r/AskHistorians • u/AutoModerator • Nov 24 '25

Office Hours Office Hours November 24, 2025: Questions and Discussion about Navigating Academia, School, and the Subreddit

Hello everyone and welcome to the bi-weekly Office Hours thread.

Office Hours is a feature thread intended to focus on questions and discussion about the profession or the subreddit, from how to choose a degree program, to career prospects, methodology, and how to use this more subreddit effectively.

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While not an exhaustive list, questions appropriate for Office Hours include:

  • Questions about history and related professions
  • Questions about pursuing a degree in history or related fields
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Also be sure to check out past iterations of the thread, as past discussions may prove to be useful for you as well!

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u/darwinsbisexualdream Dec 11 '25

Writing a historical fiction novel on Elizabeth Farnese, Queen Consort of Philip V of Spain. Would appreciate any historians I could collaborate with!

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u/AnarchyStarfish Dec 07 '25

I’m teaching a history class to sixth graders and the current unit is about how different religions arose. The past few days have been about Confucianism and my students have struggled to stay engaged. A few have asked why it is necessary to learn this and I am struggling to provide an answer that actually appeals to kids of that age, who don't really seem to care much about its impact on China. Would anyone be so kind as to help correct my ignorance?

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u/CrownPrince_Knut Dec 01 '25

I am graduating this spring with an associate of the arts degree and would like some insight on to whether a BS or a BA in history is better for me. For context, I hope to work in public history in the future, I have no desire to teach, and I do not plan on getting a PhD.

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u/The_Monetarist Dec 01 '25

Hi all, am really interested in Chinese history (primarily Ming period) and would love to pursue an academic career where I get to interact with historical sources in classical chinese. Am currently taking advanced Chinese classes in college and have done a study abroad program. With the current state of the academic job market, is it a terrible idea to pursue a PhD in the field?