Many students choose to study History because they are passionate about the present and the direction it is going.  The best historians study the past by searching for the most revealing sources available in the archives, literature and memories of the people who experienced it.  A knowledge of why past cultures and societies made sense to the people who lived through them is an invaluable tool as you seek to succeed in our increasingly interdependent world.  Ideally, such knowledge will help you make better decisions about your own future.   

History majors leave college with excellent written and oral communications skills and are ready to succeed in many areas of professional life whether they be, for example, in the public sector as a public school teacher or international aid worker or in the private sector as a defense attorney or marketing consultant.  A degree in History is also, of course, excellent preparation for graduate work in the professional schools or in the humanities in general.