Employers Value History Majors
History students learn how to explain social and political phenomena, build narratives, and write clearly. History majors work with archival documents, classic texts, and cutting-edge software like Tableau and Arc-GIS. With concentrations in pre-law, pre-education, and world history, students have opportunities to develop skills in global literacy, collaboration, and leadership.
History graduates working as anthropologists can earn high salaries of $69K.
Top skills for History graduates include historical research, art history and archival research.
41% of History graduates have multiple degrees including social sciences and liberal arts.
29.9% of History graduates have a master's degree.
The average salary for History graduates working in the research industry is $68K.
Top employers for GSU grads with the job title Historian are Edwards-Pitman, ERM and GA DOT.
The Atlanta History Center hires more History grads from GSU than any other school.
Planning giving skills have the highest impact on salary compared to other skills for GSU History grads.
72% of GSU History grads stay in Georgia.
Arts & Entertainment is the third biggest industry for GSU History grads.
Major Stories
HISTORY FACULTY HELP STUDENTS WRITE THEIR SUCCESS STORIES.
For historians, the most important question is "How?"
Students are participating in role-playing games. This dynamic curriculum challenges students to work cooperatively and competitively to achieve goals. Whether students are reenacting the struggle between Patriots and Loyalists in Revolutionary New York or debating the Renaissance relationship between science and faith in the trial of Galileo, they are learning to empathize with diverse historical perspectives and to mature as public speakers.
Dr. Marni Davis poses for a portrait in her office at Georgia State University where she is an Associate Professor. She is an expert on ethnicity and immigration and has been researching the history of Georgia Avenue in Summerhill. (Photo by Evey Wilson)
- Major in a Minute
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For historians, the most important question is "How?"
- What's in a History Class at GSU
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Students are participating in role-playing games. This dynamic curriculum challenges students to work cooperatively and competitively to achieve goals. Whether students are reenacting the struggle between Patriots and Loyalists in Revolutionary New York or debating the Renaissance relationship between science and faith in the trial of Galileo, they are learning to empathize with diverse historical perspectives and to mature as public speakers.
- Faculty Spotlight Dr. Jake Selwood
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"History at Georgia State means understanding context. In my classes in early modern British history, students use original sources from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to explore a society that had very different values to our own. The skills developed when doing so are useful to us today. In our own lives, whether at work or socially, we often encounter people who believe very different things to us. The ability to place unfamiliar values within the context of the factors and forces that shaped them helps us to better understand other people, even if we don’t end up agreeing with them. This, in turn, helps us to better understand ourselves."
- Faculty Spotlight Dr. Rob Baker
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"In my courses at Georgia State, students explore how constitutional law is created. Students read and research court cases, legal treatises, and political debates over the meaning of constitutional norms. The skills learned in my classes help students make sense of the relevant internal and external forces that shape the world of law that in turn governs our world. The ability to understand how and why constitutional law is made and how it has changed is vital to navigating our world today. It is also excellent preparation for law school, graduate school, and careers in politics and public service."
- Faculty Spotlight Dr. Marni Davis
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"History at Georgia State is about understanding how we got from there to here. Studying history helps us to see how the debates, decisions, and ideologies of past have shaped the world we live in; our history is, as James Baldwin wrote in 1965, “literally present in all that we do.” In my class on the history and social geography of Atlanta, we work closely with lots of historical maps. They show, in “concrete” terms, how the city has changed over time, and they give us perspective on why Atlanta looks the way it does today. Through our mapping projects, we become more historically-informed residents and citizens of our city – which gives us crucial tools for analyzing, and perhaps solving, the problems of today."
Dr. Marni Davis poses for a portrait in her office at Georgia State University where she is an Associate Professor. She is an expert on ethnicity and immigration and has been researching the history of Georgia Avenue in Summerhill. (Photo by Evey Wilson)
Your Degree at Work
HERE ARE THE TOP FIVE EMPLOYMENT FIELDS OF GSU STUDENTS WITH A HISTORY DEGREE.
INDUSTRY
AVG. SALARY
AVG. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
COMMON JOB TITLES
WHY HIRE HISTORY MAJORS FOR THIS FIELD? THEY'VE GOT SKILLS!
INDUSTRY
AVG. SALARY
AVG. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
COMMON JOB TITLES
WHY HIRE HISTORY MAJORS FOR THIS FIELD? THEY'VE GOT SKILLS!
INDUSTRY
AVG. SALARY
AVG. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
COMMON JOB TITLES
WHY HIRE HISTORY MAJORS FOR THIS FIELD? THEY'VE GOT SKILLS!
INDUSTRY
AVG. SALARY
AVG. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
COMMON JOB TITLES
WHY HIRE HISTORY MAJORS FOR THIS FIELD? THEY'VE GOT SKILLS!
INDUSTRY
AVG. SALARY
AVG. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
COMMON JOB TITLES
WHY HIRE HISTORY MAJORS FOR THIS FIELD? THEY'VE GOT SKILLS!
TAKE A LOOK AT THE CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMING AVAILABLE TO HISTORY MAJORS.
Professionalism
Communication
Career/
Self Development
Equity/
Inclusion
Critical Thinking
Teamwork
Technology
Leadership
Your Career Starts Here
TOP EMPLOYERS OF GSU HISTORY GRADS AND AVERAGE SALARY
WHAT DOES A CAREER PATH LOOK LIKE FOR A HISTORY MAJOR?
Career paths are often full of twists and turns. They are rarely straight lines. Watch the following video tutorial to learn how to explore the career paths of GSU alumni who after graduating with a degree in this major pursued their interests and passions rather than a specific job title:
FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER
82%
82% of 5,705 people working as foreign service officers majored in fields other than International Relations. The chart above shows what they studied.
222
222 foreign service officers majored in History.
MEDIA CONSULTANT
79%
79% of 4,795 people working as media consultants majored in fields other than Communications. The chart above shows what they studied. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
75
75 media consultants majored in History.
WEB DEVELOPER
48%
48% of 59,649 people working as web developers majored in fields other than Computer & Info Systems. The chart above shows what they studied.
340
340 web developers majored in History.
Administrator - Augusta-Richmond County, GA
“Understanding the when, where, and how of the world we live in is the most important piece of succeeding in it. That understanding has given me valuable perspective in ensuring government works for all and the tools to lead diverse communities. Having a degree in history from Georgia State has truly been the conduit to those valuable lessons and the key to my professional success.”
These life skills have also helped me earn a Master’s degree in Political Management in addition to beginning work on a Master of Theology degree at Seminary."
Specialist - Upper Academy at Fifth Avenue (Decatur City Schools)
"My BA degree in History from GSU has proven very useful in my career as an educator. The program's rigorous focus on inquiry and research pushed me to find, interpret, and synthesize information from a multitude of sources. As an educator, I have used these skills to provide content to my students that not only allows for diverse representation, but that also pushes learners to think critically."
Lecturer - Georgia State University
"The research, communication, and presentation skills that I learned as a history major at Georgia State provided me with a skill set that is fundamental to a variety of careers and to learning more about the world we inhabit. However, it was the wide range of topics offered by the History Department and the encouragement of the faculty that inspired me to pursue a career in historical education and research."
University Career Services
Center for the Advancement of Students and Alumni
Are you interested in pursuing a graduate degree? The CASA is a campus hub of faculty, staff, and students helping to make PhD programs, medical school, and law school accessible to all students with an interest and motivation to pursue these paths.
University Advisement Center
Want to know more about the course scheduling, program, and degree requirements for this and other majors? The UAC is here to assist you in charting your path.
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Contact
College to Career
Office of the Senior Vice President for Student Success
Recruiters
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