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Higher education

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Can a history degree actually lead to a good job?

227 replies

Jon1970 · 07/04/2024 10:13

Hi, I'd be grateful for an opinion on the merits or not of doing a history degree. My youngest daughter is currently in A1 doing History, Geography and Economics. She was considering doing Law at Uni (still is, to an extent..) but I think she is gradually drifting away from that, which is fine...at 17 I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do. She has always loved History, and still does. There is a narrative out there on careers pages etc that History teaches you great analytical skills, problem solving and so on, the argument being that a degree in history can lead to "so many" careers. But I'm worried....in the real world, is this actually true?

I'm curious to know if you either did History yourself or someone you know, and did it lead to good opportunities further down the line? I really want to support her in doing what she wants to do and in something she enjoys, but just trying to sanity check that she won't say to me in 5 years time something like "Dad, why on earth did you let met me do a History degree?". I know that she could do a history degree and then a Law conversion course if she does want to go into law, but if she doesn't want to do law, what then?

I am probably slightly haunted by doing a music degree, and then switching later to IT and business.

OP posts:
EmmyPankhurst · 07/05/2024 18:51

If you are interested it's a good degree. Pick your course carefully though or you might end up doing lots of obscure stuff you don't care about.

I know several. 2 lawyers (one barrister, one in-house counsel for a global company). The other is a senior NHS manager.

Tupperwarelid · 08/05/2024 12:58

My brother did history at a polytechnic (back in the old days) and now is a management consultant earning shed loads.

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