Why study History at university? History, as a major, doesn’t narrow down your opportunities but instead opens a world of possibilities. Several famous professionals pursued a degree in history, including:
If you are interested in joining this list of remarkable people, a history program is the best option for you. Read on for more information about this course, possible career paths, and specialization.
History is the study of human experience from the past to the present. It focuses on interpreting the past to come up with logical explanations about peoples, places, events, and periods. Students cover a broad range of subject matter throughout history. The various elements within the subject include cultural, economic, social, and political history.
Besides studying the historical method, students may also cover topics about medieval Europe, society, and politics of the 18th and 19th centuries as well as world history. Additionally, depending on the students’ interest, the topics covered may overlap with other disciplines such as Sociology, Gender Studies, International Relations or Politics.
History courses are offered by universities under the Bachelor of Arts program. Find the best universities for a history degree here.
Although not compulsory, some universities require applicants to have some background in history or those that achieved good grades in the subject at the secondary school level. However, most universities consider students without experience in the subject.
Additionally, many arts, social sciences, and humanities subjects are excellent preparation for a history course.
What are the key skills for studying History?
Generally, history courses offer detailed and theoretical knowledge to students at all levels. Because the subject focuses on a collective past throughout civilizations, there are many specializations that students can concentrate on.
In most cases, however, specialization in history programs strongly depends on the national or regional culture as well as periods in which the university is located. Nonetheless, students can also choose to study this course as a focused program such as art history, military history, ancient history, European history, or American history, among others.
Furthermore, the first year of study focuses on providing students with a general overview and foundation of the discipline. Later on, students can specialize in a specific area of the subject. Some of the topics you may study include:
Here are some of the specializations:
Ancient history
Ancient history focuses on the collective past from the beginning of writing and recording of human history to post-classical accounts.
European history
European history, also known as the history of Europe, focuses on the people, their culture, and the regions they occupied. Naturally, it includes the study of ancient societies such as the Hebrews, Egyptians, Phoenicians among others that led to present civilizations.
Asian history
This program concentrates on the cultures and history of China, Korea, and Japan. It provides students with knowledge of the collective history of various coastal regions in South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
Latin American history
Latin American history focuses on the history of the region from the pre-Columbian period to the colonization by the Spanish and Portuguese in the 15th century, the war for independence in the 19th century, and developments until the 20th century.
Russian and Eastern European history
This program focuses on ancient kingdoms of Eastern Europe before, during, and after the First and Second World Wars. It covers topics such as tsarist Russia, World War I, World War II, the Cold War, the Russian Revolution. Additionally, this course may also include other areas such as communism, socialism, international relations, and economics.
Global or world history
Global history concentrates on the processes that transcend nations, regions, or even civilizations. Some of the processes that may be covered include nationalism, colonialism, imperialism, international relations, industrialization, peace and war, popular culture, women/gender, science and technology, demography, and so on.
United states history
American history or United States history focuses on the development of the country. This course covers various topics that led to the present civilization and development such as the American Revolution, the American Civil War, the Great Depression, and the Declaration of Independence.
African history
The African history program provides an in-depth introduction to the African continent. It covers African social and political institutions, as well as how they’ve developed over time.
Gender history
Gender history is a branch of history and gender studies that concentrates on the past from the perspective of gender. In many ways, this study is strongly related to women’s history. It considers how historical events and periods impacted women and men differently.
Military history
This is a branch of history that focuses on the historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity and its impact on societies, economies, cultures as well as the resulting alterations to local and international relationships.
Cultural history
Cultural or Social history studies and interprets the record of human societies by analyzing the numerous ways of living of a group of people. It involves the aggregate of ancient cultural practices such as interactions, ceremonies, social classes, and so on.
Nationalism and political identities
National and political identities history focuses on a person’s identity to a state or nation as well as the practices that build a political identity such as culture, language, descent, among others.
Ancient Rome
This program provides students with an overview of the political, economic, and military climate of ancient Rome. Students learn about the Roma law and its influences throughout history.
Similar to most social sciences and humanities subjects, history majors can venture into a wide range of careers in multiple industries. Their analytical and critical thinking mindset makes history graduates highly valuable to the job market, especially in sectors that deal with societal problems, cultures, politics, and economics.
Some of the jobs and careers for history majors include:
1. Archivist
If you love the idea of preserving history, then you’ll enjoy this career path. Archivists are responsible for acquiring, managing, and maintaining documents as well as other materials that are of historical or cultural significance.
2. Heritage manager
Heritage managers are responsible for conserving and managing heritage sites such as landscapes, historic buildings, ancient monuments, landscapes, and so on. Generally, their duties revolve around preserving a site while balancing income generation and business sustainability.
3. Museum/gallery curator
Museum or gallery curators are responsible for managing collections of artifacts or works of art, including the acquisition, care, and display of these items to educate and inform the public.
4. Secondary school teacher
Secondary school teachers provide support, teach, observe, and record the progress of the pupils. Additionally, they plan lessons to ensure their students develop a healthy learning culture.
5. Museum educator
Museum educators are responsible for informing and educating the public about the collections on display. They develop lesson strategies, give lectures, design activities for visitors, manage museum volunteers, and so on.
6. Journalist
Journalists are responsible for researching, writing, editing, proofreading, and filing news stories in a fascinating manner. Journalists can work on television, radio, magazines, newspaper, online, and so on.
7. Public relations expert
Public relations experts are responsible for building and maintaining a positive public image of an organization. They develop media for press releases to social media messages to communicate a company’s views to the public.
8. Librarian
Librarians are responsible for cataloging, selecting, categorizing, acquiring, circulating, and maintaining library materials, references, bibliographical and reader’s advisory services.
9. Business consultant
Business consultants are responsible for analyzing existing business practices and make suggestions for improvements. Business consultants with a history major commonly provide recommendations to museums, historical sites, and institutions.
10. Lawyer
Lawyers are responsible for representing clients in civil and criminal litigation as well as other legal proceedings, developing legal documents, or overseeing and advising clients about legal transactions. Some lawyers specialize in a specific field, while others practice law broadly in multiple areas.
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