What Can I Do With A History Major?

Have you heard of Steve Carell? How about Julia Child? Chris Berman, maybe? They all became famous in very different fields (comedy, culinary arts, sports broadcasting). They all were history majors.

Several other history majors have led surprising careers. They include…

Entrepreneurs and CEOs of major companies (James Kilts, Gillette; Carly Fiorina, Hewlett-Packard; Chris Hughes, Facebook; Donna Dubinsky, Palm, Inc.)
Writers (Ayn Rand, Malcolm Gladwell)
Television anchors (Wolf Blitzer, CNN)
Nobel prize winners (Robert Fogel, economics; Eric Kandel, physiology)
Physicians (Louis R. Caplan)
And still more comedians (Conan O’Brien also was a history major)

As a history major, you also would be in the ranks of some of our country’s distinguished leaders.

Congressmen (Newt Gingrich, George McGovern)
Supreme Court justices (Sonia Sotomayor, Antonin Scalia)
Presidents of the United States (Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush)

Likewise, at Alma, the history major has taken students in a variety of directions. Recent graduates report working in a wide range of fields including business management, the non-profit sector, records management, and teaching. Our students also have pursued graduate study in medicine, law, library science, and, of course, history. Read here about how one Alma alumnus used his degree in history.

Many of our history majors elect to earn an elementary or secondary teaching certificate. Please see the Requirements & Courses page for information on the curriculum you should follow for the History teaching major. For inquiries regarding the Social Studies teaching major, please consult the Education Department.

How do I get work experience?

Coursework is a key part of your education. To land a job, you’ll need additional experience. Summer internships and volunteer experiences provide an excellent way to explore possible careers. See the links below for information regarding opportunities offered by these organizations:

Chippewa Nature Center (see information about the Homestead Farm)

Should I go to graduate school?

It depends! Besides talking to your professors, here are some links with some great advice:

https://www.historians.org/jobs-and-professional-development/professional-life/resources-for-graduate-students/graduate-school-from-start-to-finish#admissions

https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/content/graduate-school-really-you

If you do decide to pursue graduate studies, you should know Alma might be able to help pay for it! The loyal and generous alumni of Alma’s history department have endowed special awards that provide unique financial support to our outstanding history majors.

In the junior year, Alma history majors can apply for the Jean Fox Abruzzino Award, which recognizes academic excellence and provides additional financial support for study in the last year at Alma.

In the senior year, history honors majors may apply for the James C. Mitchell and the M.J.J. Smith Scholarships. Each scholarship offers up to $25,000 toward graduate or professional school tuition. Virtually no college or university offers such support for students to attend graduate school, and the award reflects the historic commitment of our program to support our majors.

For more information, see the “Scholarship Requirements” section in the “Get To Know Us” page.