I’m currently a freshman at Purdue University. I’ve always loved history and I want to major in it, but I know that realistically I won’t make that much with a degree in history (unless I go to law school, which I’m considering). Basically, I’m looking for something that will pair well with history and (if I don’t go to law school) will help me get a good job. I’m not interested in anything science or business related for my second major. I’ve been considering psychology (which I also love but I don’t really think it goes well with history) and political science (which I kind of like and know goes well with history), but I’m open to any other suggestions.
Also, would it be better for me to skip the double major completely and chose minors that go well with history? I’ve also been considering this but have recently read that minors are pretty much useless when it comes to getting a job.
Thanks in advance!
You can get a good job with just a history major. Most people with liberal arts and sciences majors don’t work in the field in which they got their major. Even half of engineering majors end up doing non-engineering jobs. Take a look at [this graphic](Where do college graduates work?) from the Census Bureau; social sciences and humanities majors go into jobs in all kinds of sectors, including high tech, business, law, education, social services, etc.
Your second major also doesn’t have to “go well” with your first one - you should just follow your interests. But I’m a psychologist with a keen interest in history (I almost minored in it in college myself), and I find they go together quite well. Often, I’ve used psychological concepts and research to understand why and how people in history have done things. History is the study of us as a people, but people are motivated by (among other things) their own thoughts and feelings and the behavior of others (which influences their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors). That’s psychology.