A history degree requires approximately 120 credit hours, with 36-45 credits in the major including survey courses (U.S., European, and world history), research methods/historiography, upper-level seminars in specific periods and regions, and a senior thesis involving original archival research. The workload is reading-intensive (200-500 pages per week at the upper level) and writing-intensive (analytical essays and a major research paper). No advanced math is required.
The hidden question is whether studying history teaches you anything beyond trivia. The stereotype is memorizing dates and battles, and at the introductory level, there is some truth to that — survey courses cover a lot of ground quickly. But upper-level history courses are fundamentally about building arguments from evidence, evaluating competing interpretations, and communicating complex analyses in writing. These are the same skills that law schools, consulting firms, government agencies, and publishers value.
The National Center for Education Statistics shows that history remains a steady producer of bachelor's degrees, though enrollment has declined from its peak1. The graduates who do well after college are typically the ones who paired their historical training with practical skills or went on to professional school.
For career and ROI analysis, see the history degree overview. This page covers the specific coursework requirements.
The research skills you build in history — finding primary sources, evaluating evidence, and constructing arguments — are the same skills that legal research, policy analysis, and investigative journalism require. If you plan to work outside academia, make this connection explicit on your resume and in interviews. Employers do not automatically know that a history degree teaches research methodology.
Core Coursework: What Every History Major Takes
Survey courses (first two years):
- U.S. History I and II — colonial era through contemporary. The broadest American history sequence.
- European/Western Civilization I and II — ancient world through modern Europe.
- World History or Non-Western History — many programs require at least one course outside the U.S./European tradition (Asian, African, Latin American, or Middle Eastern history).
Methods and theory:
- Historical Research Methods/Historiography — how historians conduct research, evaluate sources, and construct arguments. Primary source analysis, archival methods, and the major schools of historical interpretation. This is the methodological backbone of the degree.
Upper-level seminars (junior and senior years):
- Period-specific courses (Civil War era, medieval Europe, early modern China, etc.)
- Thematic courses (history of science, gender history, environmental history, labor history, etc.)
- Regional specializations based on your interests
Senior thesis or capstone — a substantial research paper (25-50 pages) based on primary source research. This is the culminating requirement and demonstrates your ability to conduct independent historical research.
BA vs BS: Which Track Is Right for You?
History degrees are almost exclusively Bachelor of Arts degrees. The BA format includes foreign language requirements and liberal arts breadth that complement historical study. A very small number of schools offer a BS in History, typically with additional quantitative methods requirements (digital humanities, data analysis).
The BA is the standard and expected degree for graduate school admission, law school preparation, and careers that use historical training.
Common Concentrations and Specializations
American history — colonial, revolutionary, Civil War, Reconstruction, 20th century, and contemporary. European history — ancient, medieval, early modern, modern, and contemporary. World/global history — cross-cultural and transnational approaches. Public history — museum studies, historic preservation, and community history. The most directly career-connected specialization. Digital humanities — using digital tools for historical research, mapping, and data visualization.
If you want to work in museums, archives, or historic preservation, pursue the public history track or concentration specifically. Traditional academic history training does not prepare you for the practical aspects of museum work, archival management, or preservation policy. Public history courses fill that gap and are increasingly offered at the undergraduate level.
Prerequisites and Admission Requirements
History programs have no competitive admission beyond standard university requirements. You declare the major and begin taking courses. Foreign language proficiency (typically two years of one language) is usually required as part of the BA structure. For graduate school, reading ability in one or two foreign languages relevant to your research area is expected.
Skills You'll Build (and What Employers Actually Value)
Research and analysis — finding, evaluating, and synthesizing information from diverse sources. Directly applicable to legal research, policy analysis, market research, and journalism. Analytical writing — constructing evidence-based arguments in clear prose. Tested in every course and valued in every writing-dependent career. Critical thinking — evaluating evidence, recognizing bias, and considering multiple perspectives before reaching conclusions. Communication — presenting complex information to varied audiences, both in writing and in seminar discussions.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that historian positions will grow about 3% between 2023 and 20332. But the real career picture for history graduates is much broader — they work in law, government, education, publishing, nonprofit management, and corporate communications. The specific job title "historian" represents only a fraction of what history graduates actually do professionally.
What Nobody Tells You About History Requirements
The reading load is the defining challenge. Upper-level history seminars assign 200-500 pages of reading per week, including monographs, primary source documents, and journal articles. If you take two or three history courses simultaneously, you may be reading 600-1,500 pages per week. Speed reading and strategic skimming are essential survival skills.
The senior thesis is the most valuable thing you will produce. It demonstrates independent research capability, sustained argumentation, and professional-level writing. It is also the work sample that graduate programs, employers, and law school applications care about most.
Archival research is thrilling and tedious in equal measure. Working with primary sources — original documents, letters, photographs, government records — is the heart of historical research. It is also slow, unpredictable, and sometimes yields nothing useful. Patience and persistence matter as much as analytical skill.
History is excellent law school preparation. History majors consistently score among the highest on the LSAT. The skills are nearly identical: reading complex texts, identifying key arguments, evaluating evidence, and constructing logical analyses. If law school is on your radar, history is one of the strongest undergraduate preparations.
The academic job market in history is brutal. Tenure-track history professorships are extremely competitive, with hundreds of applicants for a single position. If you love history and want a career that uses historical thinking, great. If you specifically want to be a college professor, understand the odds before committing to a PhD.
For comparison with related humanities programs, see english degree requirements and political science degree requirements.
FAQ
Is a history degree useless?
No, but it requires more intentional career planning than professional degrees. History graduates work in law, government, education, museums, publishing, journalism, nonprofit management, and corporate communications. The degree builds transferable research, writing, and analytical skills. Graduates who combine history with practical experience and clear career goals have strong outcomes.
How much writing does a history degree involve?
Substantial amounts. Most courses require two to four essays per semester, ranging from 5 to 15 pages. The senior thesis is typically 25-50 pages of original research. History involves more writing than most majors except English and journalism.
Can I go to law school with a history degree?
Yes, and history is one of the best pre-law majors. History majors score among the highest on the LSAT, and the research, analytical writing, and argumentation skills transfer directly to legal study. Law schools do not require any specific major, but history provides particularly strong preparation.
What jobs can I get with a history degree?
Museum professionals, archivists, government analysts, policy researchers, educators, paralegals, journalists, nonprofit administrators, and corporate communications specialists all employ history graduates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median wages of $63,940 for historians2, though most history graduates work under different job titles. See the history careers page for details.
Do I need a graduate degree to use a history degree?
For academic and museum careers, yes — a master's or PhD is typically required. For careers in government, law, business, and nonprofit work, the bachelor's degree is sufficient to enter the field, with advancement depending on experience and additional credentials. About 40% of history bachelor's graduates pursue some form of graduate education.
What foreign language should I study with a history major?
Choose based on your area of interest. French and German are traditional for European history. Spanish for Latin American history. Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic for their respective regional histories. For American history, language requirements are less critical but still enriching. Graduate programs in history typically require reading proficiency in at least one foreign language.
- History Degree Guide — Overview
- Is It Worth It?
- Career Paths
- Salary Data
- How Hard Is It?
- Internships
- Best Colleges
Footnotes
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National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Digest of Education Statistics: Table 322.10 — Bachelor's degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by field of study. NCES. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_322.10.asp ↩
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Historians. BLS. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/historians.htm ↩ ↩2
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Archivists, Curators, and Museum Workers. BLS. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/curators-museum-technicians-and-conservators.htm ↩