Humanity and all the traces it leaves behind are truly something beautiful. For students who are mesmerized by ancient civilizations, a degree in history is an excellent choice. Historians seek knowledge of the past through various documents, oral accounts and material artefacts. The analysis of this evidence provides a large amount of data about a certain period of time. Every single aspect of human existence is a part of history and for those who are interested in this area; history is a great way to go!
Future Scopes for a Career in History
- Many government job opportunities are open to history graduates all over the world, including foreign service officers in the state department, intelligence analysts in the federal government, FBI agents, defence and prosecuting attorneys and judges.
- Academia and research are a good fields to focus on for graduates.
- Archaeology is a field of study related to history and research or field-based work such as excavation comes under this area. Several careers such as numismatist, epigraphist etc. can be pursued with an archaeological specialisation.
- Graduates can also choose to be archivists who are experts in preservation, repairing parchment and paper manuscripts and microfilming documents. They have been employed in museums and libraries as well as the National Archives of India and in different state archives.
- A history expert can also work with production houses as a research analyst. There is a demand for history experts in the cinema industry to undertake research work for costumes, jewellery, and movie sets, especially for period works. These experts work closely with both the director and the cinematographer.
- History graduates can work in various business organisations in different fields, including market research and analysis.
Skills Required to Study History
- Communication
- Analytical skills
- Willingness to learn and acquire new knowledge
- Teamwork
- Numeracy
- The use of management information technology
Careers in History
- Archaeologist
- Museologist
- Museum curators
- Archivists
- Historians
- History experts
- Teachers
Eligibility to Pursue a Degree in History
Students who passed 10+2 from recognized institutions under any stream can apply for a bachelor degree in History.
Entrance Examinations
- Presidency University Bachelor Degree Entrance Test – The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) conducts the Presidency University Bachelor’s Degree Entrance Test (PUBDET) to shortlist aspirants for admission in BA and BSc (honours) programmes offered at Presidency University, Kolkata.
- SAT – ‘Scholastic Assessment Test’ is an entrance test for students aspiring to admit to undergraduate courses abroad, especially in the US and Canadian colleges and universities.
- ACT – American College Testing is a standardised test used for college admissions in the United States. Generally, 10th or 12th-class students take these exams to utilise their scores for the study abroad application of their undergraduate program.
- CUCET – National Testing Agency (NTA) is conducting the Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CU-CET), for admission to different programs of the participating Central Universities.
Top Colleges/Universities to Study History
- University of Cambridge (UK)
- University of Oxford (US)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- The London School of Economics
- Princeton University (UK)
- Stanford University (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- University of Michigan
- Jamia Millia Islamia University (India)
- Presidency University (India)
Famous People Connected With History
Yuval Noah Harari
Public historian and a professor in the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of the popular science bestseller ‘Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.
Romila Thapar
Indian historian and Professor Emeritus at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. Thapar was the General President of the Indian History Congress and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy.
Top Institutions that Employ People in this Field
- FBI
- Museums
- Archives
- Historical societies
- Research organizations
- Educational Institutions
- Government departments
- Business organizations
