Catholic Studies

Catholic Studies: Self-Designed Major, Self-Designed Minor

From its biblical origins to today’s global realities, Catholicism continues to impact and transform humanity. Through the Catholic Studies Program, you can enter the intellectual life of the Church, its social teachings and rich cultural heritage, gaining a highly focused Jesuit and Catholic perspective on the arts, sciences, humanities, law, medicine, politics, and business.

Catholic Studies offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary approach to Catholic society and culture. You can design your own major or minor across multiple disciplines to pursue a curriculum that suits your interests and passion. Engaging with individual advisors and expert faculty in classics, English, history, World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, philosophy, religious studies, sociology, and visual arts, you can enrich your personal and career goals with the strength of purpose and moral formation that come from Catholic learning.

Program Highlights

Students are exposed to a broad range of topics such as:

the philosophy of religion
Catholicism in the U.S.
ancient Greek philosophy
Latin American history
modern religious movements and
Jesuit history

Catholic Studies News

Members of the Holy Cross Community Reflect on the Jubilee Year of Mercy

The Jubilee Year of Mercy, initiated by Pope Francis, began on Dec. 8, 2015 and lasts through Nov. 20, 2016. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), a jubilee year has roots in Jewish tradition, when a jubilee …

College of the Holy Cross Launches E-Journal on Global Catholicism

The College of the Holy Cross, in collaboration with Catholic studies scholars around the globe, announces the launch of the Journal of Global Catholicism. The international, peer-reviewed, electronic journal fosters understanding of contemporary Catholicism as it is lived and practiced …

Holy Cross Academic Conference to Showcase Student Work

As the academic year comes to an end, the College of the Holy Cross will celebrate the great and varied work accomplished by its students at the annual Academic Conference taking place across campus from April 27 through April 30. The four-day conference gives students from all class years the opportunity to present the results of their independent research and course work done in a variety of environments—from campus classrooms and libraries to within the Worcester community; from research labs and study abroad locations to art studios and field sites.