History, BA
Introduction
Please click here to see History department information.
The bachelor's degree in history provides students with a firm grounding for advanced studies in education, librarianship, law, business and public service, as well as graduate work in the humanities and social sciences broadly. History is an all-inclusive discipline, making it an excellent choice for students with a wide variety of career goals.
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 and CLAS 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
- Students must complete a minimum of 36 HIST credit hours.
- 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.
- Students must earn a minimum grade of C- (1.7) in all major courses taken at CU Denver and must achieve a minimum cumulative major GPA of 2.5. All graded attempts in required and elective courses are calculated in the major GPA. Students cannot complete major or ancillary course requirements as pass/fail.
- Students must complete a minimum of 18 HIST credit hours with CU Denver faculty.
Program Allowances or Restrictions
- 15 of the 18 upper division level credit hours must be taken at the 4000 level, including HIST 4839 History Seminar.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take the following | 6 | |
| HIST 3031 | Theory and Practice of History: An Introduction to the Major 1 | 3 |
| HIST 4839 | History Seminar 1 | 3 |
| 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. |
United States Distribution
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take a minimum of six credits from the following | 6 | |
| A minimum of three credit hours must be upper-division (3000 and 4000 level). | ||
| HIST 1361 | U.S. History to 1876 | 3 |
| HIST 1362 | U.S. History Since 1876 | 3 |
| HIST 1381 | The History of Now | 3 |
| HIST 1400 | Controversies in History | 3 |
| HIST 2001 | The Uses and Misuses of History | 3 |
| HIST 3121 | The World at War, 1914-1945 | 3 |
| HIST 3230 | The American Presidency | 3 |
| HIST 3232 | The American Colonies to 1750 | 3 |
| HIST 3235 | U.S. Labor History, 1800 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 3297 | Social History of Asian Americans | 3 |
| HIST 3343 | Women & Gender in US History | 3 |
| HIST 3345 | Immigration and Ethnicity in American History | 3 |
| HIST 3347 | African-American History, 1619-Present | 3 |
| HIST 3348 | The African-American Protest Tradition, 1865 - Present | 3 |
| HIST 3349 | Social Movements in 20th Century America | 3 |
| HIST 3360 | Denver History | 3 |
| HIST 3366 | Nature and Power in American History | 3 |
| HIST 3396 | History of the American Indian | 3 |
| HIST 3601 | Colorado History | 3 |
| HIST 4133 | Management of Material Culture and Museum Collections | 3 |
| HIST 4201 | Core Themes in U.S. History | 3 |
| HIST 4209 | Race, Religion, and Belonging | 3 |
| HIST 4210 | The American Revolution | 3 |
| HIST 4212 | Civil War and Reconstruction | 3 |
| HIST 4213 | The Gilded Age and Early 20th Century Challenges: U.S. History, 1865-1932 | 3 |
| HIST 4216 | History of American Popular Culture | 3 |
| HIST 4217 | Consumer Culture | 3 |
| HIST 4219 | Depression, Affluence and Anxiety: U.S. History, 1929 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 4220 | U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1912 | 3 |
| HIST 4222 | U.S. Society and Thought to 1860 | 3 |
| HIST 4223 | U.S. Society and Thought Since 1860 | 3 |
| HIST 4225 | Urban America: Colonial Times to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 4226 | Capitalism in America | 3 |
| HIST 4227 | American West | 3 |
| HIST 4228 | Western Art and Architecture | 3 |
| HIST 4229 | Colorado Historic Places | 3 |
| HIST 4230 | Women in the West | 3 |
| HIST 4231 | History in Museums | 3 |
| HIST 4232 | Historic Preservation | 3 |
| HIST 4234 | History at Work: Public and Community History | 3 |
| HIST 4236 | Colorado Mining and Railroads | 3 |
| HIST 4238 | U.S. History Through Fiction | 3 |
| HIST 4240 | National Parks History | 3 |
| HIST 4242 | Oral History | 3 |
| HIST 4243 | Public History Administration | 3 |
| HIST 4244 | Interpretation of History in Museums: Exhibits and Education | 3 |
| HIST 4245 | Heritage Tourism | 3 |
| HIST 4306 | Survey of Feminist Thought | 3 |
| HIST 4308 | Crime, Policing, and Justice in American History | 3 |
| HIST 4475 | The Vietnam War | 3 |
| HIST 4491 | United States History, 1865-1919 | 3 |
| HIST 4492 | United States History, 1919-1945 | 3 |
| HIST 4493 | United States History, 1945-1973 | 3 |
| HIST 4494 | Red and Blue America: U.S. History, 1973-Present | 3 |
| HIST 4504 | Animals in U.S. History | 3 |
| HIST 4645 | Archival Management | 3 |
Europe Distribution
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take a minimum of six credits from the following | 6 | |
| A minimum of three credit hours must be upper-division (3000 and 4000 level). | ||
| HIST 1211 | Western Civilization I | 3 |
| HIST 1212 | Western Civilization II | 3 |
| HIST 1400 | Controversies in History | 3 |
| HIST 3121 | The World at War, 1914-1945 | 3 |
| HIST 3480 | Introduction to European History | 3 |
| HIST 3481 | Ancient Greece | 3 |
| HIST 3482 | Rome: City and Empire | 3 |
| HIST 3484 | British Isles to 1714 | 3 |
| HIST 3485 | British Isles Since 1714 | 3 |
| HIST 3486 | Renaissance and Reformation | 3 |
| HIST 3487 | Medieval Europe | 3 |
| HIST 3488 | Tudor-Stuart England | 3 |
| HIST 3706 | Age of Revolution | 3 |
| HIST 4027 | Enlightenment and Revolution | 3 |
| HIST 4028 | Nations and Classes: 19th Century Europe | 3 |
| HIST 4029 | Age of Anxiety in Europe | 3 |
| HIST 4030 | Europe During the World Wars | 3 |
| HIST 4031 | Contemporary Europe | 3 |
| HIST 4034 | Core Themes in European History | 3 |
| HIST 4035 | Crisis and Transformation: Europe's 20th Century | 3 |
| HIST 4046 | Victorians and Victorianism | 3 |
| HIST 4051 | Britain and The Empire | 3 |
| HIST 4062 | Modern France, 1789 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 4071 | Modern Germany | 3 |
| HIST 4074 | Post-War Germany | 3 |
| HIST 4083 | Russia Since 1917 | 3 |
| HIST 4303 | Sex and Gender in Modern Britain | 3 |
| HIST 4306 | Survey of Feminist Thought | 3 |
| HIST 4307 | History of Sexuality | 3 |
| HIST 4347 | History of Biology | 3 |
| HIST 4348 | Mind and Malady: A History of Mental Illness | 3 |
| HIST 4471 | The Second World War | 3 |
| HIST 4472 | The 1950s: Korean War, the Cold War and Social Transformation | 3 |
| HIST 4621 | Explorers and Exploration | 3 |
World Distribution
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take a minimum of six credits from the following | 6 | |
| A minimum of three credit hours must be upper-division (3000 and 4000 level). | ||
| HIST 1016 | World History to 1500 | 3 |
| HIST 1026 | World History Since 1500 | 3 |
| HIST 3121 | The World at War, 1914-1945 | 3 |
| HIST 3350 | Colonial Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 3364 | Native Americans and Spaniards in North America | 3 |
| HIST 3451 | Introduction to African History | 3 |
| HIST 3460 | Modern Latin American History | 3 |
| HIST 3469 | Intro to East Asia: To 1800 | 3 |
| HIST 3470 | Intro to East Asia: Since 1800 | 3 |
| HIST 3500 | African History in Novels and Films | 3 |
| HIST 3606 | Science, Technology, and Society in the Modern World | 3 |
| HIST 3616 | Global History of Energy | 3 |
| HIST 4032 | Globalization in World History Since 1945 | 3 |
| HIST 4055 | The Atlantic Slave Trade: Africa, Caribbean and U.S. | 3 |
| HIST 4075 | Travel Stories and Origins of Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| HIST 4076 | History of Modern Science | 3 |
| HIST 4411 | Modern Mexico | 3 |
| HIST 4412 | Mexico and the United States: People and Politics on the Border | 3 |
| HIST 4414 | Nationalism and State Building in Latin America, 1750-1850 | 3 |
| HIST 4415 | Social Revolutions in Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 4416 | The Age of Imperialism | 3 |
| HIST 4417 | Commodities and Globalization | 3 |
| HIST 4418 | Trade and Premodern World History | 3 |
| HIST 4420 | Traditional China: China to 1600 | 3 |
| HIST 4421 | Modern China | 3 |
| HIST 4422 | Lvng thr Mao's China: Life, Mat. Cult, Movies, 1949-76 | 3 |
| HIST 4431 | Modern Japan | 3 |
| HIST 4451 | Southern Africa | 3 |
| HIST 4455 | African Struggle for Independence | 3 |
| HIST 4461 | The Modern Middle East | 3 |
| HIST 4462 | Islam in Modern History | 3 |
| HIST 4490 | Weapons of Mass Destruction | 3 |
| HIST 4503 | Topics in History of Science | 3 |
| HIST 4621 | Explorers and Exploration | 3 |
| HIST 4622 | Oceans In History | 3 |
Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of 12 additional hours of HIST electives, not taken from the lists above. 1 | 12 | |
| HIST 1016 | World History to 1500 | 3 |
| HIST 1026 | World History Since 1500 | 3 |
| HIST 1111 | First Year Seminar | 3 |
| HIST 1211 | Western Civilization I | 3 |
| HIST 1212 | Western Civilization II | 3 |
| HIST 1381 | The History of Now | 3 |
| HIST 1400 | Controversies in History | 3 |
| HIST 2001 | The Uses and Misuses of History | 3 |
| HIST 3070 | Studies in Film History | 3 |
| HIST 3121 | The World at War, 1914-1945 | 3 |
| HIST 3230 | The American Presidency | 3 |
| HIST 3231 | Famous U.S. Trials | 3 |
| HIST 3232 | The American Colonies to 1750 | 3 |
| HIST 3235 | U.S. Labor History, 1800 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 3260 | Introduction to Digital Studies | 3 |
| HIST 3297 | Social History of Asian Americans | 3 |
| HIST 3343 | Women & Gender in US History | 3 |
| HIST 3345 | Immigration and Ethnicity in American History | 3 |
| HIST 3347 | African-American History, 1619-Present | 3 |
| HIST 3348 | The African-American Protest Tradition, 1865 - Present | 3 |
| HIST 3349 | Social Movements in 20th Century America | 3 |
| HIST 3350 | Colonial Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 3360 | Denver History | 3 |
| HIST 3364 | Native Americans and Spaniards in North America | 3 |
| HIST 3365 | Aztlan in the United States: Chicano History from 1821 | 3 |
| HIST 3366 | Nature and Power in American History | 3 |
| HIST 3396 | History of the American Indian | 3 |
| HIST 3451 | Introduction to African History | 3 |
| HIST 3460 | Modern Latin American History | 3 |
| HIST 3469 | Intro to East Asia: To 1800 | 3 |
| HIST 3470 | Intro to East Asia: Since 1800 | 3 |
| HIST 3480 | Introduction to European History | 3 |
| HIST 3481 | Ancient Greece | 3 |
| HIST 3482 | Rome: City and Empire | 3 |
| HIST 3484 | British Isles to 1714 | 3 |
| HIST 3485 | British Isles Since 1714 | 3 |
| HIST 3486 | Renaissance and Reformation | 3 |
| HIST 3487 | Medieval Europe | 3 |
| HIST 3488 | Tudor-Stuart England | 3 |
| HIST 3500 | African History in Novels and Films | 3 |
| HIST 3601 | Colorado History | 3 |
| HIST 3606 | Science, Technology, and Society in the Modern World | 3 |
| HIST 3616 | Global History of Energy | 3 |
| HIST 3706 | Age of Revolution | 3 |
| HIST 3810 | Topics | 3 |
| HIST 4027 | Enlightenment and Revolution | 3 |
| HIST 4028 | Nations and Classes: 19th Century Europe | 3 |
| HIST 4029 | Age of Anxiety in Europe | 3 |
| HIST 4030 | Europe During the World Wars | 3 |
| HIST 4031 | Contemporary Europe | 3 |
| HIST 4032 | Globalization in World History Since 1945 | 3 |
| HIST 4034 | Core Themes in European History | 3 |
| HIST 4035 | Crisis and Transformation: Europe's 20th Century | 3 |
| HIST 4046 | Victorians and Victorianism | 3 |
| HIST 4051 | Britain and The Empire | 3 |
| HIST 4055 | The Atlantic Slave Trade: Africa, Caribbean and U.S. | 3 |
| HIST 4062 | Modern France, 1789 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 4071 | Modern Germany | 3 |
| HIST 4074 | Post-War Germany | 3 |
| HIST 4075 | Travel Stories and Origins of Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| HIST 4076 | History of Modern Science | 3 |
| HIST 4083 | Russia Since 1917 | 3 |
| HIST 4086 | Eastern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 4133 | Management of Material Culture and Museum Collections | 3 |
| HIST 4201 | Core Themes in U.S. History | 3 |
| HIST 4209 | Race, Religion, and Belonging | 3 |
| HIST 4210 | The American Revolution | 3 |
| HIST 4212 | Civil War and Reconstruction | 3 |
| HIST 4213 | The Gilded Age and Early 20th Century Challenges: U.S. History, 1865-1932 | 3 |
| HIST 4216 | History of American Popular Culture | 3 |
| HIST 4217 | Consumer Culture | 3 |
| HIST 4219 | Depression, Affluence and Anxiety: U.S. History, 1929 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 4220 | U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1912 | 3 |
| HIST 4222 | U.S. Society and Thought to 1860 | 3 |
| HIST 4223 | U.S. Society and Thought Since 1860 | 3 |
| HIST 4225 | Urban America: Colonial Times to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 4226 | Capitalism in America | 3 |
| HIST 4227 | American West | 3 |
| HIST 4228 | Western Art and Architecture | 3 |
| HIST 4229 | Colorado Historic Places | 3 |
| HIST 4230 | Women in the West | 3 |
| HIST 4231 | History in Museums | 3 |
| HIST 4232 | Historic Preservation | 3 |
| HIST 4234 | History at Work: Public and Community History | 3 |
| HIST 4236 | Colorado Mining and Railroads | 3 |
| HIST 4238 | U.S. History Through Fiction | 3 |
| HIST 4240 | National Parks History | 3 |
| HIST 4242 | Oral History | 3 |
| HIST 4243 | Public History Administration | 3 |
| HIST 4244 | Interpretation of History in Museums: Exhibits and Education | 3 |
| HIST 4245 | Heritage Tourism | 3 |
| HIST 4261 | Data: A User Manual | 3 |
| HIST 4303 | Sex and Gender in Modern Britain | 3 |
| HIST 4306 | Survey of Feminist Thought | 3 |
| HIST 4307 | History of Sexuality | 3 |
| HIST 4308 | Crime, Policing, and Justice in American History | 3 |
| HIST 4345 | Gender, Science, and Medicine: 1600 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 4347 | History of Biology | 3 |
| HIST 4348 | Mind and Malady: A History of Mental Illness | 3 |
| HIST 4411 | Modern Mexico | 3 |
| HIST 4412 | Mexico and the United States: People and Politics on the Border | 3 |
| HIST 4414 | Nationalism and State Building in Latin America, 1750-1850 | 3 |
| HIST 4415 | Social Revolutions in Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 4416 | The Age of Imperialism | 3 |
| HIST 4417 | Commodities and Globalization | 3 |
| HIST 4418 | Trade and Premodern World History | 3 |
| HIST 4420 | Traditional China: China to 1600 | 3 |
| HIST 4421 | Modern China | 3 |
| HIST 4422 | Lvng thr Mao's China: Life, Mat. Cult, Movies, 1949-76 | 3 |
| HIST 4431 | Modern Japan | 3 |
| HIST 4451 | Southern Africa | 3 |
| HIST 4455 | African Struggle for Independence | 3 |
| HIST 4461 | The Modern Middle East | 3 |
| HIST 4462 | Islam in Modern History | 3 |
| HIST 4471 | The Second World War | 3 |
| HIST 4472 | The 1950s: Korean War, the Cold War and Social Transformation | 3 |
| HIST 4475 | The Vietnam War | 3 |
| HIST 4490 | Weapons of Mass Destruction | 3 |
| HIST 4491 | United States History, 1865-1919 | 3 |
| HIST 4492 | United States History, 1919-1945 | 3 |
| HIST 4493 | United States History, 1945-1973 | 3 |
| HIST 4494 | Red and Blue America: U.S. History, 1973-Present | 3 |
| HIST 4503 | Topics in History of Science | 3 |
| HIST 4504 | Animals in U.S. History | 3 |
| HIST 4621 | Explorers and Exploration | 3 |
| HIST 4622 | Oceans In History | 3 |
| HIST 4645 | Archival Management | 3 |
| 1 | Can be satisfied by a combination of additional history courses, history internships, or history honors independent study for eligible students. Note: Any courses listed above may be used to fulfill the elective requirements once the area distributions have been met. |
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.