Learn all you need to know about history degrees – the admission requirements, degree levels, coursework, and potential career paths for history graduates, in the following comprehensive guide.
What Is History?
History is a vast field of study that revolves around the occurrence of past events. It is an umbrella term that also includes the discovery, collection, presentation, organization, and interpretation of information about these past events. Those who study such past events and make sense of them in a historical context are known as historians.
What Can You Do with a History degree?
A history degree prepares graduates for several career paths. Depending on the level of education, students can choose to become archivists or educators. They can also work with a diversified set of employers, including the federal government, which is one of the largest employers of historians. Other potential employers include the local government, professional, scientific and technical services, and the state governments. Students typically get to work in museums, historical societies, and research organizations.
The following are a few careers you can go for with a history degree. The statistical data has been extracted from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2019.
Historians
Historians look up, analyze, and interpret various historical discoveries. They also write about the past after in-depth studies of historical documents.
| Annual Median Salary, 2019 | $63,680 | |
| Job Outlook, 2018-2028 | 6% | |
| Annual Mean Salary, 2019 | $68,690 | |
| State with the Highest Employment Level, 2019 | New York | 410 |
| State with the Highest Mean Salary, 2019 | District of Columbia | $109,850 |
Archivists
Archivists process, preserve, and catalog historically valuable documents. They may also appraise and edit the permanent records of these documents.
| Annual Median Salary, 2019 | $53,950 | |
| Job Outlook, 2018-2028 | 9% | |
| Annual Mean Salary, 2019 | $57,500 | |
| State with the Highest Employment Level, 2019 | New York | 1,000 |
| State with the Highest Salary, 2019 | District of Columbia | $78,540 |
Curators
Curators are responsible for administering collections including valuable artwork and historical items. They may also conduct research or public activities for the institution they work for.
| Annual Median Salary, 2019 | $54,570 | |
| Job Outlook, 2018-2028 | 10% | |
| Annual Mean Salary, 2019 | $59,130 | |
| State with the Highest Employment Level, 2019 | New York | 1,580 |
| State with the Highest Salary, 2019 | District of Columbia | $80,760 |
What to Expect from a History degree?
Even though an undergraduate degree in history is common, more and more employers are beginning to prefer students with a graduate-level educational credential. A 4-year long undergraduate degree in history would include coursework with research components. At the graduate level, students will focus on the theoretical and practical elements of historical and archival studies. Students can expect to study courses such as World Civilizations in the 16th Century, US History Up to 1865, Historical Methods, Historical Writing, Civil War, Russian Revolutions, Public History, and Introduction to Archives, etc.
How to Choose a History degree?
When choosing a degree in history, it is important to keep the following factors in mind:
- Accreditation of the program
- Student-faculty ratio
- Faculty credentials
- Campus facilities
- Location of the campus
- Cost and length of the degree
- Notable alumni
- Job placement cell
- Research facilities
- Internship and experience opportunities
Admission Requirements for a History degree
The admission requirements for history degrees would be dependent on the level of the program you want to enroll into. For instance, a typical master’s degree in history would require letters of recommendation, completion of an undergraduate program, college essay, or a personal statement, etc. Students might also be required to possess some experience in a related field. Admission requirements are highly variable – therefore, students are requested to get in touch with the admission committee of their chosen college.