Introduction

Please click here to see History department information.

The special responsibility of historical studies is to help individuals and communities understand the past. History courses integrate many branches of knowledge, cutting across the lines of the social sciences and the humanities, and even the natural sciences. Identifying forces of stability and processes of change, history students develop research, writing and analytical skills, which serve them well beyond their university years.

By comparing the human conditions over decades or centuries, history students identify fundamental social trends and analyze critical causal factors. The study of history builds confidence for making judgments in many fields of human endeavor and provides insight into current social, political, economic and cultural issues. History is an all-inclusive discipline, making it an excellent choice for students with a wide variety of career goals. The Department of History trains students to be critical thinkers, capable researchers, and careful writers.

The secondary licensure program is a partnership program between the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) and the School of Education & Human Development (SEHD). Secondary Education Licensure students choose a major within CLAS and complete all CORE, CLAS, major, and initial teacher education admission requirements before completing a final professional year of licensure coursework through the SEHD.

These degree requirements are subject to periodic revision by the academic department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 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 major advisor, CLAS advisor and SEHD advisor to confirm the best plans of study before finalizing them.

Program Delivery

• This major can be complete on campus or with a combination of on-campus and online courses. Many core and upper-division courses are offered online.

Declaring This Major

• Click here to go to information about declaring a major.

General Requirements

To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the three areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements.

• CU Denver General Graduation Requirements
• CU Denver Core Curriculum
• College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Graduation Requirements
• Click here for information about Academic Policies

Program Requirements

1. Students must complete a minimum of 36 HIST credit hours. 
2. Students must complete a minimum of 18 upper-division (3000-level and above) HIST credit hours, with a minimum of 15 credit hours at 4000-level or higher..
3. Students must earn a minimum grade of C- (1.7) in all courses that apply to the major and must achieve a minimum cumulative major GPA of 2.5. Courses taken using P+/P/F or S/U grading cannot apply to major requirements.
4. Students must complete a minimum of 18 HIST credit hours with CU Denver faculty.

Program Allowances, Restrictions and Recommendations

Students are responsible for meeting with the advisor in the SEHD to confirm teacher education and licensure requirements. In addition to completing all minimum program requirements above, SEHD secondary education students must complete the following minimum SEHD licensure requirements:

1. Complete the Education Declaration form and all subsequent processes and requirements, including a background check, prior to April 1^st (for students intending to complete their clinical field experience in fall) or November 1^st (for students intending to complete their clinical field experience in spring). Students must meet with the SEHD advisor for detailed information.
2. Student pursuing secondary education licensure must complete the following requirements to be admitted to the Professional (final) Year:
   1. a minimum cumulative CU GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students with a lower GPA may be considered under certain conditions.
   2. all CU Denver Core, CLAS, major, electives, and initial teacher education coursework requirements prior to the start of the Professional Year
   3. the official application and interview process
   4. Deadlines for Professional Year application are February 15^th (for students intending to begin Professional Year in fall) or October 1^st (for students intending to begin Professional Year in spring).
3. Students must complete all initial teacher education and professional (final) year coursework with a minimum grade of B- or higher.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete the following History degree requirements:
Complete the following required courses:		6
HIST 3031	Theory and Practice of History: An Introduction to the Major
HIST 4839	History Seminar 1
Complete a minimum of six credit hours from each of the following distribution areas. A minimum of three credit hours in each distribution area must be upper-division (3000 and 4000 level).		18
United States Distribution
Europe Distribution
World Distribution
Complete a minimum of 12 additional credit hours of HIST electives, not taken already. 2		12
Recommended Courses for Social Studies Licensure
Secondary Social Studies Recommended Courses
SEHD Licensure Coursework Requirements:
SEHD Licensure Coursework Requirements
Total Hours		36

¹

Students must complete HIST 3031 Theory and Practice of History: An Introduction to the Major with a grade of C or better before enrolling in HIST 4839 History Seminar. 

²

Can be satisfied by a combination of additional history courses, history internships, or history honors independent study for eligible students. Note: Any HIST courses may be used to fulfill the elective requirements once the area distributions have been met.

United States Distribution 

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete 6 credit hours, with a minimum of 3 upper division credits:		6
HIST 1361	U.S. History to 1876 1
or HIST 1362	U.S. History Since 1876
HIST 1381	The History of Now
HIST 1400	Controversies in History
HIST 2001	The Uses and Misuses of History
HIST 3121	The World at War, 1914-1945
HIST 3230	The American Presidency
HIST 3232	The American Colonies to 1750
HIST 3235	U.S. Labor History, 1800 to the Present
HIST 3260	Introduction to Digital Studies
HIST 3297	Social History of Asian Americans
HIST 3343	Women & Gender in US History
HIST 3345	Immigration and Ethnicity in American History 2
or HIST 3349	Social Movements in 20th Century America
HIST 3347	African-American History, 1619-Present
HIST 3348	The African-American Protest Tradition, 1865 - Present
HIST 3360	Denver History
HIST 3366	Nature and Power in American History
HIST 3396	History of the American Indian
HIST 3601	Colorado History
HIST 4133	Management of Material Culture and Museum Collections
HIST 4201	Core Themes in U.S. History
HIST 4209	Race, Religion, and Belonging
HIST 4210	The American Revolution
HIST 4212	Civil War and Reconstruction
HIST 4213	The Gilded Age and Early 20th Century Challenges: U.S. History, 1865-1932
HIST 4216	History of American Popular Culture
HIST 4217	Consumer Culture
HIST 4219	Depression, Affluence and Anxiety: U.S. History, 1929 to the Present
HIST 4220	U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1912
HIST 4222	U.S. Society and Thought to 1860
HIST 4223	U.S. Society and Thought Since 1860
HIST 4225	Urban America
HIST 4226	Capitalism in America
HIST 4227	American West
HIST 4228	Western Art and Architecture
HIST 4229	Colorado Historic Places
HIST 4230	Women in the West
HIST 4231	History in Museums
HIST 4232	Historic Preservation
HIST 4234	History at Work: Public and Community History
HIST 4236	Colorado Mining and Railroads
HIST 4238	U.S. History Through Fiction
HIST 4240	National Parks History
HIST 4242	Oral History
HIST 4243	Public History Administration
HIST 4244	Interpretation of History in Museums: Exhibits and Education
HIST 4245	Heritage Tourism
HIST 4261	Working With Data
HIST 4306	Survey of Feminist Thought
HIST 4308	Crime, Policing, and Justice in American History
HIST 4472	The 1950s: Korean War, the Cold War and Social Transformation
HIST 4475	The Vietnam War
HIST 4491	United States History, 1865-1919
HIST 4492	United States History, 1919-1945
HIST 4493	United States History, 1945-1973
HIST 4494	Red and Blue America: U.S. History, 1973-Present
HIST 4504	Animals in U.S. History
HIST 4645	Archival Management

¹

HIST 1361 U.S. History to 1876 or HIST 1362 U.S. History Since 1876 will fulfill the CU Denver Core Humanities and one U.S. Distribution Course.

²

HIST 3345 Immigration and Ethnicity in American History or HIST 3349 Social Movements in 20th Century America will fulfill CLAS Humanities and one U.S. Distribution Course.

Europe Distribution

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete 6 credit hours, with a minimum of 3 upper division credits:		6
HIST 1211	Western Civilization I
HIST 1212	Western Civilization II
HIST 1400	Controversies in History
HIST 3121	The World at War, 1914-1945
HIST 3480	Introduction to European History
HIST 3481	Ancient Greece
HIST 3482	Rome: City and Empire
HIST 3484	British Isles to 1714
HIST 3485	British Isles Since 1714
HIST 3486	Renaissance and Reformation
HIST 3487	Medieval Europe
HIST 3488	Tudor-Stuart England
HIST 3706	Age of Revolution
HIST 4027	Enlightenment and Revolution
HIST 4028	Nations and Classes: 19th Century Europe
HIST 4029	Age of Anxiety in Europe
HIST 4030	Europe During the World Wars
HIST 4031	Contemporary Europe
HIST 4034	Core Themes in European History
HIST 4035	Crisis and Transformation: Europe's 20th Century
HIST 4046	Victorians and Victorianism
HIST 4051	Britain and The Empire
HIST 4062	Modern France, 1789 to the Present
HIST 4071	Modern Germany
HIST 4074	Post-War Germany
HIST 4083	Russia Since 1917
HIST 4303	Sex and Gender in Modern Britain
HIST 4306	Survey of Feminist Thought
HIST 4307	History of Sexuality
HIST 4347	History of Biology
HIST 4348	Mind and Malady: A History of Mental Illness
HIST 4471	The Second World War
HIST 4621	Explorers and Exploration

World Distribution

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete 6 credit hours, with a minimum of 3 upper division credits:		6
HIST 1016	World History to 1500
HIST 1026	World History Since 1500
HIST 3121	The World at War, 1914-1945
HIST 3350	Colonial Latin America
HIST 3364	Native Americans and Spaniards in North America
HIST 3451	Introduction to African History
HIST 3460	Modern Latin American History
HIST 3469	Intro to East Asia: To 1800
HIST 3470	Intro to East Asia: Since 1800
HIST 3500	African History in Novels and Films
HIST 3606	Science, Technology, and Society in the Modern World
HIST 3616	Global History of Energy
HIST 4032	Globalization in World History Since 1945
HIST 4055	The Atlantic Slave Trade: Africa, Caribbean and U.S.
HIST 4075	Travel Stories and Origins of Cultural Anthropology
HIST 4076	History of Modern Science
HIST 4411	Modern Mexico
HIST 4412	Mexico and the United States: People and Politics on the Border
HIST 4414	Nationalism and State Building in Latin America, 1750-1850
HIST 4415	Social Revolutions in Latin America
HIST 4416	The Age of Imperialism
HIST 4417	Commodities and Globalization
HIST 4418	Trade and Premodern World History
HIST 4420	Traditional China: China to 1600
HIST 4421	Modern China
HIST 4422	Lvng thr Mao's China: Life, Mat. Cult, Movies, 1949-76
HIST 4431	Modern Japan
HIST 4451	Southern Africa
HIST 4455	African Struggle for Independence
HIST 4461	The Modern Middle East
HIST 4462	Islam in Modern History
HIST 4490	Weapons of Mass Destruction
HIST 4503	Topics in History of Science
HIST 4621	Explorers and Exploration
HIST 4622	Oceans In History

Secondary Social Studies Recommended Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
In order to prepare for the Social Studies licensure, students should complete all of the following courses:
These courses will also count toward History, CU Denver and CLAS graduation requirements, as identified.

Anthropology

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ANTH 1303	Introduction to Biological Anthropology	4
ANTH 2102	Culture and the Human Experience	3

*

ANTH 1303 Introduction to Biological Anthropology Will count as CU Denver Core Nat/Phys Science with lab. ANTH 2102 Culture and the Human Experience will count toward either CU Denver Behavioral Science or CLAS Behavioral Science.

Economics

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ECON 2012	Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics	3

*

Will count as CU Denver Core Social Sciences or CLAS Social Science.

Geography

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
GEOG 1102	World Regions Global Context	3
GEOG 1202	Introduction to Physical Geography	3

*

​GEOG 1202 Introduction to Physical Geography will count as CLAS Nat/Phys Science without lab and GEOG 1102 World Regions Global Context will count as CU Denver Core Social Science or CLAS Social Science.

History

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
HIST 1361	U.S. History to 1876	3
or HIST 1362	U.S. History Since 1876
HIST 3345	Immigration and Ethnicity in American History	3
or HIST 3349	Social Movements in 20th Century America

¹

HIST 1361 U.S. History to 1876 or HIST 1362 U.S. History Since 1876 will the CU Denver Core Humanities and one U.S. Distribution Course.

²

HIST 3345 Immigration and Ethnicity in American History or HIST 3349 Social Movements in 20th Century America will fulfill CLAS Humanities and one U.S. Distribution Course.

Political Science 

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PSCI 1101	American Political System	3
PSCI 3022	Political Systems of the World	3
or PSCI 3042	World Politics

*

PSCI 1101 American Political System is highly recommended and will count as a lower-division level elective credit, toward the overall 120 credit hours required to graduate.

---

PSCI 3022 Political Systems of the World or PSCI 3042 World Politics will count as CU Denver Core International Perspectives.

Psychology

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PSYC 1005	Introduction to Psychology II	3

*

Will count toward either CU Denver Behavioral Science or CLAS Behavioral Science.

Sociology

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
SOCY 3020	Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.	3

*

Will count as CU Denver Cultural Diversity.

SEHD Licensure Coursework Requirements

Students must complete SEHD licensure requirements located here. 

To learn more about the Student Learning Outcomes for this program, please visit our website. 

To review the Degree Map for this program, please visit our website.