FAQs

1. What skills can a History degree teach me?
2. What are the general requirements for a History degree?
3. What courses are available at Auburn?
4. What kind of job opportunities are available to a History major?
5. How can I learn more?

1. What skills can a History degree teach me?

Answer: A degree in History can prepare you for a variety of careers precisely because it equips you with a number of valuable skills, such as:

Study skills
Note taking skills
Researching skills
Writing and editing skills
Organizational and time management skills
Critical thinking skills
Reading comprehension skills
Cultural literacy and historical perspective

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2. What are the general requirements for a History degree?

Answer: In addition to all University and Liberal Arts College requirements for graduation, this department mandates 120 total semester hours for the history major. The student must take COMM 1000 and COMP 1000. For the major itself, the student must take either World History I and II, Technology and Civilization I and II or their equivalent. Transfer students who have completed the core history requirement at another college or university will receive full credit for the core requirement even if they are not world history courses.

History majors are required to take 33 hours above the core requirement. These include any two of the following: 2010, 2020 (U.S. History), 2070, 2080 (European History), 2100, 2110, 2120, 2130 (Latin American, Asian, Modern African, Middle Eastern History). Majors must also take HIST 3800 (Historian's Craft) and 4930 (Senior Thesis), which teach students how to do historical research and write a scholarly paper.* Majors will choose other courses amounting to 27 additional hours which must include three (3) of the 5000 level courses that are the the most advanced available to undergraduates.

History minors are required to take 15 hours above the core requirement. These include 6 hours of 2000 level courses and 9 hours at the 3000 and 5000 levels.

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3. What courses are available at Auburn?

Answer: The History Department covers a wide variety subjects with its course offerings in American, European, Latin American, and Asian History, and the History of Technology. Those who are interested in such courses as Russian/Soviet, American women, Greco-Roman, Medieval and African-American History will also find courses available at various times. Military and regional history courses have traditionally been popular at Auburn, and classes in Southern History, the Civil War, and Military History are offered annually. From the History of Technology program come such popular courses as those dealing with Naval History, Air Power, and Space Travel. Professors also offer courses that are not part of our regular schedule; these are called Special Topics (HIST 3970). Previously offered special topics include African History, American Religious History, Modern Eastern European History, and others. For those students who wish to participate in a special historical project for academic credit, the department provides the course HIST 3920 for internships.

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4. What kind of job opportunities are available to a History major?

Answer: One of the primary concerns for students, and especially their parents, is career opportunities for those with degrees in history. Most believe that history majors teach or go to graduate school, but these are not the only options available. Many Auburn graduates have gone onto distinguished careers in numerous fields including:

Archival and Museum Work

Foreign Service
Athletics

Historic Preservation
Banking

Military
Business

Politics
Civil Service

Public Administration
Educational Administration

Public Relations

A History degree will also prepare you for graduate or professional school programs including: History, Law, Medicine and Theology.

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5. How can I learn more?

If you would like more information on Career opportunities for History majors, please click here and visit the History Department web page "What You Can Do with a History Degree."

Career Choices For the Nineties: For Students of History (New York; Walker, 1990)

Great Jobs for History Majors by Stephen Lambert and Julie De Galan (Lincolnwood, IL: UGM Career Horizons, 1995).

Careers for Students of History by Barbara J. Howe (Washington, DC: AHA, 1989).

If you are interested in a law career contact the Pre-Law adviser, Dorothy Wells-Littleton at (334) 844-6166 in Haley Center 7002.

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Last updated May 18, 2007.