In designing their curriculum, students are limited to a total of three programs, combining majors, minors, and concentrations, only two of which can be majors.
Majors
All students must fulfill the requirements of a major, which normally consists of a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 14 courses selected from a group of courses within a department. Certain courses, however, may not count toward the minimum or maximum number of courses in a given department, and some departments require additional courses in allied fields. Information on student-designed multidisciplinary majors can be found on the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies page.
Majors must be declared between the second semester of the first year and the enrollment period preceding the third year, and students are expected to confirm their plans for the fulfillment of major and degree requirements with their designated faculty advisor.
Double Major
A double major is one of the curriculum options available at the College. Students desiring double-major status must receive the approval of the chairs of the departments the student is entering, the academic advisor, and the class dean. An application for double-major status must receive approval in time to allow completion of all requirements for both majors with the normal eight semesters of enrollment. Students must complete a minimum of 18 letter-graded courses outside each major.
For more details about the requirements of individual majors, please visit the corresponding department pages or consult the College Catalog.
Minors
Students are not required to have a minor field of study but are invited to consider such an option in designing their undergraduate curriculum. Typically, the minor consists of six courses, some of which may be required and some of which are selected by students in consultation with an advisor.
For information on the requirements for completion of individual minors, please visit the corresponding department pages, or consult the College Catalog. Information on student-designed multidisciplinary minors can be found on the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies page.
Concentrations
Students are not required to have a concentration but are invited to consider such an option in designing their undergraduate curriculum. Concentrations are the equivalent of multidisciplinary minors in four established programs: Africana Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies. The concentration consists of six courses from at least three departments, some of which may be required and some of which are selected by students in consultation with an advisor.
More information on concentrations can be found on the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies page. For details about the requirements of individual concentrations, please visit the corresponding concentration pages or consult the College Catalog.
Holy Cross offers a large selection of programs in the arts, sciences, social sciences and humanities. For a comprehensive list of majors, minors, and concentrations offered at the College, please consult our Academic Programs page.
The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies allows students to design their own major or minor in a field of study that lies outside the current discipline-based majors or interdisciplinary concentrations. Learn more »