Holy Cross students know that a liberal arts education differs from a specialized or technical degree in that it prepares students for a broader range of career choices, for higher levels of critical thinking, and for the pressure to adapt and adjust to new circumstances in their chosen profession.
This belief is put to the test every day through experiential learning opportunities that take place both on and off campus, and integrating these into a student’s liberal arts education requires more than providing a range of opportunities for learning outside the classroom.
This experience might be a student-designed project or a research opportunity; a study abroad experience; a focused commitment to a community organization or activity; an internship or The Washington Semester Program related to their vocational interests; or an “entrepreneurial” opportunity that integrates skills and academic interests with an engagement in the world. As a Jesuit institution, we also expect that every student will develop the capacity to be reflective about the opportunities they are choosing, the skills and capabilities they are developing, and the connections between their academic and cocurricular experiences as well as between their undergraduate and post-graduate goals.
The Academic Internship Program grants academic credit for internships of a minimum of eight hours per week, plus successful completion of a relevant internship seminar.
The Donelan Office connects students and faculty with community partners who help students learn while they serve. For students pursuing a life of civic engagement or a career in the non-profit sector, community-based learning is a chance to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to immediate problems.
Through the Experiential Learning Partial Credit (ELPC), students who participate in an extensive internship or research experience may have this experience noted on their academic transcript.
Through the Ignite fund, financial support is available on a competitive basis for student-initiated entrepreneurial projects, student-initiated research projects, and travel to present at research conferences. Through the Marshall Memorial Fund, financial support is available on a competitive basis for service, research, and community-based learning projects that are of academic benefit to Holy Cross students and/or faculty and of benefit to the people of Worcester.
The Research Associates Program provides funding for faculty to hire student research assistants during the semester.
Through participation in our award-winning Moot Court, Mock Trial, and Mediation teams, students put their critical thinking and oral communication skills into action.
Holy Cross’ selective Washington Semester Program place students in intensive internships, supplemented by a public policy seminar and independent research projects.
Holy Cross' summer research program is one of the most ambitious such programs in the country. Students in every major and from each class year spend nine weeks working full time on a faculty project, or on a project of their own design.