What Is the Easiest History Degree?

Pursuing a degree in history can open doors for scholarly pursuits like being a history teacher or professor, being an author, working in museums, and even as a base to begin law school.

Finding the easiest history degree is appealing to many students who want to get through school quickly and begin working in this exciting field.

What makes a degree 'easy' can be interpreted a few different ways, though, so it is hard to narrow down what is the single easiest history degree.

Learn more about what makes a degree easy to help find the right history degree for your needs.

What Are Easy History Degrees?

College degrees of any kind vary in difficulty for many reasons.

Because of this, what makes a history degree easy for one person might not make it easy for everyone.

An associate degree in history is the easiest history degree to earn in terms of the least amount of credit hours, course work, and quickest average path to completion.

However, just because it is the easiest doesn't mean it's the best.

Instead of simply trying to find the easiest degree, the right question to ask is 'What is the easiest history degree for my goals?'

If you need help trying to figure out which history degree is right for you, consider these factors:

Degree Level

One of the main factors that will change the difficulty of a degree program is the level of degree you're pursuing.

Degrees, regardless of subject, almost always come in one of four main levels:

• associate degree (one to two years to complete)
• bachelor's degree (four years to complete)
• master's degree (one to three years on average)
• doctoral degree (seven years on average)

What separates each level of degree is the intensity of coursework, credit hours needed, and overall time needed to complete.

The depth of subjects also will vary and intensify with higher degrees.

For example, an associate degree in history is almost always going to be easier to complete than a doctoral degree.

This happens not only because of more credit hours and time needed, but the classes themselves have a more intense focus, which can make work more difficult.

Concentration or Focus

History degrees come in two main types: general or with a concentration.

A general history degree won't have a specific focus and will instead cover various elements of world history.

Students working towards history degrees can choose to specialize in regional history, such as:

• European or American history
• thematic history
• history of specific religions
• economic systems

Some concentrations will be more difficult than others.

For example, highly specialized historical degrees could be considered easier degree paths by some because they don't have a wide scope of topics to cover.

On the other hand, these degrees are so singular in focus that the subject matter might be harder to research, and relevant primary and secondary sources will be more difficult to find.

Online Vs. In-Person College

Another factor that can help decide the easiest history degree is whether the degree can be achieved online or in person.

Although the actual subject matter is virtually identical between online and in-person learning, other criteria can make one easier than the other.

Online learning often provides an easier learning experience for students because of reasons like:

• flexible scheduling
• self-pacing options for some courses
• easier admission practices

Online history degrees are great to earn since the subject matter can be easily learned and tested on a computer.

Passion For the Subject

Something that can't be ignored when determining the simplest history degree is a student's passion for the subject.

When a student is eager and passionate about history, whether in general or with a specific concentration, the work will seem easier.

What Can I Do with a History Degree?

A history degree is commonly used for people who want to become historians or a history professor or teacher.

But there are other career options for a history degree.

Finding the easiest history degree can also be a good base to enter the legal field since the skills that come with researching and understanding the past can be directly applied to law.

Even though an associate degree is the easiest history degree that a student can achieve, it isn't always the best degree.

Most professions that a person with a history degree would be pursuing require at least a bachelor's or higher.

Find the Easiest History Degree for Your Goals

History degrees of all levels and concentrations have never been more accessible than they are now. Figure out which history degree is easy for you and start earning your degree today.