Political Science

Political Science: Major

Holy Cross students who major in political science gain in-depth understanding of the American political system, other political regimes, the international system, and political philosophy. In uniformly small classes, students also improve their critical and analytical skills and competence in oral and written expression.

Political science is one of Holy Cross’ most popular majors. The major is rigorously structured so as to ensure breadth as well as depth, with courses required in each of the discipline’s four subfields. Department faculty conceive the most fundamental purpose of the major as helping students to become thoughtful, well-informed, and ethical citizens of a constitutional, self-governing republic. Political science majors have gone on to successful careers in local, state, and federal government, academia,  law, journalism, business, high-school teaching, nonprofit organizations, the armed forces, and the priesthood. 

Program Highlights

Students majoring in political science take courses in four main areas:
 
  • American government
  • political philosophy
  • comparative politics
  • international relations
students and a professor in a class
Subfields

Learn more about the political science department’s four subfields.

students in a classroom with a powerpoint
Charles Carroll Program

The program brings guest lecturers to campus, funds a sophomore seminar and provides paid summer research internships.

Group of students in Washington DC
Washington Semester Program

Many political science majors spend a semester working, studying, and conducting research in Washington, D.C.

Political Science News

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Following Recent Elections, Holy Cross Professor Explains ‘Why Democrats Are Wrong About the End of Trumpism’
A wave of state legislative election victories by Democrats has been taken by some as a sign that the country is officially responding to Trumpism in the voting booth, and that this trend is likely to continue. However, Greg Burnep, …
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Holy Cross Welcomes Ten New Tenure-Track Faculty Members in 2017-18 Academic Year
At the start of the 2017-18 academic year, the College of the Holy Cross welcomed ten new tenure-track faculty members joining the following departments: psychology, economics and accounting, political science, mathematics and computer science, history, and English. Their expertise runs …
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Blog: Midwest Native Tapia ’21 Shares Her First-Year College Experience
NAME Xochitl Tapia ’21 HOMETOWN Kansas City, Missouri STUDIES SHE’S CONSIDERING Latin American and Latino Studies, environmental studies, political science WHY SHE CHOSE HOLY CROSS “When going through the search process, I was interested in a small liberal arts college …