• The analytical and expository skills that the study of history develops are essential to success in virtually all lines of work or study. The career choices of recent Northwestern history majors include broadcasting, business, consulting, finance, foundation work, international relations, journalism, law, medicine, the military, museum management, philanthropy, politics, public service, publishing, research, and teaching. The liberal arts are the best training for a leadership role in life, and no discipline is more central to the liberal arts than history.
  • Individual reasons for studying history vary widely. Some people look to the past for answers to moral or political questions, others are curious about a particular topic or period they have encountered in high school classes, books, movies, or museums, still others are driven by questions about their family's background or their own identity. All of these and others are valid reasons for studying the past.