As with any academic subject, History lends itself to a broad array of different career paths, as it lacks the direct professional pathway-structure of Law or Medicine. So which sectors attract the most historians?
Our team conducted a global survey of some 7.5 million professionals who completed their degrees at one of the world’s top 100 universities. This scale of our study is unmatched – the professionals we surveyed work for some 100,000 different companies, in a huge variety of sectors, in locations right across the world. Such a large dataset provides a unique insight into the most popular career options for graduates in each subject available at graduate school.
MastersAvenue has conducted a study of more than 7.5 million professionals, tracing the paths they have taken through graduate school and beyond. So what does the information we have collected say about the career trajectories of Historians?
The leading occupation amongst those with a History masters was entering into the sphere of education. 15.8% of historians surveyed were employed as educators. History is a popular subject for study – both at school, and at university – translating into good job prospects for teaching or researching the subject.
Business Development was a popular choice with almost all the graduates we surveyed. History master’s graduates were no exception, with 14.2% of them having opted to take on BD roles. Given that Business Development requires the accurate gauging of trends in the market over time, this is unsurprising.
A key feature of an education in History is learning how to construct a convincing, compelling account of the past. Equally, there is a significant demand for historical material in the media and creative industries; from historical fiction, to documentaries. 9.5% of historians meet this need and enter the Media and Communications sector.
The work of a historian is often quite solitary, requiring drive, ambition, and the ability to motivate oneself. Economic historians in particular need to learn how to interpret macroeconomic trends, and gain a valuable sense of how economies change over time. Such skills are very useful to entrepreneurs - and 8.0% of those with a history masters have chosen to enter this space.
Human beings sit at the centre of History as a discipline. By learning about the past, historians gain invaluable insight into the human condition and how it can be effected by different circumstances. It is perhaps this humanist focus that leads to 6.9% of students who earn a master’s degree in history to enter the Community and Social Service sector.
History involves both extensive archival training and a robust understanding of precedent – both of which are excellent preparation for work in the legal sector. 5.9% of History graduates chose to enter the Law.
Historians are highly capable researchers, and are frequently employed by governments for this reason. 5.6% of History graduates specialise in research.
5.1% of History graduates choose to enter operations – perhaps reflecting the familiarity Economic Historians have with dealing with extensive statistical information.
If the career prospects entailed by a master’s in History have inspired you, why not check out our website to see what History degrees are available near you?
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