Minoring In History

[Neo_Version 7]

I've been thinking about it. What do you think the impact will be when it's on my resume? Substantial or altogether not important?

 

[Connemara]

Great choice. History, much like other humanities disciplines, tends to impart very important critical thinking & analysis skills on those who study it. Another huge bonus is the development of research & writing skills, something that I imagine a large number of modern Americans lack.

It's also fun.

P.S. what is your major?

 

[milosz]

The impact revolves around your major and desired career path.

If you plan to pursue a PhD in biochemistry, probably irrelevant. If you plan to be a lawyer, pretty relevant.

 

[MCsommerreid]

Unless the minor is directly related to your field or is a cross-discipline, it's probably not worth the required load for it unless you're most of the way there anyway.

However, for the reasons Conne said, even if you don't minor in it, it would be entirely worth it to take a dabbling of those classes just for the skills they can impart to anyone. Philosophy, English, Math (sadly

), Art, Politics, and Language work in the same way. Well rounding of anyone.

 

[unjung]

99% irrelevant by any measure. I will defend this statement. Do it if you enjoy it.

 

[Tardek]

Your minor will range from completely useless to fairly unimportant.

 

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Connemara

Great choice. History, much like other humanities disciplines, tends to impart very important critical thinking & analysis skills on those who study it. Another huge bonus is the development of research & writing skills, something that I imagine a large number of modern Americans lack. It's also fun. P.S. what is your major?
based on your extensive real world experience, right? I tend to be very very polytechnical about these matters - and I say this as an employer who dabbled in the humanities for a year or so, saw the pointlessness of my ways and switched promptly to Business. My advice to students is almost always the same...pick a major with the name of the job you want. In my case (and the Australian terminology works differently so I will backtranslate it to US phrasing), I majored in Public Relations and minored in electronic business...this proved very beneficial in the early send-the-CV-far-and-wide phase of my life, and also happens to be basically what I do for a living now.

 

[chronoaug]

In good (there are lame ass history classes out there) history classes you learn very important skills that are applicable to all walks of life. A bit of religion, a bit of philosophy, some psychology, writing skills, analytical skills, critical thinking, argumentative ability, reading strategies, and more. I think people who have taken either humanities classes (not just US history) either a minor or at least a few classes are more well rounded than standard business school drones who just power through those classes and nothing much outside of it.

 

[samblau]

I was a dual major in politics and history. All together worthless. That said a history degree won't hurt you.

Taking classes forces you to do assignments. I have learned more and had more fun readig on my own and talking to people over lunch or drinks. History prof's basically take a text book, add their own slant and hire some hot TA's to grade papers. If you enjoy the subject matter, have a great prof. and/or discussion group it can be fun. If you care about a job get a hard science degree or something career focused.

BTW, great tag! I am inclined to add "a lot".

 

[Matt]

yeah, I agree. Question is phrased asking about resume efficacy, and the answer to that is not especially positive.

 

[dfagdfsh]

ancedotal:

dad, history major, now a lawyer
uncle, philosophy major, has an md and a jd (retired)
uncle, english major, now a lawyer
grandfather, philo major, was a lawyer
other grandfather, history major, was a doctor
mom, lit major, was a lawyer
ANOTHER uncle, sociology major, yet another lawyer

 

[Astan]

i was a double major in history and poli sci too. and I 100% agree with m@t and samblau. I went into law b/c there isnt anything i can do with hist or ps. and now........ welll getting back to the point find something you want to do and just major in it! like m@t said!

 

[mafoofan Jr.]

Only if your major is already not in the humanities. History is an important subject, but in practicality maters (getting jobs, into grad school, etc.) it's completely useless to marginally useless. Now, if you major in physics and do history as a double major, it may reflects good on you as a renaissance man of sort.

Originally Posted by Neo_Version 7

I've been thinking about it. What do you think the impact will be when it's on my resume? Substantial or altogether not important?

 

[yerfdog]

Impact on your resume will be small. It will just show you took some humanities classes.

I did a major in the liberal arts and near graduation I realized I had almost enough history classes just from other requirements and randomly taking classes that I could take one more history class and have a minor. Maybe if I was an engineering or science major it would have made me look more well-rounded, but probably not enough to actually affect any decision based on my resume.

So I guess if you almost have the requirement taken care of, you might as well, but if not, forget it, because a minor means much less than a double major. If you want to go all the way and do a double major, that might actually have some value.

 

[odoreater]

Probably no impact on your resume.