What You Can Do with a History Major

Department of History

Undergraduate Program

What you can do with a History Major

Many of the students in WMU history program are preparing to be secondary teachers. The university began as a normal school in 1903 for the purpose of training teachers and it continues to be one of the best places in Michigan to prepare for this career. There are other choices. There are teaching opportunities above the secondary level, in junior colleges, colleges and universities. Our faculty is actively engaged in research and graduate education and can prepare you for graduate school and help place you at other institutions around the country. We also have a strong program in public history at the undergraduate and graduate levels, to prepare people to work in museums, archives and public programs.

All three of these options are offered as formal programs of study, but there are still more possibilities. Students interested in careers in law, journalism, creative or scientific writing, or librarianship can prepare at the undergraduate level by majoring in history. Scratch the surface of a history major and you find someone who likes to read and write. One of the goals of the history program is to nurture interest in self-education, since the 21st century will require growth and change from all of us, not least from our secondary teachers.

Careers

Government agencies and private businesses alike are turning to their past in order to develop better policies for the future. Many federal departments and state and local governments are now mature enough to have historical data banks on which to draw, to analyze the impact of past programs and policies as a basis for new legislation. Business executives are increasingly aware of the need to organize their archives and corporate records, and to take more initiative in public relations by developing museums and related outreach activities.

For history majors at Western Michigan University, these developments translate into an unprecedented variety of opportunities to practice history professionally. The field needs outstanding, committed teachers at every level. Public and private sector jobs in research and interpretation are almost bewildering in their diversity.

Examples of Job Titles for History Majors:

*Please note that some of the listed positions require education beyond a bachelor’s degree.

Anthropologist	Archivist	Clergy	Congressional Aide	Historical Society Staff Member	Economist
FBI / CIA Agent	Foreign Service Officer	Government Official	Historic Preservation Specialist	Museum Curator	Intelligence Analyst
Journalist	Lecturer	Librarian	Market Research Analyst	Urban Planner	Peace Corps / Vista Worker
Psychologist	Research Assistant	Teacher, Social Studies	Travel Agent	Criminologist	Editor
Archeologist	Biographer	Community Relations Director	Historic Site Tour Guide	Museum Technicians & Specialist	International Relations Specialist
Foreign News Correspondent	Genealogist	Historian	Insurance Agent / Broker	Writer / Author	Political Scientist
Lawyer	Legal Assistant / Paralegal	Lobbyist	Indicter	Demographer	Media Consultant
Public Relations Specialist	Sociologist	Technical Writer	Counselor	Park Ranger	Urban Administrator

Examples of Employers of History Majors:

Advertising	Media	Public Interest Groups	Schools & Universities	Education	Parks & Recreation
Broadcasting	Museums	Campaigns	State & Local Governments	Health & Human Services	Police & Fire Protection
Bureau of the Census	Paralegal Profession	Legislators	Travel and Tour Services	Highway & Street Construction and Maintenance	Social & Welfare Services
Central Intelligence Agency / Federal Bureau of Investigation	Peace Corps / Vista	Political Parties	Administration & Legislation	Housing & Community Development	Transportation
Department of State	Politics	Research Foundations	Corrections & Court Systems	Library	Archives

Careers Links

For a further information on oppurtunities available to history majors see this link:

http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/major.html

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