A History Degree — More Valuable Than You Think
The humanities have fallen on hard times.
In the words of historian Robert Tracy McKenzie,
“Despite the growing mountain of evidence to the contrary, the majority of Americans are convinced that the serious study of the liberal arts is a waste of time and money, or at least a luxury that we can’t afford.”
Since the economic crisis of 2007–2008, fewer students have been majoring in the humanities, with history and English majors dropping by nearly 50%.
History — it’s not what you think!
The fact is, the decline of humanities and history in particular and the perception that history is not a viable major are based on inaccurate information. People often misunderstand what historians do, and what history majors learn. History is not heritage, an idealized, popular form of history memorializing the past to make us feel proud or good about ourselves, our surroundings, our country, and our past. History is a scholarly approach to a topic based on multiple perspectives found through research.
Studying history at the college level promotes valuable critical thinking and communication skills essential in the modern workplace. Historians need to critically examine sources and interpretations that conflict. As McKenzie noted, history is “not only a branch of knowledge but also … an intellectual discipline in which the mind is trained to analyze historical evidence and build sound historical arguments.”
Often, history is not taught in lower grades by actual historians, so it becomes focused on memorizing names and dates. The reality is that no historian needs to memorize an extensive list of trivia. Historical facts don’t have much meaning in isolation but must be understood within a broader context to have any value. The historian needs to know how to find information, evaluate it, analyze it, interpret it, synthesize it, and communicate it.
Show me the money
In “History Is Not a Useless Major: Fighting Myths with Data,” Paul B. Sturtevant identifies and addresses persistent myths associated with majoring in history, myths that depict those with history degrees as underemployed — with no clear path to professional employment — and underpaid. The American Community Survey (ACS), conducted yearly by the US Census Bureau, indicates that 4.6 percent of history majors surveyed reported unemployment, compared to 4.1 percent of all degree holders, which is a very small gap.
As for gainful employment, becoming a professional historian, entering the teaching profession, or working in a museum may seem like the main options for a history major, but there are other options, too. History has also traditionally been a good major for those headed to law school and various other professions. But, really, any job that requires some combination of research, analytical, and communication skills can be a good fit for a history major. We live in the Information Age powered by computers and the digitization of information. This means there is a lot of information to comb through (more and more every day) and not all of it is good!
In terms of compensation, those in the science fields, notably engineering and computer programming, do tend to out earn humanities majors in general. Within the humanities, the difference in income is “only a few thousand dollars.” ACS data show that history majors enjoy a median income of $60,000, with those going into management or the law earning $80,000 to $100,000 or more.
Added value
According to historian Peter Stearns, through history, we develop a better understanding of societies and how they function and, by extension, how people function within those societies. We can also understand our own present better by understanding how that present came to be. History can be inspiring and entertaining, a form of art. By studying the actions of people in the past, we can understand and appreciate morality and moral courage better.
History can help us understand our identities, and it can reinforce values. It can help people to be better citizens. The study of history also promotes essential skills: the ability to evaluate evidence and conflicting views or interpretations of that evidence and to analyze change in societies. The analytical skills history students develop are valued in a variety of careers.
In the novel Timeline (1999), author Michael Crichton wrote this:
“The purpose of history is to explain the present — to say why the world around us is the way it is. History tells us what is important in our world, and how it came to be. It tells us what is to be ignored, or discarded. That is true power — profound power. The power to define a whole society.”
And, he is also said to have written this:
I tell my students that everything is history, and history is everything. Not only can history degrees add value to our lives and the world, they’re not too hard on the bank account either!
Stearns, P. N. (1998). Why study history? American Historical Association.
Sturtevant, P. B. (2017). History is not a useless major: Fighting myths with data. Perspectives on History.
McKenzie, R. T. (2019). A little book for new historians: Why and how to study history. IVP Academic.
Schmidt, B. (2018, August 23). The humanities are in crisis. The Atlantic.
The McKenzie book contains an affiliate link. If you use this link to buy something, Tip of the Writeberg may earn a small commission. Thanks.
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