I'm doing the American Heritage merit badge for scouts and I need to know how to become a historian!. I need stuff like college degrees, expierience, you know!. Stuff like that !.Www@QuestionHome@Com
| Question Home |
Position:Home>History> What are some requirements to becoming a historian?Question: What are some requirements to becoming a historian!? I'm doing the American Heritage merit badge for scouts and I need to know how to become a historian!. I need stuff like college degrees, expierience, you know!. Stuff like that !.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: A professional historian: 1!. speaks and reads at least two languages!. 2!. has had courses in logic and historiography (how to write history)!. 3!. has an above average to superior command of the English (or his own) language because he must write clearly and succinctly utilizing evidence he has aquired to make his point!. 4!. Must be able to aquire, handle, and organize large amounts of evidence to make his point on history!. 5!. Must be able to do public speaking in front of a large audience full of either the public, students, or very important people!. Therefore the historian must have a clear and intelligible speaking voice!. 6!. The historian must be able to present his evidence to people in a second or third language!. 7!. The historian must have clear handwriting, great typing skills, and ability to use eletronic informational instruments like video equipment, movie projectors, DVD recorders, tape recorders etc!. 8!. Must be able to write books, journals, and papers on certain periods of history which he specializes!. So for example, a professional historian of Egypt must be able to read and write ancient Egyptian so he can read the old scrolls, parchments, papyrus, and hieroglyphics which all the ancient information about Egypt is written!. He must be able to read, interpret this ancient language and then talk about it it another language to other people to demonstrate his point about a pharoah, scribe, queen, priest, farmer, or anything else about ancient Egypt ten thousand years ago!. The historian of Egypt must then write a big book on the subject of Egypt using modern languages (English, Spanish, French, Chinese, etc!.) and interpreting the old ancient Egyptian language also!. So being a Historian is a lot of work, a great responsibility, and a lot of fun!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Being a historian does not require any college or university degree at all!. Nor does it require that you have a working knowledge of at least two languages!. I have known dozens of very competent historians who have never darkened the door of a university!. Basically, with an avid interest in American History, for instance, you start your own independent study, find things that are important and tht have either been ignored or not found by others, validate your findings and publish them!. On the other hand, I have known many university professors with degrees from all over the place who could not find their way out of the bedroom closet!. My degree is in history and I do have a working knowledge of four languages other than my native language!. I am published on two continents, but that is not even in the field of my speciality!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Most professional historians have a Master Degree or Ph!.D!. in some area of history!. Even then they are specialized by region or era!. For instance, you might have a medieval historian or someone who is a European historian!. A medieval historian would study a specific range of years without regard to country!. A European historian would study ALL of European history and probably very little outside of Europe!. History is pretty big these days!. It's hard for a person to become an expert on the whole thing!.Www@QuestionHome@Com I am taking a B!.A in humanities with a major in medieval history!. I also intend to be a historian!. I suspect this is the way to go for you!.(i mean you would major in American history!)Www@QuestionHome@Com Technically, you can study and write about History without a degree and be a successful Historian!.!.!.but a degree helps a lot!Www@QuestionHome@Com a historian is someone who studies or writes about history so study and write about historyWww@QuestionHome@Com |