Your Future in History

Still not sure if you should major in History? Explore the below links for more information about the intellectual and civic importance of history, as well as professional and career opportunities.

Why Study History?

• Katharine Brooks, a nationally recognized expert college students’ career needs, considers the lasting value of the history major in  “Why Major in History?”
• Cecilia Gaposchkin, an Associate Professor of History at Dartmouth College, offers advice about how you should choose a major in the Chronicle of Higher Education: “If Students are Smart, They’ll Major in What They Love.”
• Kenneth Pomeranz explains why history is an unusual–and exciting–discipline.
• The American Historical Association has put together a guide on “What can you do with an undergraduate degree in History?”
• Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce shows that history majors earn higher median salaries than all other humanities majors and earn the same or more than those who majored in education, communications, or international relations. Twenty percent of those history graduates were employed in management positions.

History and Healthcare

• Learn more about Wake Forest’s Interdisciplinary Humanities Pathway to Medicine Program
• So your doctor majored in history? The MCAT now includes a new behavioral sciences section — a step that recognizes the importance of the humanities to the future of medicine.
• David Jones et al. make the case for studying history as a part of a medical education.

History and Business

• Brian Hamilton, co-founder of Sageworks, reports:
            “Any good, well-rounded liberal arts education is a strong foundation of business. Ultimately, you have to be able to write, speak, and think. Still, for me, in preparation for a career in business, or for life generally, I can think of no more suitable academic major than history. History is the study of people, what they do, and why they do it: the perspective that’s necessary for future success.
            In history, you learn and become immersed in why people and groups do things over an extended period of time. History validates that people and organizations act in clear, recognizable patterns. You also learn about human nature. Behavior becomes very predictable, which is vital to understand in business because you have to be able to anticipate how people will behave; you have to stay ahead of actions.”  
• Christopher Brooks discusses why business leaders seek out history majors.
• An essay by Chris McNickle from Fidelity Worldwide Investment on historians and history in the world of business.
• The Wall Street Journal reports that business and finance companies need flexible thinkers with innovative ideas and a broad knowledge base derived from exposure to multiple disciplines.
• A Harvard Business Review article on why to hire humanities majors.

Public History

• Jeff Robinson discusses how his background in public history contributes to his work with Americorps.