Why major in history?
Perhaps the question should be “Why not major in history?” Millions of reasons could be used to justify the baccalaureate
degree in history. The human species has an uncanny almost natural ability to ponder
our collective past—whether that takes the form of curiosity about familial lineage
and genealogy or about the political processes and social organization of previous
societies or our current one.
Yet the short answer to why somebody should choose history as a major is quite simple.
The History Department at Grambling State University trains students for a life of
leadership after the baccalaureate degree. In other words, students aspiring for
leadership in any field are encouraged to explore how the history major can benefit
them.
The essential skills developed by history majors include written and verbal communication—a
skill that is rapidly declining in American society. The many courses history majors
take at Grambling State University are designed to foster written communication in
the form of research papers and other essays. Coursework, moreover, provides students
with a forum for testing their public speaking skills since many classes are discussion-based.
Employers today need a workforce of accomplished readers. Employers need college
graduates who can digest written work quickly, and who can analyze the information
that they have read. The history curriculum at Grambling State University is designed
to cultivate thorough and attentive readers capable of analyzing complex and detailed
information.
Another skill developed by the history major that is transferrable to any type of
employment is proficiency in problem solving. Students enrolled in history courses
are required to formulate solutions to problems—solutions that involve analysis of
highly complex and detailed sets of information. By the time a history major applies
for graduation, they are adept at managing, retrieving, and cataloging large sets
of information.
