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

Professor of history Stephanie Yule works with two students during summer research last year.
Holy Cross Professor Weighs in on Museums Seeking to Better Represent People of Color
  In 2009, the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina exhibited a piece that represented the extremely limited number of black artists in their collection of art, displayed by juxtaposing about 40 black squares in a sea of …
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Holy Cross Professor Warns ‘Putin’s Certain Triumph Heralds Fresh Uncertainty’
In Russia’s upcoming election on March 18th, current President Vladimir Putin is expected to win in double-digits, an electoral victory that, according to the Russian constitution, should be his last. However, scholars including Cynthia Hooper, Holy Cross associate professor of …
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Holy Cross History Professor Featured in PBS Documentary
The question of whether the United States has entered a second Gilded Age has been top of mind recently given the issue of growing income inequality, with The Economist asking “If data is the new oil, is Jeff Bezos the …