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

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Holy Cross Professor Describes How ‘#MeToo is Undoing the Devil’s Bargain of the 1990s’
In recent weeks, prominent members of the entertainment, political, and business worlds have been outed for inappropriate behavior toward women. The revelations were partially spurred by the growth of the #MeToo movement, which demands awareness and dialogue on sexual misconduct …
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Find Your Power Center: GE’s Deirdre Latour ’95 Offers Advice to Students at Women in Business Conference
“Figure out who you are and devise a life around it.” This was the advice Deirdre Latour ’95 offered to students and alumnae at the 12th annual Women in Business Conference at the College of the Holy Cross. Latour, who …
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Holy Cross Professor on the Rise and Rule of Robert Mugabe, ‘The Only Leader Zimbabwe Has Ever Had’
The international community has been monitoring the situation in Zimbabwe closely since the announcement of a staged coup against Robert Mugabe. The same day on NPR’s “All Things Considered”, Munya Bryn Munochiveyi, associate professor of history and expert in the …