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Working environmental portrait of Distinguished Research Professor Awards winner Susan Mattern writing notes on the board during her Ancient Rome history class inside LeConte Hall.

History - A.B.

About this Degree

History investigates the profound and surprising differences between past worlds and our own. At the same time, it measures the common ground between them. The major is among the most flexible and far-ranging areas of study available to undergraduates at the University of Georgia.

History Degree



Every year the Department of History awards scholarships to help defray the cost of studying abroad, funding for senior research projects based on archival and original materials, and prizes in recognition of impressive research and writing.

History Degree



A history degree makes students versatile, competitive candidates for all kinds of post-college careers, in law, teaching, business, public service, journalism, medicine, and more. For more information see the Department's guide to History at Work (http://history.uga.edu/history-work), read some profiles of alumni who are putting history into play in different careers (http://history.uga.edu/history-work-speaker-series), or catch one of the events in the History at Work Speaker Series (http://history.uga.edu/history-work-speaker-series).

What you will learn

Studying history means analyzing the many forces that shape human experience, and learning to see how heterogeneous societies are, even within a single historical moment. Students develop both depth and breadth of knowledge of different geographical regions of the world, different time periods, and different thematic approaches to understanding social, political, and economic changes in human societies. In the process, they learn to handle complex evidence with subtlety and skepticism, and to speak and write with concision and force.

Department of History Study Abroad Scholarship 

Any undergraduate history major can fill out an Application for the Study Abroad Scholarship to participate in an official UGA study abroad program. Awarded twice yearly.

History Undergraduate Research Award 

Any undergraduate history major can fill out an Application for the Undergraduate Research Award to help fund research for a HIST 4990 senior seminar research paper, or for travel to present a history paper at a professional conference. Awarded twice yearly.

Summer Program in Public History Scholarship 

 Funding assistance may be provided through the Gregory Summer Public History scholarship. Any history major can fill out an Application for this Public History Scholarship to help defray costs of students enrolled in the Department's Summer Program in Public History in Washington, D.C. 

Additional information about these and other scholarships and awards can be found here.

More Undergraduate Scholarships & Awards

A bachelor's degree in History from the University of Georgia opens up a world of career opportunities, providing students with the analytical skills, communications abilities, and breadth of interest and knowledge needed to succeed in a rapidly changing global economy. A short list of career possibilities would include: advertising executive, analyst, archivist, broadcaster, campaign worker, consultant, congressional aide, editor, foreign service officer, foundation staffer, information specialist, intelligence agent, journalist, legal assistant, lobbyist, personnel manager, public relations staffer, researcher, teacher . . . the list could go on. Below, however, are listed some common career paths for history majors. For more information, visit the UGA Career Center or view the American Historical Association's guide to Careers for Students of History.

Historians as Educators

  • Elementary Schools
  • Secondary Schools
  • Postsecondary Education
  • Historic Sites and Museums

Historians as Researchers

  • Museums and Historical Organizations
  • Cultural Resources Management and Historic Preservation
  • Think Tanks

Historians As Communicators

  • Writers and Editors
  • Journalists
  • Documentary Editors
  • Producers of Multimedia Material

Historians As Information Managers

  • Archivists
  • Records Managers
  • Librarians
  • Information Managers

Historians As Advocates

  • Lawyers and Paralegals
  • Litigation Support
  • Legislative Staff Work
  • Foundations

Historians in Businesses and Associations

  • Historians in Corporations
  • Contract Historians
  • Historians and Nonprofit Associations
AmeriCorps MetLife
Athens Regional Medical Center MicroSoft
Benton County Daily Record Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs
Carter & Associates Museums
City/County Government National Property Inspections
Classified Ventures National Park Service
Collegiate Licensing Company Natural History Centers
Business corporations Plantation Golf Club
Coyote Logistics Primerica Financial Services
Federal Agencies Private Construction Company
Flloyd Medical Center South Georgia College
GC Sterling Southern Illinois University
Geico State Government
Georgia General Assembly Swat Ministries Inc.
IBM The Home Depot
Jackson State University The University of Georgia
K & B Transportation U.S. Office of Personnel Mgmt
Kim Fitzpatrick Retail/Corporate Management
King & Spalding Walgreen's
Libraries and Archives Walt Disney World Company
General Research Information:

The Department of History offers a lot of areas of focus for research. Please go here for a brief overview of all the research activities for this department.

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