History Degree - What can you do with it?

MidwestParent · 09-25-2008, 04:46 PM

My sister (who doesn't CC) asked me to post for her. We knew the incredibly intelligent posters on CC could reassure her and give her some answers.

She is a little beside herself right now as her son (my nephew), a sophomore, just declared his major as HISTORY. She asked me, "What can you do with a history degree???"

To put is mildly, my nephew is quite a kid! Took the ACT as a sophomore in hs "for fun" and got a 34 - didn't feel like taking it again, and didn’t. Took the SAT one time and scored a 2390. He was a National Merit Finalist and the val of his h.s. class. He was a Presidential Scholar semifinalist and graduated from hs with an IB Diploma. He is an incredible writer, excels at math, and is a science whiz – but he loves history.

Therein lies his dilemma – do you major in something you are good at or in something you love? My BIL got a degree in something he was good at and something he knew he could get a job in, but it wasn’t something he loved. Subsequently, he has not been happy with his chosen field for the past 25 years. But you have bills to pay and children to support, so you do it. He has relayed this dissatisfaction to his son and advised him to major in what he loves – which I think is a very noble thing for a father to do.

Have any of you had children who have majored in history and what did they go on to do with it?
If they went on to pursue advanced degrees, what were they in?

Thank you so much for your help!

etselec · 09-25-2008, 04:49 PM

For a kid like that, he's probably going to be successful in just about whatever he does, whether or not it relates to his major field.

He should do what he enjoys. He'll probably be more successful, and better put his intellect to use, if he enjoys what he's studying.

mathmom · 09-25-2008, 04:54 PM

My roommate is a professor. Some of my history major friends went to law school and others into business.

MidwestMom2Kids_ · 09-25-2008, 05:07 PM

What can you do with a bachelor's degree in economics? in psychology?

I think a history degree is raises no more or less of the "what can he do?" than a lot of bachelor's degrees.

Law school, grad school, business...

hudsonvalley51 · 09-25-2008, 05:17 PM

My wife and I are both history B.A.s. We both went to graduate school and at one time we were both museum administrators. She later ran her own business as a performing arts consultant and now is in her third career teaching American history in an economically distressed school district. I retired with a comfortable pension last year and now run a consulting business out of my home office. We are comfortable financially, -- not rich by any means! -- own our home, have zero balances on the credit cards and take several vacations each year. Our only real debt is related to my daughter's college costs, but it isn't that much and we'll work that off.

Take in from me, a history degree doesn't = a life of poverty. Friends of ours who also received history degrees have become lawyers, journalists, professors, museum administrators, curators, historic preservation specialists, entrepreneurs and even a physician.

My science kid told her mother this week that she has decided she would like to add a history minor to her biology/biochem major! We were surprised but we won't disown her.

ucsd_ucla_dad · 09-25-2008, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Law school, grad school, business...

But if this (outstanding) kid wants to do what 'he loves', i.e. history, then he probably wouldn't go into any of those fields. Instead, he might consider some occupations more along the lines of those indicated by 'hudsonvalley' above.

I think the question is legit and the student should consider what they might want to pursue as a career if he has any idea. The history degree might meld well with that or it might not.

wis75 · 09-25-2008, 05:36 PM

Remind her that one goes to college primarily for an education, not job skills, and that the bachelor's degree, regardless of major, is looked at on a resume. With those stats her child is most likely to pursue a higher degree and history is a fine major for those things he is likely to be interested in pursuing. Some people have to fill all of the obscure niches ignored by most of the population- there are thousands of occupations she is unaware of. The jobs available to a person with a bachelor's degree aren't even relevant as I would presume her real question should be - what is he going to do with that PhD in history?

Also, consider that the undergraduate degree may satisfy a passion for knowledge and by the time he is well into college he will examine what to pursue for any graduate degrees based on job opportunities as well as his interests. Kids of his caliber use college as an intermediate step, not the final one- think of HS kids planning their classes to get into a technical program or a job straight out of HS versus those that plan on college and whose HS courses won't be sufficient for the job they will have eventually. The best students have further to go and don't need the knowledge of their job as soon as the usual college student does.

2boysima · 09-25-2008, 05:47 PM

The simple answer is he can do anything he wants with a history degree -- as with any liberal arts degree.

As noted, he could study post-grad law, business or public administration.

He could be a history major, and still take all of the pre-reqs for med school and go to medical school.

He could go to any number of companies, as well as the government and enter a training program. Many are especially interested in math apptitude -- but love humanities majors because they can usually write.

He could also go onto grad school in history and become a professor, museum director, foundation program director etc.

I know recent history majors who have done all of these things. I was a history major, loved history, still do, worked in education, went to business school, and have spent most of my working life in some kind of management - where I use the research and analytical skills strengthened as a history major - almost every day.

shelley14 · 09-25-2008, 06:01 PM

My older daughter majored in history at the University of Chicago. Immediately after she graduated she started as a very well paid paralegal for one of THE firms in Chicago. Her goal was to go to law school on their dime. She didn't like it at all. Two years later she quit and went to grad school at NYU and has a masters in political campaign managment. I was besides myself the whole time. Turns out that in political campaign managment you learn how to do polling - which Fortune 500 companies want as much as candidates. She is now in London working for a well known worldwide marketing company crafting polls. It has been a very nice outcome.

PackMom · 09-25-2008, 06:19 PM

Neighbor's kid majored in history and is now in grad. school (still History). He has always wanted to teach U.S. History and be a high sch. football coach.

Same kid's father also majored in history. He has spent his entire career in journalism working in the newspaper industry.

MidwestParent · 09-25-2008, 06:20 PM

Your replies are all great - just as we knew they would be! Thank you so much for taking the time to tell your stories and share your knowledge. I will forward it on to my sister.

Please keep the info coming - it does ALOT to reassure a questioning mom!!

atomom · 09-25-2008, 06:27 PM

H has a BA in history. Also an MD.

Law school would be a common choice. Or join the Peace Corps.

starbright · 09-25-2008, 06:41 PM

Most people I know do not have careers that match their undergraduate degree. Most didn't end up following a prescribed career route, even when they intended to. All the ones I'm thinking of are darn successful and love what they do. I applaud the parents who tell their kids to follow their passions and trust their kids abilities and the path that life will take them. Many of the most interesting careers can't be pre-planned with a course catalogue. Many of us can't even imagine the next hottest career areas. And data suggests the next generation will have multiple careers in their lifetime.

Lots and lots of jobs are available for interesting and educated people, without a particular major in mind. Might be in business or in the govt sector.

Moreover, bright kids like this usually go onto more education after their first degree at some point: could be journalism, law, international relations, education, diplomacy, political science, an MBA, graduate work in history, or something else entirely.

MidwestParent · 09-26-2008, 09:59 PM

Any more history majors or parents of history majors out there?

Sister and I are loving the responses!

northeastmom · 09-26-2008, 10:09 PM

Well, a friend's friend has a son who graduated as a history major. He decided that he wanted to be a physical therapist. He went to community college to pick up the sciences that he was lacking, and now he is in grad school. He went to community college soon after graduating from his 4 year school.