History Major Map
Use this major map to explore possibilities and plan for success in five overlapping areas of career and academics.
Choose your year below, then see what you can do when you:
- Learn. Develop the knowledge and skills to complete your major.
- Engage. Contribute to campus and the community.
- Network. Build a foundation of professional connections.
- Transform. Make a positive impact in a diverse world.
- Prepare. Plan for life after graduation.
The map just offers suggestions - you don’t have to do it all.
Learn: What foundational courses should I be taking?
- Take history survey (100 level) courses, 9 credit hours
- Take the highest level COMP you place into
- Find out what upper-division courses are offered next year
- Explore Foreign Language study options
Engage: What kinds of activities and organizations can I explore?
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Join Talent Gateway - UM-Dearborn’s online community where you can complete challenges, earn points, and connect experiences with courses and professional goals
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Check out all the opportunities offered by the Office of Student Life
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Meet with the First Year Experience Librarian to learn about Mardigian Library resources
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Check out websites for professional historian’s associations
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Go to Phi Alpha Theta events
Network: What are important topics in my field?
- Visit your professors during office hours to introduce yourself
- Join a professional organization related to your major
- Visit Mardigian Library to explore endless resources and librarian support
Transform: What are the challenges and the strengths in my community?
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Participate in the MLK Day of Service.
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Attend a local meeting of your community board
Prepare: What are the career options for people with my major?
- Start building your CV - your academic resume
- Explore career options in your field to learn about requirements and expectations
- Visit the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships to learn about different types of financial aid, including many scholarships
Learn: How do I build on foundational courses?
- Take History 300 seminar
- Familiarize yourself with cognate options that are part of the History major (take one if possible)
- Take an upper-division History course (preferably AFTER History 300)
- Start building your History Portfolio
Engage: What activities and organizations will help me develop professional skills?
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Sign up for MLK Day of Service or Alternative Spring Break
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Join a major-specific club or any of a number of Student Organizations on campus
Network: How do I connect with faculty and students with similar interests?
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Submit one of your best papers or projects to the Meeting of Minds Undergraduate Conference
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Attend department colloquium and other research talks on campus
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Attend research talks at UM-Ann Arbor, Wayne State, or Oakland University
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Join Phi Alpha Theta
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Explore Study Abroad
Transform: What are the challenges and strengths of the Detroit Metro area?
- Contribute to a community project through the Office of Metropolitan Impact (OMI)
- Take a course at the University of Michigan Detroit Center (daily bus service available)
- Volunteer for a campus or community organization
- Become a Diversity Ambassador or participate in a Conversation on Race
Prepare: What resources are available on campus to help me develop the professional skills I will need?
- Develop your “academic toolkit” through numerous Seeds of Success workshops through the Office of Student Life
- Meet with your professors to discuss your skills and possible career options
- Find out about internships and whether your job qualifies for credit
- Visit the Campus Writing Center
Learn: How do I gain expertise in my major?
- Take US and NON-US upper-division History courses and History capstone seminar
- Explore certificates, minors and second majors
- Continue exploring and taking cognate options
- Update your History Portfolio and create a CV (your academic resume)
- Begin exploring graduate programs/professional degrees (research LSAT, GRE, MCAT and GMAT)
Engage: How can I grow as a leader on campus?
- Consider running for Student Government or a leadership position in a campus organization
- Check out the options through the Office of Student Life’s Leadership Development webpage
Network: How can I broaden my professional relationships?
- Connect with alumni through 30-Minute Mentors
- Submit your best paper or research to an undergraduate student journal
- Establish a LinkedIn profile to connect with alumni or to join industry-related LinkedIn Groups
- Submit your best paper to the “Best Student Research Writing in History” competition
- Explore Humanities/History Internships
- Explore research opportunities on faculty projects
Transform: How can I prepare to effectively solve local and global challenges?
- Visit the Office of International Affairs to plan and register for a Study Abroad course
- Diversify your perspective by taking a course outside your major
- Use Mardigian Library resources to learn more about real world problems and solutions
Prepare: What practical things should I do to further my career options?
- Schedule a visit to the Office of Career Services
- Work a Humanities/History internship into your schedule to gain professional experience
- Assess what experiences you are lacking for current job postings and fill in those gaps before graduation
Learn: How do I finish strong?
- Take a second History capstone seminar
- Schedule an audit with a CASL advisor
- Request letters of recommendation from faculty who know your work
- Complete your portfolio and update your CV
- Apply to graduate and professional programs
Engage: How can I mentor others to be leaders on campus?
- Become a peer tutor in the CASL Writing Center
- Create a new club or student organization
Network: How can I demonstrate my readiness for the next steps?
- Submit your best paper for the Campus Writing Center Awards
- Make sure your applications for graduate or professional schools are complete with a writing sample and personal essay
- Do targeted networking with alumni working in careers of interest and ask questions about job opportunities and the interview process
- Request letters of recommendation from faculty who know your work
Transform: How can I add to the strengths of my community, the region, and the world?
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Contribute to global learning initiatives on campus
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Add a minor or certificate program to your degree
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Consider volunteering with a government agency or nonprofit organization
Prepare: How do I make the best use of university resources to launch my professional next steps?
- Apply to jobs or future education
- Visit Career Services for advice with job searching and interviewing, resumes, and graduate school applications
- Explore graduate programs at UM-Dearborn
- Register for postgraduate entrance exams (GRE, MCAT, LSAT) if you plan on graduate school
Our alumni and alumnae have gone on to fulfilling careers in industry, journalism, government, law, publishing, library and information sciences, K-12 education, higher education and other important callings.
The qualitative research skills you hone at the University of Michigan-Dearborn will serve you well throughout your professional life. You can take what you learn in History confidently into the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
Wherever life takes you after graduation, indulging your interest in History now will broaden your cultural horizons and give you an informed perspective on the world as your future unfolds.
Use the map on the interior portion of this brochure to review possibilities and plan for success in the five areas listed - Learn, Engage, Network, Transform, Prepare. The map gives options so you can select what best matches your interests and goals. Start thinking about your future now and build a path throughout your UM-Dearborn career that will prepare you for success.
College is a time for discovering your passions–figuring out who you are and what drives you. UM-Dearborn offers more than 100 majors and minors, so you can find a program that is right for you. We are committed to cultivating a campus community that acknowledges our similarities and celebrates our differences. On campus you’ll find a range of support services and offices that provide the programs you need to be successful both academically and personally.
Department of Social Sciences
4901 Evergreen Road
Dearborn, MI 48128
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