History Major, B.A.

About This Program

History majors are time travelers. Time travelers who know how to think.

This is history’s big lesson: Not the dates and facts so much as how do we interpret them and what do they mean to our lives now?

At Metropolitan State University of Denver, you will earn a history degree that will not only expose you to the history of the United States and the world; but will also give you tremendous freedom to pick your own path, developing expertise in areas such as Colorado History, Latin-American History, African-American history, Women’s History, European History and more.

While pursuing a degree with the Department of History, you will have access to: internship opportunities, study abroad experiences and a senior seminar project – where you will complete a major research project. A History degree will help you to develop the ability to think critically, argue convincingly and write effectively. These skills translate to countless career opportunities and will have you well-prepared for a graduate school of your choosing.

Benefits of Earning Your Degree at MSU Denver

Facilities and Resources

MSU Denver is located on the Auraria Campus, home to the one of the most historic neighborhoods in the Denver area. Vibrant and multicultural, the campus is close to numerous museums and cultural institutions, including: History Colorado, the Byers-Evans House, the Molly Brown House, the Colorado Historical Foundation, the American Museum of Western Art, the Black American West Museum and the Western History Collection at the Denver Public Library.

Career Opportunities for Our Graduates

What can you do with a B.A. in History from MSU Denver?

Law, politics, journalism, education and museum work. And that’s just a start! Here are some of the specific career paths taken by MSU Denver alumni:

• Secondary history teacher, international history teacher, Teach for America teacher (a program that trains and places diverse leaders to teach in underserved communities), professor
• Lawyer
• Historian
• Librarian
• Colorado state legislator, mayor, politician
• Writer, journalist, biographer

Featured Faculty

James Drake

James Drake is a Denver native and the author of two books, King Philip’s War: Civil War in New England, 1675-1676 (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1999), and The Nation’s Nature: How Continental Presumptions Gave Rise to the United States of America (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2011). The last of which which won the “Walker Cowen Memorial Prize” and the “Phi Alpha Theta Best Subsequent Book Award.” He is currently working on a book about the Rocky Mountains.

Accolades

Here you can study in one of the largest History Departments in Colorado.

Our size and commitment to student learning allows us to provide a wider variety of course offerings, while allowing the kind of individualized attention that can lead to opportunities to present your research at regional and national conferences, as well as internships at places like: History Colorado, the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities and the Pueblo History Museum.

Alumni at Work

MSU Denver History alumni have been hired by these organizations:

Denver Public Schools, Aurora Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District, Jefferson County Public Schools, Boulder Valley Public Schools, Adams 14 School District, Douglas County Schools, Holland and Hart (among other law firms), History Colorado, Denver Public Library, U.S. Geological Service, U.S. Forest Service, Whole Foods, Crocs, J.D. Edwards, Wells Fargo, Lockheed Martin, and Morgan, Angel and Associates.

MSU Denver History graduates have been accepted for post-graduate study at:

• Arizona State University
• Cambridge University
• Columbia University
• Colorado State University
• Glasgow University
• Iowa State University
• Marine Corps Officer Candidate School
• Middle Tennessee State University
• Sacramento State University
• University of Colorado
• University of Denver
• University of Illinois
• University of Indiana
• University of Kentucky
• University of Leicester
• University of Minnesota
• University of Montana
• University of Washington.

MSU Denver History alumni have been accepted at these law schools:

• University of Colorado
• University of Denver
• Harvard University
• University of Oregon
• University of Wyoming