History encompasses all aspects of life in the past: the rise and decline of great states, the growth of science and technology, the evolution of culture in all its dimensions. Each faculty member at Holy Cross will offer you different orientations to the past, a different range of interests and a different selection of topics. At Holy Cross, you will be trained to think systemically, to write with clarity and originality, and to respect the canons of good scholarship. You will be encouraged to strengthen your research tools through the study of language while you enhance your analytical abilities by appropriate studies in economics, politics, the visual arts, and other disciplines. History is appropriate preparation for law, for teaching, for government service, for business, and for a host of other vocations. Most importantly, history offers deep personal enrichment that will prepare you whatever your vocation, for a thoughtful, even passionate, engagement in the challenges of our own time.