Why I’m Getting a Master’s In History (And Why It Might Be Time For You, Too)

Thinking about getting a master’s in history?

If so, then you were meant to land on this very page, and read this very blog post.

I also know that means that you love history.

Like, REALLY love it.

You’re borderline obsessed with it.

But maybe you’re also in your thirties, wondering…

Is it too late to go back to school?
Is it too late to get a master’s degree?
And specifically — should I get a master’s degree in history?

I used to think the same thing.

I loved history, but I wasn’t sure I could justify studying it “just because.”

It didn’t seem practical.

(and if I’m being REALLY brutally honest here, I’m still having moments where I debate that)

“Everyone” on Reddit and Google seem to think it’s a bad idea.

(PRO TIP: don’t let Reddit randos make big life decisions for you haha)

When I first decided I was going to go through this process myself, I could barely find anyone talking about it.

I’m a nontraditional student.

Married, well into my career, and at the age where we should seriously consider having a baby if that’s ever going to happen.

I finally came to the conclusion that, unless I die over the next year, this year is going to pass whether I have a kid or not.

Whether I apply for grad school or not.

Soooo, why not spend that year doing what I actually want to do?

This is my story of why I’m getting my master’s in history – and why it might be time for you to do the same, if it’s something you’ve been thinking about.

Table of Contents

About the Everyday Historian

Heeey! I’m Brittany – the writer and researcher behind The Everyday Historian.

This blog and my YouTube channel are documenting my journey to and through grad school.

I’m a married woman in my 30s, and it’s a different game making these big kinds of life decisions when you have a husband and a home to consider.

So if you can relate, be sure to join our free Facebook Group full of fellow Everyday Historians!

A Little Context First

I know I already kinda introduced myself in the snippet above.

But for this kind of blog post, context really does matter here.

I’m a married, Christian woman in my 30s.

I’m very devoted to living a life aligned with the truth of scripture, and I recognize that when you say “yes” to one thing, you automatically say “no” to something else.

I know that’s not going to be a popular statement.

It’s true, though.

We ALL have limitations.

But you’re going to have different ones now then you had when you were, say, 19 and single.

When I was young, I had no money, no guidance, and absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

I knew I wanted to travel and try new things… and I did that.

My undergraduate degree is actually in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management.

The more I work in the travel industry, the more I realized just how deeply connected tourism is to history.

Think about it…

The best tour guides don’t just walk you through a place.

They transport you.

They tell stories.

They make you see the people who lived there… the battles fought, the empires that rose and fell, the moments that changed everything.

It’s that storytelling magic that made me fall in love with history all over again.

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From Travel to Time Travel

The deeper I got into tourism, the more fascinated I became with why places feel the way they do.

Their histories, their migrations, the layers of culture that have built up over centuries.

I’ve always been curious about movement and migration.

t’s one of the biggest global questions of our time, and yet it’s also one of humanity’s oldest stories.

People have always moved – for food, safety, opportunity, freedom.

And the reasons we migrate today aren’t all that different from the past.

That’s why I’m so interested in studying ancient migrations and what they can teach us about modern ones.

I’m especially drawn to:

The Viking Age and how raiding, trading, and settling reshaped Europe
The Iron Age and the birth of early societies
The Reformation and Medieval periods, when small nations began shaping the modern world

I want to look back at those patterns.

Not to romanticize them, or to idolize any person or people group – but to understand how movement and exchange have always defined us.

Because if we can understand how people migrated and adapted before, maybe we can learn how to better handle it today.

And traveling to historical sites really is an incredible type of time travel.

Shoutout to Audra Morris from The Nerd Traveler – who really exemplifies this every day with her work about UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

How Music, Language, and History Intersect

Before tourism, I actually studied music.

I’m a classically trained singer.

In music school, we had to study languages… and at my school in particular, we were promoted to choose between Italian, German, or French.

I chose Italian because… well, it’s beautiful.

And I love the operas.

But looking back now, it all connects.

Music taught me to listen.
Language taught me to interpret.
Tourism taught me to tell and appreciate stories.
And history helps us make meaning of the past

If you love languages, you’ll fit right into history.

Most grad programs require at least one research language anyway.

But more than that… language connects us across time.

It’s one of the most human ways we can study history.

As I write this, I’m still figuring out exactly how they’re all going to tie together neatly in a bow.

But that’s the beauty of the humanities, isn’t it?

The fact that we get to explore, learn, and make meaning as we go.

Why I’m Studying History Now

So why now?

I’m 37.

I’ll be 38, turning 39 (unless I get a wild hair and apply sooner!) when I start my graduate program.

And honestly, I’ve reached that stage of life where everyone’s on totally different timelines.

Some of my friends are single and traveling the world.

Some have four kids and are deep in family life.
I’m somewhere in between… married for over a decade, no kids yet, a cat, a home in Arizona.

For me, it came down to one thought:

If I’m going to do this someday, why not now?

If I wait until I’m 40 because I feel “too old” now, I’ll just be 40 and still feel too old.

That math doesn’t work!!

And the truth is, there’s no such thing as being “too old” for grad school.

I’ve seen people go back in their 20s, 30s, 60s — even 80s.
Some do it for career reasons.

Some do it for fun.

Both are valid.

I’m doing it because it feels like the right time to go deeper.

The Perspective That Comes With Age

I think one of the underrated gifts of studying history later in life is perspective.

My grandmother was born in 1936.

She lived through World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, feminism, and the rise of the digital age… all in one lifetime.

She passed a few years ago, but when I think about everything she saw firsthand, I realize how valuable lived experience really is.

Older students bring that same depth into the classroom.

We’ve lived through enough to see patterns… and to appreciate nuance.

That’s something I’m really looking forward to: learning alongside people with different perspectives, and hopefully adding some of my own.

How It Fits Into My Life Now

Professionally, I’m a full-time creator and educator.

Before that, I taught for five years.

And before I taught, I worked in recreation and tourism.

So this master’s isn’t about switching careers; it’s about deepening what I already do.

I run a blog and podcast that explore Viking history, migration, and the intersections between culture, travel, and storytelling.

I also create educational resources and curricula about Native American history, and the interactions between indigenous North American tribes with early European settlers & colonists.

Getting my master’s will help me:

Do better research (not just rely on secondary sources)
Find original primary materials
Add to the conversation instead of just summarizing it

I want to learn how to think, write, and research like a historian… and bring that skill set into everything else I create.

Why It Might Be Time for You, Too

If you’re reading this, I have a hunch you already love history.

You’ve probably read historical books or watched documentaries for fun.

You might even say you’re an “amateur historian.” (By the way, “amateur” literally means for the love of it… so wear that title proudly.)

Here’s what I’d say if you’re on the fence about going back:

If you can’t stop thinking about it, it’s probably time.
If you catch yourself daydreaming about archives, ancient ruins, or the smell of old books… it’s probably time.
If you want to be part of something meaningful, to add to the study of human stories — it’s definitely time.

Don’t let age, fear, or “what people might think” stop you.

There’s never a perfect time.

But there’s always purpose in curiosity.

A Few Practical Things I’ve Learned

Since I’m doing all this research anyway, here are a few tips:

There’s funding out there.
When I did my undergrad, I earned over $30,000 in scholarships and grants by treating it like a part-time job. I’ll be doing that again… and I’ll share resources as I go.
It’s never too late to start.
Grad programs welcome students of all ages, especially in the humanities.
You can blend your passions.
History connects to everything! Tourism, language, theology, even content creation.
There’s power in documenting the process.
When I started searching online, I could barely find anyone talking about this. That’s why I’m sharing everything as I go… so others can follow along.