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With a profound passion for the past and the people who made it happen, the history buff loves to read, speculate on the causes of events, and apply the lessons of the past to current affairs. Here are four degree paths that are particularly appropriate if you’re one of those people who has a real flair for studying the past.
Bachelor’s Degree in History with Teaching Credentials
Like many degrees in the humanities, the bachelor’s degree doesn’t always come with specific career opportunities attached. But if you enjoy sharing your passion for the past with others, teaching may be the route for you. Many universities offer degree programs that allow you to major in a given area of history, such as contemporary America or the European Middle Ages, and at the same time earn a certificate for public-school teaching.
If you’d rather teach at a college or university, a master’s degree or doctorate will be necessary; a number of academic institutions have developed online programs leading to an MA or PhD in specific historical areas, such as the online master’s degree in American history at Norwich University.
Master’s Degree in Museum Studies
Museologists are trained to create museum displays, handle artifacts, and promote exhibits to the public at large; some are also involved in art restoration. If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree in history, then further education in museum studies will open the door to a career in which you’ll make your history passion come alive for others.
Associate’s Degree in Journalism
History buffs love to analyze events and draw conclusions about cause and effect. These are skills taught in journalism programs, making a degree in this field particularly appealing to the history aficionado. Journalists research and write the stories you read in the newspaper and hear on radio and television. An AA degree can get you into an entry-level position, one that allows access to the very heart of the events that make history.
Master’s in Library and Information Science
Without the ancient Assyrian king Ashurbanipal’s library, we wouldn’t have the epic of Gilgamesh. And without librarians trained in techniques of information and archive management, we’d have a lot less access to crucial data today. A commitment to preserving information and making it accessible to others, the basic focus of library science degree programs, goes hand in hand with a love of history.
A passion for history can guide you in a number of directions. The four degree programs listed here will give you some areas to consider.
This article was contributed by guest author Anica Oaks.