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Careers for History Majors

Majoring in History

  • Headshot of Julie Sindel.
    Julie Sindel is a Social Science Specialist at W.W. Norton, Inc. Publishing. She received her B.A. in History from UCSB, graduating with High Honors in 1994. After completing the Secondary Social Science Teaching Credential program at Cal State Fullerton she taught high school A.P. U.S. History for ten years.
    Learn more about Julie Sindel...

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 lawyerteachers, 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:

 

  • powerpoint slide that reads What you can do with a history major