History major

History: courses, careers, and where to study

History trains graduates in research, evidence, and argument, feeding into law, education, museums, government, and any field that values long-form analytical writing.

A History major covers a range of geographical and chronological fields, typically requiring a U.S. survey, a non-U.S. survey, methods, and a senior thesis. Programs emphasize primary-source research, archival work, and historiography. The major produces graduates who can synthesize large evidence bodies and write at length, both rare and valuable skills.

History pairs naturally with Pre-Law (top-3 LSAT-scoring major), Education, Political Science, or Foreign Languages. Graduates work in law, museums and archives, K–12 and higher-education teaching, journalism, government, and consulting.

Academic classification (CIP)

In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, History maps to CIP 54.0101, History, General, within the HISTORY family. The official definition:

A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov

What you'll study

  • Survey courses across U.S., European, and world history
  • Historical methods and historiography
  • Primary-source research and archival skills
  • Field-specific advanced seminars
  • Senior research thesis
  • A foreign language (often required for graduate-bound students)

Typical careers

Typical salary range: $42,000–$60,000 early-careerRanges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with History. Linked titles open a CampusPin career page with BLS pay and outlook data; others are listed for reference.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Crosswalk: CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. A program of study does not guarantee any specific occupation.

Before you commit to a History major

CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific History program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.

Ask the History department

  • Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
  • What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
  • What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
  • Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?

Ask current students & check the curriculum

  • How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
  • What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
  • Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
  • How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Accreditation & licensure: Most History programs are covered by their institution's regional accreditation; specialized programmatic accreditation is less common in this field. Confirm any field-specific accreditation or licensure that matters for your goals.
Degree level & graduate study: Many Historycareers are open with a bachelor's degree, but some, such as research, advanced-practice, or licensure-track roles, require a master's or doctorate. Check the typical entry-level education on each linked career page above before assuming a bachelor's is enough.

Find a History program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges that offer History programs. Filter by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

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Related majors

How this guide is sourced

This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.