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.
In Perspectives on History, the American Historical Association busts three myths about "the prospective lives of those who major in history."
