Career Planning
You can do many things with a major in history!
History majors develop widely transferable skills of communication, research, and critical and creative thinking which are highly valued by employers. Our graduates have gone on to careers in many fields including:
- Project management in business, government, and non-profit sectors
- Research and marketing
- Writing, editing, journalism, and public relations
- Information management in libraries, archives, and museums
- Law and public policy
- Secondary education
- Higher education
Explore your options
- The University Advising & Career Development Center provides a centralized service to help you plan your career, develop job-search skills, obtain student employment while attending college, and secure a job upon graduation. The Career Coaches, April Calkovsky, Logann Dolan, and Barb Gehring, all work with students whose majors are in History, Religious Studies, and Social Studies, and are eager to meet with you to explore your career path. You can make an appointment with them though Handshake or by calling UACDC at 487-0400.
- Careers for History Majors is a helpful resource from the American Historical Association. (An older version of this guide can also be found on the AHA site.)
- TypeFocus offers online personality type and career assessment resources. This service is free to EMU students with access code EMU1849.
- Handshake, Eastern’s search platform for student employment opportunities, also contains sample résumés and other job search resources.
- O*NET OnLine presents detailed information about different occupations.
Build your résumé with additional skills
You can increase your ability to land an entry position in your desired field by gaining specific skills needed in that field, such as the ability to use a particular software package. Often these skills can be gained through a small amount of coursework, an internship, a volunteer assignment, or a part-time job. As The Chronicle of Higher Education reports, fields in which basic skills can help you get a foot in the door include:
- IT networking and support
- Sales
- General business
- Data analysis and management
- Social media
- Computer programming
- Graphic design
- Marketing
Some fields require a graduate degree
- Teaching history at the university or community college level generally requires a Ph.D. If you are considering graduate study in History, discuss this option with your History professors and your advisor early in your undergraduate career.
- History is one of the most common majors of successful law school applicants. The Political Science Department offers advice to pre-law students, and the American Bar Association also offers advice on preparing for law school and additional resources for pre-law students. Learn about the application process, including the Law School Admissions Test, at the Law School Admissions Council website.
- You may secure an entry-level position in a library, archives, or museum with a Bachelor’s degree, but career advancement usually requires a Master’s degree in library science, information science, or a content field such as history. If you are considering a career in information management or public history, talk with an advisor about your options. Professor John McCurdy can help you arrange an internship in a library, archives, or museum.
We offer several majors for future Social Studies teachers
If you would like to teach History and Social Studies at the middle school or high school level, we urge you to meet with an advisor as early as possible to select a major and plan your course of study.