History

• Pathways Required Courses - AA, History Transfer Degree
• Transfer Information

What Will I Learn?

“History is life’s teacher.”  - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Everything has a history. From how we express emotions to what we eat for breakfast, every aspect of humans’ lives is shaped by political, environmental, social, and cultural factors. As these factors change, people’s lives change. Students at Trinidad State are invited to cultivate in a passion for and a critical understanding of the past while developing their intellectual, analytical, and rhetorical skills in small class settings. Our courses examine the richness, diversity, and complexity of human history. We help students understand the contested nature of historical knowledge by introducing them to how historians interpret the past. We engage students in issues that provoke historical debate, and familiarize them with the nature and uses of historical evidence. This critical study of the past allows our students access to a far wider range of human experience than any individual could acquire in a single lifetime, making History essential to a liberal arts education.

Why Trinidad State College?

“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Trinidad State is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The study of history promotes acceptance among peoples by making the world and our lives more intelligible. We believe in the power of a university education to liberate minds, and we are resolute in our service to students from traditionally marginalized communities. We celebrate historical approaches that promote inclusion and ask challenging questions of the past. Our small class size and dedicated faculty allows students to investigate their interests more deeply and develop their academic skills under the close supervision of experts. We invite you to join us as we explore the rich and complex history of humans through time around the globe.

Why Study History?

“The answer is because we virtually must, to gain access to the laboratory of human experience. When we study it reasonably well, and so acquire some usable habits of mind, as well as some basic data about the forces that affect our own lives, we emerge with relevant skills and an enhanced capacity for informed citizenship, critical thinking, and simple awareness.” - Peter Stearns, American Historical Association. Read more

The perspectives, content, and skills you will gain as a History major or minor will improve your understanding of the complex global world and strengthened your professional abilities. Employers are looking for employees who can read carefully, write clearly, think logically, learn independently, work with people across cultural and geographical perspectives, and analyze problems within the appropriate critical contexts.

The study of history cultivates all of these skills as well as develops humanistic empathy, analytical skills of objective investigation, and creative skills of expression and interpretation. Most people will work in half a dozen different jobs in their lifetime, putting a premium on those people who possess critical thinking skills and can process, analyze, and effectively communicate information and ideas both in writing and public presenting. A history degree will open doors to life and career opportunities for your future.

Associate of Arts (AA) in History

The Associate of Arts degree in History is designed to complete the lower division portion of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and provide a foundation for a wide variety of careers. This Associate of Arts degree includes Guaranteed Transfer Courses and the lower-division history core courses recommended by the Colorado Department of Higher Education to provide students with basic and applied knowledge in Western Civilization, World History, and U.S. History. Completion of the AA degree completes the first two years of a bachelor’s degree in history, and guarantees transfer at junior standing with no more than 60 remaining credits to meet the graduation requirements for a bachelor’s degree in history. You can start the program in the Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters.

• A.A. degree in History: See required courses and descriptions

Career Possibilities:

• Arts Foundation Manager
• Archivist/Curator
• Business
• Editor
• Executive Coach
• Foreign Service Officer
• Librarian
• Historian
• History Professor
• Journalism
• Law
• Legislative Analyst
• Marketing
• Media
• Novelist
• Park Preservationist
• Politics
• Public Relations
• Publishing
• Researcher

Colorado Statistics:

• 2016 Annual median salary for Historians is $76,350; employment is expected to grow 23% by 2024.
• 2016 Annual median salary for Archivists is $51,440; employment is expected to grow 23% by 2024.
• 2016 Annual median salary for Curators is $51,380; employment is expected to grow 24% by 2024.
• 2016 Annual median salary for Lawyers is $118,000; employment is expected to grow 22% by 2024.

Want to find out if this program is for you? Explore potential careers on the web at America's Career InfoNet, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or the AHA’s Career Diversity for Historians.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the History program, students should be able to:

• Analyze secondary sources and recognize differences in historical interpretation
• Construct historical narratives by identifying patterns of continuity and change 
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing
• De-construct complex and multiple sources of information into basic historical concepts.
• Evaluate the types of primary sources, their perspective, and purpose of their authors.
• Identify trends, events, peoples, groups, cultures, and institutions covered
• Investigate events in human history in specific contexts to illustrate how social, cultural, gender, race, religion, nationality, and other identities affect historical perspectives.
• Select and apply contemporary forms of technology to solve problems or compile information
• Use diverse resources for historical research, including libraries, databases, bibliographies, and archives.

Four-Year Transfer Agreements

This program is a guaranteed transfer (GT) program (Guaranteed Transfer course list). GT programs enable all college students to complete their first two years of college here at CCD and then transfer to any public college in Colorado as a junior. It is called the DWD program (Degrees with Designation). This program saves you money and time. Be sure to talk with an advisor when selecting your courses to ensure you will complete your degree on time with the classes you need.

A two-year degree from Trinidad State College can lead to a four-year degree from ...

• Adams State University
  (Bachelor of Arts, History, Anthropology, & Political Science: History)
• Colorado Mesa University
  (BA, History; History or Secondary Education concentrations)
• Colorado State University-Fort Collins
  (BA, History; General History concentration)
• Colorado State University-Pueblo
  (BA, History; General emphasis; Bachelor of Science, History; General emphasis)
• Fort Lewis College
  (BA, History; United States Option)
• Metropolitan State University of Denver
  (BA, History)
• University of Colorado-Boulder
  (BA, History)
• University of Colorado-Colorado Springs
  (BA, History) 
• University of Colorado-Denver
  (BA, History) 
• University of Northern Colorado
  (BA, History; Liberal Arts emphasis) 
• Western State Colorado University
  (BA, History)

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Courses Offered:

Requisite: Students should be college ready, as determined by individual institutions

• HIS 1110: The World: Antiquity-1500: HI1
  Explores trends within events, peoples, groups, ideas, and institutions in World History from antiquity to 1500.
• HIS 1120: The World: 1500-Present: HI1
  Explores trends within events, peoples, groups, ideas, and institutions in World History since 1500 as well as on common cultural trends.
• HIS 1210: United States History to the Civil War
  Explores trends within events, peoples--including Native American--groups, ideas, and institutions in North America and the United States to Reconstruction.
• HIS 1220: United States History after the Civil War
  Explores trends within events, peoples, groups, ideas, and institutions since the American Civil War.
• HIS 1310: Western Civilization: Antiquity-1650
  Explores trends within events, peoples, groups, ideas, and institutions in Western Civilization from antiquity to 1650.
• HIS 1320: Western Civilization: 1650-Present
  Explores trends within events, peoples, groups, ideas, and institutions in Western civilization since 1650.
• HIS 2005 Women in World History
  Examines the roles, experiences, and contributions of women in world history and explores ways in which women's history modifies the traditional interpretations of historical events.
• HIS 2015: 20^th Century World History
  Investigates the major political, social, and economic developments, international relationships, scientific breakthroughs, and cultural trends that have shaped the various global regions, empires, and nation-states since the late nineteenth century.
• HIS 2105 Women in U.S. History
  Examines women’s changing roles in American history. It explores the nature of women's work and the participation of women in family, political, religious, and cultural activities and in social reform movements.
• HIS 2110 African American History
  Explores the experiences and contributions of African Americans from the colonial period to the present through the social and economic lives and roles of African Americans, their roles in politics and war, their achievements, and movements for self-help and civil rights.
• HIS 2115: American Indian History
  Analyzes historical and socio-cultural change for Native Americans from pre-colonial America to the present, emphasizing those processes and relations with non-Native Americans which have contributed to current conditions.
• HIS 2130: History of the American West
  Traces the history of the American West from Native American cultures to the present. It explores the frontier experiences of America's earliest, eastern settlers through the Trans-Mississippi West across the great exploratory and wagon trails including cities, ranching, reservation, resource management, and industry.
• HIS 2135: Colorado History
  Presents the story of the people, society, and cultures of Colorado from its earliest Native Americans, through the Spanish influx, the explorers, the fur traders, mountain men, the gold rush, railroad builders, the cattlemen and farmers, the silver boom, the tourists, and the modern state.

Student Testimonials:

“I loved the [HIS 1310] class… The lectures were very engaging, the templates, and assignments encourages learning, and the group setting was an excellent introduction to my college.”

“I enjoyed the [HIS 1310] class. This class definitely challenged me... The instructor always provided great feedback to help me get a better grade on my assignments.”

“[Dr. Boone is] a very wonderful professor, engaging and patient and importantly thorough in explanations.”

“Dr. Paul Boone is a spectacular professor and an asset to this college.”