History

History: Major

The study of history at Holy Cross not only seeks to understand the past; it also offers deep personal enrichment for a thoughtful, even passionate, engagement in the challenges of the present. Among the most encompassing academic disciplines, history is informed by economics, sociology, anthropology, political science, the arts and literature.

Working with innovative faculty experts, students explore a diverse range of interests and a broad selection of topics from “Traditional” East Asia to Modern Latin America, Gilded Age America to Imperial Russia. Students learn how politics, social and economic developments, and cultural life interact.

Students of all interests, passions, and goals study history at Holy Cross. Graduates use their training to pursue careers in law, medicine, government service, business, teaching and a host of other vocations. 

Program Highlights

Students enrolled in history at Holy Cross explore their major and gain depth in a particular aspect of history through a global concentration. Spanning geographic locations and time, students select from the following themes:

  • Colonialism and Empire
  • Gender in Public and Private Life
  • Race and Ethnicity
  • Resistance, Revolution, and Reaction
  • Knowledge and Belief
  • War and Memory
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Faculty

With 18 full-time professors, the department is one of the largest history departments among liberal arts colleges.

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Opportunities

Students can augment their studies through honors programs and hands-on experiences.

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After Graduation

Find out what students can do with a history major, and check out the careers of some recent alumni.

History News

Emma Powell stands on the steps of Dinand Library
Holy Cross Senior Emma Powell ’20 Presents Award-Winning Thesis on Repairing Racial Injustice in America
As a classics and history double major at College of the Holy Cross, Emma Powell ’20 knows how significantly the power of memory affects both the present and the future. Powell earned the Maurizio Vannicelli Washington Semester Away Program Award …
The Sanctae Crucis honorees stand on the front steps of ivy-covered Wheeler Hall
Meet the 2019 Sanctae Crucis Honorees
The Sanctae Crucis Award is the highest non-degree accolade that Holy Cross bestows on alumni, recognizing those who take up the College’s challenge to find meaning in life and history and honor their obligations to others. Meet this year’s five …
Ed O'Donnell, associate professor of history at Holy Cross, is seen here working on his podcast "In The Past Lane" at BirchTree Bread Company in Worcester. Photo by Tom Rettig
Holy Cross Professor Introduces Annual Weemsy Awards in Effort to Shed Light on History Fails
In an era of viral culture where the flood of misinformation can spread like wildfire, Ed O’Donnell, associate professor of history at College of the Holy Cross, tells the New Yorker in a recent article that it’s vital to call …