I studied history (BA, MA, PhD) and I now teach ancient history at university. But going on to be an academic historian isn't all you can do with a History degree, and your skill set and proposed minors would put you on the path for other career options just as much as a more subject-specific degree would do.

People who study history end up in many different kinds of jobs. Treat it like a skills degree rather than a vocation that will pin you down forever. The reality is that there is an increasing disconnect between degree and work for people across most disciplines; the freedom to change your mind, the changeability of the market, and the lack of direct correspondence between existing degrees and available jobs means there aren't that many people who simply study a thing and then get a job doing that thing. Your degree will neither determine nor ruin your future prospects. This is even more true in our current times of socio-economic crisis. In the meantime, as you say, you will live a much happier life doing what you're passionate about than just forcing boring stuff into your skull to chase an illusion of financial security.

I sort of feel like a prick for even wanting to study History in the first place because I know my parents would share the financial burden with me.

I understand where this is coming from, but it makes me really sad - the internalisation of the idea that there are "worthy" and "unworthy" interests. The idea that you owe it to your parents to make money, rather than to be happy. That there is shame in doing something that society doesn't value as highly. We carry such a burden of prejudice against ourselves, as if we or our parents or anyone in society can predict what will and will not lead to a good life for us. Anyone who tells you to be ashamed for wanting to study history knows much less than they think they do.

I asked the same question at 18 and I am now asking the same question at 41. When I was 18 I knew I loved history but was afraid that I would never be able to get a job with a degree so I joined the military instead but I have found myself studying history, where ever I traveled and have taken a few courses through university part time. I did well on them and feel it is my calling. I have about two years left until I can draw a pension and think that now I have to learn from my own history and pursue what i'm passionate about. Good luck to you in whatever decision you make. Also thank-you for posing your question as it has helped me frame my thoughts. Also, I had a chance to visit Kiel once. I know it is not representative of all of Germany, but I was very impressed with the people and culture I saw there.

I didn’t finish my history degree yet, actually im still in the process of finishing my bachelor (in Germany as well), but maybe i can give some advice from experience and from what I heard from my professors and co-students.

Studying history does not, as you probably know, prepare you for any one specific profession. Except if you want to become a professor or stay in academia.

It is important to remember that studying history does not only give you dry knowledge of past events. Much more important are the skills in research, analytical thinking, writing and presenting, which can be applied more broadly in many fields and professions.

That being said, the most common career-goals of history students are as follows:

Academia:

If you want to become a professor, work in university or keep studying and researching history on an academic level, you should know that this is not an easy path. Some of my own university teachers advise against it, bc they themselves struggle finding and keeping long-term positions at universities. However, there are other options, such as museum or archive work, that let you apply your degree more directly.

Politics:

Many if my peers strive to work in a field related to politics. You could find work in a political party, or work for the government directly, like an embassy (especially if you know more “exotic” laguages like russian)

Writing/Journalism:

Something i myself pursue at the moment. History students can usually find jobs related to journalism relatively easily. Of course,the big newspapers and organizations are a lot harder to get into, since you would be competing with journalism-school graduates directly. But there are a multitude of smaller papers, publishers and tv-channels that could offer work.

Industry:

Something i didn’t think of at first, while beginning my studies, but there is also a place for history students in industry, albeit a comparatively small one. This largely depends on what positions are currently available, they can include Marketing or PR stuff or relate more directly to your degree. BMW has its own department for company history, lead by an history major, and it is not the only company doing something like this.

Whatever you find:

Honestly, a history major can find work in many fields and industries (also NGOs or public institutions like the Goethe-Institute or similar organizations, the list is endless). So long as, and this is super important, you already begin acquiring relevant experience while studying! Internships are extremely important to build a resume and gather more experience (they also of course help to decide wether you like work in a specific field). You will need this to be able to quickly find a work after graduating. My advice would be to begin looking for internships already in the second semester holidays.

This brings us to the most relevant topic for you: Finance.

We are lucky to study in germany, so we wont need to worry about the cost of university. However, living costs are still a concern, and as you might expect, internships dont pay too well. They do not stop you from working side-jobs though, and if you find a student-job that already relates to your future carreer goal, that is even better than an internship. I’ve had good experiences looking for jobs like that, i found opportunities to work for university-newspapers, the ZDF, or the goethe institute (bc my goal is a job in that field). Internships im museums or archives are also easy to be found, usually your university can even help with that (mine, in munich, has partnerships with a number of organizations and companies that make finding internships and work easier).

With my job (i have since the third semester) I would earn enough to support myself living in a city like munich, luckily my parents are able to lend additional support, so I can also save some money, but theoretically you can definitely support yourself while studying history (even more so that some law-majors i know, since they have less free time to use for work)

My final advice is, dont listen too much to my advice, since im also just barely done with my bachelor, but consider this: If you study something you detest or have no interest in, you will either have no motivation to study hard (something i had no problem with thanks to how amazing history is), or force yourself to to study hard without motivation, which could just make you more stressed and miserable in general. If money is a big concern, which it should be, remember that thanks to your minor (political science is always good!) and varied language-skills (seriously, russian alone is great, and might come in handy with your japanology minor :D) you already have a better outlook than many other graduates.

I could go on about how amazing studying history is for hours, but i think ive taken enough of your time for now :D Hope you can come to a decision that you and your family agree with and wish you all the best!

I went to university in Australia, and minored in history. I chose my subjects and my major (keeping it to myself since it was quite unique) based on my interests.

I then decided halfway through that it wasn’t a career I wanted to pursue, and instead, in my final year, applied for all the grad jobs that didn’t require a particular type of degree.

I ended up getting a grad job at a software company. Nearly 10 years later, I’m now happily (and successfully) working in the industry, and am halfway through studying my Exec MBA and loving it.

It’s ok to go to uni to ‘find yourself’. You’ll make it work.

What I'm going to tell you is very important:

Don't do it.

I have years of experience with what you're considering, and seriously, don't make history your primary degree unless you want to stay in academia.

The German job market is rigid. Most places want a very specific degree or one very similar to the degree listed in the job description. If you don't have it, you have a very poor chance of getting your foot in the door.

Every place told me that 'Geisteswissenschaften' just aren't sought after in Germany.

I love history and feel that my degree taught me some great skills. But you will be outmatched for just about every job by someone who trained for that career specifically. I looked at 10s of thousands of job postings and very rarely was history asked for specifically, even jobs asking for just any old degree weren't too common.

Think about what you would want to do with your history degree. Get a degree or Ausbildung specific to that, and take history as a second subject and/or as a passionate hobby.

Just my experience.

Don't forget that reddit is still mostly a US-centric website, and most of the answers you're getting now are coming from a US perspective, and to lesser extent, from a UK perspective.

In the US and the UK it's completely normal to get a degree in whatever and then apply to a completely unrelated job. That's because it's understood that university is there to give you transferable skills that could be apply to a number of situations.

In Europe, and maybe in particular in Germany and France... not so much. For example, if you want a job in IT, you should definitely do a degree in IT. If you want a job in finance, you should definitely do a degree in finance. Whereas in, say, the UK, it's pretty normal to do a degree in history and work in the City after graduating.

It's not impossible to get a job unrelated to your degree. Some people do it. But it's considerably more difficult, and people will really wonder why you apply with a history degree.

At least from a North American perspective, unless you want to go to law school, or think you may for some reason have a realistic shot (and desire) at being a history professor, then absolutely not. Doing an undergraduate degree in history is quite literally the biggest mistake and largest regret of my life.

I am almost finished with an electrical engineering degree and I’m only finishing so I can hopefully earn enough money to go back to school and earn a master’s in art history; this will allow me teach at the college / university level. I always wanted to be a history teacher / professor, or work in a museum. I say, do what makes you happy. I chose a “safe” major instead because I have children; however, college is a long 4+ years of you’re miserable the whole time. I have every reason in the world to pick the “safe” major I did... I detest it. Be. Happy. Especially if you’re lucky enough to be living in a country where your entire purpose isn’t wrapped around making a dollar (I’m making an assumption here, but I’d be surprised to find out your country is as soul-crushingly capitalistic as the US). You just have to be prepared for a more niche career, or at least more creative about the types of jobs you look for. I can only speak about the US, but here, a history degree often means you’re either going to teach, work in a museum, or take some random job where the only requirement is a four-year degree and managerial experience. These are not the only options, but again, you have to be open minded to possibilities. Good luck. Weigh out your options, and really think about other things you could study that will make you just as happy, (but a bit safer), just to be thorough. If you do pick something else, please don’t let it be out of fear. This was longer than I thought it would be. Sorry. :) Also, the only people I know that didn’t think their degree was worth it are in debt and don’t have a job relevant to the topic they studied.

I have an undergraduate in history and masters in social and cultural history (U.K) I decided to swtich paths and am now in my final year of medical school (I've spend about a decade at uni now!).

The history degree was a great part of my life. It taught me how to think and learn independently and how to think critically about a situation. A lot of my friends who I studied with have gone into various areas like the tax office, lawyers, online companies and obviously some have stayed in academia. The degree can teach you lots of important skills that you can transfer into employment so I wouldnt say that studying history will mean you can't get a 'good' job after. Its really important to study something you are interested in and engage with because I've seen lots of people drop out of both degrees because their heart wasn't in it or their parents pressured them to take a path.

My advice would be to pick something you enjoy and work hard at it. In the U.K. (and I imagine Germany would be similar) there are lots of extra programs/ internships available during the summers whilst at uni. If you job prospects are important to you I would advise doing those because they do more for you in the long run. A lot of places look for that exerience over what a degree was in. Also in the U.K. there are loads of lawyers who's undergrad degree wasn't law.

Overall as someone with about a decade more life experience; who is coming to the end of a big life change, I definately don't think I have my life at all figured out but what I have found so far is that following my heart has brought me more happiness than trying to conform to others expectations. Just work hard at whatever you find interesting and you'll find a way to make it work

I studied history because it was what I loved doing and I didn’t overthink it. Now I work at a tech company that makes fantasy sports games. I’m not sure what it’s like in Germany, but in the UK your degree pretty rarely stops you from going into any career. Yeah you may never be able to work for NASA or something like that, but generally speaking you’ll be able to pursue any sort of career.

Caveat: I am living in the US, so my experience may differ from yours, but I will tell my story in broad arcs to help you decide:

There are days that I do regret pursuing my Master's in History (Modern Middle East, to be precise), but the majority of the time, I would have it no other way.

On the one hand, I was fortunate to teach History at three Universities for about 10 years, quilting together a living through adjuncting, commuting, and helping my institutions take their first steps into e-learning (an unthinkable shift in pre-COVID times). I spent my time shuttling between Universities to make class schedules or to lobby for this class or that. I saw some wonderful, brilliant students and even got to see those "ah ha!" moments when students understand History better. I led studies abroad, lived in Egypt for a while, made connections with other Historians in Ireland, France, and Egypt, and throughout the US, and co-authored a textbook. Like you, I also came from a working class family who could not afford to assist me, so it was a leap of faith to pursue History. And most of the time, I loved it all: while I was studying or teaching, my wife and son experienced amazing adventures which only continued as the years passed. I have colleagues I can chat about History and politics with, and former students whose careers have amazed me. I won teaching awards and received postcards and letters from those whose lives I've changed. I guest lectured and sat on Committees advocatimg for veterans, LGBTQ+, and policy directives.

On the other hand, I do not know the University environment in Europe, but here in the US it is dire to say the least. The biggest issue is budget cuts from Federal, State, and/or administrative sources. I worked extensively in the state of Kentucky and a conservative (Republican) Lieutenant Governor stated that the State would cut Humanities funding as a priority to "balance the budget" (literally quipping that if someone wanted to study history, they should already have a job lined up and be prepared to use their own money). The budget for my Institutions was slashed 10% the first year, then 20% the next, and even further after that. Jobs dried up as educators (especially adjuncts) began to compete for fewer job openings, usually at lower pay. I was lucky and landed a job at a private college, but only delayed the inevitable: the administrators hired lots of sports coaches (including two bowling coaches), joined a top-tier collegiate sports association (NCAA), and dumped money into a nice stadium to attract allumni and (hopefully, laughably) broadcasters BUT cut academic programs [the "student success center" struggled to have enough dry erase markers and asked professors/adjuncts to volunteer their time, for example]. All class offerings to adjuncts like me were restricted to two per term as course offerings became cookie-cutter from one term to the next and fewer students took History electives. Most Universities (in my experience) usually do the same: adjuncts are cut first, academic programs are cut second, libraries fall next, and then far down the line maybe sports will be cut (but rarely administrative bloat). COVID finally killed my withering career: the e-learning that my tenured colleagues were dismissive of was suddenly super-important to them so I was not given any classes at all. The email was one sentence long that ended my teaching at the University level. I now work for the Federal government, and am way over-qualified for my job.

I am embittered about administrators who cut programs but give themselves raises. I despise politicians who hack and slash at education budgets as if it were frivolous spending. I dislike dismissive tenured colleagues who talk a great game about being "Liberal" but won't go to bat for un-tenured colleagues. I shake my head at the folly of prioritizing gyms, sports arenas, and dorms over classes...

But I'd go back to teaching History classes in a heartbeat. I would rather be in front of a classroom than anywhere else. I find myself still bookmarking History articles and thinking how this would affect a theoretical class I would teach on Revolution & Terrorism, on the American Independence, Irish History, and (of course) Middle Eastern history. It is a bittersweet thing to remember those classes and that old life.

Maybe (I hope) your experience will be different. Knock on wood/from my lips to God's ear/In sha Allah that you will love History and be happy even if your experience mirrors my own

I got my BA/MA/PhD in history and I would say it was definitely worth it. I don't work in the academic world anymore, but the skills I learned in school have been helpful in the non-academic world. Now I work as a translator - I'm in Canada so I learned French in school, French is an important language for medieval history, and I worked in France for a couple of years after my PhD, so all that led to me looking for jobs as a translator. I used to work in an office, where it seems like I didn't really use anything I learned from studying history...but there was more to school than just history. Especially in grad school, I learned speaking and writing skills, and how to manage time and stress, and all of that definitely applies outside of academia.

Some of the people I went to school with did become university professors, but that's what everyone wants to do and there aren't enough jobs for everyone (I've heard that this year was an especially bad year for, well, everything, but bad for academic jobs too!). Other people I know from grad school are now high school teachers, writers, journalists, librarians, museum curators, book editors/publishers, musicians, therapists, government civil servants...I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

So there are lots of things you can do with a history degree, even if it's extremely unlikely that you'll end up teaching in a university!

I have a four-year degree in history and now work as a supervisor at a bank. The degree did not set me back per se, but it definitely did not give me the highly marketable skill set I would have had if I studied STEM or business or the like. My income reflects that. However, my history degree gave me more subtle abilities that apply across all domains. I can ingest massive amounts of information quickly and boil it down to its major points; see situations from all possible angles; write with finesse and brevity; research like crazy; understand how the world works on different levels and why.

If you want to earn a lot of money straight out of college, do not study history. But if you have a passion for history, can market yourself flexibly to potential employers, and aren't afraid of working your way uo from the bottom, go ahead! 😊

I have a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in History. I've never used them in my jobs. While I really loved studying history, I couldn't muster up the energy to go for a PhD, limiting the potential options for careers, since many people go on to teach or lead academia in some way.

I wish I had picked a major I could have easily found a job I'm because I struggled financially. If you are concerned about this, I would recommend coming up with a clear path for your career. What do you want to do with a history degree? Where do you want to work? What do you want to work on? What are the job opportunities like?

I thought I wanted to teach history to kids only to find I hated it because here we have to follow a curriculum that is frequently at odds with what actually happened in history. You know, things like celebrating Columbus when any historian knows what an ass that guy was. So if you have the chance to shadow someone in the job you want or even just interview them, I'd recommend it.

The advice to follow your passion sounds great, and I truly loved learning history. But sometimes you also have to be prudent and consider the long-term as well. Don't just get a history degree because you love history, make sure you have a solid career option waiting for you at the end.

I have my BA in History and though I work in an unrelated field (I'm a horticulturist specialized in growing for ecological restoration purposes and non-profit manager) I have found my history degree to be tremendously useful.

It's not so much that any particular knowledge I gained from my degree is helpful, but that the research and writing skills -- particularly historical research -- have been enormously helpful to have. In my experience the sort of research one does "on the job" or to educate oneself about things is much more similar to how historians research (a heavy emphasis on evaluation of sources) than scientists (setting up experiments and applying the scientific method). My history degree has helped me become a more effective autodidact, of course that may be a somewhat roundabout way to learn things. It's worked for me because I wanted to study history, but didn't have any intention of sticking around for a career in academia, and I already had an inclination towards teaching myself things.

I would add that I have been lucky professionally and that the US is somewhat more forgiving of career switching and not necessarily having on-paper qualifications than I gather Germany might be. At least in my experience, the farther out of college I've been, the more thankful for my history degree I've become. I certainly know others who have felt somewhat adrift after getting the same degree so your mileage might vary.

I feel like, as someone who just finished a History MA, it teaches you more skills than anything. Such skills are also incredibly valuable (the research skills, organisation, time management, ability to see all sides of arguments and come up with your own conclusions from evidence) in loads of jobs too.

If it’s something you’d think you’d enjoy, I’d go for it (that’s ultimately why I studied history - it was and still is my favourite subject).

I love history, got my bachelors degree in it, but now I work in government. And I was a lot dumber and less well rounded than you.

I guess I say all of that to say you don’t have to pick at 18 what you’ll do for the rest of your life, so my advice would be to pick something that you have a strong interest in and then go from there

I started History (in Germany) as second class next to German literature. I had the same fear, but I really wanted to study German. So I wanted settle for a teachers degree, which I abandoned two years ago, because I couldn't deal with the scientific limitations of the schoolteachers approach. Since then my grades in German have risen up to a solid average of 1.x and I'm considering getting my PhD. My grades in History stayed roughly the same, but I never felt a calling, like I did with German.

So I would suggest, that you should listen to whatever calls you, because, even if you don't follow a scientific career, it is better to study something that actually has a meaning to you. If your answer to the question "Why did you study this?" is better than "Yeah, I was kinda good in this subject at school" you should think about it. There will be ways to deal with the financial situation, with your highschool degrees you should be able to apply to some scholarships.

So in short: Yes, you should ;)

I am going to refer you to a 2018 post by u/sunagainstgold, a highly esteemed moderator in this very subreddit. This is applicable to the United States. If you recognize parallels in Germany, then stay away.

“It doesn't matter. You are not the exception. Do not get a PhD in history or any of the allied fields.

“There are no jobs. The history job market crashed in 2008, recovered a bit in 2011-12...and then disappeared. Here is the graph from the AHA. 300 full-time jobs, 1200 new PhDs. Plus all the people from previous years without jobs and with more publications than you. Plus all the current profs in crappy jobs who have more publications, connections, and experience than you. Minus all the jobs not in your field. Minus all the jobs earmarked for senior professors who already have tenure elsewhere. Your obscure subfield will not save you. Museum work is probably more competitive and you will not have the experience or skills. There are no jobs.

“Your job options, as such, are garbage...”

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/96yf9h/monday_methods_why_you_should_not_get_a_history/

Studying history sets you up with impeccable writing and researching skills, a point I always highlight when writing job applications. One of my friends was hired in a marketing job because of this fact, humanities degrees are valued higher than one may expect.

Aside from the benefit of studying something you genuinely enjoy, history teaches you the importance of understanding the contexts behind, well everything, and allows you to dive into a deep exploration of a subject you love. I, for instance, focused on the history of the American environmental movement and because of this went on to study an MSc in the environmental field.

There’s also a push in wider academia to incorporate humanity subjects more so with science, so you do you and become a historian!

I did a BA in history, MA in Asian studies and am currently working as a high school teacher. Studying history was, for me, a good choice. You do gain a lot of very transferable skills like critical thinking, research, communication that can be taken into any career. Depending on what you focus your study on it can set you up with a very good understanding of today’s global politics and diplomatic relations. With your minors you should also consider careers in government and NGOs.

I’m British and working class, I graduated with my history BA last year. I have now gone onto study at a specialist musical theatre school so a total change in career direction!

I was like you, absolutely loved (and still love) history, and I would still love to go back and get my masters at some point. Honestly, the biggest thing university taught me was a method to approach looking at a source, critical thinking skills to correctly evaluate and come to a well balanced conclusion, and how to get that across in a written and spoken form. That’s the great value of studying at university!

I almost went into a Biology BA because of the pressure to get a high paying job. I am so grateful that I didn’t, I would have been miserable. Additionally, the skills I gained studying history like being able to research and look at people/events and what influences them has been invaluable in what I am studying now in musical theatre which I did not expect.

Study what you love. You will gain far more out of that in terms of skills and also in life than forcing yourself through a subject you don’t care for. The skills gained from a history degree are super transferable, don’t let people tell you otherwise!

Non historian here: I did a history specialist BA as my major at a very good university in Canada. I did it for the same reasons you described. I really felt like I wouldn’t have been able to study anything other than history and still make it through post secondary education.

I am very happy I did it. I work in tech now as a content designer (a form of writing that’s heavily integrated with UX and visual design). It’s a good job that my education prepared me for. A history degree will absolutely arm you with many relevant skills that can be applied in lots of different ways.

You will learn how to conduct research and process information into something that can be applied. You’ll learn to organize your thoughts, write convincingly and clearly. A good history education will help you constantly challenge assumptions and approach problem solving from an evidence first perspective. These are all things I do daily at my job.

Plus it’s just a lot of fun. I loved being a history student.

I don't have a degree in History, but I was in a similar situation when I left school: I was only good at and interested in one subject - English. I also had no idea of what I wanted to do as a career and ended up getting a degree in linguistics and teaching English as a second language. At 17, when I started it, I could not imagine I would actually ever use the teaching part of it, but somewhat in the 4th year at uni I got a part time teaching job and realised it is in fact quite enjoyable. So in your case, I'd have a look at degrees that will give you an opportunity to teach history in school. It will help you to combine your passion for history with some job security.

Degree in Anthropology and Classic Literature- have worked in Sales my entire life and tell everyone I know college is only worth it if you get a degree in a useable trade - medical, mechanical, engineering, business etc. history is a passion I couldn’t deny but don’t waste money you can get the same useless education at a community college for all the above. What I’m saying is big colleges are a scam period but there is usefulness in being educated at a low price but be very smart about why you are attending school.

My first degree was a BA in History. I’ve since gotten a biochemistry degree, attended medical school and I’m now in my final year of residency as a pediatric oncologist. I have one of the weirdest educational and career path ever but can 100% say that the skills I learned with an undergraduate history degree have been a boon to me. The ability to gather and synthesize information and be able to communicate it clearly will always be a useful skill. 10/10 would do again.

Depends on what you plan to do with it. It learned me a shit ton about the world I live in and I use that knowledge working as a teacher on a community college. But for me was the choice to be a teacher an easy choice and I've never thought what I would do with my degree besides teaching.

Where I live a degree from university is always worth something and you can basically work anywhere because of the level you studied for. The intelligence alone is enough to get a decent job.

Students from my year have found work in several businesses. One of them has become a writer of history-based detectives, one of them is an insurance agent and one of them has a very good job at the government.

I'll preface this with saying I am definitely an outlier, but I think my path is a good example that a focus on liberal arts can be lucrative and certainly doesn't pigeonhole you into handful of occupations. I think a lot of the comments here are conveying similar thoughts, but I wanted to add another data point.

I was a first-generation college student from a poor family. I got my BA/MA in History, mostly because I wasn't sure what else I wanted to do. After graduation I took a series of public sector (government jobs), mostly focusing on law enforcement or national defense. I got burned out and switched to the private sector and, through dumb luck and a willingness to relocate, I now make well north of six figures in the Bay Area doing nothing to do with history.

Again, dumb luck was a factor here (what career path isn't, really?), but I was motivated by early discussions with my thesis advisors who reminded me there's a lot you can "do" with history. And it turns out they were right. During interviews, nobody cared much about my major, but if it came up I was well positioned to argue my case. Studying liberal arts, and especially history, does much to prepare you for a job in the "real world". Namely:

• a penchant for objective analysis
• the ability to present findings or conclusions in a briefing or a meeting
• use that data or those findings to influence outcomes
• recognizing gaps in data and knowing where to find them or at least being able to recognize they exist and the problem that presents
• a capacity to commit to and juggle multiple longterm projects (writing lots of term papers, studying for exams, writing your thesis)
• recollection of facts
• the ability to write succinctly, clearly, and consistently

This last one is especially important. Nobody, especially those higher up on the corporate ladder, has time to read your long email. Academic writers are often taught what I've heard called the "economy of words"--saying the most you can with as few words as possible. There's huge value in that.

Unfortunately I can't provide specifics into my current job, but it wouldn't be very helpful anyway. Because the point is the skills above chiefly summarize what I think made me a strong candidate for this position. I work for a tech company, but I don't do tech. I spend most of my days in emails, spreadsheets, or managing meetings with people far more important than me. And yes there was some on the job training, some exhibitions, conferences, and user groups that helped sort of "hone my edge" in my career field, but those were all complimentary once my foot was in the door. My interest and pursuit of liberal arts is what set the foundational skillset. Those are very marketable skills.

I would say only if you’re interested in being an academic or pairing it with education studies to become a school teacher. Otherwise I used to recommend my student look into duel degree programs, you can study history or philosophy, possibly a social science and still get a sound education in science, engineering, business etc. In my opinion this option can result in a much more well rounded education than simply doing electives here and there. And I am partial to this option because it is what I pursued in my undergraduate years, it can take a bit longer but if you can afford it and have a passion for many topics it sets you up nicely for the future.

And seeing as how many people don’t end up working in their undergraduate field of study in the future, the option of being more well rounded by the time you graduate is even more valuable.

BA in History and MA in Intercultural Studies here. Now a qualified Social Science teacher working at an international school in China. I spend a good deal of time teaching critical and creative thinking to my students to help them prepare for their futures. There's so much you can do with the critical thinking skills a degree in the Social Sciences will give you besides academia. Personally, I've never regretted studying History and would have no problem recommending it to a student.

For me, it was totally worth it!

BA in history here, but 8 years later I'm an environmental scientist. It's kind of crazy where life will take you... I too have a passion for history and loved every class in college, but it seemed like I would need to get a master's or PhD to compete for decent jobs in the field. I did not want to accumulate more debt, so I went to work after undergrad as a wastewater treatment plant operator. The company paid for me to go back to school as long as I chose a field related to the work, I chose biology. This allowed me to become an environmental scientist for the company. It's a great and interesting job, but I owe so much success to my BA degree. Being surrounded by scientists all day I quickly realized that my undergrad taught me great critical thinking skills and molded me into a pretty intellectual person. This is not a knock on the BS folks, I admit that I work with people who are way smarter than me, but I bring an outside the box approach to a lot of problems that the "scientific method" might not be solving effectively. This is my anecdotal experience, of course, but I'd say go for it if it's your passion and if you don't mind not ending up working as a historian.

I have a BA in History and Politics and MSc by Research in US political history, I’m now a Hospital manager and previously a programme manager for NHSE (national general practice access policy). A history degree really is a skills degree rather than a vocational degree.

If you are tech savvy (can program and/or administrate web pages, are not scared of XML etc.) and think about job prospects you might want to consider studying digital humanities. This is a mixture of informatics and history that is taught in a few universities in Germany (Digitale Methoden in den Geistes- und Kulturwissenschaften). It‘s the current ‚must have‘ that everyone in the academics in Germany is trying to hire; basically a job guarantee.

Also: People with a degree don’t always work in the field they study. But unemployment among academics in Germany is really low. You will find a job you enjoy, given enough time, no matter what you study, if you are somewhat competent (which it sounds like).

A degree in history can take you places you never thought possible. When you’re in school people tend to assume it’s either education or Starbucks that you’ll end up with. I managed to find my way into the field of historical interpretation, and now I work for the national park service. This was all thanks to my choice to study what I found to be intriguing. The road to your career is not always clear. I’d say to follow your passion, be dedicated, and be professional, and a history degree can open all kinds of doors.

Just wondering why Japanology are you just interested in some aspect of life there? Also, have you talked to your parents to see how concerned they are with you going to school to make quick money or long-term happiness because they might just want you to do what makes you happy?

With the languages, you already speak you could get a job doing translation for people and if you learn Japanese at some point since you are interested in their culture you could get a job there teaching English.

So i got my degree in history in 2016 and I am currently working in a field that has nothing to do with history at all. But I am really glad that I chose history as my major. I love to read and write and since high school and college have bought over 200 books, all of them historical non fiction.

For the most part if you want to pursue history in a professional environment, it’s going to require an MA but most likely a PhD. Most historians go on to write books and teach and spend a good amount of time submitting articles for academic publication.

But as others have said the majority of people don’t work in fields that match their degree. I worked as a recruiter for a biotech company and had people with English, communication, history (myself), zoology, public health, etc.

It might depend on what you think "worth it" means.

Both my partner and I studied history at university in the UK and we have had conversations about whether it was worth it. She has a much better paying job than me but often says she regrets it, while I have never regretted my decision.

I remember at graduation that we were told that history degrees were strongly represented amongst top businessmen and I can believe that. There are a lot of transferable skills when you study a history degree. There have been arguments that this is more important in today’s world than it ever was. The academic Yuval Harari, a professor of history, has made the case that the emotional intelligence and soft skills you gain from learning the humanities are probably of more use than training in a hard skill that will be out of date as technology develops.

Another thing to consider is how successful alternative programmes are. I had a friend who studied maths at university, and he said that at the end he and his classmates all realised that maths degrees were not a guaranteed ticket to well-paying jobs. Many degrees are generalist, unless you train specifically to be a doctor or lawyer, and even there are usually additional qualifications or years of study on top of the base degree.

I work as a teacher now and a lot of my students talk about going on to do law degrees, and that is fine, but we do like to point out that completing a degree in the subject does not guarantee a career in it. A few years ago, it was as low as 40% of law students becoming lawyers. Another student of mine was interested in doing history. He had a real passion for it but was worried that it would incur a lot of debt for no clear gain. To him I said that if he went to a top university it probably would not matter which subject he studied. You say your grades are good, so it might be the same for you. My partner studied history at Oxford University, and she has never failed to gain not only a job, but well-paying ones at that. I, on the other hand, have had periods of unemployment but I went to a middling university.

I suppose the real crux is what kind of person you are. My partner, at least when I met her, was very driven in her career and her regret was that she could have progressed faster and further if she had studied something like computing instead of history (she is a researcher now). I, on the other hand, have always been a fairly chill person. I spent several years as a teaching assistant as it was a low stress job that allowed me to spend time with friends and enjoy life. I trained as a teacher when I wanted to earn better money and have a more intellectually stimulating job but I still love history (I sometimes teach it) and look back fondly on my time at university.

One thing to add (I'm still studying History in Germany, haven't finished yet): Make sure to look to your left and right while you study. Most universties I know have a small part of your studies devoted to stuff like "Fachergänzung" or "ABK" (Allgemeine Berufsbildende Kompetenzen). This can be a simple "How to hold a good presentation" but often you can also choose courses from other studies and get credit for them (for example take a course in law or a lecture in mathematics). Do that. Do more of this than you have to. You'll be surprised what other subjects have to offer and you migth even find that there are other subjects that would suit you and that you might want to pursue. Changing your major or subject isn't the end of the world.

Alles in allem: Fang an, tausende vor dir habens auch getan und was draus gemacht.

Good luck making the decision.

I personally would recommend doing something like Computer Science with a minor in History or Japanese. If you can build the video games that introduce history, I promise you'll not only be paid more (to go visit Japan and new countries that the future you finds interesting), you'll also get to actively rediscover and share history to people. You'll have a better work life balance (because you'll actually have work and not looking to find something to do), and you'll learn other skills that some historians lack: Logic, Programming, and Finite math.

So the argument of "job markets are always changing, etc." is true FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FORCED TO PUT UP WITH BEING RECIPIENTS OF THE JOB MARKET. Computer Science will give you the skills NOW to actually put you ahead of the crowd, for easily the next 10+ years. And by the point that your education is a bit "rusty", you'll have job experience to put on your resume and probably enough money to just invest in property/commodities (don't worry, you'll figure this out by 30 if you don't have that knowledge yet).

If you think "that sounds hard, where can I find a gaming design company where I live that will do what I want to do?" Trust me, you'll either find a place that you fit in with, or you'll find money because of your skills to get you to that place.

Just an opinion. Money does not equal happiness. Money is a tool that can get you to places that you may want. History is a tool that lend to learning and escapism and understanding social trends and issues and relevance. History can teach you to make strong arguments. Computer Science let's you have hobbies and make money. History let's you work your ass doing something "you love now", but your hobbies may be more draining.

To be honest, both options are solid. I studied History and Computer Science, and I haven't programmed anything in 1.5 yrs but really just listen to people's problems and develop solutions for them. A history degree can get you that far, but there are a lot of gatekeepers for tech jobs including your degree. History degree != computer science degree.

My BA was in Deaf Studies with a History Minor, my MA was in Public History, and I'm currently working on a PhD in Museum Studies. I love this path I'm on. History comes in so many different forms - public history is a HUGE field. I'm working in the museum field, but public historians also work in archives, libraries, government/military settings, nonprofits, historical preservation, conservation...a history degree can lead you down all these roads and more.