Keeping it real

not with a degree in history, I'd bet

Why are people giving #47 a thumbs down? It's pretty accurate. A masters degree in history will show hard work and dedication, but there isn't really any fields to go into to get a good paying job. I've seen the same thing with other masters too, it's hard to get a job in the field that you studied for. Different degrees are easier to get into your field of study are economics, business, engineering, and medicine. Those you will almost always get a job pertinent to your degree, but it's very hard school work. It's much more difficult with a history degree or a music degree to get a job. That's just the way it is.

#50 I agree fields in business, engineering, or the hard sciences provide a lot of job opportunities and a field like history has more limited options. However, I have a MBA in Business, and I wholeheartedly disagree it's harder than a history masters.

While I agree history is very interesting, the dad has a valid point so to speak--there jsnt a great job outlook with a history degree. What can you do besides teach or write on the subject? If that is what OP is going into it for, then great, shouldn't be anything to worry about then.

When OP gets to be about 65 or something, he can be one of those History Channel experts they regularly feature on their shows. A worthy aspiration.

There's always that chance that OP's dad is one of those people who think that teaching and writing professions aren't "real jobs".

Those are all my favorite subjects, but to be fair, most people I know in real life that went to school for history or writing ended up doing something completely different. Mind you, different does not mean service industry or minimum wage.

Or maybe OP's dad is a realist and recognizes that the job outlook for history majors is grim, and that the odds of netting so called teaching and writing jobs is even slimmer.

There are actually quite a few other jobs you can do with a history degree. Research, politics, PR, media, marketing, advertising, business (thanks to the study of capitalism), and law (historians tend to analyse and scrutinise). Obviously law requires further training. And research usually requires a PhD. But the rest are relatively easy to get into with a history degree. N.B. I have a history degree. P.S. I work in media.

The history career path only pays off when one gets a master's or higher so...

I have my bachelors in history. Getting my masters in history as well. there's so much to do! You just have to know how to sell your degree. My one friend went into insurance and had all her superiors impressed with her ability to understand things. I want to work in a museum. But I am totally okay with anything.

What

No she won't while history is respectable the job market for majors in history is really small and is why arts degrees are looked down on

That doesn't mean that op can't be a teacher or professor, which I consider to be a good job. Fairly good money, health benefits, summers off, and sometimes a pension. Sounds pretty sweet to me!

That's what happens once you get tenure. Until then, you'reprobably a per-course instructor on a short contract. University level teaching jobs is a buyers market.

I guess it depends where you live. Here in Canada you start out making around $47,000 and after 10 years are usually making $97,000. And I'm pretty sure they start taking money off for your pension plan as soon as you start working, the amount you get depends on your age and years worked, but you get that money for life. I admit I don't fully understand the pension system from glancing at it, but I do know our teachers are paid quite well and have a generous pension plan. So to me, here in Canada anyway, yes a teacher is a good and "real" job.