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Careers in History

Academe

The history major opens for students a variety of possible career avenues.  Historians work in classrooms at all levels of education; in museums; in the editing and publishing fields; in archives; in historic preservation; at federal, state, and local agencies; and as lawyers, business people, consultants, and contractors.  The following links are helpful in determining the career in history that is right for you.

The American Historical Association posts a site that provides an overview of the whole scope of careers available to students of history.  See . The Organization of American Historians offers one as well: .

Many historical careers require advanced degrees in history. For an overview of graduate education in history, visit the American Historical Association's  page.


Academe

For careers in academe, visit the American Historical Association website at , Higher Ed Jobs at , and the Chronicle of Higher Education website at .  The chronicle.com site features a career resources link for both academic and nonacademic jobs.

For careers in history outside the academic world, you may want to begin at  or  to see the range of opportunities available.


Government

For jobs with the U.S. government, including the National Archives and Records Administration and the U.S. military, go to .  You will find there job postings and instructions to apply.  The site may also be worth investigating.  Consider, too, visiting the site for the Society for History in the Federal Government at .  For jobs as a Foreign Service Officer or other positions within the State Department, see .  You may also want to visit or for careers in those agencies.  For jobs with the National Park Service, visit .

For jobs in state and local government, visit .


Historical Societies/State Archives

For careers with historical societies and in state archives, visit the American Association of State and Local History site at , the Society of American Archivists site at , and the American Historical Association site at .


Public History/Museums

For public history/museum jobs, visit the American Association of Museums site at and the National Council on Public History site at .


Politics

For careers in politics, visit , , and .



This is by no means an exhaustive list of websites for history majors seeking internships and permanent employment opportunities, but it will hopefully get your search off to a good start.

Jobs for History Majors

Experts on careers for history program alumni say that the following types of jobs are common among these graduates:

  • High school history teacher
  • Community college history lecturer
  • College or university history professor
  • Government historian
  • Historical consultant
  • Political advisor
  • Museum curator
  • Archivist
  • Lawyer
  • Researcher
  • Analyst
  • Diplomat
  • Journalist
  • Writer