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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Students Study Around the World Through Maymester Programs This Summer
This summer, 59 students jet set to different locations around the world through the College’s ever-popular Maymester program to sites in England, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Germany, and Russia. Each year, the College offers a number of these summer …
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11 Faculty Members Close Chapters at Holy Cross Alongside the Class of 2016
In addition to bidding farewell to the seniors at the end of the academic year, the College of the Holy Cross is seeing off 11 faculty members: Hussein Adam, Mary Hobgood, Patrick J. Ireland, James M. Kee, Rev. Anthony J. …
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Holy Cross Graduate Drafted to the Boston Red Sox For the Second Year in a Row
Dominic Lovullo, a history and political science major who graduated from Holy Cross this past May, was selected to play with the Boston Red Sox. Media outlets including ESPN, the Boston Globe, and CBS Boston have been highlighting that Lovullo, 22, …