wyoming school before I finish my degree?
Only in limited cases. A district that can’t find a licensed counselor can request an Exception Authorization from PTSB. Under the rule text we reviewed, you’d need to be enrolled in an accredited program you can finish within a year. It’s temporary, it depends on a district hiring you first, and the rules were refiled in 2026, so confirm current requirements with PTSB.
- No Praxis on the standard path: PTSB doesn’t list the Praxis for school counselors. The test you may take is the U.S. and Wyoming Constitution exams, and your transcript may already cover it.
- The degree has to be in school counseling: PTSB asks for an Institutional Recommendation showing you completed a master’s in school counseling.
- Fieldwork is part of your program: Your practicum and internship happen inside your master’s program, and hour requirements vary by program.
- Request fingerprint cards early: PTSB requires its own fingerprint background check and charges a $50 processing fee.
- Plan for processing time: PTSB’s posted estimate is four to six weeks for a complete application, longer in summer.
Comparing master’s programs? Before you enroll, confirm the program will sign an Institutional Recommendation for Wyoming licensure and ask how it handles internship placements.
