The Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) is a public university located in Denver, Colorado. The university was originally known as Metropolitan State College and established in 1965. It has since evolved into one of Colorado’s leading public universities. It has a rich history of providing accessible and high-quality education to a diverse student population.
In February 2019, MSU Denver became a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. In 2023 MSU Denver earned the Seal of Excelencia. The Seal of Excelencia is a national certification by Excelencia in Education that is given to Hispanic Serving Intuitions that have demonstrated a commitment to intentionally serve Latinx Students.
The Auraria Campus is a tri-institutional campus; this means that we share a campus with the University of Colorado – Denver and with the Community College of Denver.
Academics at MSU Denver
Once your student has been accepted into the university and has chosen their area of study, students belong to a certain college or school within the university.
The colleges or schools is the way MSU Denver divides majors and departments into related areas of study. At MSU Denver, we have 6 colleges and schools. Below you will see the 6 different colleges and schools at MSU Denver and examples of the different departments and majors within that area.
Diagram of the different colleges
Majors and Minors
Below are the majors and minors within each College or School at MSU Denver.
- College of Health and Human Sciences
- College of Aerospace, Computing, Engineering, and Design
- College of Business
- College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
- School of Hospitality
- School of Education
Navigating Campus
Navigating the various buildings, resources, parking and public transit locations, and everything else on campus can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if your students and you are new to the university. Below you can find an interactive map that shows the many different buildings and their abbreviations, parking lots and garages, public transportation stations, and even where some of our student resources and clubs are located around campus.
If you haven’t had the chance to explore our vibrant campus, we highly recommend taking a guided tour, either in person or virtually.
Now that we’ve explored a campus and important facts about MSU Denver, let’s continue!
Knowledge Check
Test your understanding of the material on this page with the questions below. Consider your answer to each multiple choice question, then click “Check Your Answer” under each question to learn whether you were right!
- What is the significance of the Seal of Excelencia that MSU Denver earned in 2023?
- It is a national certification given to institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to intentionally serve Latinx Students.
- It is a regional certification given to institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to intentionally serve all students.
- It is a national certification given to institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to intentionally serve international students.
- It is a Spanish certification given to institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to intentionally serve Latinx Students.
- Which of the following is NOT a college or school within MSU Denver?
- College of Health and Human Sciences
- College of Aerospace, Computing, Engineering, and Design
- School of Hospitality
- College of Natural Sciences
- How does MSU Denver categorize its majors and departments?
- By the student’s year of study
- By the student’s area of interest
- By related areas of study within colleges or schools
- By the student’s extracurricular activities
Check your answer
It is a national certification given to institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to intentionally serve Latinx Students.
Check your answer
College of Natural Sciences
Check your answer
By related areas of study within colleges or schools