Career Opportunities in History & Heritage Studies

'What do the following have in common: Prince Charles, Gordon Brown, the BBC correspondent Jeremy Bowen, the Bishop of London, the barrister Michael Mansfield, the General Secretary of the TUC, the art critics Sir Roy Strong, the novelist Salman Rushdie, the comedian Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G), pop singer Neil Tennant, the vice-chancellor of Oxford University, the ex-England footballer Steve Coppell, millionaire businessman Gerald Corbett and the chairman of Manchester United? Answer: they are all history graduates. They represent just a small sample of the many famous people who studied history at university’.

(Source: David Nicholls, ‘Famous History Graduates’, History Today, vol. 52 issue 8 (August 2002), p.)

David Nicholls argues here what history tutors have always known – that the skills obtained through studying history, far from being ‘irrelevant’, are a frequent passport to success in the world of employment.

The Higher Education Statistical Agency places ‘History’ in the top five disciplines in terms of successful employability within the six months of graduation. This is because of the variety of skills acquired on a history degree are so wide-ranging that history graduates are excellent employment prospects for almost every type of employer. Many of our leading politicians, civil and diplomatic servants, lawyers, barristers, educators, businessmen and women, financiers and managers are history graduates. Anita Roddick of The Body Shop, Lord Sainsbury and Prof. Sir Roland Smith, director of the Bank of England between 1991 and 1996 are worth a mention here, as are Jonathan Ross and Louis Theroux from the world of media and journalism.

Completing a History degree at Chichester, whether on its own or in combination with another subject, will enable you to become proficient in just the sort of transferable skills that are welcomed by today’s employers. Skills such as the ability to analyse and manage large quantities of information, to research, interpret and summarise diverse forms of evidence, to work to tight deadlines and express oneself succinctly in verbal or written form, to demonstrate a capacity for reasoned argument and debate, or to show an aptitude for clear expression are all eminently desirable in the workplace.

The Heritage Studies minor route also provides a contextual background for those students who may later wish to aim for postgraduate professional training in the Heritage Industry. Heritage Studies provides students with the opportunity to apply their academic learning to a practical, workplace experience and should be of particular, although not exclusive, interest to students considering a career in the museum or heritage fields.

Recent history graduates from Chichester have gone to pursue a wide range of career paths such as archival, library and museum work, law, teaching, local government, accountancy and advertising. Many of our students have also gone on to further training or research, either in vocational qualifications or for higher degrees.

For more Careers information please go to the Careers website