What career paths are available to you if you have studied modern history?

Maybe Archeaology. If you’re interested in that kind of thing. Or maybe going into area where there was war and looking for things from WWI and WWII.That could be interesting, only if you are interested in working in discovering warfare fossils so to speak. Traveling is a biggie, especially aroung Europe (France and Germany). I depends on the kind of things you’re into based upon your studies.

Not a whole lot, unfortunately, as I’m beginning to learn. (History major in an American college, here).

You’re in the UK, right? I don’t know how the UK educational system works, but here in the States, history majors pretty much have to go on to either graduate school or law school to have any hope of getting a real job. Basically, you teach or you become a lawyer.

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard @astrix24 Thanks guys… :)

I disagree with @Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard that you have to go on to grad school or law school to get a “real job” in the US. I am not sure how it works in the UK, but in the US, your major should not matter that much when you apply for non-technical jobs.

History majors can get jobs at museums, but most of those are for people with Masters degree. And there are not a lot of openings.

@answerjill it’s true that having any bachelor’s degree will put you at an advantage over people that don’t, but pretty much every professional (my professors, my relatives, and random adults) I have talked to has made it clear to me that I’m more or less screwed when it comes to getting a reasonably well-paying or stable job unless I go on to grad or law school. I love history with all my heart. It’s truly my passion, but I really, really, really wish I had gone to school for something more marketable :-/

*Not trying to be a downer here.

Gee, I hope those peeps aren’t right @Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard… Good luck to you for the future :)
Thanks to everyone who answered, it’s given me some idea of what to expect…

@queenie thanks dear, and good luck to you as well.

What about politics? I’m not saying run for office, but I think it would give you a leg up as staff. I’m guessing you’d find it exciting, which would balance out the low pay you would get until you can demonstrate your effectiveness.

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard I think I just saw something that will cheer you up.

@Joker94 Aw, GA :)

@Joker94 I love those… there is a series of three of them. I had them set as my laptop background for a while :) thank you, though!

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard No problem, man. I wish you luck!

Pretty much exactly what @Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard said – especially if you’re looking to do something with history afterwards, and not go into a completely different field in which you don’t utilize most of what you learn (not talking about research skills, but like.. knowledge of how the Black Plague was directly responsible for sumptuary laws – not really something the boss at your new real estate firm or whatever is really going to care about). You can become a teacher, work in a museum, teach, help create the textbooks, teach, become an archivist, teach, or go into (as I am) historic preservation. There are occasionally some jobs consulting for the private or public sphere, like for various writers or something, but I’m honestly not sure how common those are, and I’d imagine you often have to already have an established career as a historian for people to want to hire you on the side as a consultant. Look here for careers as a historian, and here for how to put a bachelors to good use. And Bastard’s definitely right about the advanced degrees – they’re becoming more and more required for all fields, not just history, but especially since history is such an academic field, they kinda want you to spend lots of time in, you guessed it, academia.

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard Is it too late to change your major?

I am still going to hold my ground here (see above). I graduated from college in ‘98 and I have seen people do just fine without grad school. Plus, even for those who are considering grad school, I still recommend taking some time to do some other kind of work (even a crappy job) before going on for more school. I will agree that there is “degree inflation” going on, where higher and higher degrees are being required for jobs that used to require lower levels of credentials.

Thanks guys, I see where each of you are coming from. Your responses help in the choices I make. Thanks :)

I graduated last year with a double major in history and kinesiology. This year I am attaining my bachelor of education to be a teacher. There are not many options when it comes to a history degree alone. That’s a sad fact of life.