Colorado Technical University

college major?

I am a freshman in college and want to switch my major to history and minor in political science..i started out as a business major just because my family said it would be a good major and i figured i would make good money right out of college...but i quickly found out that i hate the business major...i like poly sci better but my school only has a minor available for political science so thats why i would major in history and minor in political science...the thing is if i major in history i don't want a career in history...i love learning about history and political science but i don't want to be a teacher or work in a boring museum...what are some realistic careers with a degree in history and minor in political science?..and does this mean ill be poor for the rest of my life if i major in this?..because i realize sometimes employers think history majors don't have the education to work for large corporations...any help or suggestions?..i would really appreciate it.

Public Comments

1. With a bachelors degree, you won't be able to get a job in history, especially if you don't want to teach. If you get a graduate degree, museum still aren't the only possible career in history. I have an MA in history and work for a cultural resource management firm doing research. Clearly, I could make more money doing a lot of other things. However, this is what I enjoy and the pay in the for-profit sector isn't horrible. A PhD and/or a few years of experience can lead to management and a bigger paycheck. Personally, I like doing the research and have no desire to manage people instead of doing the work, at least for now. An employer wouldn't want to hire someone with a history degree for an accounting job or something technical like that. They would hire someone with a history degree for a job that requires good communication skills, since history majors learn to write and a lot of other majors don't. Think about the job you want (realistically, based on what you like to do with all of your time, not just what you like to study) and get a degree that will get you that job. Deciding what to major in based on what kind of courses you like taking makes no sense - the real job isn't like the courses. Neither does majoring in something you don't enjoy just because you think the degree will get you a job with a big paycheck.
2. do what you like or you will be unhappy the rest of your life. talk to the professors of that class to see what opportunities there will be for you.