So, You Think You Want to Study History

So, You Think You Want to Study History?

No one who wants a "real" job would waste their time majoring in history, right? STEM majors are the way to go, right? Or a degree in business?

Well, I may be biased, but an undergraduate degree in history could be just about the perfect major for anyone who wants to be ready for the future. The skills it requires and cultural understandings it fosters give history majors a tremendous edge in a dynamic world, where today's college students need to be ready for jobs and professions that don't even exist today in a globalizing world that requires multicultural understanding. It may not be a student's last degree, but a degree in history is one that provides a bedrock of learning that students can stand on for the rest of their lives. And people who major in history are disproportionately represented in the highest offices of leadership in this nation. Since 1900, five U.S. presidents have studied history in college—presidents  Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, and George W. Bush. On the other hand, only two presidents have had undergraduate degrees in STEM fields: Herbert Hoover (geology) and Jimmy Carter (physics). None have had an undergraduate degree in business, although George W. Bush did earn an master’s in business administration (MBA) later in life.

So history may be a good choice if you want a field of study that prepares you for the future.

Click the link above to learn a bit more about the myths and mystique of studying history.