Careers in history
What will you do with your history degree?
The world is a complex place. Studying history is the best way to learn how to understand and navigate the overlapping political, economic, and culture issues of today’s globalized society.
The skills you'll gain studying history are useful in many workplaces—you'll learn how to research, analyze and synthesize large amount of complex information and how to communicate it effectively.
My history degree taught me how to think critically, read and understand information quickly, and most of all I learned how to communicate my ideas to other people. These are invaluable skills, especially in a job market where more and more businesses are becoming specialized.
—John Norris (BA, History, 2010)
What have others done with their history degree? https://historydegreediplomehistoire.blog/
Some career options for history graduates
- Access to information officer
- Communications coordinator
- Counsellor
- Cultural programs coordinator
- Curator
- Editor/publisher
- Exhibit designer
- Foreign service officer
- Fund development
- Historical interpreter
- Human resources coordinator
- Intelligence/Security Analyst
- Immigration/intelligence officer
- Journalist
- Legal professional
- Librarian/archivist
- Museum Professional
- Policy Analyst
- Researcher
- Teacher/instructor
Additional education and training may be required.
More information from UVic Co-op + Careers
Meet our alumni
CEO
Tamara Vrooman is an award-winning leader, known for her exemplary track record leading large, complex institutions in both the private and public sectors and her bold positions on sustainability and inclusion. Prior to joining YVR as President & CEO, she served for nine years on YVR’s Board and for 13 years as the President & CEO of Vancity, Canada’s largest community credit union, transforming the business into a global reference point for values-based banking. She currently serves as Simon Fraser University’s 12th Chancellor, chairs the board of the Rick Hansen Foundation and is the recipient of the Order of British Columbia (2019), Peter Lougheed Award for Leadership in Public Policy (2016) and BC CEO of the Year Award – Major Private Company, Business in Vancouver (2015), among many other citations.
History - BA (1991), MA (1994)
Xats'ull First Nation and author
Bev Sellars is a former councillor and chief of the Xat’sull (Soda Creek) First Nation in Williams Lake, British Columbia. First elected chief of Xat’sull in 1987, she held the position from 1987-1993 and then from 2009-2015. Between her terms as chief she earned a degree in history from the University of Victoria (1997) and says “My “aha” moment came when I was taking European history.” This was followed by a law degree from the University of British Columbia. She has served as adviser for the B.C. Treaty Commission and a representative for the Secwepemc communities on the Cariboo Chilcotin Justice Inquiry in the early 1990s. Bev is currently the chairperson of the First Nation Women Advocating for Responsible Mining (FNWARM) which monitors proposed and existing mining operations in BC. Read More
History - BA
Researcher
Ezra leads researcher projects for international development organizations. He first started working in development during his MA. While conducting fieldwork in the Middle East for his thesis, he became affiliated with a Jordanian think tank, producing reports on political reform. Since finishing his MA, he has gone on to a PhD and has worked for a number of European and American organizations, drawing on his background in Middle East history to carry out research on political movements, governance reform, and aid effectiveness in the region.
History - MA (2014)
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Jody is a descendent of the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk and Laich-Kwil-Tach peoples. She was elected as the Liberal MP for the riding of Vancouver Granville in the 2015 federal election and sworn in as the Minister of Justice of Canada. She is the first Indigenous person to hold this position. She has been an active member of the BC Bar Association since 2000 and was a provincial Crown prosecutor in Vancouver's downtown eastside until 2003. In 2003 she was an elected Commissioner to the BC Treaty Commission, and in 2009 was elected a Regional Chief of the BC Assembly of First Nations.
Political Science and History - BA (1996)
Mayor of Victoria
Lisa helped create and was the Executive Director of Community Micro Lending, a local non-profit where people can lend directly to others in the community. She ran successfully for Victoria City Council where she was a councillor for three years. In 2014, deciding that she could do more as mayor than councillor to help Victoria unleash its potential, she successfully ran for mayor. Read more
History - BA (2002), MA (2005)
Information Management Section
Racan accepted a Civilian position in the Vancouver Police Department's Information Management Section in 2015. He previously worked as a researcher for IPSA International, a global risk advisory firm, and was tasked with helping to launch the company’s office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He holds a Private Investigator licence and has cherished the opportunity of applying the research skills he developed while studying history to the investigative world. He was also Visiting Curator at Roedde House Museum in Vancouver’s historic West End.
History - MA (2012)
Outreach & Congregational Care Coordinator
Kiran is the Congregational Care and Community Engagement Coordinator at Deer Park United Church in Calgary, Alberta. In this role, she provides pastoral care to congregants, provides referrals and support to low income individuals and families, and connects with non-profits to provide strong programming for communities. Read more
History - BA (2011)