Careers in History

History is a flexible and far-ranging Humanities discipline. It is excellent preparation for a variety of fields – law, teaching, business, public service, journalism, and even medicine. Increasingly, both the private sector and graduate schools are looking for applicants who have broad interests and backgrounds.

The study of history builds skills and knowledge that are indispensable for any career: clarity in writing and speaking; effective use of evidence and argument; the ability to perform independent research; and an awareness of cultural differences and commonalities.

Opportunities

Careers that are most frequently chosen by Eckerd history graduates are:

  • Teaching: Careers in teaching history range from the elementary school to the college and university level. Eckerd offers excellent preparation for graduate study in history.
  • Professional: An undergraduate degree in history is an excellent preparation for a career in law, business and international commerce, journalism, publishing, or the ministry. In addition, public relations firms and travel and tourism companies always value employees with a background in history.
  • Government Service: A wide range of government positions are open to historians, including historical research, diplomatic and foreign service, and intelligence. The Department of Education and various state and local preservation organizations also actively recruit historians.
  • Research and Scholarship: Occupations that are closely related to history may be found in libraries, archives, museums, and historical sites. Businesses also frequently employ historians for consulting or to manage their records and archives.

Alumni Success

History majors have frequently been among the honor graduates of the college. Some former students have continued the study of history in graduate schools at universities such as:

  • Brown
  • Duke
  • Emory
  • Florida State
  • George Washington
  • Indiana
  • Johns Hopkins
  • Michigan
  • Virginia
  • Wake Forest
  • and Wisconsin.

Many other graduates have attended law schools, and still others have pursued successful careers in business, the ministry, teaching, library sciences, and in public service.