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Careers in Public History
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What can you do with an undergraduate degree in history?
Many, many things
As a liberal arts major, of course, the world is your oyster and you can consider a multitude of careers.
Among the jobs you can consider are: advertising executive, analyst, archivist, broadcaster, campaign worker, consultant, congressional aide, editor, foreign service officer, foundation staffer, information specialist, intelligence agent, journalist, legal assistant, lobbyist, personnel manager, public relations staffer, researcher, teacher . . . the list can be almost endless.
More specifically, though, with your degree in history you can be an educator, researcher, communicator or editor, information manager, advocate, or even a businessperson.
Here is a brief list of the career opportunities available to the undegraduate history major. This list is based on a very useful pamphlet, Careers for Students of History, written by Barbara J. Howe and jointly published by the American Historical Association and the National Council on Public History in 1989. While this online miniguide is based on this pamphlet (now out of print), with appropriate paraphrases from its text, it discusses also some of the new opportunities that became available to the history major in the recent past.
History BAs intending to pursue an advanced degree in history may profitably consult the excellent new guide, Careers for Students of History, by Constance Schulz, Page Putnam Miller, Aaron Marrs, and Kevin Allen (2002: 64 pages, $7 members, $9 nonmembers. ISBN 0-87229-128-6).
Historians as Educators
Elementary Schools
Secondary Schools
Postsecondary Education
Historic Sites and Museums
Historians as Researchers
Museums and Historical Organizations
Cultural Resources Management
and Historic Preservation
Think Tanks
Historians As Communicators
Writers and Editors
Journalists
Documentary Editors
Producers of Multimedia Material
Historians
As Information Managers
Archivists
Records Managers
Librarians
Information Managers
Historians As Advocates
Lawyers and Paralegals
Litigation Support
Legislative Staff Work
Foundations
Historians in Businesses and Associations
Historians in Corporations
Contract Historians
Historians and Nonprofit Associations
For more information on all these career opportunities as well as other possibilities, consult the pamphlet referred to above and, of course, the career guidance office at your college or university.
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Last Updated: July 10, 2007 12:00 PM