History - Career Planning

History majors develop broad knowledge of and appreciation for diverse people and places in the past, as well as skills essential to success in a variety of professional, civic, and personal endeavors. Requirements for the major are flexible, encouraging students to chart their own course, pursue regional or topical interests, and take advantage of other academic or co-curricular opportunities, such as internships, study abroad, engaged learning projects, and double-majors. Through both coursework and co-curricular opportunities, history majors develop their ability to analyze a broad range of historical information, form evidence-based conclusions, and communicate them clearly both orally and in writing.

Career Discernment

Students who major in history at Hendrix pursue various careers in education, law, museums and public history, military and government service, and many other fields. Students are encouraged to explore potential career options through individual advising, internships, and alumni exemplars.

Internships

While not a requirement for the history major, students are encouraged to explore potential careers through summer or semester internships, for which they can receive both Odyssey engaged learning credits and, in some cases, course credits toward graduation. Recent history majors have participated in internships in a variety of fields and locations, including:

Museums/Public History

• Butler Center for Arkansas Studies (Little Rock, Arkansas)
• Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (Little Rock, Arkansas)
• National Civil Rights Museum (Memphis, Tennessee)
• Holocaust and Human Rights Museum (Dallas, Texas)
• National Museum of the U.S. Navy (Washington, DC)

Law/Government

• Arkansas Historic Preservation Program: National Register Survey (Little Rock, AR)
• Michigan Attorney General's Office (Detroit, Michigan)
• Arkansas State Supreme Court (Little Rock, Arkansas)
• Faulkner County Court House (Conway, Arkansas)
• Rippy Law Firm (Conway, AR)

Media/Film

• Element Studio (Rogers, AR)
• Triple Threat TV (Stamford, CT)

Business/Entrepreneurship

• Caldwell Drug (Wynne, AR)
• Golden Group Events, Inc. (Dallas, TX)
• Peak Sports Management (Conway, AR)
• Rattle's Garden (organic vegetable and flower farm, Vilonia, AR)

Employment

Hendrix history majors have pursued successful careers in a variety of fields, including:

Education

• Social Studies Teacher, McClellan High School (Little Rock, Arkansas)
• Upper and Middle School History Teacher, Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School (Joplin, Missouri)
• Teacher Development Manager, Arkansas Teacher Corps (Forrest City, Arkansas)
• Associate Director of Development, Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri)

Law

• Litigation Associate, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP (New York, NY)
• Attorney, Disability Rights Arkansas

Museum/Public History/Library

• Art Handler, Historic Arkansas Museum (Little Rock, Arkansas)
• Curator, Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)
• Head of Digital Scholarship Services, NYU Libraries (New York, New York)

Other

• Senior Logistics Capabilities Manager, Microsoft (Redmond, Washington)
• Program Coordinator, Community Catalyst (Healthcare advocacy non-profit, St. Louis, Missouri)
• Event Planner Assistant, State Farm (Dallas, Texas)
• Development Director, Literary Action of Central Arkansas

Graduate and Professional School Options

Recent Hendrix history majors have pursued graduate study and professional training in a variety of fields, including:

Education

• M.Ed., University of Central Arkansas
• M.Ed., Vanderbilt University
• Arkansas Teachers Corps
• Teach for America

Law

• J.D., University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• J.D., Cornell University
• J.D., Penn State University
• Concurrent J.D. and Master of Public Service, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Museum Studies/Public History/Library Science

• M.A. in Library and Information Science, University of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri)
• M.A. in Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin)

History

• Ph.D. in History, Northwestern University
• Ph.D. in History, University of California at Riverside
• Ph.D. in History, The Ohio State University

Other

• M.A. in Asian Studies, Harvard University
• Pharm.D., University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Steve Weingold

After graduating from Hendrix in 2011, Steve Weingold attended Cornell Law school. While there, he joined the Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy and was an active participant in Cornell’s internal and external moot court and alternative dispute resolution programs, competing in the American Bar Association’s national competition in New York, and the International Chamber of Commerce’s international mediation competition in Paris (in which he took third place).

After law school, he joined the litigation group of a Manhattan law firm, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP, where he continues to work as a litigation associate. On how being a history major at Hendrix prepared him for this work, Steve shares the following:

“My job necessitates strong research, writing, and advocacy skills, all of which I owe, in no small part, to the history department. Hendrix College’s history department’s emphasis on primary source analysis, critical thinking, and persuasive writing helped prepare me for a career in law.

“While the history department’s training has been invaluable, of equal importance to my development was the extensive mentorship I received from the History Department. The history department fostered my intellectual curiosity and helped guide my academic path.

“In my view, the core mission of a liberal arts college is to prepare students to think critically, to seek out and overcome challenges, and to engage positively with the world around them. The history department is a shining example of an instance where Hendrix accomplishes this mission.”