History & Philosophy Student Employment and Career Readiness
Students don't have to be passionate about history to benefit from studying it. The
Department of History and Philosophy builds the skills employers are actively hiring
for, including communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and analytical reasoning.
Through research-driven coursework, faculty-mentored capstone projects, and hands-on
internships ranging from museums to government agencies, students graduate with a
portfolio of real work and the ability to articulate what they can do, exactly what
today's skills-based hiring process demands. Students headed for the classroom can
pair that preparation with the BS in History Education, a state-accredited path to
grades 6 through 12 certification that includes a year of clinical teaching. Whether
you're drawn to the past, called to teach, or simply looking for a degree that prepares
you for the widest range of careers, KSU history graduates enter the workforce ready
to lead.
What Employers Seek
Each year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) surveys employers to identify the competencies they value most in new college graduates.
The findings highlight priorities that align closely with the outcomes of a Bachelor
of Arts in History or Bachelor of Science in History Education.
How Employers Hire
70%
Employers using skills-based hiring
According to NACE's Job Outlook 2026 survey, 70% of employers now use skills-based hiring for entry-level positions, evaluating
candidates on their ability to demonstrate applied competencies rather than credentials
alone. While a student's choice of major remains an important foundation, employers
are placing greater emphasis on the transferable skills developed within that major,
including communication and critical thinking. Programs that position graduates most
competitively deliberately cultivate these competencies and provide students with
opportunities to demonstrate them through substantive experiences.
What Employers Seek on a Resume
85%
Teamwork
82%
Problem-solving
78%
Communication (verbal)
72%
Communication (written)
When asked what they seek on a candidate's resume, employers most frequently cited
teamwork (85%), problem-solving (82%), verbal communication (78%), and written communication
(72%). On NACE's five-point importance scale, communication and teamwork each scored
4.5, followed by critical thinking at 4.4 and professionalism at 4.3. These most-valued
attributes are foundational to historical study, and for History Education candidates
they are also the daily working conditions of the profession they are entering.
The Skills Gap
98.7%
Employers rate Communication as very or extremely important
55.4%
Employers rate graduates as proficient in Communication
93.5%
Employers rate Critical Thinking as very or extremely important
50.0%
Employers rate graduates as proficient in Critical Thinking
The report also identifies a meaningful gap between the importance employers assign
to these competencies and the proficiency they observe in recent graduates. Communication
is rated as very or extremely important by 98.7% of employers, yet only 55.4% rate
graduates as proficient. Critical thinking shows a comparable disparity at 93.5% importance
versus 50.0% proficiency. KSU's history curriculum is structured to close those gaps.
The History Major Advantage: How KSU's History Programs Build What Employers Want
Most
In a hiring landscape that increasingly rewards demonstrated competencies, KSU's Department
of History and Philosophy has built programs where those competencies are not supplementary.
They are the discipline itself.
Written and Oral Communication
Written and oral communication are central to both the History and History Education
degrees. The History program culminates in a faculty-mentored capstone research seminar
or Senior Thesis that produces original scholarship. In recent years, KSU history
undergraduates have published in the Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research, Atlanta
Studies, Saber and Scroll, and other journals, while presenting at the National Conference
on Undergraduate Research, the Southeast World History Association, the Georgia Association
of Historians, and the Symposium of Student Scholars. Several have also earned KSU's
Undergraduate Research Award.
History Education candidates build the same research and writing skills, then develop
the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively in the classroom. After completing
a series of courses in teaching and research methods, candidates apply their expertise
during a Yearlong Clinical Experience. For two semesters, they plan, teach, and refine
instruction daily while receiving ongoing feedback from a collaborating teacher and
university supervisor.
The NACE Spring Update found that 59% of employers prefer candidates who demonstrate
skills through concrete examples. A thesis, conference presentation, publication,
or documented year of classroom teaching provides exactly that kind of evidence.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is equally central to both programs. History students evaluate competing
interpretations, assess the reliability of sources, and construct evidence-based arguments
in the face of ambiguity. Coursework in historiography and historical methodology
further strengthens these skills by examining how historical knowledge is created,
preparing graduates for any profession that requires sound analytical judgment.
History Education adds another dimension by asking candidates not only to interpret
evidence but also to make that reasoning accessible to others. In HIST 3271, Introduction
to History Education, and HIST 4488, Approaches to World History, candidates learn
to translate disciplinary thinking into instruction that middle and high school students
can understand and apply. Because social studies serves as the primary citizenship
curriculum in American schools, candidates also develop the ability to navigate contested
issues with fairness, evidence, and intellectual integrity, a form of judgment that
is valuable in any workplace where decisions must withstand scrutiny.
Teamwork and Professionalism
Teamwork and professionalism are reinforced through the department's Public History
minor, where students complete community-based projects and internships with museums,
archives, and historic sites. In recent years, students have supported Kennesaw's
municipal planning efforts, prepared a National Register eligibility application for
historic African American cemeteries, developed a Historic Structure Report to guide
institutional planning in the Atlanta area, and curated award-winning traveling exhibits.
These experiences require students to collaborate with community partners, meet external
deadlines, and produce professional-quality work, precisely the competencies that
skills-based hiring seeks to identify.
History Education develops these same competencies through a cohort model and sustained
clinical practice in partner schools. Candidates progress through the preservice sequence
together, beginning with a 45-hour middle school field experience that often includes
tutoring in a school's AVID program. They then complete a Yearlong Clinical Experience,
spending at least four hours a day in the classroom during the fall and full days
in the spring while gradually assuming responsibility for their collaborating teacher's
schedule. Throughout the experience, candidates are evaluated on professional dispositions
and performance standards, work within a school's calendar rather than a course syllabus,
and function as members of a teaching department. Few entry-level professionals enter
the workforce with a comparable record of accountability and workplace experience.
AI and Judgement
The report's findings on AI further reinforce the value of an education in history.
Among employers seeking AI proficiency, the most valued skills are identifying appropriate
tools (75%), developing effective prompts (72.7%), and critically evaluating AI-generated
content (65.9%). These abilities depend on judgment, source evaluation, and evidence-based
reasoning, all of which are central to historical training. History Education candidates
extend those same skills into classrooms where students are already using AI, making
their expertise valuable both within education and in professions where AI is becoming
an increasingly common workplace tool.
Recent Placement Highlights
KSU's History and Philosophy graduates are excelling in both the workforce and academia.
Recent placements highlight a wide range of successful careers in fields such as technology,
media, government, education, and historic preservation, as well as enrollment in
top graduate programs across the country and abroad.
These achievements reflect the strong foundation and versatile skillset provided by
the History and Philosophy department, equipping graduates for success in various
professional and academic endeavors.
Employment
Accenture Co.
Benevity Software Development
CNN
Cobb County Public Library
Compass Technology Group
Giveffect Software
Educator - throughout Georgia
Ernst and Young
Sirius XM
Georgia Archives
Georgia State University
Gwinnett County Public Libraries
High Museum of Art
Emory University
Atlanta History Center
National Park Service
Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society
Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Historic Preservation Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks and Historic Sites
