FROM STUDY TO SKILLS
Put simply, history is the study of the past: everything that humans have ever done, in every imaginable area of life. In a history class you can learn about politics, art, war, peace, family life, diplomacy, economics, childrearing, technology, science, farming, music, and much more. If it happened, historians study it. But the discipline is more than just a grab-bag of trivia. Historical research reminds us that the way we live our lives today is not set in stone, and that our world is one we constantly create and re-create for ourselves. Perhaps even more important, we are reminded that the way we tell our historical stories—what we remember, what we forget, what we emphasize, what we gloss over—is always in flux and always open for debate. Ultimately, a belief in human agency—our power to make and transform our world—is at the heart of the discipline. Related to this is the conviction that complexity matters, that life is too complicated to be reduced to grand abstractions or generalizations that treat people as objects rather than subjects.
Related fields include Anthropology, American Culture, Women’s Studies, International Studies, Political Science, Economics, Public Policy, Ancient History, Archaeology, History of Art, Languages and Literatures, and Museum Studies.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Research / Analytical Skills
Asking significant questions
Compiling and evaluating information
Organizing and analyzing ideas and information
Examining evidence
Comparing and contrasting ideas and information
Interviewing
Interpreting the past and the present
Project Development Skills
Generating and developing ideas
Planning and managing complex projects
Organizing material / information
Seeing relationships between factors
Making decisions
Social / Cultural Skills
Analyzing impact of problems on society
Understanding how societies cope with change
Explaining the present by referring to the past
Understanding the limitations of our own perspective
Developing a world view
Communication Skills
Presenting complex ideas clearly
Describing and evaluating issues / problems, events
Summarizing data and ideas
Interpreting issues for public consumption
Compiling reports
BUILDING YOUR SKILLS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Employers seek out individuals who can demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills, teamwork and interpersonal skills, initiative, and a strong work ethic. Student organizations and campus employment offer valuable opportunities to add to the skills you are developing in your classes. Other options include study abroad, off-campus employment or volunteering in the community. Finally, a summer internship may be the best way of all to test out a career field and develop marketable skills.
FROM SKILLS TO CAREER
Equipped with the recognition that the past, present, and future are irreducibly complex and never predestined, historians excel in a wide variety of professions. People with history degrees go on to become lawyers, politicians, social workers, physicians, diplomats, teachers, businessmen, and much, much more. The list below is a sample of careers undertaken by recent History graduates.
Research / Analytical Skills
Policy analyst
Lawyer 
/ Paralegal
Legislative aide / analyst
Intelligence officer
Marketing research analyst
Financial analyst
Insurance adjuster
Investment banker
Corporate historian
Management consultant
Business analyst
Research / technical adviser (film / TV / radio)
Genealogist
Project Development Skills
Urban Planner
City Manager
Foundation / nonprofit administrator
Information specialist / manager
Website / network manager
Entrepreneur
Archivist
Museum curator / specialist
Librarian
Social / Cultural Skills
Foreign service officer
Customs investigator
Human resource manager
Costume designer
Historical preservation consultant / interpreter
Biographer
Communication Skills
Politician
Salesperson / advertising associate
Corporate trainer
Writer / technical / web writer
Journalist (print, broadcast, internet)
Editor (all media)
Public relations representative
K-12 teacher
College teacher
= Further Study Required
For more career information, see O*Net at http://online.onetcenter.org/
CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS
The Department of History offers a flexible concentration program and a focused minor. The ninety faculty members offer a diverse range of courses each year, from small seminars to large lectures. History is easy to integrate into an interdisciplinary plan of study and many courses are designed from this perspective.
History is currently in the process of thoroughly updating its curriculum. To learn more about concentration requirements and the department, please explore the website, meet with an advisor, visit faculty office hours, stop by the main office in 1029 Tisch Hall, or elect an interesting history class to find out why history students are so enthusiastic about their department.
Department of History
1029 Tisch Hall
734-764-6305
www.lsa.umich.edu/history/
www.lsa.umich.edu/history/undergraduate/concentration
Newnan Advising Center
1255 Angell Hall
734-764-0332
www.lsa.umich.edu/advising
NEXT STEPS / RESOURCES
To read about recent history graduates, and the paths they took to their careers, see:
www.lsa.umich.edu/history/undergraduate/careersandinternships
This is a good website to learn about careers for history majors: www.historians.org/pubs/Free/careers/
To identify internships or job opportunities, visit Handshake: https://careercenter.umich.edu/article/handshake
To begin connecting to professionals in fields that interest you, create your own LinkedIn account:
www.careercenter.umich.edu/article/getting-started-linkedin
On-campus jobs (work-study and non work-study jobs) are listed at:
https://studentemployment.umich.edu/JobX_Home.aspx
Maize Pages list hundreds of organizations for students to get involved in: http://studentorgs.umich.edu/maize
The Career Center
3200 Student Activities Building
734-764-7460
www.careercenter.umich.edu
www.facebook.com/careercenter.umich
http://twitter.com/careercenter
The Career Guide series was developed by the University of Michigan Career Center, Division of Student Affairs, in cooperation with the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. ©2011 Regents of the University of Michigan