Career in History Course: Jobs, Career Path and Relevant Skills

Career in History Course

1. Introduction 

“Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”  

The above-quoted wisdom is offered by philosopher Edmund Burke and this is precisely why we need people making a career in history course! To bring forth the knowledge from the past to enrich and inform our present.  

History is a discipline that studies the past of events and things chronological order. It critically examines the source materials for an explanation of their causes. Historians deal with subjects as vast as a country, as well as specific subjects such as certain communities, cultures, things, particular events, and peoples. 

Knowledge of history is useful. History develops important skills which are important in many other walks of life besides the study of history as an end in itself. These skills include analysis, evaluation, argument, use of evidence, and communication. Many people who study history go on to make a career in law, journalism, politics, and policymaking. 

1. At the School Level 

To embark upon a career in history course right from school, one can choose the Humanities/Arts stream with History as one of the subjects. 

It should be noted that not taking history at the school level does not affect one’s prospects in one’s career in history course at a later level but having it as a subject from school onwards helps create a good foundation. 

1. At the Bachelor’s Level 

Choosing the right course at the bachelor’s level is the most important step in making a career in history course. A discipline like a history becomes a more serious pursuit at this level. The most preferable paths here are as follows: 

• B.A. (Hons.) History for three years 
• B.A. Programme/Pass/Humanities and Social Sciences with History as one of the subjects for three years 

If while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in any other discipline other than the above mentioned, one wishes to pursue a career in history, one is open to doing so by pursuing a Master’s degree in history by qualifying the entrance tests of recognized university programs. Although, it is possible it becomes more difficult to start a career in history at this level. 

Eligibility 

General eligibility to pursue a B.A. degree in History is a Higher Secondary qualification/ 10+2 or equivalent qualification in any stream from a recognized educational Board of the country, with a minimum of 50% in aggregate. 

Please note that this is the basic eligibility and is not the same as the actual cut-off/ qualification of entrances needed for admission. 

Colleges/Universities offering courses in History 

• Ambedkar University Delhi 
• Ashoka University 

• Fergusson College, Pune 
• Presidency College, Calcutta 
• Jamia Millia Islamia 
• Banaras Hindu University 
• Aligarh Muslim University 

• Loyola College 
• University of Delhi 
• Christ (Deemed to be University) 

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Curriculum 

Following are the core contents of a standard under-graduate syllabus of history: 

• History of India-I 
• Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Ancient World  
• History of India-II  
• Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Ancient and Medieval World  
• History of India- III (c. 750 -1200)  

• Rise of the Modern West- I  
• History of India- IV (c. 1200 – 1500)  
• Rise of the Modern West- II  
• History of India-V (c. 1500-1600)  
• History of India- VII (c. 1600-1750) 

• History of India-VI (c. 1750-1857)  
• History of Modern Europe– I  
• History of India- VIII (c. 1857-1950) 
• History of Modern Europe- II 

Other more specialized elective contents of a standard under-graduate syllabus of history include: 

• History of the USA: Independence to Civil War,  
• History of the USSR: From Revolution to World War II (1917 -1945), History of Africa, c.1500-1960s,  
• Gender in Indian History up to 1500,  
• History of the USA: Reconstruction to New Age Politics,  
• History of the USSR: The Soviet Experience (1945-1991),  

• History of Latin America, c.1500-c. The 1960s,  
• Gender in Indian History, c. 1500-1950, 
• History of Modern China (1840-1960), 
• History of Southeast Asia up to the 16th century,  
• Global Environmental Perspectives, 

• History of Modern Japan and Korea (1868-1950s), 
• Modern Southeast Asia: 17th to the 20th Century, 
• The Making of Contemporary India (1950-1990s), and so on. 

1. Higher Studies and Job Prospects in History 

When it comes to higher studies, it consolidates one’s specialized role in the desired field and that is also true in the case of a person desiring a career in history course.  

• Studying history as an end in itself or to establish a career in research and academia requires one to choose the following paths: M.A. in History (Ancient/Medieval/Modern or any other specialization), followed by M.Phil. + Ph.D. in History 

Or 

• M.A./M.Phil. + Ph.D. in specialized and allied fields such as archaeology, museology/museum science, heritage management and conservation, public policy, history of art, development studies, law, politics and society, comparative politics, and international relations, mass media and communication, and so on. 

Besides teaching and research, these specializations allow one to take up various roles in sectors such as: 

• Social Service/NGOs, 
• Journalism, 

• Law, 
• Public Policy, 
• Development and Planning, 
• Mass Media and Communication, 

• Human Resource Management,  
• Advertising and Public Relations, 
• Archaeology and anthropology, 
• Politics, 
• Heritage and Museum management, and so on. 

Other lucrative alternative careers for history degree holders include: 

• Civil Services: The Civil Services Examination is a nationwide competitive examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment to various civil services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Forest Service (IFS), an Indian Police Service (IPS).  

The State Civil Services examinations and recruitment are conducted by the individual states public service commissions in India. These services are feeders of All India Services. 

History is one of the optional subjects for the mains examinations and competence in the subject could help the candidate ace the mains paper. 

• MBA/MBA-HRM: Students seeking admissions in Indian universities have to appear for certain entrance examinations like CAT and CMAT.
• The next steps are personal interviews, GD, and written assessment tests.

We hope this is going to be helpful if you are planning to pursue a career in history course. For more guidance, feel free to connect with us and provide your feedback as well, so that we can also improve in the future.