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
Image
Faculty

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

Image
Opportunities

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

Image
After Graduation

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

History News

Image
Alumni Go Above and Beyond to Ensure Summer Internship for Student
Holy Cross’ Summer Internship Program (SIP) is highly competitive and provides exceptional Holy Cross sophomores and juniors with real-world work experience. The internships are developed through a dedicated network of Holy Cross alumni, parents, and friends, whose resourcefulness was recently …
Image
Princeton Review: History, Math and Political Science at Holy Cross Among Great Programs
Three departments at the College of the Holy Cross—history, mathematics, and political science—are ranked among the best in the Princeton Review’s “Great Schools for 20 of the Most Popular Undergraduate Majors,” which ran in conjunction with the Princeton Review’s annual …
Image
Blog: Schirripa ’14 Excited to Get First-Hand Look at Law Practice
NAME Bridget Schirripa ’14 HOMETOWN Lexington, Mass. AREAS OF STUDY History and political science double major in the prelaw program WHERE SHE’S INTERNING American Transit Insurance Company in Brooklyn, N.Y., where she will be a legal intern for the private …