Careers

Careers in History

The study of history serves as excellent preprofessional training in a very wide range of career fields that require skills in the processing and presentation of complex information. Research, analysis, and writing skills, together with intercultural understanding and the ability to come to balanced judgments of conflicting claims are perhaps better developed by the study of history than by any other discipline. For these reasons, the major in history is highly valued as a foundation for graduate coursework in fields ranging from law to business and public administration. When combined with the appropriate technical skills, the study of history provides a superior foundation for a lifetime of achievement in almost any professional career. Additionally, Oakland University's Department of History trains numerous students to serve as professional historians employed as teachers in high schools and colleges.

History Students and the Job Market

Most history majors obtain jobs in the business world. History majors offer employers a broad range of skills: the ability to write effectively, research thoroughly, organize materials effectively, and solve complex problems. The Department of History encourages students to combine their major with courses in pre-law, statistics, computer science, accounting, and economics. Joined with technical skills in such areas, the traditional skills developed by the major in history provide a solid foundation for success in the job market.

The following is a sample of the career fields in which Oakland University history majors now work:

* government service
* university teaching
* business management
* the law
* banking
* research, political, and statistical analysis
* journalism
* health-care management
* sales and marketing
* insurance
* the ministry
* translation work
* library management

To read about the successful career paths of just a few of the History Department's distinguished alumni, see our Alumni Profiles.

Career Planning and Placement Resources

Students are strongly encouraged to consider plans for summer internships and to begin working with Oakland University's Career Services office early in their educational program. The office is located in 154 North Foundation Hall and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Call (248) 370-3250 for an appointment, or simply drop in during open advising hours (Monday through Thursday from noon to 4:30pm).

The following resources have been compiled by the American Historical Association to aid history majors in assessing their career options:

* History majors as Educators.
* History majors as Researchers.
* History majors as Communicators.
* History majors as Advocates.
* History majors in Business.

For additional ideas, you may want to check the following books:

* Blythe Camenson, Opportunities in Museum Careers (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007).
* Sheila J. Curran and Suzanne Greenwald, Smart Moves for Liberal Arts Grads: Finding a Path to Your Perfect Career (Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2006).
* Sarah Dunham and Lisa Vollmer, What To Do With Your History or Political Science Degree (Princeton: Princeton Review, 2008).
* Carol Eikleberry, The Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People (Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2007).
* Stephen Lambert and Julie DeGalan, Great Jobs for History Majors, 3rd edition (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007).

Careers in college teaching and other forms of professional historical scholarship require post-graduate training. The History Department's Master of Arts program may serve either as a terminal degree or as a bridge to more advanced study. Like the undergraduate program, it is designed to accommodate both full- and part-time students. In addition to a full daytime schedule, late afternoon and evening courses are available.