School of History and Cultures: Supporting Your Future

Welcome to the School of History and Cultures' Employability Hub. This page will guide you through how your future planning will be supported as a student in our three departments. This includes what you can expect as a student and some of the opportunities available as you start thinking about where your degree could take you. 

Helping you stand out from the crowd

Birmingham: A Top Choice for Graduate Employability

In 2023, the University of Birmingham has been recognised as the 3rd most targeted university for graduates by leading employers, demonstrating our commitment to you and your future. At Birmingham we have a dedicated Careers service, with a range of resources to help you stand out from the crowd.

Read more about the benefits to your future

Introducing the Careers Network

Careers at Birmingham

 

Careers Network digital resource hub

As a student at Birmingham, you will have access to our careers services 24/7 at a time that suits you with our online resources – get your CV checked, practise answering interview questions, learn a new skill to get job-ready, or explore sectors you might like to work in.

View the Careers Network digital resource hub

92% of Birmingham History Graduates

in employment or further study 15 months after graduation 

History student Tzuching

90% of Birmingham Classics Graduates

in employment or further study 15 months after graduation

Ancient History and Archaeology student Ellen

Career opportunities with an Arts and Humanities degree

Career opportunities with an Arts and Humanities degree

Find out what an undergraduate Arts and Humanities degree from the University of Birmingham can do to help your future career. Our History and Cultures programmes include careers focused modules and opportunities for real world experience through internships and extra-curricular activities.

Read on to find out more about how you can get involved alongside your studies...

Your opportunities...

Personal Skills Award

The Personal Skills Award is the University of Birmingham's recognised employability programme for undergraduate students. It enables you to develop, recognise and articulate your skills in preparation for real-world recruitment processes. 

Find out about the Personal Skills Award

The Personal Skills Award

Professional Skills module

The Professional Skills Module, available in some subject areas, could enable you to gain graduate-level work experience, skills development and sector knowledge as part of your degree. 

Find out more about the Professional Skills module

College of Arts and Law Professional Skills Module

Study Abroad

With over 300 international partners, studying or working abroad is an exciting time of self-discovery and personal development but it’s also proven to increase your chances of finding a job after graduation.

Find out more about the benefits of studying abroad as part of your course

My study abroad with the University of Birmingham

Internship opportunities

There are a number of internship opportunities available to current students and graduates. These offer you the chance to gain an interesting and valuable introduction to the workplace which will enhance your future employment prospects. 

 

An office placement

How studying in the School of History and Cultures supports your career prospects

Introducing our collections with over 3000 objects

You will have the opportunity to study and engage with our on-campus teaching collections. Offering objects of national importance, you are able to use our collections throughout your degree and our students often end up writing their dissertations on research they have done using our collections.

All students in our School have access to:

  • The Cadbury Research Library consists of over 200,000 rare books dating from 1471 and more than 4 million manuscript items;
  • The Environmental Archaeology Collection of over 500 specimens, including both the Gorham and Girling collections of British Coleoptera (beetles); The Historic England / CAHA bone collection bones consisting of around 500 mammals and bird skeletons; and an archaeobotany plant collection.
  • The Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology Museum is home to material culture from European, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian cultures, featuring coins, pottery and a sarcophagus lid;
  • The Eton Myers Collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts with over 500 objects such as shabti figures, amulets and pottery spanning thousands of years of Egyptian history from the Palaeolithic to the Graeco-Roman period;
  • The Danford Collection of West African Art and Artefacts celebrates the extensive cultural traditions and artistic expression of countries in West Africa. Its contents range from domestic and ceremonial utensils to contemporary fine art, and it is one of the finest collections of its kind in Europe.

Students also have the option to volunteer with the Archaeology and Eton Myers Collections to gain invaluable work experience in research, curation, heritage handling, marketing and more.

 

caha-museum-objects

caha-museum-teaching

Hear from our graduates...

How Studying History Will Help In Your Career

Ask the expert: How studying history and the humanities will supercharge your career

"History and its related degrees create the ultimate graduate for uncertain futures: intellectually independent, robust and versatile; unphased by challenging problems to which there is no one answer, or indeed any answer at all; and imbued with the importance of looking at issues from every perspective, especially those that tend to be ignored"

Professor Elaine Fulton

Professor Elaine Fulton, Head of Education for the College of Arts and Law, published an article questioning 'What is History for?'

Students deciding to study History and its related degrees may have to answer this question regularly to concerned parents or STEM-based peers who can't see the practicalities of a Humanities degree. One place you don't hear this concern from is from employers as History degrees create the ultimate graduates for uncertain futures.

Read Elaine's article >

Alumni stories

Our recent graduates have gone on to a range of careers, including working at the Bodleian Library, Sotheby’s Institute, Historic Royal Palaces, The National Portrait Gallery, Christie’s, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Museum of Wales.

Examples of graduate jobs include Archivist, Curator, Gallery Coordinator, Events Officer, Exhibitions Assistant, Learning and Access Officer, Programme Coordinator, and Researcher.

Other Graduates often choose to forge a career outside the Arts sector. Recent graduates have obtained graduate positions in sectors such as teaching, media, law, sales, management, accounting, real estate and business.

How My Arts and Humanities Degree Has Supercharged My Career!

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