History majors learn skills that make them highly competitive in today’s job market. As a historian, you will locate, collect, analyze, and synthesize data, arguments, and information. Historians can take the general and make it specific, and provide convincing and compelling arguments that influence future decisions. You have the option to concentrate in cultural history or contemporary history.
History majors find careers in the fields of education, government, politics, law, and the private sector. In other words, history majors are not pigeonholed into any single career path. In a rapidly changing market, they have the skill-set to adapt and pursue a number of career options. Being able to communicate effectively, write persuasively, analyze information and argue convincingly, are all crucial traits that employers look for.
Primarily, historians analyze artifacts from the past to derive lessons about the present. This process, however, is far more interesting than memorizing dates, names, and facts. These skills can be applied to academics, education, government and law, but they are equally sought after in the private sector. The skill-set of a historian – which includes outstanding written and verbal communication skills, information analysis, argumentation and persuasion – prepares you to be successful in today’s competitive marketplace.
According to the journal Foreign Policy, the number one field of study for people pursuing careers in international affairs is history. According to the University of Michigan Law School, history is one of the primary majors for future Law students. Job sites such as Monster.com show that history majors begin careers with salaries comparable to other popular university majors such as English or Psychology. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, employers favor graduates with skills learned in history, not technical education.
History doesn’t have any marketability.
Not true! Training for one specific career might help you in the short term, but if the market changes, you may be forced to move long distances, take a pay cut, or find yourself unemployed. A broader educational skill-set, like the kind history provides, prepares you to adapt to any number of employment situations, making you marketable to more than just one field.
History degrees don’t have “real-world application.”
Yes they do! In fact, they open up many doors instead of one. Tech training in one specific skill set (welding, a computer programming language, etc., all of which are important) might pigeonhole you in long run if the market changes. A history degree makes you adaptable to an ever changing market.
A History background shouldn’t lead to questions like “What can I do?” Instead, it should make you ponder “What can’t I do?”
January 31, 2023
Dr. Fredi de Yampert will represent Houghton, Keweenaw and Baraga Counties on the Superior Health Foundation’s board of directors. De Yampert currently serves as VP of Academic Affairs and dean of the College of Health Sciences at Finlandia University.
“I look forward to being part of the great work of the Foundation. Being that the UP is rather remote, our healthcare needs are specific to our region,” de Yampert said. “As a nurse, I strongly believe access to adequate, […] Read More
January 13, 2023
Criminal justice majors have the opportunity to travel abroad to learn more about other justice systems from around the world. From Finland to the former Soviet Union, you are introduced to how social justice is viewed in a different context.
Following a recent video release highlighting the criminal justice program’s most recent trip, Dr. Richard Gee sits down with the Finlandia Fridays podcast to talk about what opportunities the group had to experience.
This year’s trip included 14 days of travel […] Read More
January 11, 2023
Finlandia students interested in traveling and studying criminal justice have the opportunity to take a trip to Europe each summer. This year’s trip included 14 days of travel with students and faculty from Finlandia, Tampere University, Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, Marquette University, and Appalachia State University. The group traveled to Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, with a final stay in the Åland Islands, a beautifully scenic and frequently traveled archipelago between Finland and Sweden.
Throughout the trip, students spent […] Read More
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Associate Professor, Finnish & Nordic Studies; Chair, Institutional Review Board
hilary.virtanen@finlandia.edu