Starting out in sports history requires obtaining a bachelor's degree in history before starting in a graduate program. Most schools will not have an undergraduate sports history degree, but rather have general history options. Students who are interested in sports history as a career should start with a general history degree. Students can also major in sports management or similar sports specific degrees at the undergraduate level or can obtain a double major in a sports degree and a history degree. For students who prefer to study sports and history without a double major, minoring in a sports-related degree is also appropriate.
At the graduate level, students need to select an area of historical specialization. Students should note that there is no specific "sports history" degree, but rather there is a master's degree in history with a specialization in sports or the study of sports and society. Students studying sports history take classes in general history as well as classes specifically related to sports throughout time. Education Portal states that classes in sports history at the master's level would include historical sports, gender in sports and media related to sports among the courses. Students should write their master's thesis on an area of sports history.
A master's degree in sports history requires other skills than just historical knowledge. Students must also have strong reading skills and strong communication skills both on paper and when speaking. The typical graduate level sports historian will work on academic papers or publishing studies, so writing skills are a necessity. Students should take writing classes in their master's courses. Historians should also learn foreign or ancient languages because historical documents are not always in English.
Sports historians have very few job options available. The most common job available for a sports historian is as an author of books or articles for historical publications or sports publications. Publishing options for written work can range from writing a book or writing for academic journals, magazines or any other source related to the topic. Some historians might become professors at the college level depending on the school and school education requirements. In many situations, the sports historian becomes both a professor as well as a writer of articles for sports newspapers and magazines or books for academic purposes.