Career as a historian?

Hello
As a career i am interested in two fields, History and Law. I know a great deal about career posibilities in Law and now i am interested in researching career posibilities in History. Would anyybody be able to tell me how likely a career as a profesional Historian is, what this might entail, what qualifications i may need, what jobs would be achievable and what the average salary would be.
Thanks in advance

Reply 1

Ossie1701

1

It really does depend what you mean by 'professional Historian'. Generally speaking I presume you mean the guys (and girls) who write books? Most of them are university lecturers of sorts and often hold a Ph.D., which means an extra three years ontop of your standard B.A. (/B.Sc.).

If you are talking about a career as a archivist, you often need vocational training/ a vocation degree ontop of a History degree (i.e. a masters) - which will often entail volunteering in an archive for a given time.

I hope that helps, but you need to narrow it down a bit. The term profession historian is too vague to give any concrete answers to.

Reply 2

ChemistBoy

16

It seems that there are two ways to be a historian. 1. do a PhD and get a position as an academic at university or 2. start writing books and hope they sell.

Reply 3

t kay13

OP

12

When i say proffesional historian i mean a historian who lectures at universities and publishes books

Reply 4

Tomber

13

t kay13

Hello
As a career i am interested in two fields, History and Law. I know a great deal about career posibilities in Law and now i am interested in researching career posibilities in History. Would anyybody be able to tell me how likely a career as a profesional Historian is, what this might entail, what qualifications i may need, what jobs would be achievable and what the average salary would be.
Thanks in advance

I assume you have yet to start at university? If you are looking at pursuing a career in academic history, your first step, obviously, is to study for (usually) a history degree, only then will you be able to tell whether you are suited to the rigours of academic history. The money making possibilities, when compared to a career in law, are in a different, and entirely lower league. A basic lecturers salary would be in the region of 25 - 30k pa, but in order to get there you will have to have undertaken doctoral study, then most likely several years as a post doc research fellow.

Your basic steps as I understand them at the moment will be:

First class undergraduate degree - a 2:1 will make things tricky, but not impossible for getting funding for your research.

apply for funding.

MA/ MPhil - Research the topic of your choice

Possibly apply for funding again

PhD/ DPhil, give papers at conferences etc...

Research fellowship - get published as much as you can

Apply for ferociously competitive lecturing posts.

Publish, publish, publish.

It's a tough career path.

What area of history are you interested in specifically?

Reply 5

t kay13

OP

12

Specifically i am interested in either 1900 + international history or medieval european history. Thanks for all the helpful replies

Reply 6

emerson

Hi,i Want To Clear Out Some Doubts,i Have Completed My Graduation In Business Management Field But I Am Very Much Intersted In Pursuing My Master Level Or A Career In History Or As An Historian So Wll It Be Possible In Master Level And Also I Am Interested In Knowing The World History And That Too Everything In Brief And Details Of The World History.so Please Give Me The Name Of The Subjects Of History In Master Level And The Course Durations And What Is The Average Expected Salaries.and Another Thing I Want To Asked In Which Country There Will Be More Scope And Career Prospectas An Historian.thank You

Career as a historian?

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