by Michael Carroll

Created on: July 31, 2011   Last Updated: August 01, 2011

As the majority of students who take undergraduate courses in history will not become professional historians it seems reasonable to ask, why bother? With no definite career prospects in sight history, coupled with the ever escalating costs of university courses, might seem like a dead end. 

Proponents of the liberal arts, in the not too distant past, would have been mystified by such utilitarian attitudes. They saw a few years at the "varsity"  as the finishing touches in youngsters' personal development, an opportunty to reflect on the world at leisure whilst simultaneously gaining the skills necessary to take their places in the world. 

If the actual content of a history degree is seen as less than useful in the world of employment the same can be said of most other degree programs. Scientists learn laboratory skills and the importance of scientific rigor during their college years. The actual experiments they perform often bearing little or no relevance to their subsequent careers. 

Similarly with history; the content is just a minor part of the whole. The whole point (for future employment prospects) is what is learned about historical methodology and the academic approach. How to research, how to analyze, how to present findings; the whole process is designed to develop the critical intelligence. 

One of the first things a student has to get to grips with is how to define a fact. Eric Hobsbawm, in his On History says that the "…absolutely central distinction between establishable fact and fiction," must be the starting point for any respectable historian.  What evidence is acceptable in a historical treatise? Is it valid or merely opinion? Are the sources trustworthy? Two possible occupations immediately spring to mind for anyone with proficiency in this particular area; the legal professions and journalism. 

Once materials have been gathered the historian needs to evaluate and analyze them impartially. Which evidence is most important? What does it actually tell us about the period under observation? Does it give fresh insights into human achievements? Wall Street and business management are just two areas that are always in the market for clear, analytical thinkers. 

Good university teachers will always encourage their students’ literary endeavors. Of course they will be on the lookout for the next generation of professional historians who will need to publish scholarly works;

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