Career options for your kid after studying History
Are you a parent worrying about higher study options for your kid in college? All subjects open up to bright careers, depending on the proficiency of the student. While there are few takers for the subject of history in college, it can open up amazing avenues of career. So if your kids are interested in exploring the past, don’t discourage them.
What are the broad areas of specialisation in History?
History as an academic discipline deals with the study of societies and culture within timelines, it’s not just about mugging up dates. In terms of career, it branches into three major specialisations: archaeology, museology and archival studies. These subjects are available in colleges everywhere at the Masters level. Besides, undergraduate students also have special papers where they choose to study in-depth about a period in history, historical personalities or particular regimes.
Career options in Archaeology
The work of an archaeologist can be either research-based or on-field. It includes excavation, deciphering old scripts, analysing artefacts ranging from mummies to recently used ammunition. Students choose their speciality. For example, an expert on coins is a numismatist, while an epigraphist deciphers inscriptions. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) employs archaeologists. Our country has more than 3,600 sites declared under ASI, apart from UNO heritage sites, and sites/houses with each state government.
Career options in Museology
Museologists deal with the design, organization, and management of museums, and there are many of these in our country under the central and state government. Besides, there are museums with foreign collaboration, and private collections, especially with former Rajas and noble families. Museologists work on research, administration and public relations. Museum curators can specialise in natural history, metals, terracotta, textiles, paintings, sculpture, and much more. Having an artistic and aesthetic bent of mind along with administrative skills will give an extra edge here. It also includes maintenance of records for items and conservation specialisation.
Career options in Archival studies
Archivists are experts in preservation, repairing parchment and paper manuscripts, microfilming documents, restoring paintings etc. They get employed in museums, libraries, the National Archives of India and in all state archives.
Apart from the above, history students can become teachers, authors, scholars and civil servants.