History vs Philosophy in academic job market?

Question

Hi All! Does anyone know the relative prospects for landing tenure-track jobs in the fields of History (specifically Early Modern and Modern European) and Philosophy (Ethics and Metaphysics) in U.S. Universities? I love both disciplines and could see spending my life doing either and need to decide which to pursue in grad school. Thanks!

Answer 1

Right now, at this very moment, prospects in European history (any time period, but especially Modern, not early Modern) are good, as are prospects in Ethics (but not in Metaphysics).

However, this could change dramatically in one year, in three years, in seven years, or not at all.

This is why, as you well know, graduate programs are not chosen by job prospects, but by whether a person can imagine spending the rest of his or her entire working life constantly doing research in that particular subdiscipline.

Think about it some more before you commit. And ask yourself in which languages you wish to achieve fluency (that will make a difference when choosing between these fields), and in which subfields you are most likely to be able to contribute cutting-edge, original scholarship.

Best wishes to you!

Answer 2

You could make a good deal of money if you have papers that are published in leading journals, then colleges and universities would be all over you for a tenured position. You could do both degrees, normally a doctoral learner has the option for specializations or concentrations. You could become more specialized and if you learned a foreign language also, you would be even more marketable.

Answer 3

The bad news: Neither pays well, and there is not a huge demand for either.

The good news: There is no reason why you can't do both. The philosophy of history or the history are fascinating fields. Apply to programs in both fields. Go to the best program that you can get into. Tailor your degree to fit your combined interests.