History Qualifications?

[CountArach]

I'm just wondering what qualifications everyone here has in the field of history. I have recently started an Arts degree this year, majoring in Ancient History and probably Latin.

So what about you guys?

[Geoffrey S]

Oh, none. I just read books.

[Martok]

Oh, none. I just read books.

Ditto that. I'm just an enthusiastic amateur, nothing more.

[seireikhaan]

Third(ed). Nothing more than what I pick up here and there in perusings.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I'm going to work on a history degree eventually.

[Furious Mental]

I did a BA and studied about half medieval Europe and half modern Europe and Asia.

[Spartan198]

Fourth. Played God of War,then got hooked on ancient Greek mythology,which lead to ancient Greek history. Now,here I am in a world of hoplites,Spartans,dorata,and aspides. Despise those darn Trojans,though.

Good luck with your degree,Count.

[Furious Mental]

Yes good luck. I don't like to discourage you but you had better be good at history if you want to make a career out of it. One of my lecturers, who had studied in the UK, was pretty frank about it- it is great to research and/or teach something that fascinates you but due to the dearth of jobs in the field (especially in Australia) you won't get one unless you are really outstanding.

[CountArach]

Thanks guys

Well fortunately, I am going to the most prestigious arts-related University in Australia (Sydney), which should hopefully give me a leg-up. I'll probably end up teaching or something, but I remain optimistic about a professorship (Pending completion of a PhD of course...).

[I of the Storm]

Good luck! I'll describe my curriculum, but since the german university system is a bit different I can only try.
I have a Magister Artium (roughly equivalent to todays Master, I think) in Medieval History, currently working on my doctoral thesis (finishing it with Dr. phil., which should be roughly equivalent to PhD). I was lucky to get a 3-years-scholarship for this. What comes after this, I don't know. In order to teach properly, I would have to take a second qualification (called "Habilitation", I think only Germany has this, it's another 6 yrs.). I'm not sure about taking this. I'll try to take a route into museums or publishing industries maybe.

[Noncommunist]

I took AP European History in High School earlier this year. Otherwise, most of my knowledge is gained from books or from other people.

[TinCow]

BA in History with Honors, but nothing beyond that. I've contemplated a PhD before, but the time commitment is simply absurd for someone who has to work full time. I'll stick with my armchair history education, rather than another 5-7 years of schooling.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

finishing it with Dr. phil., which should be roughly equivalent to PhD

PhD is the abbreviation for Doctor of Philosophy.

[KrooK]

I have choosen history on my mature exam and I passed it very well.
Then I had history of law in the world and history of polish law at my studies.

[Caius]

Played Empire Earth

And studied 5 years of hs. And I watch the History Channel.

[Gaius Scribonius Curio]

Oh, none. I just read books.

Agreed, although I did get the history award in year 12. Australian history is boring as all hell though.

Would love to do an Arts degree (focusing on Ancient history/ classics) but am too busy with my Engineering degree at the minute, lol.

[CountArach]

Agreed, although I did get the history award in year 12. Australian history is boring as all hell though.

Haha, yeah. Our history really isn't even remotely interesting

[Furious Mental]

Oh god tell me about it. I did ancient history in the last two years of high school to avoid having to do Australian history for the enth year in a row.

[seireikhaan]

Oh god tell me about it. I did ancient history in the last two years of high school to avoid having to do Australian history for the enth year in a row.

What's there to study...? I mean, it aint like there's much of anything to study...

[Gaius Scribonius Curio]

Agreed, I wanted to do ancient history, but my school didn't do it, so I chose to do a form of history. At least the Cold War was slightly more interesting! The only reason I did it really is because I enjoyed my history classes in England (and was going to do it as a GCSE) so it seemed like a natural progression. I was soooo wrong!

[Geoffrey S]

Well fortunately, I am going to the most prestigious arts-related University in Australia (Sydney), which should hopefully give me a leg-up. I'll probably end up teaching or something, but I remain optimistic about a professorship (Pending completion of a PhD of course...).

Not to be discouraging, but the way it seems to me is that going to a prestigious university doesn't mean much. Wherever you go the best way to get any leg-up whatsoever is simply to work hard and belong in the top part of the students, certainly if you're looking for a good job in teaching and/or want more contact with the better lecturers.

BA in History with Honors, but nothing beyond that. I've contemplated a PhD before, but the time commitment is simply absurd for someone who has to work full time. I'll stick with my armchair history education, rather than another 5-7 years of schooling.

What does 'with Honors' mean, exactly? Is it a particular series of grades or following extra classes?

[Furious Mental]

If you seek a job in a place where no one knows anything about Australian universities (which would be anywhere other than Australia) then obviously it won't make a difference which university you went to. On the other hand if you seek a job within Australia you will face the associated preconceptions. Certainly where I live employers in certain professions will give a graduate more consideration for a job based simply on the fact that they went to the university that is the city's oldest and hardest to gain entry to. In some cases this is not unfair because some of its faculties are much better than those at other universities. If you're after an academic job (which seems more likely if you study ancient history) then it helps simply to have gone to a university that is known in the academic community to have a quality history faculty with expert staff, of which Sydney is one. On the other hand as far historians are concerned a BA from James Cook University in Queensland is an unknown quantity because JCU has no separate history faculty.

[TinCow]

What does 'with Honors' mean, exactly? Is it a particular series of grades or following extra classes?

It's kind of a bastardized cum laude that is awarded on the basis of the quality of the senior year thesis rather than GPA. I missed out on "with High Honors" because of crappy proofreading.

The explanation from my university:

Honors: Since September 1979
The B.A. degree with Honors or High Honors in a department, program, or College has been awarded to students who meet departmental criteria with work of distinguished quality. High Honors requires work of unusual distinction.

The degree with Honors or High Honors in General Scholarship is awarded to students who have fulfilled the expectations for general education and completed a cross-disciplinary honors project deemed distinguished by the Committee on Honors.

http://www.wesleyan.edu/registrar/transcriptkey.pdf

[Motep]

I am the official "guy" to cover most historical and geographic questions for my quiz bowl team.

[Csargo]

I just read a lot.

[Decker]

I've read quite a few books hobby-wise and plan on getting a history degree in archiving or something of that sort at a local college here in California. It also has some military history courses too so that's quite a nice little bonus.

[Geoffrey S]

It's kind of a bastardized cum laude that is awarded on the basis of the quality of the senior year thesis rather than GPA. I missed out on "with High Honors" because of crappy proofreading.

I see, thanks.

[Mount Suribachi]

The explanation from my university:



http://www.wesleyan.edu/registrar/transcriptkey.pdf

Hey, you went to the same Uni as Bill Bellichek and Mike Carlson!

Oh, uh, I have not a single history qualification. Not even a GCSE (ie I stopped at 13. I couldn't take any more of "is this evidence primary, secondary or tertiary?" )

[YellowMelon]

I have my BA (Honours) with a major in History (my school is too small to offer subject distinctions for history, though we used to have North American History program). By June I will have my BEd (Bachelor of Education). Of course this means I am on my way to become a history teacher And hopefully inspire a new generation to love history as I do (as pretty much everyone else here does hehe). Since getting my masters in history wouldn't really help my career much, I have applied to several education masters programs.

History is an interesting field. Even if you do not love it coming out of high school, it really can grab you later in life. I am still rather young and have loved history the whole way through, but I know many people who gained an appreciation for history at an older age.

Does having a degree in history make you more knowledgeable? I don't think so. What a degree will do is hone your research skills and develop higher ordered thinking. If you take any historiography (in my school is was a requirement), you will learn how to read history with a critical eye. Some of the most knowledgeable people I have met online do not have qualifications in history, or any other field for that matter. History is so broad that you can't learn it all, so amateurs can specialize in certain areas and become more knowledgeable than people with degrees (even PhDs). I know several people who have graduated from my program that know absolutely nothing about history, but rather their capacity for alcohol consumption!

[Geoffrey S]

Does having a degree in history make you more knowledgeable? I don't think so. What a degree will do is hone your research skills and develop higher ordered thinking. If you take any historiography (in my school is was a requirement), you will learn how to read history with a critical eye. Some of the most knowledgeable people I have met online do not have qualifications in history, or any other field for that matter. History is so broad that you can't learn it all, so amateurs can specialize in certain areas and become more knowledgeable than people with degrees (even PhDs). I know several people who have graduated from my program that know absolutely nothing about history, but rather their capacity for alcohol consumption!

Agreed. That's also what my course focuses on: understanding why people write history, and honing research and writing skills with work lectures and papers. While amateurs can learn the facts and often learn many (as is evidenced by internet...) they aren't going to be the people who put things in perspective or dig deeper for underlying causes and subtle effects.

To be honest, after starting the course I cannot possibly read many books with the same eyes again.