Career Paths
Students often ask, “So, what can I do with a history major?” This is an important, practical question. Unlike professional degrees such as nursing, pharmacy or accounting, there is no single career track that all history majors take after graduating. Instead, a history major’s skillset can be directed at a variety of professions, so your career options can be more flexible.
BSU history majors have entered careers in high school or collegiate teaching, law, government, business, religious ministry, library science, book editing and museum work. Historians make good legislators, journalists, business leaders and authors. A history major pairs well with social studies education, business, pre-law, English, philosophy, political science and other degree programs.
History majors obtain these high-demand skills from the BSU History Program:
- Writing and Oral Communication Skills: We prepare students to make effective written and oral arguments based on solid analysis and evidence.
- Analytical Skills: Historians evaluate both primary sources produced by people in the past and secondary sources written by other historians, understanding how assumptions, biases and interpretations change over time. Our history classes ask students to pinpoint problems and their solutions. History majors consider why events occurred and what their significance is.
- Research Skills: Our history program helps majors grow comfortable finding, organizing and using a variety of formats (online databases, books, journals, archival materials, etc.) to uncover source material. By the time you graduate, you will be able to trace an issue’s root, find new information related to that issue and incorporate that information into your own analyses.
Common Career Options for History Graduates
Graduates from the humanities program often work in teaching positions or museum positions.
| Career | Median Salary | Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Archivists, Curators, and Museum Workers | $52,140 | 19% |
| Editors | $63,400 | 5% |
| History Teacher | $62,870 | 8% |
| Historians | $63,100 | 5% |
| Journalist | $49,300 | 6% |
| Lawyers | $126,930 | 9% |
| Librarian | $60,820 | 9% |
| Market Research Analyst | $65,810 | 22% |
| Writers and Authors | $67,120 | 9% |
For more career outlook information, visit Career Services.