Graduate Student Career Resources
Visit our Career Preparation page for information on trainings, teaching courses, portfolios and mock interviews.
College to Career for History Majors & Alumni
Are you considering declaring your major in History and would like to know what careers might be available to you after college? Have you already declared your major in History and would like to find out how to build career skills now? We are here to help!
A History degree provides a very broad skillset, ensuring graduates are employable in a wide variety of fields. While some of our alumni have gone on to pursue an MA or PhD in History, an undergraduate degree in History is also excellent preparation for law school and business school, and many of our former students have gone on to get advanced degrees and pursue careers in those professions. Other history alumni have excelled in teaching, journalism, museum work, research, information management, technology, the military, politics, medicine, public health, social work, and even broadcast comedy and professional football, just to name a few.
Career Discovery
The snapshot here is from the University of Washington LinkedIn Page and highlights the regions, companies and industries in which over 6,000 alumni who studied History are employed. The History Undergraduate Advising Office also maintains a LinkedIn page specifically for History Majors & alumni to connect with each other. Try browsing these websites on LinkedIn to begin thinking about which careers may be of interest to you, and then connect with alumni working in those fields!
Keep exploring:
- Follow the American Historical Association's guide for turning your History degree into a career
- Download the UW Career Center's handout about Career Paths for History Majors
- Read the latest news about UW History alumni and their careers
- Join Handshake, a recruiting platform run by the UW Career & Internship Center
- Network with alumni on UWAA's Husky Landing
Career Preparation Opportunities
The Department of History offers a number of ways for you to develop and articulate your transferable skills.
HSTRY 495 History Internship is a course available to any History Major who will participate in an internship and wishes to work with a faculty member to develop an academic component, usually a paper or other cumulative project. It is available for 1-5 credits.
History Fellows is a one-quarter course that offers career workshops on writing strong résumés, enhancing interview skills, and building networks. Fellows research diverse career fields and have the option to participate in internships to gain practical experience.
Alumni Events showcase Department of History alumni working in a wide variety of fields, including Education, Media & Communication, Entrepreneurship, Community & Social Services, Research & many more! Events also include opportunities for networking with classmates & with alumni.
Finally, the Advising Office is here to support prospective & current History Majors with transferable skills assessment & career discovery. We maintain close connections with the UW Career Center & make referrals as needed!
Alumni Connections
Department of History alumni, we want to hear from you! Check out the department's LinkedIn page and join the conversation with other alumni. Interested in serving as a mentor to a current history student or participating in a future career event? Please email histadv@uw.edu and let's make it happen!
For more information about Career Planning/Exploration
- College to Careers
- History Advising
- Career & Internship Center
- UW Alumni Association
- American Historical Association Guide for History Majors
If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Undergraduate Advising Office at histadv@uw.edu. Our Undergraduate Adviser, Mark Weitzenkamp, and our Director of Academic Services, Tracy Maschman Morrissey, would be glad to assist you.
Explore UW on LinkedIn
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