History degrees

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Are useless unless you plan on teaching or getting lucky and working in a museum.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Well I've just got one (a joint one with politics that is), and I've been looking up the employment prospects.

Levels of employment for history graduates 6 months after graduation seem to be pretty similar to those in other fields.

Contrary to popular opinion most do not work in museums or go into teaching, most start out in administrative/clerical stuff and work their way up from there.

[PanzerJaeger]

Write.

[Samurai Waki]

Better a History degree than a philosophy degree, the very nature of philosophy means sitting around and pondering the questions of the universe, and then complaining about it.

[Peasant Phill]

I'm more of the opinion that a degree shows you can achieve something. Up to a point, it doesn't matter what degree you have but rather that you have one. I suspect that more than half the working populace aren't doing a job that matches their degree.

[Centurion1]

Better a History degree than a philosophy degree, the very nature of philosophy means sitting around and pondering the questions of the universe, and then complaining about it.

actually philosophy degrees are highly valued by employers. It is not an easy major and it demonstrates intelligence and cognitive thinking. History degrees demonstrate critical thinking abilities and are far from useless.

That being said I am a dual economics mathematics major and quite pleased with my future prospects.

[a completely inoffensive name]

It's largely about how to market yourself, not solely about what your degree is in.

[Secura]

Are useless unless you plan on teaching or getting lucky and working in a museum.

Having studied history at degree level myself, I've heard this little ditty dozens of times and it's a shame really; it just makes a person look ignorant, even if they aren't, simply because it's just a subjective statement that doesn't even have any sort of factual basis. A history qualification is so much more than becoming a teacher or curator.

Using this train of 'logic', you could ask what the use of a French or German degree is, as one would think that anything you really needed to know how to write/say/read would have been picked up when you were 11-18? What about drama/music/performing arts qualifications, since you could argue that the ability to sing or act is an inherent skill rather than something entirely taught?

The majority of people from my history course have actually gone on to work in the business and finance sectors... out of thirty-six students, I believe that I'm one of only four that is steering towards teaching, and even then, that was a massive u-turn that occured late into my course as I was originally set to go down the business route too.

[A Nerd]

There is alot to be said in preparation for the future when studying history, at least in my situation. I breezed thru college and earned a BA in History, but failed to do anything else. Upon graduation, I was a duck out of water. No direction and no opportunities that were even remotely apparent. JuJuBee and mediocre jobs became nice bedfellows. Plan ahead. That is the key. Hindsight is 20/20 afterall.

[Kralizec]

What is the point of this thread?


I'm more of the opinion that a degree shows you can achieve something. Up to a point, it doesn't matter what degree you have but rather that you have one. I suspect that more than half the working populace aren't doing a job that matches their degree.

Pretty much - I was surprised when I read once that the majority of people with art degrees actually end up with decent jobs - wich of course, have nothing to do with art.

[Reenk Roink]

Are useless unless you plan on teaching or getting lucky and working in a museum.

Trolling the Frontroom has really gotten poor lately... :no: By the way, though I love the subject, I would myself shy away from get a degree in history (unless you're going to grad school). BUT, you do realize that a significant amount of history majors are people who have great financially security and are going to be spending their college years doing something they want and not have to worry about getting a job instantly. They must look upon non history-major plebeians spending their college years trying to get a 'trade' and work a crappy first job in IT or something. :smug:

[Scienter]

I have a history degree and went on to law school. History teaches research, writing, and analysis. All good things to have when looking for a job (or applying to grad school).

[Strike For The South]

Meh, I know it's uselss and I know there is a glut of lawyers

But it's what I love, it took a year of Biology to figure that out

I had the same grades but I came home and wanted to swallow gun metal

Not to mention if the youth on this forum is any indication of my compition in the job market, I feel pretty safe.

[Tuuvi]

I'm majoring in biology and I receive a similar treatment to the history majors, whenever an older male customer at work asks me what I'm majoring in (they're the only people who ever ask) and I tell them I'm majoring in biology, they say "what're ya gonna do? teach?" :wall:

[Major Robert Dump]

Undergrad Majors mean nothing.

Nothing.

And they have very little relevance in your acceptance into specialty grad courses. You don't need pre-med to go to med school. You can major in PE and go to law school just fine, as long as you have the test scores.

[drone]

Undergrad Majors mean nothing.

Nothing.
Unless it's a BS.

[gaelic cowboy]

Are useless unless you plan on teaching or getting lucky and working in a museum.

Hmm do you have a degree in anything?? to compare a history degree with.

[Adrian II]

Write.

Yup.

Oh, and make sure you're good at it.

AII

[Cute Wolf]

at least, you can start applying scholarship for masters deggre in archeology. and start teaching at university.

having experienced being (part time) lecturers myself, I can say a lecturer is a rather nice job to do, too bad, most of the time, I'm stuck in laboratory works

[stratigos vasilios]

I'm planning on doing one after my current studies, not for employment purposes, out of pure enjoyment. My current degree is in allied heath so I'll have a job based on the skills shortage of health workers ;-)

[Major Robert Dump]

Yeah I'm going to go back to school and slum around and use up my GI Bill. Even though I can sign it over to a spouse/kids someday, I don't expect it to be worth anything in the future the way the economy is jacked and the way military entitlements change on a whim of Congress.

I don't know what to major in, though, but I do think I will try to join a fraternity at age 40ish. When I go to parties I can ask Sorority girls if their moms are single......

[Cute Wolf]

I don't know what to major in, though, but I do think I will try to join a fraternity at age 40ish. When I go to parties I can ask Sorority girls if their moms are single......

I suggest you try mail order bride

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Hmm do you have a degree in anything?? to compare a history degree with.

My brother has a BA in History and a MA in Liberal Arts and he's working at Target's and never held a real paying history job since he graduated with the BA in 2004. He wrote a book about local history of the one town here and it's published already, that's about it.


Success eh? :inquisitive:

[Major Robert Dump]

Target is better than Wal Mart

Unless you geta degree in something w/ actual practical applications (like engineering, geology, nursing) then the hunt for a job becomes less about a degree and more about the person, how they market themselves, where they are apllying and the local job market.

His degree is not useless.

[Centurion1]

My brother has a BA in History and a MA in Liberal Arts and he's working at Target's and never held a real paying history job since he graduated with the BA in 2004. He wrote a book about local history of the one town here and it's published already, that's about it.


Success eh? :inquisitive:

my father has a BA in history and his occupation is selling multi million dollar jets and troubleshooting other military jets; he essentially has free reign to do whatever he wants with one of those aircraft including sell it to foreign governments and retrofit it in numerous ways. He deals with hundreds of millions of dollars of military money.

success eh?

[Major Robert Dump]

I suggest you try mail order bride

Way ahead of ya, buddy.

[Veho Nex]

Way ahead of ya, buddy.

Dawwwww,

See guys true love does come with a postal stamp and a sticker that reads "FRAGILE: Handle with extreme caution!"

[A Nerd]

Inflatable ones are made in China. :yes:

[Fragony]

my father has a BA in history and his occupation is selling multi million dollar jets and troubleshooting other military jets; he essentially has free reign to do whatever he wants with one of those aircraft including sell it to foreign governments and retrofit it in numerous ways. He deals with hundreds of millions of dollars of military money.

success eh?

damn can you get me one, luv jets

[Adrian II]

Chuchip, Its funny that you mention the combination of biology and history. History as we know it (and as I studied it in uni around 1980) is gradually being replaced by Big History (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_History) and by the history of the human race from the perspective of evolutionary biology. IN the words of francis Fukuyama: Darwin replaces Hegel. And it's a fascinating turn of events. No matter what sort of job you hold after you get that degree, there is a wealth of new territory and ideas to be explored. If you are lucky enough to be able to write about it and make a living that way, as Panzer suggested, you will never have a dull moment.

AII

[Rhyfelwyr]

Chuchip, Its funny that you mention the combination of biology and history. History as we know it (and as I studied it in uni around 1980) is gradually being replaced by Big History (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_History) and by the history of the human race from the perspective of evolutionary biology. IN the words of francis Fukuyama: Darwin replaces Hegel. And it's a fascinating turn of events. No matter what sort of job you hold after you get that degree, there is a wealth of new territory and ideas to be explored. If you are lucky enough to be able to write about it and make a living that way, as Panzer suggested, you will never have a dull moment.

I must second this.

When I was studying history, what I never found most intersting/challenging was never the particulars of any given period/kingdom/person/event etc. What I did find fascinating was trying to find a bigger picture to place all these things in, to understand them and get a bigger perspective and be able to look into the future.

Unfortunately when it comes to this, I've found its a classic case of "the more you know the more you don't know". Four years of undergraduate study is nowhere near enough to find such a grand historical narrative.

However I think I may have come to the roots of such a narrative when I was doing my dissertation. It was on the events which took place in mid-17th century Britain, with Cromwell, the Covenanters, etc. This in one topic which is renowned for the huge variety of historiography that lies behind it. So I went through all the different kinds and in the end I came to my own conclusion and got my own narrative on things which I feel was pretty comprehensive (cross-kingdom (England/Scotland) relationships, relationships within the factions in both kingdoms, their social roots of those factions, their expression in political theory etc).

So having done all this, I got my own narrative. And true to my form with me tossing all convention and sensibilities out the window and presenting everything in the most outrageous and uncompromising way possible, I call this 'national socialist' history.

For example, although there has been a move towards looking at the 'British' perspective of events (as opposed to Scottish/English differences), those historians have always pussyfooted around saying the differences between the kingdoms were still significant. So I put my foot down and said, no! This is British History (hence my title of 'The British Civil War'). I did similar things in unashamedly considering the socioeconomic aspect of things.

So you have a materialist perspective going on, but contained within the more abstract idea of the nation. Certainly I think such a view offers a very thorough explanation of the topic I was covering. Whether or not it can be applied more broadly is a whole other matter.

If anyone's interested I might make a monastry thread about this...

[Tuuvi]

Chuchip, Its funny that you mention the combination of biology and history. History as we know it (and as I studied it in uni around 1980) is gradually being replaced by Big History (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_History) and by the history of the human race from the perspective of evolutionary biology. IN the words of francis Fukuyama: Darwin replaces Hegel. And it's a fascinating turn of events. No matter what sort of job you hold after you get that degree, there is a wealth of new territory and ideas to be explored. If you are lucky enough to be able to write about it and make a living that way, as Panzer suggested, you will never have a dull moment.

AII

You know this is music to my ears, because as well as biology I'm also fascinated by Archaeology, Anthropology, History, etc. I've been a little torn between which one I should choose, it's nice to know they can be applied to one another.


If anyone's interested I might make a monastry thread about this...

You should, this sounds pretty interesting to me.

[edyzmedieval]

To be fair, I was quite interested in a history degree last year so much so that I applied to top UK universities about this. 3 accepted me, 2 rejected me. But since then I took a gap year and considered my decision, and I thought, what will it bring me on the job market?

I'm trying to compete with many many other successful graduates and although it brings a good host of skills such as the ability to sift through information really well, it's somewhat restricted when it comes to the types of jobs you could look for.

Of course, I may be wrong, but I chose another degree instead for this year.