Career Paths for History PhDs:A Few Thoughts for Graduate Programs

American Historical Association Annual Meeting

January 3, 2014

Number of New History PhDs and Advertised Job Openings, 1970–71 to 2011–12

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 19 2 2 2 2 2 20

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

AHA Job Ads History PhDs

Figure 4: Number of Departments Conferring History PhDs,1900 to 2010

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 20100

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

Number of New History PhDs and Advertised Job Openings, 1970–71 to 2011–12

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 19 2 2 2 2 2 20

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

AHA Job Ads History PhDs

Status of History PhDs, 2013

2-Year Non-tenure Track3.1%

2-Year Tenure Track2.4%

4-Year Non-tenure Track14.7%

4-Year Tenure Track50.6%

Other Employment24.2%

Retired1.1%

Deceased1.1%

Not found2.8%

Institutional Priorities in Preparation of PhD Students, 2001

Research Universities

Other 4-Year Colleges

Historical Societies/

Sites

Government Business0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

High Priority

Moderate

Low/Not a Priority

Employment of History PhDs, 2013

Research Univ. 4-Year 2-Year K-12 Other (Business/Gov't)

Public History0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

Employment of History PhDs by Field Specialization, 2013

Research Univ. 4-Year 2-Year K-12 Other (Busi-ness/Gov't)

Public History0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Africa Asia Latin America Europe North America

Academic Employment of History PhDs by Field, 2013

Research Univ. 4-Year 2-Year

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Tenure Track

Non-Tenure Track

Research Uni-versity

Other 4-Year 2-Year

Field Specializations of Jobs and PhDs, 2012 and 2013

Africa Asia Latin America Middle East Europe North America0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Junior Faculty Openings, 2012-13

New PhDs, 2011-12

2-Year Administration; 0.2%

2-Year Nontenure Track; 4.0%

2-Year Tenure Track; 2.9%

4-year Administration; 3.5%

4-Year Nontenure Track; 15.4%

4-Year Tenure Track; 43.8%

Business; 2.9%

Deceased; 1.3% Federal Government; 3.2%

For-profit Admin or Faculty; 0.5%

Independent Scholar; 2.7%

K-12; 3.6%

Library/Museum/Archive; 2.0%

Non-Profit; 3.9%

Not found; 3.3%

Other; 0.4%

Publishing/ Editing; 0.8%

Researcher; 0.7%

Retired; 1.2%

Self-Employed; 2.5%

State/ Local Government; 1.2%

PhDs in the History of North America

The Job Picture for Two Specializations

2-Year Nontenure Track; 1.9%

2-Year Tenure Track; 0.6%

4-year Administration; 1.9%

4-Year Nontenure Track; 8.8%

4-Year Tenure Track; 65.4%

Business; 3.8%

Deceased; 1.9% Federal Government; 3.1%

Independent Scholar; 1.3%

K-12; 1.3%

Non-Profit; 2.5%

Not found; 1.3%

Publishing/ Editing; 1.3%

Researcher; 0.6%

Retired; 0.6%

Self-Employed; 2.5%

State/ Local Government; 1.3%

PhDs in Latin American History

Jobs for History PhDs Outside the Professoriate

Acade

mic

Admin

istra

tion

Busin

ess

Gover

nmen

t

Inde

pend

ent S

chol

ar

Libr

ary/M

useu

m/A

rchi

ve

Non-P

rofit

Publis

hing

/ Edi

ting

Resea

rche

r

Self-E

mpl

oyed

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5% Asia Latin America Europe North America

Distribution of History PhDs Recipients by Subject and NRC Ranking of Program

Africa Asia Europe Latin America U.S.0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0% Top Rated

2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

Bottom Rankings

Type of Employer of History PhDs, by NRC Ranking of Program

Top-Quartile 2nd Quartile 3rd Quartile 4th Quartile0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Univ. w. High Research Activity

Other Coll. or Univ.

Non-faculty Employment

Approximate Track of Doctoral Student Cohorts, from Matriculation to Completion, 1997 to 2007

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 100%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Student

Transitional Employment

Tenure Track Appointment

NonAcademic Employment

Movement of Graduates from Two History Doctoral Programs to Academic Employment in 2011

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