Careers

The analytical, research, rhetorical and writing skills history majors accomplish are applicable to a wide range of careers. Because history emphasizes the ability to analyze and communicate ideas as well as to retain factual information, some students find it ideal preparation for a career in the law. The same skills are appropriate preparation for careers in business and public service. The department’s emphasis on research, writing, and digital history has opened careers in journalism and new media fields for some graduates. Similarly, command of historical knowledge and historical process has equipped other graduates for careers in archives, historic sites, museums, and historic preservation. While most majors enter careers outside teaching, the history major has long been a path to teaching at the primary and secondary level. A number of history graduates have gone on from the College to distinguished graduate schools to complete PhD degrees and assume careers teaching at the university level. Our location in Fredericksburg, as well as our proximity to Washington, D.C., also provide our students with a broad variety of internship opportunities.

For more information on career paths related to History, see also:

American Historical Association–Why Study History?
AHA — Careers in History