What type of job could I get with a history degree?

Dynasty2199: What type of job could I get with a history degree?
For some reason I’ve always liked history and have been good at it in high school. I’m planning to go to college and really don’t know what to study there. I like history but other than being a history teacher what other jobs could I get with a history degree?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Josh
There are many careers you can pursue with a history major. In fact, the research and communication skills you develop are useful for almost any career outside of the hard sciences. That said, here is some advice from a senior history major.

While you can do almost anything with a liberal arts degree, be aware that there are no “safety nets” for history majors. There are very few fallback careers you can count on if nothing else works out. If all else fails, I would recommend applying to police academies or the military if nothing else presents itself upon graduation.

You should not think that you can always get a job as a teacher. Teaching jobs are scarce, especially for history teachers, and the necessary certification almost always requires a degree in secondary education. You must have a PhD to become a history professor (an awesome career if you are passionate about learning). You will NEVER teach in college with an MA. There are too many PhD’s out there searching for positions.

The history major’s best option is probably a career within a government agency. I’ve seen history majors land jobs with the CIA as intelligence analysts and I know the State Department hires historians to work as advisers. Your researching and writing skills will be useful in almost any department. Your chances at these careers can be exponentially improved if you master a foreign language. Don’t think it has to be Arabic or Chinese. Spanish and French are too of the most valuable languages you can learn.

History majors are also well suited for careers in human resources and public relations. Both fields are growing, but entry level positions are very difficult to land. I would advise working an internship while you’re still in school or considering a few years doing public affairs with the military.

A history education is also probably the best preparation you can get for law school. The research you’ll be required to do will be intense and historical writing demands both analytical and creative thinking.

Most people are completely ignorant about liberal arts degrees. Everyone will probably ask you if you want to teach, but teaching really isn’t an option unless you have an education degree. Science and business majors will probably heckle you with the cliche, “Do you want fries with that?” Just remember, they’re going to bored out of their minds all through college which is a perfect warm up for their boring lives to follow. You’ll have a blast in college and graduate a more learned, well-rounded person. And you have PLENTY of options. Just do some research and don’t expect to land a high paying career right after you graduate. Give a few years, though, and you might end up in a foreign consulate or studying ancient history at Berkeley.