Careers in History

Table of Contents

What Can You Do with History?

A degree in history equips students to be effective citizens, lifelong learners, and to have thriving careers. History majors develop strong communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills valued by all employers. 

No other major prepares students for as many different careers. Some graduates choose to work in history-related fields such as teaching, library science, museum studies, or public history. Others go on to successful careers in business, government, and nonprofit sectors. 

Did you know studies have shown that History majors earn more money ten years after graduation than almost all other majors? (This useful information might convince any doubters that History can be a good option!)

Where to Start?

  • Meet with a History Faculty Advisor.
  • Discover the prerequisites of your area of interest & tailor your program of study to meet curricular & skill needs.
  • Develop skills through internships, part-time jobs, volunteering, &/or obtaining a leadership role in a school or community organization.
  • Create a network of both formal & informal contacts.
  • Research various job opportunities, pay structures, & hiring processes.
Graduates in black caps and gowns cheer with raised arms while walking between Western's Humanities Building and Library.

Alumni Success Stories

Want to know what past WWU History undergraduates and graduates have done since graduating? 

Read their success stories here!

WWU Career Services

Career Services provides a comprehensive range of services to empower students and alumni in their career journeys.

Who Hires History Majors?

American Historical Association

The American Historical Association promotes historical work and the importance of historical thinking in public life. As the largest membership association of historians in the world (11,000 members), the AHA serves historians in a wide variety of professions and represents every historical era and geographical area.

 Find active job opportunities on AHA's Job Board!

Politics

  • Elected or Appointed Public Officials (i.e., Legislators, Governors, Mayors, judges)
  • National Political Party Headquarters
  • Public Interest/Advocacy Groups
  • Political Campaigns

Strategies

  • Gain experience or contacts through internships with government agencies or public officials.
  • Volunteer to work with public interest groups, political campaigns, political associations, or community service projects.
  • Participate in student government & campus politics.
  • Take courses in statistics, public policy, or other specific interest areas.

Government

Federal Agencies:

  • The Smithsonian Institute
  • National Archives & Records Library of Congress
  • National Park Services
  • Intelligence Services
  • Foreign Services

State & Local Agencies:

  • Archives & Libraries
  • Museums, Parks, & Historic Sites
  • Municipal Archives
  • Art & Humanities Councils

Strategies

  • Gain relevant experience in student government or other related organizations.
  • Complete an internship with a government agency.
  • Maintain a superior academic record.
  • Plan on obtaining an advanced degree.
  • Develop foreign language skills.
  • Become familiar with specialized government hiring procedures.
  • Consider a variety of entry-level positions in all branches of local, state, & federal government.

Business

  • All major retail firms including drug, specialty, variety, & department store chains
  • Wholesalers
  • Manufacturers
  • Insurance companies
  • Real Estate agencies
  • Financial institutions
  • Non-Profit Organizations

Strategies

  • Earn a minor in business.
  • Obtain related experience through retail sales or advertisement sales positions with campus newspaper.
  • Acquire good computer & statistical skills.
  • Develop excellent communications skills.
  • Obtain leadership experience in student/community organization.
  • Consider an MBA for brand management, consulting, & research opportunities.

Nonprofit Organizations

  • History Museums & Historic Sites
  • Historical Associations & Societies
  • Cultural Heritage Organizations
  • Historical Projects
  • Research & Service Institutions

Strategies

  • Volunteer with nonprofit organizations.
  • Consider relevant course work in anthropology, sociology, art history, or foreign languages.
  • Obtain leadership roles in relevant campus & community organizations.
  • Develop strong communication & research skills.
  • Demonstrate knowledge & experience in a specialty area, time period, or geographic locale.
  • Investigate term of service or service corps positions as a way to gain entry into the field.

Cultural & Archival Management

  • Museums
  • Historical Homes
  • Art Galleries
  • Special Collections
  • Historical Societies
  • Libraries
  • Universities & Colleges
  • National, State, & Local Government
  • Corporations
  • Non-profit Organizations
  • Research Institutes

Strategies

  • Acquire strong computer knowledge & experience.
  • Obtain an internship or volunteer in a related organization.
  • Develop excellent written & oral communication skills.
  • Hone organizational skills & develop attention to detail.
  • Earn a master's degree in information sciences for advanced opportunities in data management.

Journalism & Media

  • News Departments of Local, Public, Commercial Radio, & TV Stations
  • Syndicated Radio Services
  • Newspapers, Magazines & Journals
  • National, State, & Regional Radio Networks
  • Wire services
  • Internet sites
  • Textbook or commercial publishing houses

Strategies

  • Work on Campus newspaper, TV, or radio.
  • Find summer or part-time work with local commercial TV or radio station.
  • Volunteer with public TV or radio.
  • Consider obtaining a minor or double major in journalism or broadcasting/electronic media.

Education

  • Public & Private Schools
  • Colleges & Universities
  • Museums
  • Zoological Parks, Aquariums, Wildlife Refugees, & Bird Sanctuaries
  • Arboretums, Gardens, & Conservatories
  • Camps
  • National & State Parks

Strategies

  • Develop presentation & digital media skills.
  • Obtain a teaching certificate for public school teaching.
  • Obtain a graduate degree for college/university teaching.
  • Gain experience as a tutor, camp counselor, etc.
  • Build strong relationships with professors for strong recommendations.

Law

  • Law Firms & Private Practice
  • Government Agencies
  • Public Advocacy Groups
  • Corporations
  • Universities & colleges
  • Legal aid societies
  • Legal clinics
  • Nonprofit & public interest organizations: ACLU, NAACP, Legal Defense Fund, Legal Services Corporation, etc.
  • Other private legal services

Strategies

  • Obtain paralegal training or law degree.
  • Work part-time at a law firm, volunteer with a public advocacy group, or gain experience with mediation.
  • Participate in debate or mock trial & pre-law association.
  • Develop strong research skills & attention to detail.
  • Minor in a specialized area of law, (e.g., a minor in business for a career in corporate law).
  • Maintain a high-grade point average & secure faculty recommendations. 

Famous History Majors

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — NBA 
Univ. of California, Los Angeles 

Grant Hill — NBA 
Duke Univ. 

Jackie Joyner-Kersee — Athlete 
Univ. of California, Los Angeles

Bud Selig — Commissioner of Baseball
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison

Shaka Smart — Athlete & College Basketball Coach
Kenyon College

Kenneth Chenault — CEO & Chairman, American Express; Chairman, General Catalyst Partners
Bowdoin Coll.

Chelsea Clinton — Author, Nonprofit Leader, & Health Advocate 
Stanford Univ. 

Carly Fiorina — Businesswoman, Hewlett-Packard
Stanford Univ. 

Chris Hughes — Co-Founder, Facebook
Harvard Univ.

Sam Kass — Chef, Nonprofit Leader  
Univ. of Chicago 

Robert L. Johnson — Entrepreneur, BET 
Univ. of Illinois 

Alexis Ohanian — Co-Founder and Chairman, Reddit
Univ. of Virginia

Sam Palmisano — CEO, IBM 
Johns Hopkins Univ. 

John Pepper — CEO & Chairman, Procter & Gamble
Yale Univ. 

Martha Stewart — Businesswoman 
Barnard Coll.

Sevetri Wilson — CEO, Resilia
Louisiana State Univ.

Susan Diane Wojcicki — CEO, YouTube
Harvard Univ.

Sean Astin — Actor 
Univ. of California, Los Angeles 

Ellen Barkin — Actor
Hunter Coll.

Sacha Baron Cohen — Comedian 
Univ. of Cambridge

Dean Cain — Actor 
Princeton Univ. 

Steve Carell — Comedian
Denison Univ. 

Julia Child — Chef, Author, TV Presenter 
Smith Coll. 

Larry David — Comedian 
Univ. of Maryland

Brian Dennehy — Actor 
Columbia Univ. 

Will Forte — Actor
Univ. of California, Los Angeles 

Cary Fukunaga — Director
Univ. of California, Santa Cruz 

Katherine Hepburn — Actor
Bryn Mawr Coll. 

John Lithgow — Actor 
Harvard Univ. (History & Literature)

Christopher Meloni — Actor 
Univ. of Colorado at Boulder 

Errol Morris — Documentarian 
Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison

Edward Norton — Actor 
Yale Univ. 

Conan O’Brien — Comedian 
Harvard Univ. (History and Literature)

Michael Palin — Actor 
Univ. of Oxford 

Ramtin Arablouei — Journalist, NPR 
Saint Mary’s Coll. of Maryland 

Chris Berman — Commentator, ESPN 
Brown Univ. 

Wolf Blitzer — Journalist, CNN 
Univ. at Buffalo, State Univ. of New York 

Terry Gannon — Sportscaster 
North Carolina State Univ. 

Jasmine Guillory — Novelist
Wellesley Coll. 

Alix Harrow — Novelist
Berea Coll.

Seymour Hersh — Journalist, New Yorker 
Univ. of Chicago 

Mikki Kendall — Author & Commentator
Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Charles Kuralt — Journalist, CBS 
Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

Annie Proulx — Novelist
Univ. of Vermont

Kai Ryssdal — Host, NPR’s Marketplace 
Emory Univ. 

Kristen Welker — Journalist, NBC 
Harvard Univ.

Eric Holder — Former US Attorney General 
Columbia Univ. 

Elena Kagan — US Supreme Court Justice 
Princeton Univ.

Brett Kavanaugh — US Supreme Court Justice
Yale Univ.

Joshua Matz — Attorney 
Univ. of Pennsylania 

John Roberts — US Supreme Court Chief Justice
Harvard Univ.

Antonin Scalia — Former US Supreme Court Justice 
Georgetown Univ. 

Sonia Sotomayor — US Supreme Court Justice 
Princeton Univ. 

Joshua Stein — Attorney General of North Carolina
Dartmouth Coll.

Jimmy Buffett — Singer-songwriter 
Univ. of Southern Mississippi 

Anthony da Costa — Singer-songwriter 
Columbia Univ. 

John Baldacci — Governor of Maine 
Univ. of Maine, Orono 

Joseph Biden Jr. — US President 
Univ. of Delaware 

Gordon Brown — UK Prime Minister 
Univ. of Edinburgh 

George W. Bush — US President 
Yale Univ. 

Tom Cole — US House of Representatives 
Grinnell Coll. 

Ken Dryden — NHL, Canadian Parliament 
Cornell Univ. 

Newt Gingrich — US House of Representatives 
Emory Univ. 

Orrin Hatch — US Senate 
Brigham Young Univ. 

Josh Hawley — US Senate 
Stanford Univ. 

Deidre Henderson — Utah Lt. Governor 
Brigham Young Univ. 

Richard Nixon — US President
Whittier Coll. 

Stacey Plaskett — US House of Representatives Delegate 
Georgetown Univ. 

Susan Rice — National Security Advisor, Domestic Policy Council Director
Stanford Univ.

Franklin D. Roosevelt — US President
Harvard Univ.

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