Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a History Professor
What history professors actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a history professor?
Teach a U.S. history survey. From there, the day usually includes teach history courses, teach primary source analysis, and research in archives. Teaching and research with flexible hours and archive trips.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a history professor working full time.
- Teach a U.S. history survey.
- Hold office hours.
- Work on a book chapter.
- Lead a primary source seminar.
- Advise a thesis student.
- Read digitized archives.
- Grade essays.
Where history professors work
Faculty work in classrooms, offices, libraries and archives.
Hours and schedule
Teaching and research with flexible hours and archive trips.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Teach history courses
- Teach primary source analysis
- Research in archives
- Publish articles and books
- Mentor students
- Advise history majors
- Serve on committees
Tools you’ll use every day
- Library databases
- Digital archives
- Citation managers
- Learning management systems
- Mapping tools
- Presentation tools
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Study what fascinates you
- Archive research trips
- Flexible schedule
- Help students think critically
What’s hard
- Very competitive job market
- Slow publishing
- Grading load
- Many adjunct roles
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love history
- I like digging through archives
- I like writing
- I tell good stories
- I want to teach
- I’m willing to compete for jobs
Not sure? Take the free History Professor fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Handle archival materials carefully
- Protect student privacy
- Follow oral history ethics
- Follow campus safety