What Can I Do With a Major in…
History? The history program at Cedar Crest emphasizes the acquisition of knowledge and skills applicable across a broad spectrum of careers and professions and an engagement with values, ethics, and choices that will prepare students for responsible democratic citizenship and fulfilling lives. Many of the skills acquired in history courses are shared with other disciplines, among them critical thinking, problem solving, effective communication, and mastery of an ever-widening range of sources of information. Particular to history, however, are other skills essential for engaged citizenship and for participation in a global society. History teaches the importance of understanding change over time and of knowing how to place events, individuals, and experiences in the context of time and place. These objectives are highlighted in the 2008 report of the National History Center Working Group entitled “The History Major and Undergraduate Liberal Education.” To quote from the report, “History as a discipline contributes to civic engagement by focusing on citizenship and how shared civic ideals have developed over time. History provides important knowledge of the development of public policy, the institutions of civic society, and how individuals constitute societies and relate to one another.”
Skills Associated with History Majors:
Public speaking skills Analytical mind Reflective nature Appreciation of past events Desire to research Proficiency in reading, writing, and research Intellectual capacity to excel in undergraduate and graduate programs Ability to collect and organize historical data Strong communication skills Keen observation skills Attention to detail and accuracy
Anthropologist Archeologist Archivist Biographer Community Relations Congressional Aide Consumer Advocate Counselor Criminologist Demographer Economist Editor FBI / CIA Agent Foreign News Correspondent Foreign Service Officer Genealogist Gerontologist Government Official
Sample Career Titles**:
Historian Historic Preservation Historic Site Tour Guide Historical Society Staff Human Service Worker Insurance Agent/Broker Intelligence Analyst International Relations Journalist Judge Lawyer Lecturer Legal Assistant/Paralegal Librarian Lobbyist Market Research Media Consultant Museum Curator
**Some careers may require further training and/or educational degree.
Museum Technicians Newspaper Reporter Paralegal Assistant Park Ranger Peace Corps Worker Political Scientist Psychologist Public Administrator Public Relations Research Assistant Research Library Sociologist Technical Writer Travel Agent Urban Administrator Urban Planner Writer/Author