About 75% of Holy Cross alumni are thriving in business roles, and not a single one majored in it. At Holy Cross, your major doesn’t define your future — you do. Discover that any path you choose can lead to success in business.
A liberal arts curriculum allows you to explore business from every angle. Through the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics and Society, you’ll have direct access to an incredible network of alumni who have turned their Holy Cross education into remarkable careers. Through networking and mentorship opportunities, they’ll help you see the possibilities that lie ahead.
Your liberal arts education will be your greatest strength. The critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills you develop here will prepare you to succeed in the world of business. Couple this foundation with the experiential learning acquired through the Certificate Programs and you’ll have a powerful value proposition for any employer.
Ciocca offers three distinct cocurricular certificates. Students from any major can participate. To earn a certificate, you’ll need to complete three courses, five workshops, an internship and an advanced Excel tutorial, blending academic and experiential learning. Ciocca provides world-class experiences that wouldn't be possible without alumni's financial support and donation of their time and knowledge.
Gain a solid foundation in business by developing key technical skills in marketing communications, global supply chain management and decision-making. This certificate includes hands-on learning through immersive workshops, Excel tutorials and internships.
Chart your own course by exploring entrepreneurship and innovation. Build on your liberal arts education while mastering the fundamentals of launching and sustaining a venture in today’s fast-changing world.
Visit and network with the top banks and investment firms in New York City and Boston with Holy Cross alumni as your guides. These trips give you an insider’s look at career paths in finance and banking while helping you understand the industry from the ground up.
Regardless of what you pursue after college, you’ll likely work for some kind of business — whether it’s a nonprofit or a Fortune 500 company. The Ciocca Center’s certificate programs allow you to explore how businesses can contribute to the common good and promote long-term value to society. They also provide invaluable experience that will stand out on any resume to help secure your first job.
Explore student and alumni profiles, blog posts and more.
The alumni network at Holy Cross is unparalleled...Alumni in every field have been incredibly supportive, always willing to meet for coffee, Zoom or a phone call to help with my career aspirations. Their guidance has been invaluable for job searches and career advice. I’m deeply grateful to the Ciocca Center, alumni and student colleagues for their dedication to Holy Cross students.
Starting a program as early as first year provides you with an opportunity to fully explore all that the Certificates have to offer, including building relevant experience and alumni connections. Workshops are open to students of all majors.
Business Ethics and Principled Leadership Workshop - Build the intellectual, emotional and moral qualities necessary to become a successful business leader.
Corporate Finance and Banking Workshop - Get a basic understanding of the corporate finance and banking industry and attend sessions at various Boston firms.
Excel Tutorials - Learn advanced Excel skills essential to becoming a business analyst.
Finance Boot Camp - Develop an understanding of the institutional framework and career specializations in finance.
Finance Immersion Workshop - Master the fundamentals of popular valuation and financial modeling techniques finance practitioners use.
Fullbridge Professional Edge @ Holy Cross - Immerse yourself in business, finance, marketing and innovation in a simulated work environment.
Global Supply Chain Management Workshop - Gain an understanding of how a global supply chain works in distributing goods and services.
Interview Prep Workshop - Work with alumni to build your “personal brand” in preparation for internships and job interviews.
Marketing Communications and Sales Workshop - Develop an understanding of marketing, advertising, communications, public relations and sales.
Startup Weeks - Explore entrepreneurship and innovation, tour innovative startups and see what it takes to launch a business and keep it humming.
The Ciocca Center can help students interested in business make a liberal arts education work for them. Whether your interests range from accounting to anthropology or mathematics to music, there are courses the Ciocca Center recommends that can add value to a career in business, such as:
Alumni Speakers - Gather around the dinner table or for a fireside chat to hear alumni stories about the benefits of a liberal arts education in the workplace.
CrossTalks - Modeled after TED Talks, speakers share how their time on The Hill propelled them to success in the world of business through original thought.
Cross Tank Pitch Competition - Bring your business idea to fruition by taking part in our annual Shark Tank competition (yes, it’s based on the TV show)!
Women in Business - Celebrate, honor and inspire the success of Holy Cross women in business by learning and networking with one another.
Gain valuable exposure and experience through pitch competitions, Worcester’s local startup community, and a dedicated group of alumni mentors. Active participation can help you along your journey in business, from the Ideation to the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and beyond.
The Agency: Educating students interested in public relations, advertising and marketing.
College Street Journal, (CSJ): A business, finance and economics newspaper on campus.
Consulting Club: Provides students with industry overviews, current event discussions and access to the alumni network.
The Finance Club: Focuses on all aspects of Wall Street, while helping students understand financial markets, institutions, trends and current events.
HC Equity Research Club: Gain technical skills, experience, and knowledge in the fields of asset valuation, equity research and portfolio management.
HC Launch: A student-run incubator that fosters the development of entrepreneurial skills and ventures in the Holy Cross community.
Insurance Club: Explores the ways the industry creates sustainable economic growth and development across industries through risk management.
Real Estate Club: Exposes students to a broad range of topics including residential, commercial and development.
Sales Group: Explores the sales and management industries of business and the ways a liberal arts education is useful in the business world.
Women in Business Club: Explore industries, become business savvy and gain the confidence to succeed.
Arthur A. Ciocca ’59, founder and former chairman of the Wine Group, Inc., was passionate about entrepreneurship and about Holy Cross. He described entrepreneurs as “people who have a vision and creativity and who are willing to venture out of the comfort zone and take risks in order to add value.”
Believing that Holy Cross students — no matter what their field of study — can bring their rigorous liberal arts and Jesuit experiences to the world of business and entrepreneurship, he helped found the Carlyse and Arthur A. Ciocca '59 Center for Business, Ethics, and Society (formerly the Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies).
