Employment

History majors leave Xavier with skills for careers across a wide range of areas. The ability to think and read critically, closely analyze texts, and conduct research in archives and through secondary sources provide majors with highly marketable skill sets. If you don’t trust us, the American Historical Association provides this graphic highlighting popular careers for history majors.

Internships

Internships are a great opportunity for students to get an idea of the possible careers available to them. See what opportunities are available through the History Department and what former Xavier students have to say about their experiences!

Xavier students have completed internships at institutions across the city and country, many of which have helped them determine the paths of their future careers. Here in New Orleans, we have developed a long-running relationships with the Historic New Orleans Collection where student interns "benefit from completing professional work assignments, taking advantage of educational opportunities, and immersing themselves in the day-to-day workings of a busy museum, research center, and publisher.” Additionally, we have placed students at the Amistad Research Center where interns work under the supervision of the Director of Processing in the arranging, preservation and description of archival records, papers and collections, and doing the same kind of work here on campus in the Xavier University Library archives. Over the past ten years we have also supported internship placements at the New Orleans Museum of Art, the National World War II Museum, the Hermann-Grima and Gallier Historic House, and the Ashé Cultural Arts Center among others! We are open to helping students develop internships that match their interests and encourage students to reach out to discuss their options.

The Department of History has also supported students in a variety of summer internship programs, including with the National Museum for African American History and Culture, Johns Hopkins University, the Intra-American Slave Trade Database, the Blacks of the Chesapeake Project, and many other museums and libraries across the country.

If you are interested in a semester or summer internship opportunity, please reach out to Dr. Elizabeth Manley at emanley1@xula.edu.