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The Big Picture
The Big Picture
History majors pursue a wide range of careers in fields including social services, arts, media, entertainment, business, and administration. The most common career paths for history majors are in education, law, and management.1 Many careers in these fields require (or benefit from) post-graduate degrees. Close to half of history B.A.s go on to graduate school—much higher than the average for most other majors.
Note: This page outlines some of the most common career paths for historians, and lists degrees in those fields and the regional institutions that offer those degrees to help you start thinking about possible post-graduate paths. The best way to get information about a given career or grad program is to talk to people who have first-hand experience in those areas. You can use links below to identify some contacts at nearby institutions. You can also get first-hand experience and make contacts yourself through an internship or co-op while you are at UM-Dearborn.
The Three Most Common Career Paths for History Majors
The Three Most Common Career Paths for History Majors
Education
Education
18% of history majors find jobs in education, training, and libraries, about half of those in K-12 education. 4.5% of history majors end up teaching at the postsecondary level. This category also includes jobs in museums and archives.
Some postgraduate degrees to consider (see lists of regional programs below):
History M.A. and Ph.D.
Public History M.A.
Master in Information and Library Science or Master of Science in Information
Museum Studies M.A.
Degrees in Education: M.A.Ed., M.S.Ed., or Ed.D., M.A.T, M.S.T.
Management
Management
15% of history majors pursue management in business, science, and the arts. This can be another path to a career in public history or humanities, combining your history training with a postgraduate field such as nonprofit management, public administration, or business management.
Some postgraduate degrees to consider:
Public and Non-profit Management: Oakland University, UM-Ann Arbor Ford School
Public Administration: UM-Dearborn's own Master of Public Administration and Policy
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
Law
Law
11% of history majors end up working in the legal profession. History is one of the most common majors for students headed to Law School. History majors can be especially well prepared for a career in the law because of their skills in detailed research, clear evidence-based writing, and citation practices.
Postgraduate degree: Law Degree (J.D.) For information on applying to law school see here.
1 All employment data for history majors from Peter B. Sturtevant, "History is Not a Useless Major: Fighting Myths with Data," April 1, 2017, American Historical Association Perspectives on History, https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/april-2017/history-is-not-a-useless-major-fighting-myths-with-data, accessed February 10, 2020
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