Majoring in History
Iraq veteran Emmet Cullen pursued his BA in History at UCSB where the seed was planted for his future and current role as a high school teacher in the nearby Ventura County Unified School District.
Learn more about Emmet Cullen...
The major prepares students with analytical, writing and oral skills that are useful not only for further study in history and the humanities, but also for numerous professional careers.
The study of History can also provide students with an important advantage in applying to professional schools: for instance, students with BAs in History and the Humanities who have also taken the necessary basic science courses have a better statistical chance of admission to Medical School than do students who majored in science.
Department Alumni
Graduate from UCSB’s History Department include a civil rights lawyer, teachers, political journalists, physicians, UC staff members, museum directors and curators, a Policy Analyst for the California Government Operations Agency, a publisher’s sales representative, and a Financial Analyst for a major investment firm in New York.
Our alums also include award-winning, historical novelist Karen Fisher, career diplomat Joe Wilson, retired superior court judge, Judge Frank J. Ochoa, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Christine Adams.
Advantages of a History BA
View some of the career advantages of majoring in History, compiled by the American Historical Association:
- List of Careers for History Majors
- “Connecting the Dots: Why a History Degree is Useful” from American Historical Association.
- “Meet the parents who won’t let their children study literature” from the Washington Post. “Forcing college kids to ignore the liberal arts won’t help them in a competitive economy.”
