A Baccalaureate degree in History falls under “Liberal Arts”. Liberal Arts – and the more encompassing “Liberal Education” – has gotten a bad rap in the past as it compared to a “practical education”. Liberal Arts study the humanities, philosophy, history and other such areas, “not related to job training”. (Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2002). Degrees in Liberal Arts were considered useless and a waste of time. Such points of view now seem to be misled.
Liberal Arts Degrees are Needed Today
The Board of Directors of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) issued a statement in 2002 which pointed out that “the approach to higher learning that best serves individuals, our globally engaged democracy and an innovating economy is liberal education.” The close examination that History, Philosophy and Humanities degrees provide of who we are, where we came from, and where we are headed is invaluable at any period, but especially in such tumultuous times as today.
David Kearns, of Xerox, said that specializing in narrow degrees brought inflexibility in a time when “we need flexible educational tools to be problem solvers.” (quoted by AAC&U, 2009) Liberal Arts were exactly the types of degrees that Mr. Kearns found most prepared employees and leaders to handle change.
Career Opportunities for History Majors
So, the question remains – what to do with a History degree? Here are a few ideas from the American Historical Association: educator, researcher, communicator, advocate, and business, for starters.
Educators are an obvious choice. Every public school and most private schools in the US have history teachers. These positions require more than a love of history. Successful teachers also love working with children, have lots of patience, and aren’t looking for great wealth. Experienced teachers may move on to school administration. If not the classroom, then perhaps a museum or National Park. Museums may be anything from a small town’s local history museum to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Montana State University in Bozeman offers a minor in Museum Studies, and their students often work closely with the Museum of the Rockies – one of the premier collections of dinosaur skeletons in the world.
Researchers include opportunities in historic preservation, cultural resource management (including working in the National Park System), museums and historical societies, and even think tanks. Again, having a specialty or even serving an internship can give a big boost up in entering these careers.
History Degrees are Valuable for Writers and Filmmakers
Communicators cover a host of careers including writers, editors, journalists, archivists, records management, information management, librarians (also look into library science degrees), documentary film production, technical advisors to film companies, and other media related positions.
Many history graduates go on to law school. Such careers include lawyers, mediators, legal assistants, litigation support, and non-profit organizations.
Bachelors in History is Useful in Business
Besides law school, history degrees are well-appreciated stepping stones into business. Most major corporations and many non-profit organizations employ historians, either directly or as contractors.
As mentioned before, once the student decides what direction he’d like to go in, adding a minor, or even just some extra study, can be a valuable aid to getting the career he wants. When a foreign language is included in the curriculum, choosing one that will match well with the student’s career goals – and sticking with it long enough to gain some proficiency! – can prove to be a great asset. Going on to a Masters degree is another boost up the ladder in many instances. Students would do well to examine closely the education level desired of those already working in the positions they desire and plot their education accordingly.
A History degree – or one in Humanities or Philosophy – is not the dead end that a business major may think it is. In fact, a diligent and successful History graduate could well end up as the business graduate’s employer!
Resources:
Association for American Colleges and Universities. What is a Liberal Education. (Accessed 06 Jan 2010)
American Historical Association. Careers for History Majors. (Accessed 06 Jan 2010)
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Elizabeth Linehan - Elizabeth studied American Sign Language at Brigham Young University. She has worked with hearing impaired and multipli-handicapped ...
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