Occupation · SOC 25-1125
History Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in human history and historiography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Median wage
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Projected growth
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Annual openings
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per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
764 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingReading ComprehensionWritingLearning StrategiesActive ListeningInstructingCritical ThinkingActive Learning
Knowledge areas
History and ArcheologyEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingLaw and GovernmentGeography
Technology & tools
Computer based training softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareWord processing softwareData base user interface and query softwareInformation retrieval or search software
Representative tasks
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as ancient history, postwar civilizations, and the history of third-world countries.Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.Review books and journal articles for potential publication.Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.Develop, maintain, and teach online courses.Participate in campus and community events.Act as advisers to student organizations.Teach community courses and speak to local groups and organizations.Provide professional consulting services to government, educational institutions, or industry.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Course syllabi and homework assignments — draft and organize under faculty mentor guidance for an undergraduate history survey course.Lecture content on foundational historical topics — prepare and deliver with structured notes to small undergraduate sections under departmental supervision.Assigned readings and current historical literature — review and summarize to support ongoing research under the direction of senior faculty.Classroom discussions on historical events — facilitate introductory sessions using provided discussion prompts in a postsecondary seminar setting.Student attendance records and grade sheets — maintain accurately using departmental administrative systems in compliance with institutional policy.Multiple-choice and short-answer examinations — compile and administer following established course assessment guidelines with faculty oversight.Undergraduate written assignments and response papers — evaluate and return with written feedback using department-approved grading rubrics.Word processing and course management software — use to produce handouts, post announcements, and distribute course materials on a learning management system.Professional conferences and disciplinary colloquia — attend as a participant to build awareness of current scholarship in a history subdiscipline.Geographic and archival databases — conduct basic information searches to locate primary and secondary sources in support of assigned research tasks.
developing
Undergraduate course syllabi and assignment sequences — design independently to align learning objectives with historical thinking skills across a semester-long course.Lectures on specialized historical periods such as postwar civilizations or third-world history — prepare and deliver to undergraduate cohorts with minimal supervisory review.Seminar discussions on contested historiographical interpretations — initiate and moderate to deepen student critical engagement in a mid-level history course.Student class work, papers, and oral presentations — evaluate using differentiated criteria that assess evidence use, argumentation, and historical context.Research findings in a defined historical specialty — write and submit for peer-reviewed publication in disciplinary journals or edited volumes.Examination instruments for survey and upper-division courses — compile, administer, and grade with attention to validity and alignment with course learning outcomes.Emerging scholarship and methodological developments — track through regular journal reading and colleague consultation to keep course content current.Electronic mail and calendar software — use to coordinate office hours, advise undergraduate students, and manage course-related communications efficiently.Grade records and institutional reporting requirements — administer and submit within required timelines using university student information systems.Learning strategies appropriate to diverse historical content — select and apply to scaffold student comprehension in both lecture and discussion formats.
proficient
Graduate seminars on advanced historiographical topics — design and lead autonomously, integrating primary-source analysis, theory, and cross-cultural comparison.Undergraduate and graduate lecture series on complex themes such as ancient history or global civilizations — deliver with disciplinary authority, adapting pace and depth to audience expertise.Sustained independent research projects — conduct, revise, and publish as monographs or major journal articles that contribute original interpretations to the historical record.Non-routine student performance challenges including grade disputes and academic integrity cases — evaluate and resolve by applying institutional policy and professional judgment.Classroom discussion on ambiguous or politically sensitive historical topics — moderate with skill, ensuring intellectual rigor and inclusive participation in postsecondary environments.Comprehensive course assessment systems — design, pilot, and refine across multiple sections, using outcome data to improve instructional alignment.Interdisciplinary research methods drawing on sociology, geography, and archival science — integrate into scholarly work and graduate-level instruction across a history department.Geographic information systems and optical character recognition tools — apply to support digital history research and teach students to use technological resources in historical inquiry.Professional conferences and scholarly networks — participate as a presenter and panel discussant, representing the institution and advancing disciplinary discourse.Mentorship of graduate students through thesis and dissertation stages — provide sustained, substantive feedback on research design, argumentation, and scholarly writing.
advanced
Departmental curriculum frameworks and degree program requirements — develop and lead reform of across undergraduate and graduate levels to align with disciplinary and institutional priorities.Faculty hiring, mentoring, and performance evaluation processes — oversee to build a cohesive, research-productive history department faculty.Institutional research agenda in historical studies — set strategic direction for, securing external grants and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across colleges.Doctoral program governance including comprehensive examinations and dissertation committee standards — establish and refine to ensure rigorous preparation of the next generation of historians.Scholarly book-length contributions and edited collections — produce at a level that shapes the direction of a historical subfield and earns national or international recognition.Accreditation self-studies and program assessment reporting — lead for history programs, synthesizing evidence of student learning outcomes for regional and disciplinary bodies.Institutional policies on academic freedom, curriculum flexibility, and faculty development — advise senior administration on, drawing on deep expertise in postsecondary educational systems.National and international professional associations in history — serve in leadership roles, setting conference programming, editorial policy, or committee agendas that influence the discipline.Emerging technologies including web platforms and digital archival tools — champion adoption of across the department to modernize research practices and pedagogical delivery.Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within historical scholarship and postsecondary instruction — lead by modeling inclusive historiographical approaches and institutionalizing equitable teaching practices.
Also known as
59 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
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