Master of Arts in History Job Opportunities

As with any profession, earning a Master of Arts in History prepares graduates for the best jobs in their field.

But what, exactly, are those jobs?

Many people think of history majors as someone wearing a tweed jacket in the basement of a museum, digging through old manuscripts. Honestly, that probably sounds like fun to anyone reading this with an interest in pursuing a master's degree program in history. Certainly, that remains a career path. But there are many other fields that employ history majors.

Like other liberal arts majors, history can lead graduates to a wide variety of jobs. They include the following.

Educator

This is a choice for many who earn a Master of Arts in History. For those with the expertise developed in a master’s degree program and a desire to teach others, it’s a perfect fit. Because of this, some history majors may also minor in education. Earning a master’s degree opens up the possibility of teaching at the post-secondary level, but history teachers also are needed at the elementary, middle school and high school levels.

History teachers also are needed in the educational wings of museums and at historical sites.

Researcher

Historical research is an important job at many different organizations. This can include think tanks, museums, state and federal departments that oversee historical sites, and historical preservation organizations.

Media

Historians also can find work in the media, which can include journalism organizations, documentary film producers and businesses that create multimedia historical content for education. The importance of this is hard to overestimate. Many people learn their history in this way, and thorough research and communication skills are key to historians who work in this area.

Information Management

Break out the tweed jacket! Historians in an information management role could work for libraries, museums, historical sites and in the archives of large organizations. The key job duties are the proper storing, safekeeping and use of historical records. Those in this area need exceptional organizational skills.

More Schooling

In many cases, those who earn a Master of Arts in History will move on to earn a Ph.D., allowing them to reach the pinnacle of their profession and the best jobs it has to offer.

History degrees, as with many liberal arts degrees, don’t always lead into one field or even following the same career path as do most technical fields. It proves graduates with a well-rounded education that can lead them almost anywhere.

Chances are, most professionals probably have a history major working somewhere in the office. Given that, the above list merely provides some of the broad areas where history majors often land. Earning a master’s degree in this field truly leads to a lengthy list of career possibilities.