History

The course offerings in history at UCLA are designed to bring about an understanding of the forces that have shaped the many cultures of this country and the world. UCLA has one of the largest, most distinguished, and most diverse history facilities in the country. Its main emphasis is on the many aspects of social history, but intellectual, cultural, and political history are also strongly represented.

The history curriculum is extremely flexible and far-reaching and is excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers-law, teaching, business, the communications media, public services, and medicine. This brochure is designed to help History students maximize career opportunities while at UCLA as well as to aid them in the pursuit of post-graduate opportunities.

Contact Information

Department Chair Teofilo Ruiz, Ph.D. 6265 Bunche Hall tfruiz@history.ucla.edu		Graduate Advisor Barbara (Beebee) Bernstein 6288 Bunche Hall 310.825.3269 bbernste@history.ucla.edu
Undergraduate Advisor Paul Padilla 6248 Bunche Hall 310.825.3720 padilla@history.ucla.edu		Graduate Advisor Jinny Oh 6290 Bunche Hall 310.206.2627 oh@history.ucla.edu
Undergraduate Advisor Susan Jensen 6250 Bunche Hall 310.825.4465 sjensen@history.ucla.edu		UCLA Career Center Strathmore Bldg., Floors Two & Three 501 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90095-1573 310.206.1915 Internships & Study Abroad 310.825.0831 career.ucla.edu

Campus Resources
UCLA Career Center- As you might expect the Career Center can help students with job-hunting strategies. They also have resources to aid in finding graduate school opportunities, internships, volunteer experiences and study abroad programs.

• Visit the UCLA Career Center Home Page and explore BruinView for job openings and on campus interviews. Additionally, click on “Job Search Web Sites” for industry-specific job listings.

• Speak with a career counselor regarding career options and attend UCLA Career Center workshops on topics such as interviewing, resume writing, and job search strategies.

• Research careers in the UCLA Career Center library (collection of over 3,200 resources on career exploration, graduate school, job search strategies, and corporate research).

Some of the affiliates of the History Department- There are approximately 30 different centers ranging in interest from ethnic and cultural to specific time periods and research specialties. For the full list, visit the History Department’s website under “Links” (www.history.ucla.edu/links/affiliates/index.html).

Resume Building Opportunities
These are opportunities available to students who are still pursuing their History degree.

Student Organizations- Becoming involved with student organizations can be a great networking tool as well as an important addition to any resume. Some relevant organizations for History students include:

• History Graduate Student Association (for graduate students only)
• Undergraduate History Association
• Phi Alpha Theta

Colloquiums- These events are weekly discussions of research in progress by faculty and graduate students. Anyone interested in the presented papers is welcome to attend.

• European Colloquium
• Science Colloquium
• U.S. Colloquium

Student Research Project (SRP)- offers undergraduates the opportunity to become more directly involved in the university research community through participation in faculty research projects. For more information contact the Undergraduate Research Council (URC) office in A334 Murphy, Campus 154101, 310.825.2935.

Center for Community Learning (formerly Center for Experiential Education and Service Learning)- a division of the Office of Instructional Development responsible for facilitating and promoting service learning, academic internships, participatory research, and other forms of experience-based education at UCLA. Each year, nearly 2000 undergraduates, numerous faculty, as well as hundreds of organizations participate in this program.

Internships and Volunteer Opportunities- The following list of organizations is simply a starting point for your search. Visit the Career Center’s Office of Internship & Study Abroad Services for more detailed information on these and other organizations.

• U.S. Department of State- The Department of State offers both paid and unpaid domestic and international internship opportunities. www.state.gov/www/careers/rinterncontents.html
  
• National Internships Program- created to provide students with an opportunity to work with elected officials, government agencies, public interest groups, international organizations, and a wide range of other public and private enterprises. Internships have been arranged with the White House, U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, California Legislature, CNN, Amnesty International, and a host of other organizations. Visit the Career Center’s Office of Internships & Study Abroad Services for more information.
  
• Non-Government Organizations- There are hundreds of NGOs, but they can be hard to find out about at first. Search engines such as www.idealist.org are a good place to start. The following are a few examples:
  o International Museum of Women
  o National History Day
  o Hague Appeal for Peace
  o The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  
• Volunteer Programs-The following are some good resources for volunteer programs both in the U.S. and abroad. Please check with the Career Center’s Office of Internship and Study Abroad Services for a more extensive list.

  Publications- Volunteer America, ed. By Harriet Clyde Kipps and Invest Yourself-The Catalogue of Volunteer Opportunities by the Commission on Voluntary Service and Action.

  Websites
  www.communityservice.org
  www.volunteeroverseas.org
  www.volunteersolutions.org
  www.volunteertravel.com
  www.goabroad.com
  www.volunteermatch.org

Graduate School
If you are looking to further your education in History or a related field, these resources may help. Of course, you can find these resources and more at the UCLA Career Center. Additionally, the Career Center offers workshops on graduate school planning.

• Publications- “Peterson’s Annual Guide to Graduate Study” by Peterson’s, “The Grad School Handbook” by Richard Jerrard & Margot Jerrard, “Getting What You Came for: The Smart Student’s Guide to Earning a Master’s or Ph.D.” by Robert L. Peters, Ph.D.

• Websites- www.gradschools.com, www.petersons.com-These websites list graduate programs across the country. Students can search by both subject area and location.

Students who are interested in graduate and professional degree programs should start investigating schools and program pre-requisites as soon as possible. Don’t forget that TAs and professors are a great informal resource about graduate school. If you are interested in a particular graduate program, visit the school’s website. Most university departments have extensive information on-line.

Careers
Because the History major is so flexible and diverse, students can choose from a variety of career paths from the business world to law to the education sector to development/non-profit work. The UCLA Career Center has numerous resources to pursue any path that you choose.

Finding Your Path-general information on what you can do with a major in History. Below are a few examples of resources. You can consult the UCLA Career Center for more extensive options.

• Publications- Careers for History Buffs & Others Who Learn from the Past by Blythe Camenson, Great Jobs for History Majors by Julie DeGalan & Stephen Lambert, Careers for Students of History by Barbara J. Howe.

•Websites-College Majors & Careers:

o careerservices.rutgers.edu/CareerHandouts.html
o www.indiana.edu/~udiv/majors
o www.udel.edu/CSC/mrk.html

Possibilities- Due to the diversity of students graduating with degrees in History there are many possible career choices open to graduates of this program. Below are a few examples, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. For additional examples of what History majors have done, visit the Alumni Network at www.uclalumni.net

• Local Careers -Law, Teaching, Business, Health and Human Services, Journalism, Travel, the Arts, Filmmaking, Non-Profit Organizations
• Domestic Careers -Government Service (including FBI, CIA, NSA), Non-Governmental, Non-Profit Organizations, Think Tanks, Policy Research, Academia
• International Careers- Foreign Service, International Business, Non-Governmental, Non-Profit Organizations, Teaching, International Law, Peace Corps.