Graduate School Policies and Procedures apply to this program
Please click here to see more information about the department.
These requirements are subject to periodic revision by the academic department, and the College reserves the right to make exceptions and substitutions as judged necessary in individual cases. Therefore, the College strongly urges students to consult regularly with their faculty advisor and CLAS advisor to confirm the best plans of study before finalizing them.
Overview
The Master of Humanities degree offers students the opportunity to individually tailor their studies to meet their needs and interests. In consultation with a faculty advisor, students develop a unique plan of studies by combining fields, such as History, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Film, Women's and Gender Studies, Public Policy, American Studies, Fine Arts, Sociology, Literature, Anthropology, Communications, Political Science, and Economics.
Our degree programs are designed for part-time or full time students whose professional and personal obligations require a program that is flexible.
Why Interdisciplinary Studies?
While most colleges and universities are organized around traditional disciplines, academic institutions are increasingly recognizing the importance of interdisciplinary research in an emerging global economy and culture. By approaching knowledge and learning through an interdisciplinary model, students integrate and synthesize the methods, tools, theories and concepts of diverse disciplines to tackle questions and research from new angles. By bringing together sometimes disparate and contrasting disciplines, new possibilities for dialog and interaction arise that can address the complex questions and issues that characterize the world today.
Explore the possibilities!
Program Requirements
- Students must complete a minimum of 36 approved credit hours.
- Students must complete a minimum of 30 graduate (5000-level and above) approved credit hours.
- Students must earn a minimum grade of B- (2.7) in all program courses taken at CU Denver and must achieve a minimum cumulative program GPA of 3.0. All graded attempts in required and elective courses are calculated in the program GPA. Students cannot complete program or ancillary course requirements as pass/fail.
- Students must complete all coursework with CU Denver faculty. Students may concurrently pursue graduate-level coursework at other CU system campuses with the approval of their MHMSS graduate advisor.
Program Restrictions, Allowances and Recommendations
- Courses credited toward the MH degree must typically be taken at CU Denver (a maximum of 12 graduate credit hours may be transferred from other institutions after matriculating into the MH program, subject to the MH director's approval).
- Each student's program is supervised by MHMSS faculty. All independent study, project, and thesis contracts must be approved in advance by the program director. A total of two independent study courses and one internship may count toward the degree.
- A maximum of two 4000-level undergraduate courses may apply, with faculty approval.
- Students wishing to count credits accrued from a study abroad program while pursuing the MH must follow the rules of the Graduate School and must have approval of the program director in advance of studying abroad.
- An oral exam defending the project or thesis before a committee of three faculty members must be passed in order to graduate.
- A grade below B- in any given course will not be counted toward the degree.
- Only one graduate-level online course (up to 3 hours) may be taken toward the degree, with prior approval.
- All students must complete and pass a final project or thesis and an oral comprehensive defense of that work, in order to graduate.
Required Courses
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| HUMN 5013 | Methods and Practices of Graduate Interdisciplinary Humanities 1 | 3 |
| HUMN 5025 | Foundations and Theories of Interdisciplinary Humanities 2 | 3 |
| HUMN 5924 | Directed Research and Reading in Interdisciplinary Humanities 3 | 3 |
Electives
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
MH Elective Pathways
General MH Track
Students pursuing the general MH degree track create a course of study based on their individual interests and goals. In consultation with a faculty advisor, students choose two or three academic disciplines as areas of concentration.
Ethnic Studies Track
Students pursuing the Ethnic Studies track explore the construction of race and ethnicity by governments and communities through the intersection of popular culture and public policy in both the historical and contemporary contexts.
In addition to the MH Core requirements, students must:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| ETST 5000 | Research Methods in Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| EDFN 5001 | Problematizing Whiteness: Educating for Racial Justice | 3 |
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| ANTH 5350 | Anthropology of Globalization | 3 |
| COMM 5270 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| EDFN 5050 | Critical Issues in American Education | 3 |
| ENGL 5460 | Contemporary World Literature | 3 |
| ETST 5020 | Race, Culture and Immigration | 3 |
| ETST 5021 | Black and Latino Children in Families and Schools | 3 |
| ETST 5030 | Race, Religion and Belonging in the United States | 3 |
| ETST 5165 | Cultural Diversity Awareness in the Workplace | 3 |
| ETST 5220 | African-American Literature | 3 |
| or ENGL 5220 | African-American Literature |
| ETST 5305 | Women of Color Feminisms | 3 |
| HIST 5308 | Crime, Policing, and Justice in American History | 3 |
| HIST 5412 | Mexico and the United States: People and Politics on the Border | 3 |
| HIST 5455 | African Struggle for Independence | 3 |
| HIST 5462 | Islam in Modern History | 3 |
| HUMN 5540 | Law, Diversity and Community in United States History | 3 |
| or SSCI 5540 | Law, Diversity and Community in United States History |
| HUMN 5770 | Imperialism, Post-Colonial Theory & Visual Discourse | 3 |
| or SSCI 5770 | Imperialism, Post-Colonial Theory, Visual Discourse |
| PSCI 4446 | Advanced Indigenous Peoples' Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 5094 | Seminar: Urban Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 5145 | Indigenous Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 5206 | Social Movements, Democracy and Global Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 5245 | Gender, Globalization and Development | 3 |
| PSCI 5256 | Seminar: National Question and Self-Determination | 3 |
| PSCI 5446 | Advanced Indigenous Peoples' Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 5545 | Immigration Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 5914 | Community Organizing and Community Development | 3 |
| SOCY 5050 | Health Disparities | 3 |
| SOCY 5440 | Poverty and Social Inequality | 3 |
| SOCY 5460 | Hate Groups and Group Violence | 3 |
| SOCY 5690 | Crime and Inequality Over the Life Course | 3 |
| SPAN 5020 | Spanish Sociolinguistics | 3 |
| SPAN 5060 | Dialects of the Spanish-Speaking World | 3 |
| SPAN 5076 | Spanish in Colorado | 3 |
| SPAN 5080 | Spanish in the United States | 3 |
| SPAN 5521 | Mexican Literature I: pre-Columbian and Colonial | 3 |
| SPAN 5522 | Mexican Literature II: 19th to 21st Centuries | 3 |
Complete a project or thesis on an approved ethnic studies related topic.
Health Humanities Track
Health Humanities teaches students to the ways in which humanities disciplines interrogate relationships among health, medicine and society and what those disciplines reveal about biomedical knowledge as well as healthcare policies and practices.
In addition to the MSS Core requirements, students must:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| HEHE 5000 | Foundations of Health Humanities 1 | 3 |
| HEHE 5100 | Foundations of Health Care Ethics 1 | 3 |
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| ANTH 5290 | Anthropology and Public Health | 3 |
| COMM 5500 | Health Communication | 3 |
| COMM 5550 | Rhetorics of Medicine & Health | 3 |
| GEOG 5230 | Hazard Mitigation and Vulnerability Assessment | 3 |
| GEOG 5235 | GIS Applications in the Health Sciences | 3 |
| GEOG 5710 | Disasters, Climate Change, and Health | 3 |
| HEHE 5250 | Topics in Media, Medicine and Society | 3 |
| HEHE 5350 | Narrative Principles and Practices in Healthcare | 3 |
| HEHE 5450 | Addressing Health Stigma in Social Contexts | 3 |
| HEHE 5650 | Ethics, Medicine & the Holocaust: Legacies | 3 |
| HEHE 5655 | Introduction to Public Health Ethics | 3 |
| HEHE 5750 | Pain, Its Paradoxes & the Human Condition 1 | 3 |
| HLTH 6070 | International Health Policy and Management | 3 |
| PHIL 5242 | Bioethics | 3 |
| PSCI 5354 | Seminar: Environmental Politics and Policy | 3 |
Complete a project or thesis on an approved health humanities related topic.
Philosophy and Theory Track
The Philosophy and Theory Track in the Master of Humanities Program offers students an interdisciplinary approach to studying philosophy, critical theory, and related theories of criticism and analysis in various Humanities disciplines.
In addition to the MH Core requirements, students must:
Complete a project or thesis on an approved philosphy/theory related topic.
Social Justice Track
The Social Justice Track encourages graduate students to broaden and deepen their intellectual tools as well as their practical knowledge as to how democracy, education, consumerism, media, race, class, gender, policy, and law intersect.
It is highly recommended that students in this track take at least one quantitative and/or one qualitative research methods course as part of their plan of study. There are quantitative and qualitative methods courses offered in Anthropology, Environmental Science, Political Science, Sociology, and Research, Evaluation, and Statistical Methodology (RESM), which can be approved by students MHMSS program faculty.
In addition to the MH Core requirements, students must:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| BUSN 6540 | Legal and Ethical Environment of Business | 3 |
| COMM 5040 | Communication, Prisons, and Social Justice | 3 |
| ENGL 5190 | Advanced Topics in Writing & Digital Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 5306 | Survey of Feminist Thought | 3 |
| HIST 5032 | Globalization in World History Since 1945 | 3 |
| HIST 5308 | Crime, Policing, and Justice in American History | 3 |
| HIST 5412 | Mexico and the United States: People and Politics on the Border | 3 |
| HIST 5455 | African Struggle for Independence | 3 |
| PSCI 5025 | Local Governance and Globalization | 3 |
| HUMN 5720 | Sexuality, Gender and Their Visual Representation | 3 |
| or SSCI 5720 | Sexuality, Gender and Their Visual Representation |
| HUMN 6010 | Methods and Theories of Feminism and Gender | 3 |
| or SSCI 6010 | Methods and Theories of Feminism and Gender Studies |
| PSCI 5206 | Social Movements, Democracy and Global Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 5225 | Democracy and Democratization | 3 |
| PSCI 5245 | Gender, Globalization and Development | 3 |
| PSCI 5274 | Conflict Resolution and Public Consent Building | 3 |
| PSCI 5276 | Conflicts and Rights in International Law | 3 |
| PSCI 5286 | International Relations: War or Peace? | 3 |
| PSCI 5414 | Non-Profits and Social Change | 3 |
| PSCI 5545 | Immigration Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 5555 | International Women's Resistance | 3 |
| PSCI 5837 | Contemporary Issues in Civil Liberties | 3 |
| SOCY 5440 | Poverty and Social Inequality | 3 |
| SOCY 5460 | Hate Groups and Group Violence | 3 |
| WGST 5303 | Sex and Gender in Modern Britain | 3 |
| WGST 5307 | History of Sexuality | 3 |
| WGST 5345 | Gender, Science and Medicine: 1600 to the Present | 3 |
Complete a project or thesis on an approved social justice related topic.
Visual Studies Track
The Visual Studies Track provides students focused studies in disciplines that apply critical analysis to our visual world, such as art history, museum studies, film studies, new media studies, and cultural studies. In a world whose work forces and creative citizenry are focused on the growth and use of visual technologies, visual literacy with sophisticated analytic skills is critical.
In addition to the MH Core requirements, students must:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| ENGL 5420 | Film Theory and Criticism | 3 |
| FINE 5790 | Methods in Art History | 3 |
| HUMN 5660 | Visual Arts: Interpretations and Contexts | 3 |
Complete a project or thesis on an approved visual arts related topic.
Women's and Gender Studies Track
Students pursuing the WGST track, focus on issues of sex and gender as they manifest in societies through culture, language, politics, visual representation, and history.
In addition to the MH Core requirements, students must:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| WGST 5306 | Survey of Feminist Thought | 3 |
| or ENGL 5306 | Survey of Feminist Thought |
| WGST 5500 | Feminist Philosophy | 3 |
| or PHIL 5500 | Feminist Philosophy |
| WGST 6010 | Methods and Theories of Feminism and Gender Studies | 3 |
| or HUMN 6010 | Methods and Theories of Feminism and Gender |
| or SSCI 6010 | Methods and Theories of Feminism and Gender Studies |
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| CRJU 5910 | Nature and Scope of Interpersonal Violence | 3 |
| CRJU 5930 | Interpersonal Violence Law and Public Policy | 3 |
| ENGL 5000 | Studies of Major Authors (when the author is a female) | 3 |
| ETST 4827 | Women and the Law | 3 |
| or PSCI 4827 | Women and the Law |
| HUMN 5770 | Imperialism, Post-Colonial Theory & Visual Discourse | 3 |
| or SSCI 5770 | Imperialism, Post-Colonial Theory, Visual Discourse |
| PSCI 4215 | Women's Rights, Human Rights: Global Perspectives | 3 |
| PSCI 4564 | Gender and Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 5245 | Gender, Globalization and Development | 3 |
| SOCY 5550 | Seminar: Sociology of the Family | 3 |
| WGST 5230 | Women in the West | 3 |
| WGST 5248 | Gender, Globalization and Development | 3 |
| or PSCI 5245 | Gender, Globalization and Development |
| WGST 5303 | Sex and Gender in Modern Britain | 3 |
| WGST 5306 | Survey of Feminist Thought | 3 |
| or ENGL 5306 | Survey of Feminist Thought |
| WGST 5307 | History of Sexuality | 3 |
| WGST 5308 | Contemporary Feminist Thought | 3 |
| or ENGL 5308 | Contemporary Feminist Thought |
| or PHIL 5308 | Contemporary Feminist Thought |
| WGST 5345 | Gender, Science and Medicine: 1600 to the Present | 3 |
| WGST 5420 | Goddess Traditions | 3 |
| WGST 5500 | Feminist Philosophy | 3 |
| or PHIL 5500 | Feminist Philosophy |
| WGST 5510 | Whores and Saints: Medieval Women | 3 |
| WGST 5511 | French Women Writers | 3 |
| WGST 5555 | International Women's Resistance | 3 |
| or PSCI 5555 | International Women's Resistance |
| WGST 5720 | Sexuality, Gender and Their Visual Representations | 3 |
| or HUMN 5720 | Sexuality, Gender and Their Visual Representation |
| or SSCI 5720 | Sexuality, Gender and Their Visual Representation |
Complete a project or thesis on an approved women's and gender studies related topic.
Thesis or Project and Oral Defense
To learn more about the Student Learning Outcomes for this program, please visit our website.
