About this Degree
History investigates the profound and surprising differences between past worlds and our own. At the same time, it measures the common ground between them. The major is among the most flexible and far-ranging areas of study available to undergraduates at the University of Georgia.
Every year the Department of History awards scholarships to help defray the cost of studying abroad, funding for senior research projects based on archival and original materials, and prizes in recognition of impressive research and writing.
A history degree makes students versatile, competitive candidates for all kinds of post-college careers, in law, teaching, business, public service, journalism, medicine, and more. For more information see the Department's guide to History at Work (http://history.uga.edu/history-work), read some profiles of alumni who are putting history into play in different careers (http://history.uga.edu/history-work-speaker-series), or catch one of the events in the History at Work Speaker Series (http://history.uga.edu/history-work-speaker-series).
What you will learn
Studying history means analyzing the many forces that shape human experience, and learning to see how heterogeneous societies are, even within a single historical moment. Students develop both depth and breadth of knowledge of different geographical regions of the world, different time periods, and different thematic approaches to understanding social, political, and economic changes in human societies. In the process, they learn to handle complex evidence with subtlety and skepticism, and to speak and write with concision and force.
Interesting Facts about this Degree or Program
UGA’s largest learning center was named after Zell Miller, who earned his graduate degree in history here at the University of Georgia.
In 1998 history and law professor Edward Larson became the first faculty member to win a Pulitzer prize.
Other Information about Degree or Program
The Department of History offers a lot of areas of focus for research. Please go here for a brief overview of all the research activities for this department.
Scholarship and Award Information
Department of History Study Abroad Scholarship
Any undergraduate history major can fill out an Application for the Study Abroad Scholarship to participate in an official UGA study abroad program. Awarded twice yearly.
History Undergraduate Research Award
Any undergraduate history major can fill out an Application for the Undergraduate Research Award to help fund research for a HIST 4990 senior seminar research paper, or for travel to present a history paper at a professional conference. Awarded twice yearly.
Summer Program in Public History Scholarship
Funding assistance may be provided through the Gregory Summer Public History scholarship. Any history major can fill out an Application for this Public History Scholarship to help defray costs of students enrolled in the Department's Summer Program in Public History in Washington, D.C.
Additional information about these and other scholarships and awards can be found here.
Student Organizations
Employment Information
AmeriCorps | MetLife |
Athens Regional Medical Center | MicroSoft |
Benton County Daily Record | Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs |
Carter & Associates | Museums |
City/County Government | National Property Inspections |
Classified Ventures | National Park Service |
Collegiate Licensing Company | Natural History Centers |
Business corporations | Plantation Golf Club |
Coyote Logistics | Primerica Financial Services |
Federal Agencies | Private Construction Company |
Flloyd Medical Center | South Georgia College |
GC Sterling | Southern Illinois University |
Geico | State Government |
Georgia General Assembly | Swat Ministries Inc. |
IBM | The Home Depot |
Jackson State University | The University of Georgia |
K & B Transportation | U.S. Office of Personnel Mgmt |
Kim Fitzpatrick | Retail/Corporate Management |
King & Spalding | Walgreen's |
Libraries and Archives | Walt Disney World Company |
A bachelor's degree in History from the University of Georgia opens up a world of career opportunities, providing students with the analytical skills, communications abilities, and breadth of interest and knowledge needed to succeed in a rapidly changing global economy. A short list of career possibilities would include: advertising executive, analyst, archivist, broadcaster, campaign worker, consultant, congressional aide, editor, foreign service officer, foundation staffer, information specialist, intelligence agent, journalist, legal assistant, lobbyist, personnel manager, public relations staffer, researcher, teacher . . . the list could go on. Below, however, are listed some common career paths for history majors. For more information, visit the UGA Career Center or view the American Historical Association's guide to Careers for Students of History.
Historians as Educators
- Elementary Schools
- Secondary Schools
- Postsecondary Education
- Historic Sites and Museums
Historians as Researchers
- Museums and Historical Organizations
- Cultural Resources Management and Historic Preservation
- Think Tanks
Historians As Communicators
- Writers and Editors
- Journalists
- Documentary Editors
- Producers of Multimedia Material
Historians As Information Managers
- Archivists
- Records Managers
- Librarians
- Information Managers
Historians As Advocates
- Lawyers and Paralegals
- Litigation Support
- Legislative Staff Work
- Foundations
Historians in Businesses and Associations
- Historians in Corporations
- Contract Historians
- Historians and Nonprofit Associations