Career opportunities notwithstanding, I'd pick history in a heartbeat. The course sel

Parents Forum
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<p>Career opportunities notwithstanding, I'd pick history in a heartbeat. The course selection for history just looks so much more appealing than either polisci or econ. I haven't tried a polisci class, yet, but will try one next semester. However, I'm planning on double majoring, and since I go to a LAC, the course selection for any major in any given semester is quite small-- The issue is that I have fewer classes left to reach the major requirement for history than I do for the other two. I'm worried that in order to finish my major requirements for poli sci or econ, I'll have to take classes that I might not really enjoy.</p>

<p>Can anyone offer input on this?
On a broader level, would a history degree make me less qualified for business or government jobs than a polisci or econ degree? Keep in mind that if I major in history, I will not take more than 4 classes of each of polisci and econ, so that background knowledge will not be there for certain jobs.</p>

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<p>I think you should major in history. I don’t think poly sci or econ are pre-requisites for most government jobs.</p>

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<p>A poli-sci degree does little to prepare you for jobs in government. The only thing that can really do that are internships in government. History is a great major, insofar as it gives you a solid grasp of the background of many issues in business, politics, and economics. So if that’s your interest, then you should study that.</p>

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<p>A relative of mine recently graduated with a poly sci degree, and is currently working on the campaign of a congressmen. So while not exactly a government job, you can certainly get jobs in the political world with a poli sci degree.</p>

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<p>My D is looking into a B.S. in Public History…with an eye toward a M.A. in Museum Studies and Conservation and an eventual Ph.D. in Maritime Archaeology. Whew! </p>

<p>[Definitions</a> of Public History](<a href=“publichistory.org”>http://www.publichistory.org/what_is/definition.html)</p>

<p>There are many, many careers where people started with a history degree…law, journalism, economics, teaching, management…well, here:</p>

<p>[Careers</a> for History Majors](<a href=“http://www.historians.org/pubs/free/careers/Index.htm]Careers”>http://www.historians.org/pubs/free/careers/Index.htm)</p>

<p>What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?</p>

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<p>Here is [UC</a> Berkeley’s career survey by major](<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm]UC”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm). You can compare history majors versus other majors in what they do after getting bachelor’s degrees.</p>

<p>For 2010 graduating history majors, a lot of the job titles reported indicate either teaching or a job that is probably not major-specific. Slightly more than half of those reporting going to graduate school went to law school.</p>

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<p>Pharmacist with history BA here. I vote you chose major for something you enjoy Not because you want to avoid something you haven’t even tried.</p>

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<p>While working on the campaign trail is not the same thing as working in government, it is true that having a poli-sci major does not disqualify you from political related jobs. But it doesn’t inherently prepare you. What prepares you to work in the political world is really the outside of the classroom experiences you are able to gain, and also the focus of your major. So if you want to work in politics, but you like history, then just focus your history major on an area of political interest to you, and also try to find some summer activities or school year activities (working with your local college dems/republican club is common, so are things like amnesty international or other political campus groups) that will give you the concrete experience that will really make you appealing to employers. For example, you could specialize in history of the Middle East, China, the Balkans, or Southeast Asia if foreign affairs interests you. Or you could specialize in American history (maybe an extra focus on the American presidency, or if you’re interested in housing policy on American cities or education). </p>

<p>Most people think they need to find the one category of major that matches up with the one category of job they want, and in most cases, that’s a mistake. You can take your area of interest and customize it to meet the needs of the career that appeals to you. Particularly if you’re interested in fields as wide open as business or politics, don’t be hung up on the title of your major.</p>