Why pursue a history major or minor?
Students of history are taught to:
- Engage in critical thinking
- Approach problems with an open mind
- Develop close reading skills
- Analyze multiple and diverse sources
- Mobilize evidence to make clear and persuasive arguments
- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
- Pursue intellectual rigor and independence, including the ability to conduct research
- Work without direct supervision and manage time and priorities
- Discuss ideas in groups, lead discussions, and work with others
- Better understand how current political, economic, and social landscapes are informed by the past
- Acquire cultural competency and connect with people from diverse backgrounds by learning about different historical and cultural contexts
These are all valuable and transferable skills.
- History Is Not a Useless Major: Fighting Myths with Data
In Perspectives on History, the American Historical Association busts three myths about "the prospective lives of those who major in history."
