Studying History Abroad: Top US and UK Programs and Career Prospects

发布时间：Date: 2023-04-06 返回新鲜资讯Back to News

Against the backdrop of narrow employment opportunities for history majors and a societal bias towards STEM in China, CheersYou（清柚教育） points out that studying abroad offers a richer research atmosphere and broader career prospects. By pursuing an overseas graduate degree, students not only deepen their expertise and critical thinking skills but also acquire interdisciplinary skills relevant to other industries, significantly enhancing their competitiveness and laying a more comprehensive foundation for future career development.

This article details the definition of history as a discipline, the subfields offered by US universities categorized by region, period, and theme, and highlights diverse career paths such as museum management, media directing, consulting/finance, law, and education/research. Additionally, it recommends high-quality programs in North America, including Harvard's History of Science, aiming to help students break through disciplinary limitations. With professional guidance from CheersYou（清柚教育）, you can plan a more promising path for further education and career development.

As is widely known, the domestic environment in China has always favored STEM over humanities. For majors like history and other humanities and social sciences, there are fewer corresponding job openings, and the skills acquired in school are not as broad as those in STEM or business, with a greater emphasis on historical research and textual verification. Unlike in China, the research atmosphere and employment prospects for history studies abroad are much brighter. CheersYou（清柚教育） suggests that students of such disciplines apply for graduate programs abroad. This not only bolsters their professional knowledge reserve and enhances critical thinking, but if they pursue a career related to their major in the future, they will be more well-rounded and professional. Moreover, during their studies, they can proactively acquire skills needed in other industries, thereby gaining a competitive edge. CheersYou（清柚教育） advisors have provided detailed analyses; interested students are welcome to contact us~

What is History?

History is a discipline oriented towards the study of human history. Its main fields include first-level disciplines such as world history, Chinese history, and archaeology, and second-level disciplines such as museology, cultural relic studies, and ethnology. History has a distinctive interdisciplinary nature, closely related to many other disciplines, especially political science, economics, sociology, and philosophy.

Categorization of History Programs in the US:

By geographic region: European civilization, Russian history, Asian history, North American history, etc.;

By time period: medieval history, modern history, etc.;

By thematic focus: law and society, environmental history, etc.

Career Directions for History Graduates

Museum Curator/Librarian

The functions of these two positions are generally not vastly different; both serve society and its development. The work is not overly mentally taxing and comes with little pressure, offering opportunities to interact with many outstanding people in the field.

Scriptwriter/Director

Many history-related programs and documentaries require the participation of professional historians, but this demands that you possess corresponding skills in media and related industries.

Consulting/Investment Banking

A small number of students who have acquired business skills have successfully transitioned into front and middle office roles. These individuals not only possess the critical thinking of the humanities and social sciences but also the quantitative skills required in business, enabling them to view problems from multiple dimensions.

The learning methods of liberal arts are, in a sense, universal. Many historical research methods can also be applied to law, such as cultural relic laws and regulations. Those who wish to enter the legal profession can also successfully pass the bar exam and secure a position.

Education/Research

Becoming a university teacher or a researcher is the most directly relevant job for history students, but demand for such positions is low—each vacancy is hard to come by, and competition is extremely fierce.

Below are some recommended schools and programs for students considering graduate studies.

Firstly, North America:

Harvard University – History of Science

Harvard's prestige speaks for itself. Its Department of the History of Science is one of the world's leading institutions, cultivating the next generation of professional historians of science through teaching and research that provides a broad foundation. The program is called History of Science, not historical science, so in addition to history, history of science, and science courses, students can also choose from fields such as philosophy, government, literature, sociology, anthropology, law, and public policy.

Admission Requirements Assessment:

GPA: 3.8+

GRE: 330+ (GRE scores are optional, but at a prestigious institution like this, competition is fierce. Even though not required, it is recommended that applicants submit an excellent GRE score to enhance their competitiveness.)

Essays: SOP + Writing Sample (The importance of the writing sample for students in this field goes without saying. Those who are considering applying are advised to start planning their writing sample early.)

Program Website:

https://histsci.fas.harvard.edu/am-degree

Duke University – History

Duke's location is relatively disadvantaged, but for students pursuing historical research, this can actually be a good thing, allowing them to immerse themselves in historical study away from worldly distractions. The program encourages applicants to pursue special research interests while exploring a broad range of historical fields. The department offers graduate supervision in a wide array of historical areas: North America; Latin America, Europe, Britain and the Commonwealth, Russia, Japan, China, South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa; as well as thematic fields such as women's history, military history, history of science, technology and medicine, environmental history, labor history, and slave societies.

Admission Requirements Assessment:

GPA: 3.6+

GRE: 330+ (can be waived, but better to have.)

Program Website:

https://gradschool.duke.edu/academics/programs-degrees/history-ma/

Tufts University – History

Compared to Harvard and Duke, Tufts' requirements are much more approachable. The program is designed to prepare students for further doctoral studies in history and to enhance historical knowledge and interpretation skills for professionals working in schools, libraries, and museums. It offers opportunities to focus on regional areas such as South Asia, East Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the United States, and students can also specialize in thematic areas that combine interdisciplinary and comparative methods.

Admission Requirements Assessment:

GPA: 3.5+

Program Website:

https://as.tufts.edu/history/current-students/graduate-programs/ma-history

United Kingdom

University of Manchester – History

A world top-30 institution, this program boasts world-class expertise in medieval, early modern, and modern history, crossing national and international boundaries, with strong representation in economic, social, and cultural history research methods.

Admission Requirements Assessment:

GPA: 3.5+

Language: IELTS 7.0, with Writing 7 and other components 6.5

Program Website:

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/masters/courses/list/01197/ma-history/course-details/

Summary:

History is the discipline where the conflict between reality and idealism is most intense. Thus, choosing a history major requires students to have critical thinking, to analyze and contrast a large volume of literature to extract new perspectives. This process demands higher levels of research ability, patience, intellectual curiosity, and writing skills, making this major no less challenging than others.

Application Directions for History

Many students who majored in history as undergraduates can also apply for museum studies at the graduate level. In recent years, many students have gone abroad to study museum studies, where they typically have a two-month internship period, gaining hands-on experience in different collections and holdings. Especially with the increase in exhibitions abroad related to Chinese art, their profile has been rising, and collaborations with major Chinese museums are growing.

CheersYou（清柚教育） has also compiled a list of museum studies programs for your reference.

Tufts University – Art History and Museum Studies

This program aims to provide students with advanced qualifications in art history and a broad introduction to museum work. It is designed for those who wish to work in fields related to art collections. It equips students with skills to combine theoretical study of art history with the practical issues of displaying, managing, and interpreting artworks in various museum settings. Students take courses in both art history and museum studies. Graduates typically pursue careers in museums, art galleries, art publishing, museum education, teaching, art libraries, visual resource collections, or auction houses.