What can I do with a history degree?

A history degree is valuable in many different fields. The study of history produces people with excellent communication and critical thinking skills who are capable of handling a variety of jobs and positions. Such people are of high value in many fields and to thousands of employers, including businesses. People trained in the liberal arts bring with them a broad understanding not only of American society but also of other cultures, which is of tremendous benefit in our global economy.
Businesses often have to train new employees and history majors are more likely to have the skills necessary to understand and to master this training. Liberal arts education has been the backbone of university curriculum since the Middle Ages for a reason!

Career options

In addition to a career in business, history majors may

a) GO to law school.

The History and Liberal Studies Degrees are excellent for pre-law majors, since course work in those disciplines train students to think critically, research thoroughly, and understand the human experience. Law schools generally look favorably upon students with a History or Liberal Studies degree. Students who have taken history degrees from McNeese have graduated from law schools all over the nation.

b) GO to graduate school.

Graduate students may get either a Masters or a Ph.D. degree and teach in a junior college or a university. A History or Liberal Studies degree from McNeese will prepare you to go to a graduate program in History, Religious Studies, American Studies, Women’s Studies, or another Liberal Arts discipline.

c) BECOME a policy advisor

A Policy advisor works for a research institution or a private think tank such as the Rand Corporation, the Heritage Foundation, the Brookings Institute, or public research agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the Center for Military History. Duties would include providing historical analysis of issues in the news and advising on matters of public policy.

d) MANAGE a historic site such as a National Park or a museum.

People with degrees in history are needed to design signs, exhibits, demonstrations, brochures, guided or self-guided tours, dramatizations, audio- and videotapes, and slide presentations.

e) WORK as a researcher in a museum or a historical organization.

Work here involves identifying, verifying and describing donated objects and artifacts. Research focuses on objects to determine what they are, how they were produced, the context in which they were used, and their significance.

f) BECOME a cultural resources manager (CRM).

What the heck is that, you ask? A CRM works for a governmental, private or nonprofit agency to help document, protect, interpret, and restore historic buildings and structures, and archeological sites, among others. Research involves environmental studies or the management of historic and archeological sites and objects. Historians working for federal agencies, particularly land management agencies such as the US Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service may conduct research to determine the impact of proposed agency projects on cultural resources, including buildings and archeological sites.

Alumni

McNeese History Department graduates have entered careers:

– in law
– as archivists
– in historic preservation
– as university professors
– as museum curators
– as state and federal employees
– as administrators for nonprofit agencies

One of our graduates is working for the United Nations in international women’s human rights law. Another, after earning a Ph.D., became the director of the T. Harry Williams Center on Oral History at LSU. Some of our graduates are currently working to document and write about the history of Louisiana. Others have opened their own law practices or are working in other capacities in the state and federal judicial system, or in national preservation. To date, all of our graduates seeking admission to graduate school have gained admission and have successfully completed their degrees.