<p>Around ten years ago, George Will wrote a column wherein he stated his belief that all journalists should be history majors (I think he said politicians should be, as well). I think he's right. They learn to do in-depth research and to document it carefully. They hone their expository writing skills. They develop historical context with which to understand the world they are reporting on. You can learn the trade of journalism working on the school paper and for local newspapers while you're still in school. I began my college career in a J-school, and switched to English, and then to history, where I finally found what I wanted. Although I don't work in journalism any more, I did it for several years after college. The other thing to consider is, j-school is very limited in scope, and if you change your career plans, you may regret having taken such a specialized major. As an experiment, why don't you read the bios of the writers at the major newspapers and newsmagazines next time you're reading their online additions, and see what their educational histories were. The quote below is from the American Historical Association.</p>
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What Skills Does a Student of History Develop?</p>
<p>What does a well-trained student of history, schooled to work on past materials and on case studies in social change, learn how to do? The list is manageable, but it contains several overlapping categories.</p>
<p>The Ability to Assess Evidence. The study of history builds experience in dealing with and assessing various kinds of evidencethe sorts of evidence historians use in shaping the most accurate pictures of the past that they can. Learning how to interpret the statements of past political leadersone kind of evidencehelps form the capacity to distinguish between the objective and the self-serving among statements made by present-day political leaders. Learning how to combine different kinds of evidencepublic statements, private records, numerical data, visual materialsdevelops the ability to make coherent arguments based on a variety of data. This skill can also be applied to information encountered in everyday life.</p>
<p>The Ability to Assess Conflicting Interpretations. Learning history means gaining some skill in sorting through diverse, often conflicting interpretations. Understanding how societies workthe central goal of historical studyis inherently imprecise, and the same certainly holds true for understanding what is going on in the present day. Learning how to identify and evaluate conflicting interpretations is an essential citizenship skill for which history, as an often-contested laboratory of human experience, provides training. This is one area in which the full benefits of historical study sometimes clash with the narrower uses of the past to construct identity. Experience in examining past situations provides a constructively critical sense that can be applied to partisan claims about the glories of national or group identity. The study of history in no sense undermines loyalty or commitment, but it does teach the need for assessing arguments, and it provides opportunities to engage in debate and achieve perspective.</p>
<p>Experience in Assessing Past Examples of Change. Experience in assessing past examples of change is vital to understanding change in society todayit's an essential skill in what we are regularly told is our "ever-changing world." Analysis of change means developing some capacity for determining the magnitude and significance of change, for some changes are more fundamental than others. Comparing particular changes to relevant examples from the past helps students of history develop this capacity. The ability to identify the continuities that always accompany even the most dramatic changes also comes from studying history, as does the skill to determine probable causes of change. Learning history helps one figure out, for example, if one main factorsuch as a technological innovation or some deliberate new policyaccounts for a change or whether, as is more commonly the case, a number of factors combine to generate the actual change that occurs.</p>
<p>Historical study, in sum, is crucial to the promotion of that elusive creature, the well-informed citizen. It provides basic factual information about the background of our political institutions and about the values and problems that affect our social well-being. It also contributes to our capacity to use evidence, assess interpretations, and analyze change and continuities. No one can ever quite deal with the present as the historian deals with the pastwe lack the perspective for this feat; but we can move in this direction by applying historical habits of mind, and we will function as better citizens in the process.
History Is Useful in the World of Work</p>
<p>History is useful for work. Its study helps create good businesspeople, professionals, and political leaders. The number of explicit professional jobs for historians is considerable, but most people who study history do not become professional historians. Professional historians teach at various levels, work in museums and media centers, do historical research for businesses or public agencies, or participate in the growing number of historical consultancies. These categories are importantindeed vitalto keep the basic enterprise of history going, but most people who study history use their training for broader professional purposes. Students of history find their experience directly relevant to jobs in a variety of careers as well as to further study in fields like law and public administration. Employers often deliberately seek students with the kinds of capacities historical study promotes. The reasons are not hard to identify: students of history acquire, by studying different phases of the past and different societies in the past, a broad perspective that gives them the range and flexibility required in many work situations. They develop research skills, the ability to find and evaluate sources of information, and the means to identify and evaluate diverse interpretations. Work in history also improves basic writing and speaking skills and is directly relevant to many of the analytical requirements in the public and private sectors, where the capacity to identify, assess, and explain trends is essential. Historical study is unquestionably an asset for a variety of work and professional situations, even though it does not, for most students, lead as directly to a particular job slot, as do some technical fields. But history particularly prepares students for the long haul in their careers, its qualities helping adaptation and advancement beyond entry-level employment. There is no denying that in our society many people who are drawn to historical study worry about relevance. In our changing economy, there is concern about job futures in most fields. Historical training is not, however, an indulgence; it applies directly to many careers and can clearly help us in our working lives.
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<a href="http://www.historians.org/pubs/Free/WhyStudyHistory.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.historians.org/pubs/Free/WhyStudyHistory.htm</a></p>