A graphic that says
A graphic that says

To celebrate MSU’s 60th anniversary at Homecoming, we created a special timeline showcasing the history of the College of Business. Here’s a look back at six decades of growth and achievement!

1963

  • Metropolitan State College is created by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado in House Bill 349 on May 5, 1963, at 11:56 a.m.

1965

  • Tom Cook is the first teacher at MSC

1966

  • Kenneth Phillips, Ph.D., is named first president of Metropolitan State College
  • Metropolitan State College’s 4-year status is established

1968

  • Kenneth Phillips, Ph.D., is named first president of Metropolitan State College
  • Metropolitan State College’s 4-year status is established

1969

  • MSC confers its first bachelor’s degrees – Business Management (9/24 graduates with a BS degree): Gary Austin, Donald Neuman, Joseph Pagliasotti, William Roper, Heather Sheets, James Sheets, Patricia Stone, Fred Trantaz, Mickey Bland

1971

  • The MSC Alumni Association is founded

1973

  • Academic Advising Center is established

1974

  • Rowdy is born

1977

  • MSC moves to Auraria Higher Education Center
  • After 12 years of leasing classroom space in multiple downtown buildings, MSC began its first semester on the 150-acre Auraria Campus, sharing academic space with the University of Colorado Denver and Community College of Denver.

1986

  • MSC becomes the first college in Colorado to register students by phone

1987

  • MSC debuts new song by Composer Marvin Hamlisch, in town to conduct the Denver Symphony Orchestra in a benefit concert sponsored by Colorado State University, debuts MSC’s new school song, “The Fire of MSC,” and accepts an honorary doctorate.

1989

  • MSC debuts Colorado’s first college-produced, broadcast-quality television program

1990

  • The words “of Denver” are added to our name; A perceived lack of name recognition and the existence of Metropolitan State University in Minnesota led President Tom Brewer to obtain legislative authority to change the school’s name to Metropolitan State College of Denver.

1994

  • Historic Tivoli Brewery opens as a student union

1995

  • Metropolitan State College of Denver goes online with its first homepage.

1996

  • Professors’ economic-impact study shows Metropolitan State College of Denver is a “powerful economic driver”. The study highlighted substantial benefits that Metropolitan State College of Denver’s presence brought to metro Denver, including number of jobs, amount of goods sold and expansion of the credit base. It concluded that 72 cents of every dollar invested in the school through the state’s general fund were returned to taxpayers.
  • Metropolitan State College of Denver offers its first online course

1999

  • Auraria Administration Building opens on the west side of campus

2000

  • Roadrunners take NCAA Division II men’s basketball title
  • Metropolitan State College of Denver leads Colorado in online education-
  • With 144 online courses, Metropolitan State College of Denver became a leader in online education, offering the most course options in the state. General Studies requirements and core courses for Business, Accounting and Computer Information Systems could be completed online.

2002

  • Metropolitan State College of Denver gains independence, continues to transform higher education in Colorado 
  • MSU Denver acquired its own governing board July 1, following the passage of HB02-1165. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Nolbert Chavez and Sen. Penfield Tate, separated it from the State Colleges in Colorado board of trustees that governs Mesa State, Adams State and Western State.

2003

  • Metropolitan State College of Denver celebrates its first homecoming

2004

  • Metropolitan State College of Denver women’s soccer team takes national championship

2007

  • Metropolitan State College of Denver emerges as the leader in educating Coloradans. With nearly 21,000 resident undergraduates, Metropolitan State College of Denver surpassed Colorado State University (17,443) and the University of Colorado Boulder (17,237) in enrollment, according to the Colorado Department of Higher Education.

2009

  • School of Business Starts offering Certificate in Personal Financial Planning

2010

  • In July 2010, Metropolitan State College of Denver received final approval and accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission to proceed with three planned master’s-degree programs, the University’s first graduate-level offerings: Teacher Education, Professional Accountancy and Social Work.
  • Rowdy gets an update
  • A new look for MSC Denver’s beloved mascot debuts at the college’s 45th–birthday party. A Rowdy bobblehead goes on sale at the Auraria Campus Bookstore.

2011

  • Metropolitan State College of Denver graduates its first five master’s-degree candidates – Fall Commencement marked a milestone in MSC Denver’s history: awarding degrees to its first graduate students in Professional Accountancy and Teacher Education.
  • Dr. Ann Murphy becomes Dean of the College of Business

2012

  • Opening of Student Success Building transforms campus and student outcomes
  • Metropolitan State College of Denver becomes Metropolitan State University of Denver – On April 18, MSC Denver officially changed its name to Metropolitan State University of Denver, when Gov. John Hickenlooper signed SB12-148 in the jam-packed Student Success Building lobby, proclaiming, “It’s a law! You can now officially call yourselves Metropolitan State University of Denver.”
  • School of Business Starts offering Certificate in Entrepreneurship

2013

  • School of Business adds a certificate in Professional Selling

2014

  • School of Business changes its name to College of Business
  • President Jordan and the University receive national diversity awards
  • MSU Denver and President Stephen Jordan received two awards from Insight Into Diversity magazine: a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award and, for Jordan, the prestigious Diversity Visionary Award. The magazine cited Jordan’s and the University’s leadership in creating higher-education access for undocumented students in Colorado.
  • MSU Denver was ranked as Colorado’s top four-year institution and 32nd nationally in the Military Times annual “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015” issue. The University was also included in Military Times’ “Best for Vets: Business Schools 2014

2015

  • MSU Denver College of Business gets AACSB Accredited
  • College of Business Starts offering BA in International Business, BA in Entrepreneurship/Small Business Admin, BS in Internal Business

2016

  • Janine Davidson, Ph.D., becomes the University’s ninth president.
  • Center for Entrepreneurship was Established under the Department of Management
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA) program was Established (Concentrations – Accounting, Business Analytics, Strategic Management)

2019

  • The University begins offering in-state tuition to undocumented students who lived and attended high school in Colorado.
  • A year later, with MSU Denver’s leadership and example, the state legislature passes the ASSET Bill, which offers in-state tuition to qualified undocumented students statewide.
  • College of Business Starts offering BS in Banking

2020

  • Metropolitan State University of Denver President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., announces that due to growing concern over Covid-19, all classes would take place online.
  • BS in Business Intelligence, Graduate Certificate in Business Administration, Certificate in Digital Marketing

2021

  • College of Business Starts offering BA in Professional Selling
  • Reaccredited with AACSB

2022

  • College of Business Starts offering BS in Human Resource Management, BS in Business Administration
  • Metropolitan State University of Denver was recently admitted to the Internal Auditing Education Partnership program as a Foundation school by the globally recognized Institute of Internal Auditing.

2023

  • College of Business Starts offering BS in Real Estate, MBA adds a Human Resources Concentration
  • College of Business Launches an Instagram Account

2024

  • MSU Denver was recognized by the Sales Education Foundation as a 2024 Top University for Professional Sales Education
  • College of Business Starts offering the BS in Economics/Managerial Economics, BS in Operations Management, Graduate Certificate in Risk Assurance and Advisory, Undergrad certificate in Affordable Housing Management, and Certificate in nonprofit Studies

2025

  • MPAcc Celebrates 15th anniversary celebration
  • MSU Denver launches the FHLBank Topeka Affordable Housing Institute under the Department of Finance and a certificate program that combines coursework in Business, Finance and Social Work
  • MSU Denver launches the Risk Assurance and Advisory Center under the department of Accounting
  • College of Business Launches their first Ambassador Program with 12 Ambassadors
  • College of Business Launches the Business Buzz Blog
  • College of Business Launches a LinkedIn Account
  • College of Business Hits 1000 Followers on Instagram
Check out the University's Timeline! Go Back to Business Buzz

Where Ambition Meets Opportunity

Support comes from MSU Denver’s College of Business, offering flexible programs with real‑world projects and support. Committed to empowering graduates to lead, solve, and inspire.

Crowd of students clapping and cheering during the MSU Denver Athletics Department Season Kickoff.
Four MSU Denver students stand smiling and laughing together in front of a large inflatable Roadrunners mascot holding a “GET ROWDY!” sign. They are outdoors on a sunny day with a grassy hill and a bright blue sky in the background, celebrating school spirit and camaraderie.