The Master of Arts degree in history offers graduates with a variety of employment opportunities in the field of education and information management. Career paths include high school history education, historical preservation, and museum employment. Graduates may also become archivists and manage data storage and retrieval for businesses, hospitals, divisions of government, and other organizations.
Graduate studies in history can follow several different areas of focus based on a student's personal interests and career goals. Geographical study like Egyptology focuses on historical events and individuals in a particular location or region. Cultural study emphasizes particular groups of people based on ethnic background or religious beliefs. Examples of culture-specific topics include African-American studies and the history of Islam. Focus may also be on gender-specific issues throughout history like women's studies. A broader area of focus that graduate students can pursue is global history.
Students who pursue a master's degree in history frequently combine their studies with a second major, such as a master's degree in library science. Graduates of this program are typically employed by libraries or museums, or work in historical preservation. The master's degree in history may also be combined with a culture-specific master's degree like Jewish studies. Graduates of this type of program are frequently employed in academia and teach or perform research specific to the area of specialty.
There are several different extracurricular opportunities available to graduate students while pursuing the master's in history degree. Students who intend to pursue employment in a museum often volunteer for committees that organize a particular department like Collections or Curriculum. In addition, students may organize or contribute to a museum enhancement project or fundraising efforts. Students interested in a particular culture can also volunteer in community groups specific to the area of interest.