First-Year Courses

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 in Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics earns credit toward ECON 110 (Principles of Economics) and counts toward the social science common area requirement. Prospective majors with AP credit in just one of the two AP economics courses must complete the one semester course at Holy Cross. A score of 6 or 7 on the higher-level economics IB exam earns credit toward ECON 110 (Principles of Economics) and counts toward the social science common area requirement. A score of 4 or 5 in Statistics earns credit for ECON 249 (Statistics) and counts toward the mathematical science common area requirement. Students with AP or IB credit for both principles will forfeit the credits if they enroll in ECON 110. Students with AP credit for statistics will forfeit that credit if they enroll in ECON 249. 

Majors: Students considering a major in accounting must enroll in ACCT 181 (Financial Accounting) in the fall of their first or second year. Once they have successfully completed ACCT 181, they may declare the major. First year students are eligible to declare majors in February of their first year. 

Advisory Note: Mathematics and quantitative reasoning play an important role in accounting. Accounting majors are required to complete one semester of college calculus or the equivalent. The calculus requirement may be fulfilled by advanced placement (a score of 4 or higher on the AB exam) or the completion of the first course in calculus (either MATH 133 or 135). Please see the listing under Mathematics for further guidance. 

Students interested in the accounting major have several options for structuring their first year program, with combinations of Financial Accounting, Calculus, and Principles of Economics. 

Please contact the Accounting Coordinator, Professor Steve DeSimone with any questions regarding course selections in accounting.

Courses

ACCT 181 - Financial Accounting 
Introduces the fundamentals of the accounting process. Presents an overview of the accounting cycle, leading to preparation of basic financial statements including the income statement and balance sheet. Examines the proper accounting treatment of the major assets of merchandising and service companies including cash, accounts receivable, inventory, property, plant and equipment. Also includes an examination of economic activity related to liabilities and stockholders' equity. Introduces the cash flow statement and analysis of basic financial statements.

Students in Africana Studies acquire critical tools to examine the histories, politics, cultures, and economies of Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe.  Africana Studies courses engage methods and theories from multiple disciplines including history, sociology, anthropology, literature, religion, and music.  Race has been a power social construction, and Africans and people of African descent have shaped and transformed ideas about identity, belonging, health, gender, ethnicity, “blackness” and “whiteness” all over the world. All students are welcome to pursue Africana Studies.

Courses

AFST 110 - Intro To Africana Studies
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies 
Interdisciplinary introduction to the study, research, and interpretation of historical, cultural, social and political knowledge of African American, African, and Caribbean peoples examining contemporary black identities, politics, and culture, particularly focusing on the role and place of blacks in modern American cities through exploration of international migrations, race relations, and 20th-century cultural movements, including civil rights, social protest music, art and literature. Addresses the cultural, historical, political, economic, and psychological consequences of the dispersal of Africans from their ancestral continent to the United States and the Caribbean and the impact of the cultures of West and central Africa in the United States and the Caribbean, through oral narratives, music, art, festivals, foodways, clothing, hairstyles, dance, and religious belief systems. Introduces literary and political movements including Pan-Africanism, black feminism, Negritude, Harlem Renaissance, and other activities reflecting shared theories, ideologies and political movements of Africans, African Americans and Caribbean blacks.

ARAB 101 - Elementary Arabic 1
Common Area: Language Studies 
This course, designed for students with no previous study of Arabic, introduces the students of the script system of Arabic language, ensures the acquisition of basic speaking, listening, reading and writing in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and an introduction to the Arab culture around the world. Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units.

ARAB 201 - Intermediate Arabic 1
Common Area: Language Studies 
This course reviews and expands the fundamentals of the language through oral and written expression accompanied by readings and culture. Prerequisite:  ARAB 102 or equivalent.  Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units.

HIST 196 - African Colonial Lives
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies or Historical Studies
This course analyzes the colonial experience of African people in sub-Saharan Africa, from the late 19th century and throughout the twentieth century.  European colonialism in Africa transformed customs, traditions, and social organizations, introduced new boundaries between peoples and erased others through the institutionalization of racism and the creation of new ethnicities.  The history, theory, and practice of colonialism (and neocolonialism) are presented in this course through historical documents, scholarly writing, literature, and film.  The course also explores the long-term economic, psychological, and cultural effects and legacies of colonialism on the colonized.

MUSC 218 - Jazz Improvisation 1
Common Area: Arts 
Introduces students to the fundamentals of jazz harmony and improvisation. Topics include chord and scale construction, harmonic progression, symbols used in improvisation, jazz scales and modes. These theoretical concepts are applied to the analysis and performance of standard jazz tunes. A portion of the class is devoted to performance and improvisation.

RELS 103 - Race and Religion
Common Area: Studies in Religion
This course explores the intersection of race and religion. Given the ambiguity in their constructions and articulations throughout history, it is a challenging yet ultimately worthwhile endeavor to trace their historical and contemporary contours in cultural, social, political, and economic spheres. Though they are often thought of as separate, this course assumes that race and religion are intimately and intricately intertwined. Thus, we will ask such questions as: What is religion? What is race? How have and do religious traditions coöpt race and racism as effective tools for their structure, organization, and propagation, and vice versa? This interdisciplinary course will ask students to form critical theoretical perspectives on race and religion, and to take up the above questions as they arise in the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and American indigenous religious traditions. Spanning 15th c. Europe to modern North America, the course will also explore questions related to gender/sexuality, indigeneity, sovereignty, capitalism, nationalism, and identity.

RELS 107 - Islam
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies or Religious Studies
Examination of Islamic religious beliefs and practices from the origins of Islam to the present. Particular stress is placed on Islamic religious ideals, institutions and personalities. Central topics include: Islamic scripture and traditions, prophecy, law, rituals, theology and philosophy, sectarianism, mysticism, aesthetic ideals, art and architecture, pedagogy, and modern reinterpretations of the tradition. Also explores wider issues of religious identity by looking at the diversity of the Islamic tradition, tensions between elite and popular culture, and issues of gender and ethnicity.

DANC 171 - Hip Hop/Breaking 1-2
Common Area: Arts 
An introductory breaking technique course for beginners who have no prior dance experience. Students learn foundational exercises, improvisation and movement combinations. The course will emphasize the cultural and historical roots of the form along with key artists who have contributed to its evolution.

DANC 191 - Afro-Haitian Dance
Common Area: Arts or Cross-Cultural Studies
This course is an introduction to movements from the African Diaspora, focusing on traditional Haitian Folkloric dances and the distinct rhythms and characters of Nago, Mayi, Ibo, Banda, Yanvalou and Kongo. Through videos, discussion, technique and embodied practice, students gain an appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of Afro-Haitian dance and its unique connection to modern dance.

Anthropology provides students the skills to navigate a rapidly changing world, marked by globalization and political turmoil. The anthropology major or minor helps students understand these global transformations and create bridges between different worldviews. Anthropology’s distinctive way of studying the world through intensive ethnographic fieldwork provides key insights into how people around the world experience gender, race and class hierarchies in their daily lives, but also how they challenge those hierarchies. Anthropology not only provides a diagnosis for the present, but also offers possible solutions to our pressing human problems. Students go on to use their anthropological skills in the realms of international business, education, law, diplomacy, public health, human rights, journalism, medicine and many other fields.

Majors: Students who are considering a major in Anthropology should enroll in ANTH 101, Anthropological Perspective, during the fall or spring of their first year. ANTH 101 courses are usually limited to first- and second-year students only.

Courses

ANTH 101 - Anthropological Perspective
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies or Social Science
A one-semester introduction to the main modes of cultural anthropological analysis of non-Western cultures, such as those of Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Melanesia, Polynesia, sub-Saharan Africa and Native America. Topics include: ethnographic methods; concepts of culture; symbolic communication; ecological processes; introduction to anthropological approaches to kinship, religion, gender, hierarchy, economics, medicine, poLiteratureical life, transnational processes.

Each language has a questionnaire and/or exam that must be completed before a student can register for a language course.

Learn more on the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures website.

Students who have not studied Modern Standard Arabic before and who do not speak an Arabic dialect (Egyptian, Syrian, etc.) should enroll in ARAB 101. All other students should complete the Arabic Placement Questionnaire. 

Minor: Students who are considering a minor in Arabic should enroll in an Arabic course in their first semester at the College.

Courses

ARAB 101 - Elementary Arabic 1
Common Area: Language Studies
This course, designed for students with no previous study of Arabic, introduces the script system of Arabic language, ensures the acquisition of basic speaking, listening, reading and writing in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), and introduces the Arab culture around the world. Five class hours weekly.

ARAB 201 - Intermediate Arabic 1
Common Area: Language Studies
This course reviews and expands the fundamentals of the Arabic language through oral and written expression accompanied by readings and culture. Prerequisite ARAB 102 or equivalent. Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units.

Home to major philosophical, religious, artistic, and political traditions that have shaped global history, Asia is important in understanding the contemporary transnational marketplace and international politics. The Asian Studies Program at Holy Cross offers students a variety of courses and a multidisciplinary framework for the exploration and interpretation of the diverse societies, cultures, and politics of Asia. The Asian Studies Program offers a major and a minor, both of which prepare students for a wide range of careers with international scope. 

Students who plan to take a language in the Fall must complete a language placement form in STAR.  Each language has a questionnaire and/or exam that must be completed before a student can register for a language course. 

Courses 

CHIN 101 - Elementary Chinese 1
Common Area: Language Studies 
An introduction to spoken Mandarin and written Chinese. Providing a foundation in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and communication skills and an introduction to the Chinese culture.

CHIN 201 - Intermediate Chinese 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Continued focus on the development of oral and written communication skills and on the strengthening of cultural competency in Chinese through the use of written texts and multimedia resources. Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units each semester.

MUSC 231 - Music Of Bali-Gamelan 1
Common Area: Arts or Cross-Cultural Studies
Introduces students to Balinese music through the performance of selected pieces from the Gong Kebyar repertory. Instruction provided in the technique of playing the instruments that make up the Gamelan.

RELS 108 - Hinduism
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies or Religious Studies
An examination of Hinduism and the Hindu tradition from the Vedas to the present day.  Among the subject considered:  the Upanishads; the Ramayana and Mahabharata; village Hinduism; Gandhi; and contemporary Hindu political thought. Evaluation will include both examinations and essays.

RELS 120 - Comparative Religions/World View
Common Area: Religious Studies 
Systematic exploration of similarities and differences within and among several traditions (Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam) and an examination of several key issues within the academic study of religion.

DANC 131 - Balinese Dance 1 - 2
Common Area: Arts or Cross-Cultural Studies
Balinese Dance is a dance performance class which surveys the rich classical, contemporary, and folk traditions of music, mask, dance, and theatre from Bali, Indonesia. Hinduism plays a significant role in the performing arts of Bali and will be discussed in relationship to performance. Students rehearse and perform with Gamelan Gita Sari, the Holy Cross gamelan orchestra. This course can be taken for two semesters.

Students interested in majoring in biology should enroll in one of any of the three Introductory Biology Foundations courses. The biology department offers three Introductory Biology Foundations courses that each address a sub-field of biology: BIOL 163 (Introduction to Biological Diversity and Ecology), BIOL 162 (Introduction to Mechanisms of Multicellular Life), BIOL 161 (Introduction to Cell & Molecular Biology). Students may take Introductory Biology Foundations courses in any order and each course is offered every semester. We encourage students to begin with an Introductory Biology Foundations course that interests them the most.

Students who are contemplating a major in biology ordinarily take both an Introductory Biology Foundations course (BIOL 161, BIOL 162, or BIOL 163) and CHEM 181 (Atoms & Molecules) and complete calculus in their first year. BIOL 161, BIOL 162, and BIOL 163 will be offered in both the fall and the spring. Some students take two (or even one) of the three (biology, chemistry and calculus) in the fall. If taking fewer than three, an Introductory Biology Foundations course (BIOL 161, BIOL 162, or BIOL 163) should be the top priority, followed by CHEM 181.

Courses

BIOL 161 - Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
Common Area: Natural Science
Fundamental principles of biology studied at the molecular and cellular levels of organization. Intended for all potential biology majors and pre-health students regardless of major. Includes laboratory.

BIOL 162 - Introduction to Mechanisms of Multicellular Life
Common Area: Natural Science
Fundamental principles of mechanistic biology at the organ and system levels. Emphasis on vertebrates with some material on higher plants. Intended for all potential biology majors and pre-health students regardless of major. Includes laboratory.

BIOL 163 - Introduction to Biodiversity and Ecology
Common Area: Natural Science
An introduction to evolution, ecology and the diversity of life: plants, animals, fungi, protists and prokaryotes. Intended for all biology and environmental studies majors.

The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS) serves as an incubator for collaboration, innovation and experimentation for students and faculty whose work spans different disciplines. CIS promotes both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary* learning, teaching and scholarship at the College–approaches that are an integral part of a liberal arts education.

*Interdisciplinary generally refers to the integration of methods and knowledge from two or more disciplines. Multidisciplinary approaches draw upon several disciplines to address a question or set of issues.

Students have the option to apply to one of the standing major/minor programs with a designated advisor, listed on the CIS website, or they may work with the CIS Director and an individual faculty advisor to propose a unique interdisciplinary major or minor that draws upon relevant coursework from at least three departments on campus. Generally, students apply to CIS programs after their first year. 

The introductory chemistry sequence consists of four courses that are typically taken in the order Atoms and Molecules (CHEM 181), Organic Chemistry 1 (CHEM 221), Organic Chemistry 2 (CHEM 222), Equilibrium and Reactivity (CHEM 231). Most students begin the sequence in the fall semester of their first year. It is recommended that potential chemistry majors and potential biology majors interested in cellular and molecular biology enroll in CHEM 181 in the fall of their first year.

Majors: Students considering a major in chemistry should enroll in Atoms and Molecules (CHEM 181) in the fall of their first year. Chemistry majors must take one year of college calculus or the equivalent (see the listing under Mathematics for further guidance) and are encouraged to complete the calculus requirement as soon as possible. Students with a strong science background (e.g., AP courses) can consider taking two science courses each semester and mathematics; others may take different loads as described on this page.

Courses

CHEM 181 - Atoms & Molecules
Common Area: Natural Science
This introductory general chemistry course leads students to explore in-depth the scientific method through the formulation and testing of hypotheses in the laboratory. Laboratory experiments lead students to discover basic principles, i.e., stoichiometric relationships, electronic configuration and molecular structure. Lectures will explain and expand upon laboratory results.  This is the first course in the Discovery Chemistry Core sequence for science majors and students interested in health professions. This course includes both lectures and a weekly "Discovery Lab" session.

Each language has a questionnaire and/or exam that must be completed before a student can register for a language course.

Learn more on the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures website.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 counts toward the language studies common area requirement. Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the exam are not required to complete a language placement procedure and should contact the Chinese Program for information about the appropriate course for enrollment. Students with AP credit earn placement in the curriculum but not progress toward the minimum number of courses required by the major and minor.

Students who haven’t studied Mandarin before and who do not speak Mandarin or another dialect of Chinese should enroll in CHIN 101. All other students should follow the language placement procedures.

Majors: Students who plan to elect a Chinese major and who have no prior study of Mandarin should begin Chinese language study in their first semester at Holy Cross. Study in China for one or two semesters during your academic career at Holy Cross is also highly recommended.

Courses

CHIN 101 - Elementary Chinese 1
Common Area: Language Studies
An introduction to spoken Mandarin and written Chinese. Providing a foundation in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and communication skills and an introduction to Chinese culture.

CHIN 201 - Intermediate Chinese 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Continued focus on the development of oral and written communication skills and on the strengthening of cultural competency in Chinese through the use of written texts and multimedia resources. Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units each semester.

The Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society offers a Business Certificate program that includes workshops and tutorials that provide students with a hands-on, real-life learning experience in the domain of business. The Ciocca Center also trains students to articulate their value proposition to employers by connecting the skills developed as part of their Jesuit, liberal arts education with the knowledge gained from business workshops. Workshops are taught by alumni professionals and reputable organizations who are leaders in their respective industries. Students earn the Business Certificate by fulfilling five workshops, an excel tutorial, internship, and completion of 3 business related courses from the college's curriculum. Students interested in the Business Certificate should review our website or email business@holycross.edu to make an appointment with an advisor.

Majors: Students who are considering a Classics major are advised to take the course CLAS 100: Opening Classics and/or the appropriate level of any ancient language course offered by the department. CLAS 100: Opening Classics is offered every semester. Our introductory language sequences contain two courses which should be taken in sequence, with the first course (typically numbered 101) offered in the fall semester and the second course (typically numbered 102) offered in the spring semester. In 2025–2026, the department is offering introductory language classes in ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, and Latin, along with intermediate and advanced level language courses in ancient Greek and Latin. Incoming students who would like to continue an ancient language they studied in high school should look for information in the section for that language.

Courses

CLAS 100 - Opening Classics
Common Area: Historical Studies
In this course, we will critically examine the field called “Classics” and engage in collaborative research projects that open up new questions and ideas about its future. As we explore using the field’s major methods of investigating Greco-Roman antiquity and consider the history of the field and its current and future state, we will analyze what areas of study Classics has included and what it has not, what work the name “Classics” is doing in making claims about the ancient world, and how the field has been shaped and used in particular times and places. After learning about how we know what we think we know about Greco-Roman antiquity and how we learn more about these areas, students will have the means and opportunity to formulate and pursue research topics of their own.

CLAS 152 - History of Rome 2: Empire
Common Area: Historical Studies
A survey of Roman imperial civilization from the first to the sixth century. Concentrates on the primary sources for this period, including the historians, inscriptions, monuments, and coins.

CLAS 160 - Intro Classical Archaeology
Common Area: Arts
An introduction to the methodologies employed by archaeologists. Most examples will be drawn from the artifacts, sites and monuments of the ancient Mediterranean world.

CLAS 199-S10 - Jerusalem: The Holy City
Common area: Cross-Cultural Studies or Studies in Religion
The city of Jerusalem has been a focal point within religious and secular imaginations for millennia. Beginning with the biblical Israelite kingdoms and continuing up to the present day, we will explore the tangible and intangible ways in which people across cultures have configured (and reconfigured) Jerusalem as a sacred space. We will draw on archaeology, art, literature, music, architecture, and historically situated personal accounts to understand the deeply emotional attachments that have been layered into the very foundations of the city.

Advanced Placement: Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Computer Science A exam will earn one unit of credit for CSCI 131 (Techniques of Programming), and are advised to take CSCI 132 (Data Structures). Students will forfeit their AP credit if they take CSCI 131 or 110 (CSCI 110 Survey of Computer Science is a topics course offered to third-and fourth-year students majoring in non-STEM fields).

Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Computer Science Principles exam will earn one unit of credit (for CSCI 110). This does not count toward fulfilling the CSCI major or minor requirements. Students will forfeit their AP credit if they opt to take CSCI 131 or CSCI 110. All AP credit in computer science counts toward the mathematical science common area requirement. Only AP credit for the Computer Science A exam counts toward the minimum number of courses required for the Computer Science major or minor.

Majors and Minors in Computer Science: Students who are considering a major or minor in computer science and who do not have AP credit in computer science should take CSCI 131 Techniques of Programming, and are encouraged to take this in their first semester if possible. However, if you have prior experience in computer science or programming and do not have AP credit, you are encouraged to reach out to the Computer Science Program Coordinator to discuss if starting with CSCI 132 Data Structures would be appropriate.

Courses

CSCI 131 - Techniques of Programming
Common Area: Mathematical Science
A broad introduction to fundamental concepts in computer science, with emphasis on designing and writing correct and elegant computer programs. Concepts are illustrated through examples drawn from a variety of application areas and may include graphics, digital media, scientific computing, or games. Weekly lab meetings provide supervised practice. This course is appropriate for any student interested in creating or understanding software, and students with little or no prior programming experience are welcome. Students in this course develop both real-world programming skills and gain a foundation for applications in Mathematical Science, the sciences, economics, accounting, or any other discipline in which computing plays an important role. This course also prepares students for further study in Computer Science 132, Data Structures, and it is required for both the major and the minor.

CSCI 132 - Data Structures
Common Area: None
An introduction to techniques for storing and manipulating complex data. Students gain experience with sophisticated programs by studying frequently used data structures, including stacks, lists, trees, graphs, and hash tables, and by discussing algorithms for searching, sorting, graph traversal, and hashing. Weekly lab meetings provide supervised practice designing, implementing and using these data structures. As time allows, students also begin an introduction to analysis of algorithms by examining the space and time efficiency of data structures and related algorithms. This course is required for both the major and the minor.

CSCI 135 - Discrete Structures
Common area: Mathematical Science
An introduction to the discrete mathematical structures that form the basis of computer science. Topics include proof techniques, relations and functions, set theory, Boolean algebra and propositional logic, predicate calculus, graphs, trees, induction and recursion, counting techniques and discrete probability. It is recommended this class be taken concurrently with Computer Science 132.

AP Credit: CRES does not accept AP credit

For CRES majors and minors: Students interested in majoring or minoring in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies should begin with one of our designated Gateways courses in their first year. Designated Gateways courses can be found in Montserrat as well as among several 100- or 200-level courses in many different departments at the College. A list of Gateways courses can be found on the CRES website or by contacting the department chair. 

Courses

CRES 199-F01 - Global Afro-Asia
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
How does race—as cultural imaginaries and social practices—affect people of African and Asian descent? How do racialized subjects challenge injustice and envision collective futures, not only for themselves but also for one another? We will explore these questions by delving into the historical and creative worlds of Afro-Asian encounters. We will examine media narratives of urban conflicts, attend to solidarity practices and visions of social change, trace shifting forms of identity and belonging across borders, and consider race and globalization in South-South contact zones. We will pay particular attention to different genres and mediums, such as documentary films, memoirs, theater, and travel writing. Through dialoguing with race-critical Afro-Asian traditions, students will develop the critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills necessary for engaging the problems and possibilities of our global present.

CRES 199-F02 - Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
This course provides an introduction to the foundational themes, debates, and methodologies in Native American and Indigenous Studies, examining how Indigenous peoples across the Americas challenge ongoing colonization, systemic racism, and structural inequalities. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will explore Indigenous histories, cultures, languages, and contemporary issues while engaging with Indigenous perspectives, representations, and cultural expressions across various fields. The course critically examines Indigenous agency responding to cultural genocide, land dispossession, and environmental threats. It highlights the ways Native American and Indigenous communities assert sovereignty and protect their land, water, and territories amid colonial, capitalist, and patriarchal systems that impose displacement, extractivism, and oppression. Their advocacy for social change is expressed through political activism, literature, music, language revitalization, and digital media platforms. Through case studies from the United States, Central America, and South America, students will analyze the complex relationships between indigeneity, colonialism, and land. A key component of this course is a Community-Based Learning component, in which students will examine the Indigenous history of Worcester, with particular attention to Pakachoag Hill. Through readings, discussions, and critical analysis, the course fosters a deeper understanding of Indigenous agency, knowledge systems, and contributions to contemporary global movements for justice, self-determination, and cultural survival.

HIST 196 - African Colonial Lives
Common Area: Cross-Cultural or Historical Studies
This course analyzes the colonial experience of African people in sub-Saharan Africa, from the late 19th century and throughout the twentieth century.  European colonialism in Africa transformed customs, traditions, and social organizations, introduced new boundaries between peoples and erased others through the institutionalization of racism and the creation of new ethnicities.  The history, theory, and practice of colonialism (and neocolonialism) are presented in this course through historical documents, scholarly writing, literature, and film.  The course also explores the long-term economic, psychological, and cultural effects and legacies of colonialism on the colonized.

Each language has a questionnaire and/or exam that must be completed before a student can register for a language course.

Learn more on the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures website.

Minor: Students considering a minor in deaf studies should begin the study of American Sign Language in their first or second year at Holy Cross and should also plan to enroll in DFST 109: Introduction to Deaf Studies.

Courses

DFST 101 - Elementary American Sign Language 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Introduces students to the basic expressive and receptive skills in ASL, including conversation strategies, spatial referencing and facial expressions. Questions, commands, and simple sentences are covered, leading to basic conversational skills in ASL. Awareness of Deaf culture is included. Attendance in ASL lab practicum is required in addition to the class time. One and one-quarter units.

DFST 109 - Introduction to Deaf Studies
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
This course covers issues relating to deafness, deaf people and the Deaf community, focusing on the cultural and linguistic aspects of deafness rather than the medical condition. It explores such questions as whether deafness is something to be “fixed” or celebrated, and it considers alternative ways of looking at members of society who are “different” in some way. It considers policy making, and explores the way that the “hearing” community influences opinions, decisions, and policies that affect the Deaf community. This course is a requirement for students proposing a CIS Student-Designed major or minor which includes Deaf Studies as one of its disciplines. Taught in English. One unit.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate: Scores of 4 or 5 on both the Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics AP exams earns credit towards ECON 110 (Principles of Economics) and counts towards the Social Science common area requirement. Prospective majors with AP credit in just one of the two AP economics courses must complete the one-semester Econ 110 course at Holy Cross. A score of 6 or 7 on the higher-level economics IB exam earns credit towards ECON 110 (Principles of Economics) and counts towards the social science common area requirement. A score of 4 or 5 on the Statistics AP exam earns credit for ECON 249 (Statistics) and counts toward the mathematical science common area requirement. Students with AP or IB credit for principles will forfeit that credit if they enroll in ECON 110. Students with AP credit for statistics will forfeit that credit if they enroll in ECON 249.

Majors: Students considering a major in Economics should enroll in ECON 110 (Principles of Economics) during their first year. Students with AP or IB credit for ECON 110 and/or ECON 249 economics must still complete a minimum of nine courses in the major and should contact the Department Chair, Prof. Melissa Boyle at mboyle@holycross.edu to discuss enrolling in an appropriate economics course.

Advisory Note: Because mathematics plays an important role in economics, majors are required to complete through Calculus 2 in the math department (or the equivalent). Economics students use calculus extensively in the department’s intermediate and advanced courses.

The calculus requirement may be fulfilled by advanced placement (a score of 4 or higher on the BC exam), the completion of a two-semester sequence of calculus (Calculus 1 and Calculus 2), or the completion of a one-semester calculus course that has a prerequisite of one semester of calculus (Calculus 2). Please see the listing under Mathematics for further guidance. Students interested in majoring in Economics are encouraged to complete the calculus requirement as soon as possible.

Courses

ECON 110 - Principles of Economics
Common Area: Social Science
Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources among competing uses. This course is an introduction to economic issues and the tools that economists use to study those issues: supply and demand, decision making by consumers and firms, market failures, economic output and growth, fiscal and monetary policy in relation to unemployment and inflation, interest rates, technological progress, and international economics. Topics include both the study of markets and the need for public policy/government action to address market failures. Course is intended for students who are considering all majors or concentrations which require an introductory economics course. Course makes use of graphing and algebra, and meets for four hours per week.

Teacher Education: Holy Cross offers a Teacher Education Program in its Department of Education. In order to enter the program, students are required to take EDUC 167 and EDUC 169 (preferably in their first and/or second years). After taking these courses, students may apply to the Teacher Education Program.

Minor: Students interested in an Education minor must take an introductory course before declaring the minor. For those interested in teaching, learning, or school counseling we recommend EDUC 167; those interested in educational studies or policy we recommend EDUC 169. It is recommended that students begin courses for the minor no later than sophomore year.

Courses

EDUC 167 - Educational Psychology
Common Area: Social Science
This course examines the strengths and critiques of various learning theories. As well as examining a variety of individual and sociocultural factors that impact cognitive, socio-emotional, identity, and moral development.

EDUC 169 - Our Public Schools
Common Area: None
In this highly interactive, discussion-based course, students will grapple with fundamental questions about public schools in the US. What is the purpose of public schooling? What role(s) should public schools play in society? What should schools teach? What have schools meant to different groups? What is the difference between schooling and education? Confronting questions like these, students will gain a foundational understanding of key debates in K-12 schooling and the functioning of school systems. Through different disciplinary lenses (e.g., Historical Studies, Sociology, Political Theory, Legal Studies, Literature), students will examine controversial issues impacting schools such as segregation, academic tracking, high-stakes testing, and curriculum. In the process, students will critically examine their own schooling experiences in light of what they are learning.

Holy Cross offers two cooperative programs for students who are interested in combining the study of the liberal arts and sciences with engineering. Both engineering programs are open to students of all majors and class years. Advisors offer one-on-one guidance to connect you to the resources and tools that will enable you to achieve your individual career goals.

• The 3-2 Engineering Program combines three or four years at Holy Cross with two additional years at Columbia University’s Fu School of Engineering.
• The Collaborative Accelerated Master’s Program with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) allows students to begin their master’s study at WPI while completing their Bachelor of Arts degree at Holy Cross.

Students interested in the 3-2 Engineering Program should take the following courses in the first semester, and take Montserrat courses that fulfill a common area requirement other than Math or Natural Science.

• PHYS 115 Introductory Physics 1: Mechanics, Fluids and Waves

or 

• CSCI 131 Techniques of Programming

and

• MATH 135 (or 133) Calculus 1 or MATH 136 Calculus 2 as appropriate. Please see the listing under Mathematics for further guidance.

Courses

PHYS 115 - Introductory Physics 1
Common Area: Natural Science
First semester course of a two-semester, calculus-based sequence, suitable for majors of physics, chemistry, or biology, as well as for those participating in the Health Professions Advisory Program (premedical, predental, etc.), the 3-2 Engineering Program, or in ROTC.  Covers the theory of Newtonian mechanics and methods for solving quantitative and qualitative problems. Specific topics include motion in one and two dimensions; vectors, Newton's laws of motion, work and energy, linear momentum and collisions, rotational motion, static equilibrium, oscillatory motion, gravitation, fluid mechanics, and mechanical waves.  There is an emphasis on applications of physics to natural phenomena and aspects of everyday life.  The course meets four days per week and each class is a mixture of lecture and laboratory exercises; there is no separate lab meeting.

MATH 135 - Calculus 1
Common Area: Mathematical Science
This is the standard version of Calculus at the College. Considers the calculus of real-valued functions of one variable for students who are planning further course work in Mathematical Scienceematics, a major in the social or physical sciences, or the premedical program. Emphasis is placed on a conceptual understanding of calculus, presenting material from symbolic, numerical, and graphical points of view. The concepts of limit, continuity, and derivative are developed and applied to algebraic, logarithmic, exponential and trigonometric functions. Applications of the derivative are explored. This course meets three hours per week.

MATH 133 - Calculus 1 with Fundamentals    
Common Area: Mathematical Science
This version of MATH 135 is designed for students who require more class time to make the transition to college-level mathematics. See the description of Introductory Courses before choosing this course. See the description of Mathematics 135 for the course content. This course meets five hours per week.

MATH 136 - Calculus 2
Common Area: Mathematical Science
Considers the calculus of real-valued functions of one variable for students who are planning further course work in Mathematics, a major in the social or physical sciences, or the premedical program. Emphasis is placed on a conceptual understanding of the calculus, presenting material from symbolic, numerical, and graphical points of view. Course content include the theory, evaluation, and applications of integration, sequences and series including Taylor polynomials and series, and an introduction to ordinary differential equations. This course is the prerequisite for Mathematical Scienceematics 241. This course meets four hours per week.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 in Literature earns college credit and counts toward the literature common area requirement; a score of 4 or 5 in Language & Composition earns college credit but does not meet any common area requirement. Students with AP credit in English do not receive credit toward the major or advanced standing in the English curriculum.

Majors: Students who are considering an English major should enroll in ENGL 130: Poetry and Poetics during the first year. Those seeking to sharpen their skills before entering Poetry and Poetics may begin with ENGL 100: Introduction to Literary Study.

Creative Writing Minor:  Students interested in pursuing a minor in creative writing should consider enrolling in ENGL 100: Introduction to Literary Study or ENGL 130: Poetry and Poetics.

Courses

ENGL 100 - Introduction to Literary Study
Common Area: Literature
How does literature matter?  What use is figurative language?  What truth can literature offer?  This course teaches students how literary texts produce meaning through genre and form. Through frequent analytical writing assignments based on the readings, the course helps students learn to present complex arguments with clarity, logic, and persuasive style. 

ENGL 110 - Intro to Academic Writing
Devoted to improving the student's writing through frequent revisions. Intensive work during the semester concentrates on the student's own writing, which is examined in class and in conference with the instructor.
Class size limited to 12 students.

ENGL 130 - Poetry and Poetics
Common Area: Literature
The study of poetry is central to the study of literature, since it is in poetry that the power of language-play is at its most intense.  This course investigates how poetry produces emotional and intellectual effects through language, sound, and form.  Examining poems from a broad range of writers and periods, students will hone close reading skills as they engage with the devices poets use to prompt imaginative work in their readers.  All sections will be writing-intensive, using the drafting process to develop and refine literary analysis and ultimately to present it in the form of persuasive critical arguments. The course is required for English majors, who are encouraged to take it as early as possible to prepare for more advanced literary study.

Environmental Studies is a rich, interconnected and complex field. For that reason, our program provides strong foundations in the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. You will have opportunities to bring these complementary areas of knowledge together to explore the nuances and fundamental interconnectedness of human interaction with the world around us.

The Jesuit tradition of caring for the planet and our physical location in beautiful Central Massachusetts also inform our focus on the natural and built world. We engage in thoughtful and responsible ways with the diverse urban communities in and around the city of Worcester. Many of our courses and events join community partners to address local environmental concerns. Many ENVS majors and minors further expand their horizons by immersing themselves in new environments and cultures through a study abroad experience.

Getting Started: Students interested to explore a major or minor in Environmental Studies should consider enrolling in one of our three gateway courses: ENVS 117 Intro to Environmental Science; ENVS 118 Environmental Perspectives/Intro to Environmental Social Science; or ENVS 119 Environmental Narratives/Intro to Environmental Humanities. Students may also want to consider taking an environmentally themed Montserrat course (see the Natural World and Global Society Clusters, in particular).

All students considering the Environmental Studies major or minor should know that many ENVS classes count towards one of the College’s common area requirements, including the natural sciences, history, religious studies, philosophy, literature, social sciences, and the arts.

Questions can be directed to the Chair of the Environmental Studies Department, Professor Sarah Luria (sluria@holycross.edu). More information can be found at the Environmental Studies website.

Courses

BIOL 163 - Intro Biology Diversity & Ecology
Common Area: Natural Science
An introduction to evolution, ecology and the diversity of life: plants, animals, fungi, protists and prokaryotes. Intended for all biology and environmental studies majors.

CHEM 181 - Atoms & Molecules
Common Area: Natural Science
This introductory general chemistry course leads students to explore in-depth the scientific method through the formulation and testing of hypotheses in the laboratory. Laboratory experiments lead students to discover basic principles, i.e., stoichiometric relationships, electronic configuration and molecular structure. Lectures will explain and expand upon laboratory results.  This is first course in the Discovery Chemistry Core sequence for science majors and students interested in health professions. This course includes both lecture and a weekly "Discovery Lab" session.

ECON 110 - Principles of Economics
Common Area: Social Science
Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources among competing uses.  This course is an introduction to economic issues and the tools that economists use to study those issues: supply and demand, decision making by consumers and firms, market failures, economic output and growth, fiscal and monetary policy in relation to unemployment and inflation, interest rates, technological progress, and international economics. Topics include both the study of markets and the need for public policy/government action to address market failures. Course is intended for students who are considering all majors or concentrations which require an introductory economics course. Course makes use of graphing and algebra, and meets for four hours per week.
 
ENVS 117 - Environmental Science
Common Area: Natural Science
The goal of this course is to provide an understanding of major environmental problems by studying their biological bases. Applied and basic material will be integrated in most sections. Basic topics include ecosystem structure, energy flow, biogeochemical cycles, population growth and regulation, and environmental policy. Applied topics include human population growth, agriculture and food production, pest control, conservation of forests and wildlife, preservation of biological diversity, energy use, water and air pollution, and atmospheric climate change.

ENVS 118 - Environmental Perspectives
Common Area: Social Science
This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies, which examines the diverse relationships between humans and the natural and constructed worlds in which they live. This course will examine the complex ways that we think about what constitutes “nature” and “environment” and how humans do and should relate to these categories. It will then provide an overview of the emergence of environmental challenges as a topic of concern in the United States and globally as well as encourage students to engage with contemporary environmental challenges. We will place special emphasis on questions of how axes of difference (class, race, ethnicity, nationality, etc.) intersect with environmental change, using social justice as a core lens through which we will define, describe, and analyze impacts of and solutions to environmental challenges. Integrating approaches from the social sciences and humanities, the course will provide students with essential background for engaging in subsequent Environmental Studies courses – and for living in a rapidly changing world.

ENVS 119 - Environmental Narratives
Environmental narratives are stories told by different people and cultures around the world that shape our ideas and values about how we relate to our surroundings. Some very famous and important stories—beginning even with the story of Genesis in the Old Testament—have served to emphasize both the separation of humans from nature, and also the superiority of humans to nature. Why have these stories encouraged us to think in this way, and how might we rethink these narratives to develop new and more informed understandings of how humans interact with the world? By using the methods and approaches of humanist scholarship, this class engages in the broader movement of the environmental humanities, and explores the ways that political, social, and cultural values shape how we understand our responsibilities to the natural world and to each other.

ENVS 125 - Introduction to Climate Change
Common Area: Natural Science
Climate change is the most pressing problem facing humanity and is already impacting every aspect of society. This course will cover the irrefutable scientific evidence on how humans are causing global warming and the current and projected impacts of climate change. The political and social science aspects of the “climate debate” will be explored, as well as science-informed policies that provide viable solutions to limit climate impacts. Pathways toward a more climate resilient and sustainable future that also address longstanding environmental justice issues will also be covered.

PHYS 115 - Introductory Physics 1
Common Area: Natural Science
First semester course of a two-semester, calculus-based sequence, suitable for majors of physics, chemistry, or biology, as well as for those participating in the Health Professions Advisory Program (premedical, predental, etc.), the 3-2 Engineering Program, or in ROTC.  Covers the theory of Newtonian mechanics and methods for solving quantitative and qualitative problems. Specific topics include motion in one and two dimensions; vectors, Newton's laws of motion, work and energy, linear momentum and collisions, rotational motion, static equilibrium, oscillatory motion, gravitation, fluid mechanics, and mechanical waves.  There is an emphasis on applications of physics to natural phenomena and aspects of everyday life.  The course meets four days per week and each class is a mixture of lecture and laboratory exercises; there is no separate lab meeting.

Each language has a questionnaire and/or exam that must be completed before a student can register for a language course.

Learn more on the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures website.

Students planning to continue a language studied in high school must take a French language questionnaire, and, if necessary, a language placement exam before enrolling. Your score on the placement exam will be used to determine the appropriate level French course for enrollment. If you plan to continue studying a language in your first year, you must follow the language procedures in STAR. Instructions for registering for and completing the language placement exam can be found on pages 6–7 of this guide.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 in a Language exam earns college credit and counts toward the language studies common area requirement. Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the Language exam are not required to complete a language placement exam but they must complete the French language questionnaire and enroll directly in FREN 301, Composition and Conversation. Students with AP credit who take a course below the level of FREN 301 will forfeit the AP credit. Students who  received a score of 6 or 7 on the Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) exam in French must complete the French language questionnaire and enroll directly in FREN 301, Composition and Conversation.

Note: Students who are considering a major or a minor in French and Francophone Studies and those who wish to study abroad in a French-speaking country should elect a French language course in their first year at the College.

Courses

FREN 101 - Elementary French 1
Common Area: Language Studies
This first half of an introduction to the fundamentals of the French Language focuses on the acquisition of the basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills and presents an introduction to the cultures of the French-speaking world. This course is restricted to students with no previous study of French. Five class hours weekly. Conducted in French.

FREN 102 - Elementary French 2
Common Area: Language Studies
This second half of an introduction to the fundamentals of the French Language reinforces and deepens basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in French as well as knowledge of the cultures of the French-speaking world. Prerequisite: French 101 or the equivalent score on the placement test. Five class hours weekly. Conducted in French.

FREN 201 - Intermediate French 1
Common Area: Language Studies
The first half of a review of the fundamentals of French supplemented by reading of literature and cultural material and by practice in oral expression. Prerequisite: French 102 or the equivalent score on the placement test. Four class hours weekly. Conducted in French.

FREN 202 - Intermediate French 2
Common Area: Language Studies
The second half of a review of the fundamentals of French supplemented by reading of literature and cultural material and by practice in oral expression. Prerequisite: French 201 or the equivalent score on the placement test. Four class hours weekly. Conducted in French.

FREN 301 - French Composition & Conversation
Common Area: Language Studies
Designed for gaining proficiency in oral and written French.  Emphasis on developing correctness and fluency in everyday situations. Regular methods of instruction include discussions, web activities, skits, listening comprehension, and grammar review.   Required for French majors and minors. Recommended for first-year students with advanced placement. Four class hours weekly. Conducted in French.

Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary program that uses gender and sexuality as central frameworks for exploration, analysis, and action. GSWS affirms the commitment among its students and faculty to promote social justice and deconstruct assumptions about gender and sexuality that reproduce inequality.

Students interested in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies should enroll in GSWS 120.

Courses

GSWS 120 - Introduction to Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
Introduces students to the discipline of Women's and Gender Studies by analyzing women's roles and women's contributions to society and culture from the perspective of recent scholarship on women. Special attention focused on the complex interactions between gender and other social divisions such as race, class, and sexual orientation. The following issues are among those considered: the politics of women's work, the representation of women's bodies in the media, violence against women, healthcare and reproductive rights, global feminism, and the history of feminist movements in the U.S. Deliberately includes in its scope broader constructions of gender, such as concepts of masculinity.

Holy Cross offers a minor in geoscience, which is the field of the natural sciences that includes geology, hydrology, oceanography, and climate science. Geoscience courses tend to be small and focus on humans and our interactions with the Earth. The geoscience minor is an excellent complement to a major in Environmental Studies, Biology, Chemistry (if you are interested in the environmental sciences), or with Physics or Mathematics (if you are interested in environmental modeling, geophysics or environmental engineering). It is also a great option for someone from any major who is interested in how the earth works. Some courses have labs in which you go outdoors and/or off campus on field trips. 

While it can be difficult to get into a geoscience course as a first-year student, we encourage you to explore this option early, such as in your first or second year, if you are interested. Appropriate first courses to see if the minor might be right for you include GEOS 120 Geohazards, ENVS 125 Introduction to Climate Change and GEOS 150 Introduction to Geology (with lab). Questions can be directed to the coordinator of the Geosciences minor, Professor Sara Mitchell (smitchel@holycross.edu), and more information can be found at the Geosciences website.

Each language has a questionnaire and/or exam that must be completed before a student can register for a language course.

Learn more on the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures website.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 on a Language Exam earns college credit and counts toward the Language Studies Common Area Requirement; a score of 4 or 5 on a Language Literature Exam earns college credit and counts toward the Language Studies or Literature Common Area requirement. Students with AP credit who take a course below the level of GERM 301 will forfeit the AP credit.

Successful completion of a course at or above the 300 level in the same language as the AP award will satisfy the Language Studies Common Area Requirement. Students with AP credit in a modern Language or Literature earn placement in the curriculum but not progress toward the minimum number of courses required by the major. 

Majors: Students who are considering a German major should enroll in the appropriate level course based on the results of the placement test or Advanced Placement score.

Courses

GERM 101 - Elementary German 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Designed for students with no previous study of German, aimed at the acquisition of a basic speaking, reading and writing knowledge. Five class hours weekly, including two hours of practicum.

GERM 201 - Intermediate German 1
Common Area: Language Studies
A review of the fundamentals of the German language, supplemented by readings in literary and cultural texts as well as practice in oral and written expression. Five class hours weekly and laboratory practice.

GREK 101 is the first semester of a two-semester sequence introducing you to the study of ancient Greek. This course will begin a thorough introduction to ancient Greek, starting with the alphabet and building toward complex sentences. The course will provide opportunities for you to identify ways that language structures our understanding of the world we live in; read and pronounce Greek with confidence and accuracy; analyze sentence structure in Greek and English; and work toward reading an ancient Greek lawcourt speech in a murder trial.

If you began your study of ancient Greek in high school, please consult the Classics Department Chair for placement in the correct level of Greek.

Courses

GREK 101 - Introduction to Greek
Common Area: Language Studies
A first course in Greek language involving a systematic introduction to Attic or Homeric Greek through an intensive study of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.

GREK 213 - Intermediate Greek 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Translation and analysis of Greek prose and poetry, with close attention to grammar and syntax. Students without the prerequisite should consult the department.

Health Professions Advising supports students in exploring careers in the health professions, selecting coursework to meet a variety of graduate health professions program requirements, and assessing their readiness and competitiveness for the application process.

Health professional programs- including medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, physical therapy, and others- each have distinct academic requirements. Careful research into the prerequisites of your intended programs is essential. Health professions advisors at the College are available to assist you in creating a thoughtful and strategic academic plan. Students are encouraged to pursue any major that interests them- being a science major is not a requirement for admission to health professional schools.

Medical and dental schools have similar prerequisites, typically requiring one year of each of the following laboratory courses: introductory biology (BIOL 161 & 162), general chemistry (CHEM 181 & 231), organic chemistry (CHEM 221 & 222), and physics (PHYS 115 & 116), as well as one year of English. Medical schools additionally expect one semester each of psychology, sociology, statistics, and biochemistry. Be advised that some physics, chemistry, and statistics courses also require Calculus I (MATH 133 or 135, depending on the course). Most other health professional programs require at least one semester of statistics and one year of both biology and chemistry, though specific requirements vary widely by field.

Students planning to apply to health professional schools are encouraged to take at least one introductory lab science course in their first semester, and to complete introductory psychology and sociology within their first two years. When selecting a Montserrat seminar, students might consider exploring topics outside the natural and social sciences to fulfill other common areas requirements.

It’s best to wait to take a statistics course until after declaring a major, as many departments offer their own version of statistics. Students with a strong interest or significant experience in science, and especially those considering a science major, may thrive in more than one lab course during their first semester. Others may prefer to start with one lab course while building a strong foundation in their transition to college-level science. Whether you begin with one lab course or more, both paths can lead to success in preparing for health professional programs. What matters most is finding the pace that supports your learning style and long-term goals.

If you have any questions, contact the Health Professions Advising office at healthprofessions@holycross.edu to set up an appointment to meet with an advisor.

Courses

CHEM 181 - Atoms & Molecules
Common Area: Natural Science
This introductory general chemistry course leads students to explore in-depth the scientific method through the formulation and testing of hypotheses in the laboratory. Laboratory experiments lead students to discover basic principles, i.e., stoichiometric relationships, electronic configuration and molecular structure. Lectures will explain and expand upon laboratory results.  This is first course in the Discovery Chemistry Core sequence for science majors and students interested in health professions. This course includes both lecture and a weekly "Discovery Lab" session.

BIOL 161 - Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
Common Area: Natural Science
Fundamental principles of biology studied at the molecular and cellular levels of organization. Intended for all potential biology majors and pre-health students regardless of major. Includes laboratory.

MATH 135 - Calculus 1
Common Area: Mathematical Science
This is the standard version of Calculus at the College. Considers the calculus of real-valued functions of one variable for students who are planning further course work in Mathematics, a major in the social or physical sciences, or the premedical program. Emphasis is placed on a conceptual understanding of calculus, presenting material from symbolic, numerical, and graphical points of view. The concepts of limit, continuity, and derivative are developed and applied to algebraic, logarithmic, exponential and trigonometric functions. Applications of the derivative are explored. This course meets three hours per week.

MATH 133 - Calculus 1 with Fundamentals     
Common Area: Mathematical Science
A version of Mathematical 135 that is designed for students who require more class time to make the transition to college-level Mathematics. See the description of Introductory Courses before choosing this course. See the description of Mathematics 135 for the course content. This course meets five hours per week.

PHYS 115 - Introductory Physics 1
Common Area: Natural Science
First semester course of a two-semester, calculus-based sequence, suitable for majors of physics, chemistry, or biology, as well as for those participating in the Health Professions Advisory Program (premedical, predental, etc.), the 3-2 Engineering Program, or in ROTC.  Covers the theory of Newtonian mechanics and methods for solving quantitative and qualitative problems. Specific topics include motion in one and two dimensions; vectors, Newton's laws of motion, work and energy, linear momentum and collisions, rotational motion, static equilibrium, oscillatory motion, gravitation, fluid mechanics, and mechanical waves.  There is an emphasis on applications of physics to natural phenomena and aspects of everyday life.  The course meets four days per week and each class is a mixture of lecture and laboratory exercises; there is no separate lab meeting.

HEBR 101 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew 1 introduces the main elements of biblical Hebrew grammar and syntax. Hebrew is the primary language of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and ability to read Hebrew biblical texts unlocks the beauty and subtlety of biblical poetry and prose. Command of biblical Hebrew is also advantageous for the study of religion and history in the ancient and late antique Mediterranean. As we progress, you will gain insight into how our contemporary English language operates as well as how biblical Hebrew expresses ideas and structures thought differently from English. The course assumes no prior experience with the Hebrew language. By the end of the semester, you will be familiar with biblical Hebrew, able to translate parts of Genesis 1–11, read aloud in Hebrew, and recognize grammatical features. By the end of two semesters of biblical Hebrew, you’ll be reading fluidly from the Bible.

Courses

HEBR 101 - Introduction to Biblical Hebrew 1
Common Area: Language Studies
A first course in biblical Hebrew language involving a systematic introduction to biblical Hebrew through an intensive study of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary that includes reading sections from Genesis 1-11 in Hebrew.

Introductory History courses (101-199) are recommended to students considering any major who seek to develop oral and writing skills as well as historical awareness. Courses numbered 101 are topical, thematic courses. Styled like seminars and capped at 19 students, they especially encourage class discussion.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 in history counts toward the Historical Studies Common Area Requirement. Students in the Class of 2024 with Advanced Placement scores of 4 or 5 in History may qualify to enroll in 200-level courses during their first year. AP credit does not count toward the number of courses required for the major. Please consult the chair of the department with questions.

Majors: First-year students who are considering a history major are encouraged to enroll in one of the introductory level courses listed on the First-Year Student website.

Courses

HIST 101 - Themes
Common Area: Historical Studies
An introduction to historical studies as a mode of intellectual inquiry, this is an intensive reading, writing, and discussion course. Seeks to develop a critical awareness of Historical Studies through an in-depth study of selected topics and themes. Emphasis is on student participation and the development of critical thinking. Readings involve some textual analysis and there are frequent short papers. Enrollment preference is given to first-year students. Only one Themes course may be applied toward the minimum of 10 courses needed for the major. One unit.

HIST 113 - Renaissance to Napoleon
Common Area: Historical Studies
Social, cultural, religious, economic, and political developments in Europe from the Renaissance to the fall of Napoleon. Special emphasis on the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, the evolution of monarchical power, the rise of European overseas empires, slavery, the scientific revolution, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. Fulfills one of pre-modern/pre-industrial requirements for the major.

HIST 155 - World War II in East Asia
Common Area: Historical Studies
The regional and global wars in the 1930s and 1940s were in many ways crucial in the making of modem East Asia. The history and popular memory of these conflicts have continued to inform national self-understandings in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the relationships between these regions and the rest of the world, including the United States. This course provides a comprehensive examination of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-45 and the Asia-Pacific War of 1941-45, focusing not only on political and military history, but also cultural developments and social changes in China, Japan, and the Japanese empire throughout Asia, as well as connections to the United States and the world during the global Second World War. Themes include imperialism and revolution, diplomacy and politics, refugees and environment, resistance and collaboration, labor and economy, race and gender, literature and arts, as well as postwar history and memory.

HIST 196 - African Colonial Lives
Common Area: Cross-cultural Studies or Historical Studies
This course analyzes the colonial experience of African people in sub-Saharan Africa, from the late 19th century and throughout the twentieth century.  European colonialism in Africa transformed customs, traditions, and social organizations, introduced new boundaries between peoples and erased others through the institutionalization of racism and the creation of new ethnicities.  The Historial Studies, theory, and practice of colonialism (and neocolonialism) are presented in this course through Historical Studies documents, scholarly writing, Literature, and film.  The course also explores the long-term economic, psychological, and cultural effects and legacies of colonialism on the colonized.

HIST 197 - Early Africa to 1800
Common Area: Historical Studies or Cross-Cultural Studies
Early African farmers and hunters, men and women, kings and queens, commoners and slaves long stood at the center - not the margins -- of global change. From the rise of agriculture to the culmination of the slave trades, Africans actively borrowed ideas, technologies, and foods, guns, and other goods from Asian and European(strangers). But they profoundly influenced these strangers as well, contributing their innovative ideas,technologies, cultural expressions, and wealth. Through close study of oral traditions, epics, archaeological data,food, autobiography, and film, we will investigate early Africans' global connections. Environment plays an important role in our study; we explore the ways that Africans creatively adapted to, manipulated, and altered the continent's diverse environments, and how choices shaped the kinds of societies in which they lived. By immersing ourselves in Africa's early history, we will also begin to understand and to critique how and why contemporary western media has come to portray Africans as (marginal) to global change. This course begins its study of global connections when the climatic changes that contributed to the rise of agriculture (after 20000 BCE), and it concludes in the late-eighteenth century, following the period of Africa's most intensive exports of slaves.

First-year students considering a major in International Studies should take at least one of the core courses – ECON 110 (Principles of Economics), POLS102, POLS103, ANTH101 –  during their first year.

If you are starting a new language, you will need to begin that as well during your first year in order to achieve the level of proficiency required for study abroad during your junior year. 

It is a good idea to consult with the Director of International Studies, Prof. Loren Cass, as you consider course selection.

Courses

ANTH 101 - Anthropological Perspective
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies or Social Science
A one-semester introduction to the main modes of cultural anthropological analysis of non-Western cultures, such as those of Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Melanesia, Polynesia, sub-Saharan Africa and Native America. Topics include: ethnographic methods; concepts of culture; symbolic communication; ecological processes; introduction to anthropological approaches to kinship, religion, gender, hierarchy, economics, medicine, political life, transnational processes.

ECON 110 - Principles of Economics
Common Area: Social Science
Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources among competing uses.  This course is an introduction to economic issues and the tools that economists use to study those issues: supply and demand, decision making by consumers and firms, market failures, economic output and growth, fiscal and monetary policy in relation to unemployment and inflation, interest rates, technological progress, and international economics. Topics include both the study of markets and the need for public policy/government action to address market failures. Course is intended for students who are considering all majors or concentrations which require an introductory economics course. Course makes use of graphing and algebra, and meets for four hours per week.

HIST 196 - African Colonial Lives
Common Area: Cross-Cultural or Historical Studies
This course analyzes the colonial experience of African people in sub-Saharan Africa, from the late 19th century and throughout the twentieth century.  European colonialism in Africa transformed customs, traditions, and social organizations, introduced new boundaries between peoples and erased others through the institutionalization of racism and the creation of new ethnicities.  The history, theory, and practice of colonialism (and neocolonialism) are presented in this course through historical documents, scholarly writing, literature, and film.  The course also explores the long-term economic, psychological, and cultural effects and legacies of colonialism on the colonized.

POLS 102 - Introduction to Comparative Politics
Common Area: Social Science
A comparative analysis of political processes and institutions in Western liberal democracies, Communist and post-Communist states, and developing nations. Focuses on alternative models of economic and political modernization and on the causes of and prospects for the current wave of democratization throughout the world.

POLS 103 - Introduction to International Relations
Common Area: Social Science
Introduces students to major theories and concepts in international poLiteratureics and examines the evolution of the international system during the modern era. Principal topics include: the causes of war and peace, the dynamics of imperialism and post-colonialism, the emergence of global environmental issues, the nature and functioning of international institutions, the legal and ethical obligations of states, and the international sources of wealth and poverty.

RELS 103 - Race and Religion
Common Area: Studies in Religion
This course explores the intersection of race and religion. Given the ambiguity in their constructions and articulations throughout history, it is a challenging yet ultimately worthwhile endeavor to trace their historical and contemporary contours in cultural, social, political, and economic spheres. Though they are often thought of as separate, this course assumes that race and religion are intimately and intricately intertwined. Thus, we will ask such questions as: What is religion? What is race? How have and do religious traditions coöpt race and racism as effective tools for their structure, organization, and propagation, and vice versa? This interdisciplinary course will ask students to form critical theoretical perspectives on race and religion, and to take up the above questions as they arise in the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and American indigenous religious traditions. Spanning 15th c. Europe to modern North America, the course will also explore questions related to gender/sexuality, indigeneity, sovereignty, capitalism, nationalism, and identity.

RELS 107 - Islam
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies or Studies in Religion
Examination of Islamic religious beliefs and practices from the origins of Islam to the present. Particular stress is placed on Islamic religious ideals, institutions and personalities. Central topics include: Islamic scripture and traditions, prophecy, law, rituals, theology and philosophy, sectarianism, mysticism, aesthetic ideals, art and architecture, pedagogy, and modern reinterpretations of the tradition. Also explores wider issues of religious identity by looking at the diversity of the Islamic tradition, tensions between elite and popular culture, and issues of gender and ethnicity.
 
RELS 108 - Hinduism
Common Area: Cross Cultural or Studies in Religion
An examination of Hinduism and the Hindu tradition from the Vedas to the present day. Among the subject considered: the Upanishads; the Ramayana and Mahabharata; village Hinduism; Gandhi; and contemporary Hindu political thought. Evaluation will include both examinations and essays.

RELS 147 - Judaism
Common Area: Studies in Religion
Introduction to the history, theology, and practices of the Jews which uses the evidence of Judaism to exemplify the interrelationship between a religious civilization and the historical and cultural framework within which it exists. How does what happens to the Jews affect their formulation of their religion, Judaism? By answering this question and by learning the details of Jewish belief and practice, students will come to comprehend both Judaism and the social construction of religion in general.

Each language has a questionnaire and/or exam that must be completed before a student can register for a language course.

Learn more on the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures website.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 on a language exam earns college credit and counts toward the language studies common area requirement. 

Majors: Students who are considering a major in Italian should enroll in an Italian course in their first semester at the College. Eligibility for Intermediate Italian and Composition and Conversation is determined by their placement exam or AP score.

Courses

ITAL 101 - Elementary Italian 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Designed for students with no knowledge of Italian language, this course provides an overview of basic Italian grammar with an emphasis on oral and written communication, listening comprehension, and reading. Five class hours weekly and laboratory practice.

ITAL 201 - Intermediate Italian 1
Common Area: Language Studies
Provides a review of Italian grammar with an emphasis on oral and written communication. Students also read and discuss Italian literary and cultural material. Four class hours weekly and laboratory practice.

ITAL 301 - Italian Composition & Conversation
Common Area: Language Studies
Offers students intensive oral and written practice in Italian language through an exploration of Italian culture. Authentic materials such as literary texts, newspaper and magazine articles, and video are utilized as a basis for class discussion and written compositions. Grammar is reviewed in context.

LATN 101 is the first course in a two-semester introduction to the Latin language. The goal is to read real Classical Latin texts by the end of the year, and Latin 101 will begin a thorough introduction to Latin, starting with the alphabet and building toward complex sentences. You will gain insight into how our contemporary English language operates as well as how Latin expresses ideas and structures thought differently from English. Since English is profoundly shaped by Latin, you will also gain a deeper understanding of English words and begin to deduce meanings through their Latin roots. 

Students interested in taking Latin at any level must complete the Latin Placement Questionnaire in STAR and, if appropriate, take the placement exam.

Courses

LATN 101 - Introduction to Latin I
Common Area: Language Studies
A first course in Latin. As you are introduced to fundamentals of Latin grammar, you encounter a historical language and culture, and engage with how that language and culture continue to shape structures of power today.

LATN 211 - 1st Readings in College Latin
Common Area: Language Studies
For students with two or more years of study in Latin at the secondary-school level. This course includes a systematic review of grammar, and selected readings from Latin authors.

The Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies Concentration and Major give students an opportunity to explore Latin America’s multiplicity of peoples and cultures as they are situated in historical and international contexts, including their new and centuries-old immigrant and migrant diasporas or pre-Anglo enclaves within the United States. Students select from a multidisciplinary array of courses that explore the diversity of the Hispanic, indigenous, Afro-Latin, and Portuguese-speaking peoples of the Americas as well as their common cultural and historical roots.

Students interested in Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies should consider enrolling in one of the courses listed below.

Courses

LALC 101 - Intro to Latin America
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
Serves as a general interdisciplinary introduction to Latin America. Students will possibly have the opportunity to travel to a Latin American country during spring vacation. Includes a Community-Based Learning component. One unit.

RELS 103 - Race and Religion
Common Area: Studies in Religion
This course explores the intersection of race and religion. Given the ambiguity in their constructions and articulations throughout history, it is a challenging yet ultimately worthwhile endeavor to trace their historical and contemporary contours in cultural, social, political, and economic spheres. Though they are often thought of as separate, this course assumes that race and religion are intimately and intricately intertwined. Thus, we will ask such questions as: What is religion? What is race? How have and do religious traditions coöpt race and racism as effective tools for their structure, organization, and propagation, and vice versa? This interdisciplinary course will ask students to form critical theoretical perspectives on race and religion, and to take up the above questions as they arise in the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and American indigenous religious traditions. Spanning 15th c. Europe to modern North America, the course will also explore questions related to gender/sexuality, indigeneity, sovereignty, capitalism, nationalism, and identity.

SPAN 202 - Intermediate Spanish 2
Common Area: Language Studies 
The second course in our two-semester Intermediate Spanish sequence, SPAN 202 is designed for students who have completed SPAN 201 or 215 or the equivalent. The course focuses on oral expression, reading, writing, and listening comprehension through the use of authentic materials. Students will hone their ability to narrate and describe in different tenses and to express their opinions on a variety of topics and contexts, expanding their vocabulary and grammar. Four class hours weekly, including one hour of Practicum.

SPAN 216 - Directed Ind Inter Spanish 2
Common Area: Language Studies 
The second course in our two-semester Intermediate Spanish sequence, SPAN 216 is the equivalent of SPAN 202, but in our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum program. As such, students complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. One Practicum session weekly and independent work.

SPAN 301 - Spanish Comp & Con
Common Area: Language Studies 
A prerequisite to other 300- and 400-level courses in Spanish, this class provides intensive composition and conversation practice through the discussion and analysis of texts, podcasts, and films produced by authors and filmmakers from different national and cultural backgrounds. The goal is to expand the students’ command of Spanish grammar and vocabulary, to develop their communicative and rhetorical skills as well as their fluency and pronunciation, and to reflect critically on the experiences of Spanish-speaking communities across the world. Five hours per week, including two Practicum sessions.

SPAN 302 - Español para Hispanohablantes
Common Area: Language Studies 
A prerequisite to other 300- and 400-level Spanish classes, this course is the equivalent of SPAN 301 for native and heritage students with a high level of oral Spanish proficiency. The class provides intensive reading and writing practice through the discussion and analysis of texts, podcasts, and films produced by authors from different national and cultural backgrounds, including contemporary Latinx and Afro-Latinx writers and filmmakers. Building upon their previous knowledge and experiences, students will broaden their awareness of particular aspects of Spanish-speaking cultures and identities, and practice different writing techniques to suit different purposes. Four hours per week, including one Practicum session.

SPAN 305 - Intro to Textual Analysis
Common Area: Language Studies or Literature
This course invites students to engage critically with narrative, poetry, drama, and film in Spanish. We will read a variety of literary works from Latin America and Spain, reflecting on the poLiteratureical, social, and cultural issues they address. Theoretical readings will provide the necessary tools to dissect and discuss both written and visual texts. How does a text work? What makes it elicit certain reactions in the reader? Why is it appealing (or not!)? Through close readings, students will learn to analyze literary texts and articulate their views with clarity and conviction. Conducted in Spanish.

DANC 191 - Afro-Haitian Dance
Common Area: Arts or Cross-Cultural Studies
This course is an introduction to movements from the African Diaspora, focusing on traditional Haitian Folkloric dances and the distinct rhythms and characters of Nago, Mayi, Ibo, Banda, Yanvalou and Kongo. Through videos, discussion, technique and embodied practice, students gain an appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of Afro-Haitian dance and its unique connection to modern dance.

Majors in Mathematics: Students considering a major in mathematics can begin the major either with the calculus sequence (see below) or by taking MATH 123 (Discrete Mathematics), which serves as an introduction to proofs course.  Students who have earned credit for MATH 136 or who have successfully completed a year of AP Calculus in high school can begin the major in MATH 123, MATH 241 (Multivariable Calculus), MATH 243 (Algebraic Structures), or Linear Algebra (MATH 244).   

The Calculus Sequence: Several majors require students to take either one or two semesters of calculus, including Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Neuroscience, Physics, and Statistics and Data Science, as well as Mathematics.  Students interested in the health professions are also required to take a semester of calculus during their time at the College.  Below are descriptions of each calculus course and the typical student background for each:

• MATH 133 (Calculus 1 With Fundamentals) is a first course in calculus for students who either did not take precalculus in high school or who had limited exposure to the material in a precalculus course. This course meets four days a week (instead of three), so it is of particular value for those who could benefit from extra time in class to engage with the course material (i.e. students who are particularly concerned about their algebra and pre-calculus preparation).
• MATH 135 (Calculus 1) is a first course in calculus for students who have successfully completed a precalculus course.  No previous calculus experience is required. Some students who took Calculus in high school but do not have AP credit will also take Math 135.
• MATH 199 (Calculus 1 with Modeling), like MATH 135, is also a first course in calculus for students who have successfully completed a precalculus course.  Compared to MATH 135, this course will place greater emphasis on applications of calculus.  It can be used to satisfy the calculus 1 requirement for any major, minor, or program on campus
• MATH 136 (Calculus 2) is a second course in calculus for students who have successfully completed a calculus course in high school, whether or not they have AP credit for Calculus.  Students who have AP credit for the Calculus AB exam earn course credit for MATH 135 and then take MATH 136 at Holy Cross.  Students without AP credit from their high school calculus course can start in MATH 135 and then subsequently take MATH 136, but they are strongly encouraged to start in MATH 136 if they did well in their high school calculus course. 

No special permission is needed to enroll in MATH 135, MATH 199, or MATH 136.  However, students wishing to enroll in MATH 133 should consult with the chair of the mathematics and computer science department, Eric Ruggieri (eruggier@holycross.edu), as admission is by permission only. 

Mathematical Sciences Common Area Requirement: Students seeking to fulfill the mathematical sciences common area requirement who are not required to take calculus for their major should consider CSCI 110, MATH 110 (topics courses that vary each semester), STAT 120, or STAT 130.  These courses fulfill the mathematical sciences common area requirement and are geared towards students who are not science, economics, or math majors.

Advanced Placement in Calculus: Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam, or a subscore of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam, will earn credit for MATH 135 and are advised to take MATH 136. Students will forfeit their credit if they opt to take MATH 133 or 135. Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam will earn credit for MATH 136 and are advised to take MATH 241 (Multivariable Calculus). Students with a 4 or 5 on the BC exam will forfeit their credit if they opt to take MATH 133, 134, 135, or 136.

Advanced Placement in Statistics: Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Statistics exam will earn one unit of credit for ECON 249. Students will forfeit their AP credit if they opt to take any 100- or 200-level statistics course at the College, including STAT 120, STAT 220, BIOL 275, ECON 249, PSYC 200, SOCL 226. Statistics is a part of the health professions curriculum, but many majors at the College offer their own statistics courses that are tailored to their disciplines. Health professions students are advised to wait and take the statistics course in their major, should it offer one. Otherwise, students interested in the health professions are advised to take STAT 220.

Advanced Placement in Computer Science: Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Computer Science A exam will earn one unit of credit for CSCI 131 (Techniques of Programming). Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Computer Science Principles exam will earn one unit of credit for CSCI 110 (CSCI 110: Survey of Computer Science is a topics course offered to third-and fourth-year students majoring in non-STEM fields). CSCI 110 does not count toward fulfilling the requirements of the mathematics major. Students will forfeit their AP credit(s) if they take CSCI 131 or 110. 

All AP credit in mathematics, computer science, and statistics counts toward the Mathematical Sciences common area requirement.  AP credit for Calculus (AB or BC), Statistics, and Computer Science A can be used to satisfy requirements of the mathematics major.

Courses

MATH 123 - Discrete Mathematics
Common Area: Mathematical Science
This course serves two primary purposes. It provides an introduction to mathematical reasoning, logic and proof. It also provides an introduction to a variety of important topics frequently used in mathematics and computer science, including sets, functions, relations, binary operations, combinatorics, graphs, and elementary number theory.

MATH 133 - Calculus 1 with Fundamentals    
Common Area: Mathematical Science
A version of Mathematics 135 that is designed for students who require more class time to make the transition to college-level Mathematics. See the description of Introductory Courses before choosing this course. See the description of Mathematics 135 for the course content. This course meets five hours per week.

MATH 135 - Calculus 1
Common Area: Mathematical Science
This is the standard version of Calculus at the College. Considers the calculus of real-valued functions of one variable for students who are planning further course work in Mathematics, a major in the social or physical sciences, or the premedical program. Emphasis is placed on a conceptual understanding of calculus, presenting material from symbolic, numerical, and graphical points of view. The concepts of limit, continuity, and derivative are developed and applied to algebraic, logarithmic, exponential and trigonometric functions. Applications of the derivative are explored. This course meets three hours per week.

MATH 136 - Calculus 2
Common Area: Mathematical Science
Considers the calculus of real-valued functions of one variable for students who are planning further course work in Mathematics, a major in the social or physical sciences, or the premedical program. Emphasis is placed on a conceptual understanding of the calculus, presenting material from symbolic, numerical, and graphical points of view. Course content includes the theory, evaluation, and applications of integration, sequences and series including Taylor polynomials and series, and an introduction to ordinary differential equations. This course is the prerequisite for Mathematics 241. This course meets four hours per week.

MATH 241 - Multivariable Calculus
Common Area: Mathematical Science
A study of the calculus of functions of several variables. Concerns the theory and applications of differentiation and integration of functions of several variables, vector fields, line integrals, Green's theorem. This course meets four hours per week.

MATH 243 - Mathematical  Structures
Common Area: Mathematical Science
An introduction to the primary algebraic and analytic structures in abstract mathematics. Emphasis is placed on using the language of sets, equivalence relations and functions, and on developing techniques of proof, including elementary logic and mathematical induction, basic group theory, and limits.

The Department of Music offers courses in the history, theory, technology, and performance of music that cover topics reaching back through history and around the globe. Small classes, individual instructions, interdisciplinary opportunities, and a vibrant co-curricular performance program and concert schedule foster an interconnected environment of dynamic teacher-student interaction and collaboration both inside and outside of the classroom.

Majors: Students considering a music major should enroll in either Music Theory 1 (MUSC 201) and the corequisite lab (MUSC 202) or History of Western Music 1 (MUSC 211). Students with no formal training in music who might be interested in the major (but do not feel ready to take Music Theory 1) are encouraged to take Fundamentals of Music (MUSC 103) to get started. All students interested in music performance are encouraged to enroll in one of the department’s performance ensembles and/or sign up for individual instrumental or vocal lessons. Contact Alice Resker, Music Office Coordinator, for more information about ensemble and lesson opportunities.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 earns college credit and counts toward the arts common area requirement. Students with AP credit in Music Theory, prior coursework in, or knowledge of music theory may earn advanced placement in the department’s theory sequence, but AP credit will not count toward the minimum number of courses (10) required for the major.

Courses

MUSC 101 - Introduction to Music
Common Area: Arts
A one-semester introduction to art music in the Western tradition, its forms and history, with an emphasis on the major composers of the common practice period.  Assignments focus on developing critical listening skills and an appreciation and understanding of Western art music.

MUSC 103 - Fundamentals of Music
Common Area: Arts
Introduction to the rudiments of music theory (notation, scales, intervals, chords, rhythm and meter) and basic musicianship (keyboard skills, score reading and ear training). Enrollment is limited to students with no previous background in Music.

MUSC 121 - Intro to Audio Recording
Common Area: Arts
Intro to Audio Recording explores, through traditional and experiential learning, the role of the recording studio in music. Through the study of recording studio theory, critical listening and analysis, classroom discussions, and in-depth examinations of seminal repertoire, students will gain insight into the critical role of the recording studio in sparking innovation, and, perhaps paradoxically, shaping musical aesthetics. Through exercises in microphone selection and placement, frequency filtering, audio mixing, and signal processing, as well as a final cumulative creative project, students will engage with the recording studio as a living laboratory. By the end of the course, students will gain an understanding of how to apply the potential of the recording studio to their own creative work, as well as an appreciation of how the recording studio has fundamentally changed the way musicians and listeners alike experience music.

MUSC 133 - Global Music History
Common Area: Arts or Cross-Cultural Studies
Introduction to music of selected African, Asian, and American cultures. Each culture is approached through its social and cultural context, its theoretical systems and musical instruments, as well as its major musical and theatrical genres.

MUSC 140 - Song through the Ages
Common Area: Arts   
This course explores the power of song in Western culture drawing on both classical and popular traditions. Songs of love, songs of war, songs of worship, songs of protest - every human emotion has been expressed in song. The focus is on questions of expression and shared values in over four centuries of music.

MUSC 150 - American Music
Common Area: Arts
Surveys three main repertoires of music in the United States: folk and traditional music of urban, rural, and ethnic origin; jazz; and art music from Charles Ives to the present, with particular attention to the influence of science and technology on recent developments.

MUSC 201 - Music Theory 1
Common Area: Arts 
Ever wonder how music works? This course offers an integrated approach to music theory that is applicable to a broad range of styles from the classical symphony to popular song. Through analysis, musicianship exercises, and creative projects, students learn how composers and songwriters use common elements such as rhythm, scales, chords, melody, and counterpoint as building blocks to create unique musical styles. Music 201 is suitable for students from all majors and class years. Prerequisite: Ability to read one or more musical clefs (or permission of the instructor and chair).

MUSC 211 - History of Western Music 1
Common Area: Arts or Historical Studies
This course offers a survey of music in Western Europe from the earliest Chants in the Roman Catholic Church to the music of Vivaldi, Handel, and Bach in the 18th Century. To study the European heritage in music allows us to discover an extraordinary variety of music from earlier times and faraway places and to connect these distant musics from long ago to our present. In this class, we will study broad traditions and individual works of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods with an emphasis on aspects of the surrounding culture as well as a range of issues and activities that are involved in the writing of music history. Emphasis will be placed on the development of musical styles, genres, compositional procedures, and performance traditions from many different periods, places, and repertories.
    
MUSC 218 - Jazz Improvisation 1
Common Area: Arts
Introduces students to the fundamentals of jazz harmony and improvisation. Topics include chord and scale construction, harmonic progression, symbols used in improvisation, jazz scales and modes. These theoretical concepts are applied to the analysis and performance of standard jazz tunes. A portion of the class is devoted to performance and improvisation. One unit.

MUSC 231 - Music of the Bali-Gamelan 1
Common Area: Arts or Cross-Cultural Studies
Introduces students to Balinese music through the performance of selected pieces from the Gong Kebyar repertory. Instruction provided in the technique of playing the instruments that make up the Gamelan. 

MUSC 238 - Musical Cultures of Brazil
Common Area: Arts or Cross-Cultural Studies
Brazil, the world's fifth largest nation by both population and area, is home to wide variety of musical traditions. Brazilian musical practice has contributed to the formation of local and national identities, accompanied religious ceremonies and rites, been subject to the possibilities and pitfalls of industrial and neoliberal capitalism, and served as a vehicle for protest and political organizing. In this course, we will examine many of the country's major musical styles and practices, particularly as they are bound up with social and cultural trends, changes, and issues. Musics to be covered include capoeira, samba, bossa nova, MPB, tropicália, sertanejo, funk carioca, tecnobrega, and hip hop. We will also learn about the history and culture of Brazil, situating musical practices and meanings within their particular contexts and uses. Students will learn critical listening and music interpretation skills, which they will use to complete a research paper on a Brazilian music topic. No prior language or musical training is required.

OVERLOAD PERFORMANCE COURSES -- Do NOT count for credit toward graduation

Naval Science ROTC students are required to take both of the following courses. If you are enrolled in the ROTC Program, you will be placed in each.

Courses

NAVL 100 - Naval Science Lab
Common Area: None
Naval Science Laboratory. One weekly two-hour laboratory. Emphasis is placed on professional training which is not of an academic nature. The laboratory is intended for topics such as drill and ceremonies, physical fitness and swim testing, cruise preparation, safety awareness, preparation for commissioning, personal finances, insurance and applied exercises in naval ship systems, navigation, naval operations, naval administration, and military justice. Other topics and special briefings are conducted as determined by the Naval Service Training Command or the Professor of Naval Science. Required of all Midshipmen. No degree credit.

NAVL 111 - Introduction to Naval Science
Common Area: None
An introduction to the customs, traditions, missions, rules and regulations of the Department of Defense and the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Topics include rank structure, uniform regulations, military law, terminology, ships and aircraft types, naval history, and present naval missions. Required of all Midshipmen; intended for first-year students. No degree credit.

Neuroscience is the multidisciplinary study of the structure and function of nervous systems. Through a balance of depth in the principles of neuroscience and a broad understanding of knowledge and approaches from related disciplines, neuroscience students at Holy Cross are empowered to become critical, flexible, and creative thinkers in pursuing unanswered scientific questions with philosophical and societal implications.

The interdisciplinary program in neuroscience offers a major and a minor. The curriculum includes courses from the natural and quantitative sciences, philosophy, and psychology.

NEUR 110: Introduction to Neuroscience is a good choice for many neuroscience-interested students. While NEUR 110 counts toward the major or minor, and provides the quickest potential path to declaring a neuroscience major, it is NOT a requirement for either.

Students planning to declare a neuroscience major or minor must first complete one foundational course in STEM (i.e., BIOL 161, CHEM 181, CSCI 131, MATH 135 or equivalent, NEUR 110, or PHYS 115) and one neuroscience-focused course. NEUR 110 can count as both the foundational course in STEM and the neuroscience-focused course.

Courses students may take in the first year that count towards the Neuroscience Major include BIOL 161, CHEM 181, CSCI 131, MATH 135, and PHYS 115. Students who start with one or two of these courses but do not enroll in NEUR 110 will be eligible for permission to enroll in a neuroscience-focused course in the spring of their first year or fall of their second year and will be able to successfully complete a neuroscience major or minor. 

Advanced Placement: The Neuroscience Program follows the relevant departmental AP credit policies for courses counted toward the Neuroscience Major.

Courses

NEUR 110 - Introduction to Neuroscience
Common Area: Natural Science
This course is a broad introduction to neuroscience including topics in comparative vertebrate and invertebrate neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, sensory and motor systems, behavioral neurobiology, neuropharmacology, and neural basis of cognition.  Important general principles of nervous system structure and function will be emphasized, as well as broad scientific proficiency as a foundation for further interdisciplinary study of the neural basis of behavior.

The Peace and Conflict Studies concentration allows students to focus on issues of peace and social justice. The courses offered in the concentration help students address crucial challenges of the contemporary world and develop the knowledge and skills necessary for effective citizenship in the post-cold war world. Beginning this year, students will also have an opportunity to pursue a Social Justice track within the Peace and Conflict Studies concentration.

Students interested in peace and conflict studies should consider enrolling in one of the courses listed below.

Courses

HIST 196 - African Colonial Lives
Common Area: Cross-Cultural or Historical Studies
This course analyzes the colonial experience of African people in sub-Saharan Africa, from the late 19th century and throughout the twentieth century.  European colonialism in Africa transformed customs, traditions, and social organizations, introduced new boundaries between peoples and erased others through the institutionalization of racism and the creation of new ethnicities.  The history, theory, and practice of colonialism (and neocolonialism) are presented in this course through historical documents, scholarly writing, literature, and film.  The course also explores the long-term economic, psychological, and cultural effects and legacies of colonialism on the colonized.

POLS 103 - Intro To International Relations
Common Area: Social Sciences 
Introduces students to major theories and concepts in international politics and examines the evolution of the international system during the modern era. Principal topics include: the causes of war and peace, the dynamics of imperialism and post-colonialism, the emergence of global environmental issues, the nature and functioning of international institutions, the legal and ethical obligations of states, and the international sources of wealth and poverty. 

Philosophy, which means “love of wisdom,” is the most general form of inquiry, investigating all other fields and subject matters, as well as fundamental questions unasked by any other discipline. Philosophy is the ability to think reflectively and critically about questions that are at the very foundation of human existence and human practices: the nature of reality, the foundations of science, ethics and art, and the scope of human knowledge. In trying to find answers, students learn to approach problems imaginatively, to question what might appear to be self-evident, to write clearly and precisely, and to appreciate the ethical implications of decisions and actions. Studying philosophy at Holy Cross offers exceptional preparation for citizens of a globally interconnected world. It is an excellent stand-alone major, and an ideal second major or minor for students interested in examining the foundations of another discipline. Holy Cross philosophy students have done well in many fields, including academia, media, communications, business, teaching,
and the law.

First year students may begin their study of philosophy by taking Philosophical Inquiries (PHIL 110) or any Montserrat seminar that earns a Philosophical Studies common area requirement.

Courses

PHIL 110 - Philosophical Inquiries
Common Area: Philosophical Studies
In a certain way, Philosophical Studies needs no introduction. Each of us has had moments of wonder: "Why do we exist?" "Why is there so much suffering in the world?" "Why does the world itself exist?" This one-semester course for first-year students helps strengthen that sense of wonder by giving the student insight into what some of the greatest thinkers have had to say about these questions. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes and Kant.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 on the AP Physics C exam earns college credit and counts toward the natural science common area requirement. Students with AP score of 4 or 5 in Physics 2 or Physics C may receive credit toward the minimum number of courses required for the Physics major or the Physics minor, or advanced standing in the physics curriculum.

Majors: Students interested in Physics should enroll in PHYS 115 in the fall of their first year. This is a calculus-based course suitable for students who will major in physics, chemistry, neuroscience or biology, as well as for those interested in the Health Professions (premedical, predental, etc.), combined engineering programs or ROTC. No prior knowledge of physics is assumed, however, students must enroll in or have credit for Calculus 1 or the equivalent.

Advisory Note: Because mathematics plays an important role in Physics, majors are required to take Calculus 1, Calculus 2 and Multivariable Calculus, or the equivalent. Students who have already completed a year of calculus may be able to place out of one semester or more of math and are recommended to do so if appropriate. Please see the guidelines in the Mathematics section.

Courses

PHYS 115 - Introductory Physics 1
Common Area: Natural Science
First semester course of a two-semester, calculus-based sequence, suitable for majors of physics, chemistry, or biology, as well as for those participating in the Health Professions Advisory Program (premedical, predental, etc.), the 3-2 Engineering Program, or in ROTC.  Covers the theory of Newtonian mechanics and methods for solving quantitative and qualitative problems. Specific topics include motion in one and two dimensions; vectors, Newton's laws of motion, work and energy, linear momentum and collisions, rotational motion, static equilibrium, oscillatory motion, gravitation, fluid mechanics, and mechanical waves.  There is an emphasis on applications of physics to natural phenomena and aspects of everyday life.  The course meets four days per week and each class is a mixture of lecture and laboratory exercises; there is no separate lab meeting.

Students majoring in Political Science are required to take the department’s introductory course in each of the four subfields. We strongly encourage students to complete all four introductory courses by the end of the sophomore year.

• POLS 100 Principles of American Government

• POLS 101 Introduction to Political Philosophy

• POLS 102 Introduction To Comparative Politics

• POLS 103 Introduction to International Relations

Students may take the intro courses in the order they choose. Each intro course serves as a prerequisite for upper level coursework in its subfield.

Courses

POLS 100 - Principles of American Government
Common Area: Social Science
Provides an introductory overview of American government through study of the principal public documents, speeches, and constitutional law cases that define the American political tradition. By tracing the development of U.S. political institutions from the founding to the present, the course examines the ways in which American political ideals have become embodied in institutions as well as the ways in which practice has fallen short of these ideals. Introduces students to contemporary ideological and policy debates, and prepares them for the role of citizen.

POLS 101 - Intro to Political Philosophy
Common Area: Philosophical Studies or Social Science
A concise survey of the history of political philosophy. Intended to introduce students to some of the major alternative philosophic answers that have been given to the fundamental questions of political life, such as the nature of the best political order and the relation of the individual to the community. Authors to be studied include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx and Nietzsche.

POLS 102 - Intro to Comparative Politics
Common Area: Social Science
A comparative analysis of political processes and institutions in Western liberal democracies, Communist and post-Communist states, and developing nations. Focuses on alternative models of economic and political modernization and on the causes of and prospects for the current wave of democratization throughout the world.

POLS 103 - Intro to International Relations
Common Area: Social Science
Introduces students to major theories and concepts in international politics and examines the evolution of the international system during the modern era. Principal topics include: the causes of war and peace, the dynamics of imperialism and post-colonialism, the emergence of global environmental issues, the nature and functioning of international institutions, the legal and ethical obligations of states, and the international sources of wealth and poverty.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 in Psychology earns college credit and counts toward the social science common area requirement. Students with AP credit in psychology are awarded advanced standing in the psychology curriculum and credit toward the psychology major. Students with AP credit in Psychology who choose to enroll in PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology, will forfeit their AP credit and should contact their class dean.

Majors: Students with no Psychology AP credit who are interested in psychology should enroll in PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology, in the fall or spring of their first year. Students with AP credit in psychology are eligible to enroll in selected 200 level courses, as specified on the First Year website.

Advisory Note: To declare a psychology major, students must be enrolled in or have completed PSYC 100 or the equivalent. A minimum grade of a C is required to continue in the major. All students who wish to major in psychology must complete PSYC 200 - Statistics and Psychology 201 - Research Methods by the end of their third year. Consequently, if a student wants to study abroad during their third year, it is imperative that they declare their psychology major early so they can take Psychology 200 and PSYC 201 in their second year.

Courses

PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychology
Common Area: Social Science
An introduction to the principles of psychology emerging from the areas of physiological, sensation and perception, development, learning, cognition, and memory, social, personaLiteraturey, and abnormal. Required for the psychology major.

The study of religion invites you, in an academic context, into a long tradition of theological and historical questions about the nature of humanity in relation to God and to the world, and it engages you in the interreligious and intercultural encounter that is taking place today.

Majors and Minors: Students who are considering a major or minor in religious studies can select any of the courses listed below. Courses at the 100 level are particularly well-suited to first-year students. A course taken in Montserrat carrying a Religious Studies common area designation is usually counted toward the major; it might be counted toward the minor with the approval of the department chair.

Courses

RELS 103 - Race and Religion
Common Area: Studies in Religion
This course explores the intersection of race and religion. Given the ambiguity in their constructions and articulations throughout history, it is a challenging yet ultimately worthwhile endeavor to trace their historical and contemporary contours in cultural, social, political, and economic spheres. Though they are often thought of as separate, this course assumes that race and religion are intimately and intricately intertwined. Thus, we will ask such questions as: What is religion? What is race? How have and do religious traditions coöpt race and racism as effective tools for their structure, organization, and propagation, and vice versa? This interdisciplinary course will ask students to form critical theoretical perspectives on race and religion and to take up the above questions as they arise in the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and American indigenous religious traditions. Spanning 15th c. Europe to modern North America, the course will also explore questions related to gender/sexuality, indigeneity, sovereignty, capitalism, nationalism, and identity.

RELS 107 - Islam
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies or Studies in Religion
Examination of Islamic religious beliefs and practices from the origins of Islam to the present. Particular stress is placed on Islamic religious ideals, institutions and personalities. Central topics include: Islamic scripture and traditions, prophecy, law, rituals, theology and philosophy, sectarianism, mysticism, aesthetic ideals, art and architecture, pedagogy, and modern reinterpretations of the tradition. Also explores wider issues of religious identity by looking at the diversity of the Islamic tradition, tensions between elite and popular culture, and issues of gender and ethnicity.

RELS 108 - Hinduism
Common Area: Cross Cultural or Studies in Religion
An examination of Hinduism and the Hindu tradition from the Vedas to the present day. Among the subject considered: the Upanishads; the Ramayana and Mahabharata; village Hinduism; Gandhi; and contemporary Hindu political thought. Evaluation will include both examinations and essays.

RELS 116 - Catholicism 
Common Area: Studies in Religion
Introduction to the academic study of the beliefs and practices of Roman Catholic Christianity, and of the situation of the church in the contemporary United States. Topics include: approaches to the study of Catholicism; creeds and doctrinal foundations of the Church; structure, authority, and community; spirituality, worship, and the sacramental tradition; Catholic moral and social teaching; current issues and controversies in Catholicism.
 
RELS 120 - Compar Religions/World View
Common Area: Studies in Religion
Systematic exploration of similarities and differences within and among several traditions (Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam) and an examination of several key issues within the academic study of religion.

RELS 143 - Social Ethics
Common Area: Studies in Religion
An introduction to moral reasoning and various modes of Christian ethical reflection on contemporary social issues.

RELS 147 - Judaism
Common Area: Studies in Religion
Introduction to the history, theology, and practices of the Jews which uses the evidence of Judaism to exemplify the interrelationship between a religious civilization and the historical and cultural framework within which it exists. How does what happens to the Jews affect their formulation of their religion, Judaism? By answering this question and by learning the details of Jewish belief and practice, students will come to comprehend both Judaism and the social construction of religion in general.

RELS 170 - The Worlds of C.S. Lewis
Common Area: Studies in Religion
This class treats the works of the Anglican scholar and novelist, Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963). In particular, students will focus on Lewis’s use of the imagination in the articulation of his Christian faith and in his critique of modernity. A careful reading of such major works Mere Christianity, The Chronicles of Narnia, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra and The Abolition of Man will challenge participants to see life through Lewis’s “baptized imagination” and to reevaluate the principles that shape our contemporary world. Class presentations and discussions will allow students to assimilate primary sources and to formulate their own critiques.

RELS 199-F09 - Intro to Political Theology
Common Area: Studies in Religion
This class introduces students to the major themes, authors, and controversies in the field of political theology. The question of how - and to what extent - notions of God, divinity, and Church affect one's view of political life have motivated debates among Christians for more than two thousand years. Some of the main topics of discussion include: the politics of Jesus; liberation and oppression; the Church's relationship to liberalism; and the role of violence. Texts are drawn from a variety of historical periods and different confessional backgrounds.

RELS 207 - Theology of Freedom
Common Area: Studies in Religion

Each language has a questionnaire and/or exam that must be completed before a student can register for a language course.

Learn more on the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures website.

Please complete the Russian questionnaire on STAR to determine the appropriate language level for you. If you have prior language experience, Russian Studies faculty will contact you after you complete the questionnaire. If you have never studied Russian, you should plan to enroll in RUSS 101 after you complete the questionnaire.

Majors and Minors: It is always a good idea to enroll in Russian language courses as early as possible. We reserve seats for students interested in the major or minor.

Courses

RUSS 101 - Elementary Russian I
Common Area: Language Studies
Promotes active communicative skills along with the basics of Russian grammar. By course end, read, write, understand, and speak Russian in a broad range of everyday situations. Various aspects of Russian culture and life are introduced through the medium of language. Five class hours weekly and language lab practice. One and one-quarter units each semester.

RUSS 201 - Intermediate Russian I
Common Area: Language Studies
Designed to activate students' spoken Russian, a wide variety of in-class activities allow students to practice Russian needed for most everyday situations. Textbook and workbook are supplemented with audio and videotapes. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 102 or the equivalent. Five class hours weekly. One and one-quarter units each semester.

RUSS 261 - 20th/21st C Russian Literature
Common Area: Literature
A survey of the major works, authors and movements of the 20th and 21st centuries. We will discuss the function of literature in the Russian society over the last one hundred years, from the modernist pre-revolutionary era to the present. We will focus on novels, short stories and poetry written during the Bolshevik Revolution and Civil War, Stalinism, the era of stagnation, and after the fall of communism. The reading will include such diverse writers as Checkhov, Blok, Zamyatin, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Akhmatova, Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn, Pelevin and others. Conducted in English. One unit.

Sociology is the study of social relationships and institutions in society.  Sociology at Holy Cross provides close faculty-student interaction and mentoring. Students are encouraged to go beyond the classroom by participating in internships, study abroad opportunities, community-based learning, and multidisciplinary concentrations. Students graduate with strong critical thinking and research skills, entering careers such as business, health professions, education, marketing, and non-profit organizations.  Students intending to participate in the health professions advising program are encouraged to take Sociology 101 in their first or second year.

Majors: Students who are considering a major in Sociology should enroll in SOCL 101, Sociological Perspective, during the fall or spring of their first year. SOCL 101 courses are usually limited to first- and second-year students only.

Courses

SOCL 101 - The Sociological Perspective
Common Area: Social Science
A one-semester introduction to the principles of sociological analysis. Through a critical examination of selected topics and themes, this course develops a sociological perspective for the interpretation and understanding of cultural differences, age and sex roles, discrimination, the family and the workplace, bureaucracies, stratification, and the problems of poverty.

Planning to study Spanish at Holy Cross? You must complete the Spanish Background Questionnaire — no matter your experience.

This applies to all students who plan to take a Spanish course, including:

• If you never studied Spanish before  

• If you took Spanish in high school (including AP or IB)  

• If you spent time in a Spanish-speaking country  

• If you grew up speaking Spanish at home or in your community  

If you're taking Spanish at any level, you must complete the questionnaire first.

Based on your responses, you may then be asked to take a Spanish Placement Exam.

If you have taken advanced placement exams (AP or IB), you should wait to take the Spanish Background Questionnaire until you have received your scores (usually by early July).

To access the questionnaire, log in to STAR using your Holy Cross user ID and password.  From the STAR dashboard, choose the Language Placement tile. From the left-hand navigation click Take Spanish Placement. 

Courses

SPAN 101 - Directed Independent Elementary Spanish 1
Common Area: Language Studies
The first course in our Elementary Spanish sequence, SPAN 101 provides an introduction to basic structures and vocabulary of Spanish, with a focus on all language skills as well as cultural content. It is offered in our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum (DISC) program. As such, students complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. Two weekly Practicum sessions and independent work.

SPAN 102 - Directed Independent Elementary Spanish 2
Common Area: Language Studies
The second course in our Elementary Spanish sequence, SPAN 102 continues our introduction to basic structures and vocabulary of Spanish, with a focus on all language skills as well as cultural content. It is offered through our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum (DISC) program. As such, students complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. Two weekly Practicum sessions and independent work.

SPAN 103 - Intensive Elementary Spanish
Common Area: Language Studies
An intensive review of materials covered in our Elementary Spanish sequence, this course is specifically designed for students with high-school experience in Spanish. Five class hours weekly, including two hours of Practicum.

SPAN 108 - Directed Independent Intensive Elementary Spanish
Common Area: Language Studies
Like SPAN 103, this course provides an intensive review of materials covered in our Elementary Spanish sequence, but is offered through our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum (DISC) program. As such, students complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. Two weekly Practicum sessions and independent work.

SPAN 201 - Intermediate Spanish 1
Common Area: Language Studies
The first course in our intermediate Spanish sequence, SPAN 201 is designed for students who have completed SPAN 102 or 103 or 108 or the equivalent. The course focuses on all four skills and expands the students’ general command of Spanish grammar and vocabulary. Students will learn to narrate in the past, present and future, describe people, places and things, give commands, and state opinions. Discussion of short videos as well as cultural and literary readings will help students expand their vocabulary and broaden their understanding of the Spanish-speaking world. Four class hours weekly, including one hour of Practicum.

SPAN 202 - Intermediate Spanish 2
Common Area: Language Studies  
The second course in our two-semester Intermediate Spanish sequence, SPAN 202 is designed for students who have completed SPAN 201 or 215 or the equivalent. The course focuses on oral expression, reading, writing, and listening comprehension through the use of authentic materials. Students will hone their abiLiteraturey to narrate and describe in different tenses and to express their opinions on a variety of topics and contexts, expanding their vocabulary and grammar. Four class hours weekly, including one hour of Practicum.
    
SPAN 216 - Directed Independent Intermediate Spanish 2
Common Area: Language Studies
The second course in our two-semester Intermediate Spanish sequence, SPAN 216 is the equivalent of SPAN 202, but in our Directed Independent Spanish Curriculum program. As such, students complete course requirements by working independently with technology-based materials. One Practicum session weekly and independent work.   
  
SPAN 301 - Spanish Composition & Conversation
Common Area: Language Studies   
A prerequisite to other 300- and 400-level courses in Spanish, this class provides intensive composition and conversation practice through the discussion and analysis of texts, podcasts, and films produced by authors and filmmakers from different national and cultural backgrounds. The goal is to expand the students’ command of Spanish grammar and vocabulary, to develop their communicative and rhetorical skills as well as their fluency and pronunciation, and to reflect critically on the experiences of Spanish-speaking communities across the world. Five hours per week, including two Practicum sessions.
    
SPAN 302 - Composition for Bilingual Speakers
Common Area: Language Studies
A prerequisite to other 300- and 400-level Spanish classes, this course is the equivalent of SPAN 301 for native and heritage students with a high level of oral Spanish proficiency. The class provides intensive reading and writing practice through the discussion and analysis of texts, podcasts, and films produced by authors from different national and cultural backgrounds, including contemporary Latinx and Afro-Latinx writers and filmmakers. Building upon their previous knowledge and experiences, students will broaden their awareness of particular aspects of Spanish-speaking cultures and identities, and practice different writing techniques to suit different purposes. Four hours per week, including one Practicum session.
    
SPAN 305 - Introduction to Textual Analysis
Common Area: Language Studies or Literature
This course invites students to engage critically with narrative, poetry, drama, and film in Spanish. We will read a variety of literary works from Latin America and Spain, reflecting on the political, social, and cultural issues they address. Theoretical readings will provide the necessary tools to dissect and discuss both written and visual texts. How does a text work? What makes it elicit certain reactions in the reader? Why is it appealing (or not!)? Through close readings, students will learn to analyze literary texts and articulate their views with clarity and conviction. Conducted in Spanish.

Majors and Minors in Statistics and Data Science: Students who are considering a major in statistics and data science can begin the major by taking an introductory statistics course (see below), a course in the calculus sequence (see below), or the introduction to computer science course (CSCI 131: Techniques of Programming).  Students who are considering a minor in statistics can begin the minor by taking an introductory statistics course or a course in the calculus sequence. Students who do not have AP credits in these areas are encouraged to take their introductory courses as early as possible. 

Introductory Statistics Courses: Many departments at the College offer an introductory statistics course that is tailored towards their majors.  These courses include: BIOL 275, ECON 249, PSYC 200, SOCL 226, and STAT 220.  While any of these courses can be used to satisfy the introductory statistics requirement for the statistics and data science major, students interested in the major are encouraged to take STAT 220.  Students interested in a minor in statistics should take the introductory statistics course associated with their major, if one exists.  Otherwise, they should take STAT 220. 

The Calculus Sequence: Descriptions of each calculus course and the typical student background for each:

• MATH 133 (Calculus 1 With Fundamentals) is a first course in calculus for students who either did not take precalculus in high school or who had limited exposure to the material in a precalculus course. This course meets four days a week (instead of three), so it is of particular value for those who could benefit from extra time in class to engage with the course material (i.e. students who are particularly concerned about their algebra and pre-calculus preparation).
• MATH 135 (Calculus 1) is a first course in calculus for students who have successfully completed a precalculus course.  No previous calculus experience is required. Some students who took Calculus in high school but do not have AP credit will also take Math 135.
• MATH 199 (Calculus 1 with Modeling), like MATH 135, is also a first course in calculus for students who have successfully completed a precalculus course.  Compared to MATH 135, this course will place greater emphasis on applications of calculus.  It can be used to satisfy the calculus 1 requirement for any major, minor, or program on campus
• MATH 136 (Calculus 2) is a second course in calculus for students who have successfully completed a calculus course in high school, whether or not they have AP credit for Calculus.  Students who have AP credit for the Calculus AB exam earn course credit for MATH 135 and then take MATH 136 at Holy Cross.  Students without AP credit from their high school calculus course can start in MATH 135 and then subsequently take MATH 136, but they are strongly encouraged to start in MATH 136 if they did well in their high school calculus course. 

No special permission is needed to enroll in MATH 135, MATH 199, or MATH 136.  However, students wishing to enroll in MATH 133 should consult with the chair of the mathematics and computer science department, Eric Ruggieri (eruggier@holycross.edu), as admission is by permission only. 

Mathematical Sciences Common Area Requirement: Students seeking to fulfill the mathematical sciences common area requirement who are not required to take calculus for their major should consider CSCI 110, MATH 110 (topics courses that vary each semester), STAT 120, or STAT 130.  These courses fulfill the mathematical sciences common area requirement and are geared towards students who are not science, economics, or mathematics majors.

Advanced Placement in Calculus: Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam, or a subscore of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam, will earn credit for MATH 135 and are advised to take MATH 136. Students will forfeit their credit if they opt to take MATH 133 or 135. Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam will earn credit for MATH 136 and are advised to take MATH 241 (Multivariable Calculus). Students with a 4 or 5 on the BC exam will forfeit their credit if they opt to take MATH 133, 134, 135, or 136.

Advanced Placement in Statistics: Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Statistics exam will earn one unit of credit for ECON 249. Students will forfeit their AP credit if they opt to take any 100- or 200-level statistics course at the College, including STAT 120, STAT 220, BIOL 275, ECON 249, PSYC 200, SOCL 226. Statistics is a part of the health professions curriculum, but many majors at the College offer their own statistics courses that are tailored to their disciplines. Health professions students are advised to wait and take the statistics course in their major, should it offer one. Otherwise, students interested in the health professions are advised to take STAT 220.

Advanced Placement in Computer Science: Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Computer Science A exam will earn one unit of credit for CSCI 131 (Techniques of Programming). Students who have received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Computer Science Principles exam will earn one unit of credit for CSCI 110 (CSCI 110: Survey of Computer Science is a topics course offered to third-and fourth-year students majoring in non-STEM fields). CSCI 110 does not count toward fulfilling the requirements of the statistics and data science major. Students will forfeit their AP credit(s) if they take CSCI 131 or 110. 

All AP credit in mathematics, computer science, and statistics counts toward the Mathematical Sciences common area requirement.  AP credit for Calculus (AB or BC), Statistics, and Computer Science A can be used to satisfy requirements of the statistics and data science major. AP credit for Calculus (AB or BC) and Statistics can be used to satisfy requirements of the statistics minor.

Courses

STAT 220 - Statistics
This course presents statistics intended for students aspiring to the health professions. Topics include sampling strategies and experimental design, numerical and graphical methods of describing data, basic concepts in probability, discrete and continuous probability distributions, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and simple linear regression. Statistics is a part of the health professions curriculum, but some majors at the College offer their own statistics courses that are tailored to their respective disciplines. Students majoring in mathematics, economics, biology, psychology and sociology should take the statistics course within their major. Health profession students are advised to wait and take the statistics course in their major, should it offer one. Otherwise, such students should take STAT 220 sometime after their first year at the College.

Courses

STWL 235 - Topics in African Cinema
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies
A topical examination of contemporary African societies and cultures as expressed through the camera lens. A study of films from across the continent focusing on the dynamics of change, gender, migrations, conflicts, politics, globalization, and marginalization. The course aims to highlight the internal diversity of perspectives and aesthetics in the representation of such issues. The course focuses less on the technical or theoretical considerations of the films and more so on the examination of the themes and issues they raise, internally and globally.  (Films from Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, etc.)

First-year students may select from the courses found below. Students who have a particular interest in theatre are encouraged to enroll in THEA 101 Acting I.

Courses

DANC 111 - Dance 1
Common Area: Arts
This is an introductory course for students with little or no dance experience. The course is a combination of studio and lecture/discussion. Students will learn proper alignment, basic positions, and dance combinations. Readings will cover the history of dance and the political and social changes that influence the creative process in the development of dance. Movement studies will be integrated with readings.

DANC 131 - Balinese Dance 1–2
Common Area: Arts or Cross-Cultural Studies
Balinese Dance is a dance performance class which surveys the rich classical, contemporary, and folk traditions of music, mask, dance, and theatre from Bali, Indonesia. Hinduism plays a significant role in the performing arts of Bali and will be discussed in relationship to performance. Students rehearse and perform with Gamelan Gita Sari, the Holy Cross gamelan orchestra. This course can be taken for two semesters.

DANC 151 - Ballet 1-2
Common Area: Arts
Beginning ballet technique is offered for beginners and those with less than six months of dance experience. The course will emphasize alignment, ballet positions and vocabulary, as well as the mastery of skills such as turning, jumping, and coordination. In addition to technique, the course will introduce dance history and dance appreciation through readings, videos, and class discussion. To offer a richer and more contemporary experience of ballet, students will depart from the ballet idiom and experiment with creating a personal movement vocabulary. This course can be taken for two semesters.

DANC 171 - Hip-Hop / Breaking 1-2
Common Area:  Arts
An introductory breaking technique course for beginners who have no prior dance experience.  Students learn foundational exercises, improvisation and movement combinations.  The course will emphasize the cultural and historical roots of the form along with key artists who have contributed to its evolution.

DANC 181 - Contemporary Dance 1-2
Common Area: Arts
A basic introductory modern dance technique course for beginners or students with less than six months of dance experience. Students learn beginning modern dance exercises and movement combinations. The basic components of modern dance and its place in 20th-century art will be examined. This course can be taken for two semesters.

DANC 191 - Afro-Haitian Dance
Common Area:  Arts
Class will consist of an introduction of movements from the African Diaspora while focusing on traditional Haitian Folkloric dances and rhythms such as Nago, Mayi, Ibo, Banda, Yanvalou and Kongo. Students will gain knowledge on how each movement has their own distinctive character. How history plays a major role and how Modern Dance connects to the traditional dance form. Videos and discussion will help to understand the rich culture and observe how one can express through technique and pure embodied practice.

THEA 101 - Acting I
Common Area: Arts
This course offers, through classroom exercises, improvisations and performance of scenes from plays, an approach to understanding, appreciating, and practicing the art of acting and theatre.

THEA 126 - Asia on Stage
Common Area: Arts or Cross-Cultural Studies
Asia on Stage focuses on the intricate classical performance traditions of theatre, dance, and music of South and Southeast Asia and how contemporary artists have borrowed from these traditions to create new or avant-garde work.  Students develop analytical skill through observation of similarities and differences between counterparts in other Asian nations and the West.

THEA 160 - American Film
Common Area: Arts
This introductory course teaches the student how to read a movie. Films are presented by genre and conventional examples of each genre are paired with movies that play with, undercut, or expand the conventions. The syllabus includes American movies from 1930 to the present. 

THEA 170 - Modern Drama
Common Area: Arts or Literature
Surveys the major aesthetic movements of the last century, employing dramatic texts and theoretical writings to illustrate successive ideas. Movements such as naturalism, symbolism, expressionism, surrealism, and the absurd are examined through a close reading of works by Ibsen, Chekhov, Shaw, Wedekind, Pirandello, Brecht, Beckett, and others.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 in visual art earns college credit and counts toward the arts common area requirement. It also allows advanced standing in the Visual Arts curriculum. AP credit does not count toward the minimum number of courses required for the majors or minors.

Students interested in majoring in Visual Arts History are encouraged to enroll in VAHI 101 Intro to Visual Arts or the History of Global Architecture (either VAHI 111 or VAHI 112) as well as any of our 200 level courses during their first year.

Courses

VAHI 100 - Introduction to Visual Arts
Common Area: Arts
Fundamental, introductory course in art history and visual culture. Emphasis is on the acquisition of basic visual skills and an understanding of the major periods in the history of art. Exposure to works of art through the collections of The Worcester Art Museum is an integral part of the course.

VAHI 111 - History of Global Architecture I
Common Area: Arts
This class is an introduction to the history of the built environment from pre-history to the modern era (1700). We will examine architecture in its historic context around the globe, focusing on the ways that built forms reflect and shape social, religious, and political dynamics. The course will follow a hybrid chronological-thematic framework, using key issues to unite building issues from different cultures and regions at roughly proximate times. Through class discussions, exams, and writing, students will build foundational knowledge about key monuments and analytical approaches in architectural history.

Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 in visual art earns college credit and counts toward the arts common area requirement. It also allows advanced standing in the Visual Arts curriculum. AP credit does not count toward the minimum number of courses required for the majors or minors.

Students interested in majoring in Visual Arts Studio should enroll in VAST 101 Fundamentals of Drawing or VAST 102 3D Fundamentals in their first semester or first year. They may also elect to have their individual portfolio reviewed by Studio Art faculty for placement in intermediate level courses.

Courses

VAST 101 - Fundamentals of Drawing
Common Area: Arts
An exciting introduction to studio art through an exploration of drawing media. Class critiques and discussions, insure the beginning student of a solid introduction to the creative process. Students work with charcoal, ink, graphite, watercolor pencils and other drawing materials. The course includes intensive sketchbook work as well as larger drawings based on observation. In addition, students acquire skill in  figure drawing by working from the model. Taught by the studio staff and a prerequisite for many intermediate courses.

VAST 102 - 3-Dimensional Fundamentals
Common Area: Arts
For students who are interested in an introduction to the physical world of sculptural art. Students explore the basic tools, processes and approaches to 3-Dimensional art through wood, clay wire, cloth and found objects.

VAST 105 - Digital Art Studio
Common Area: Arts
A hands-on introduction to digital art making processes on Macintosh computers. Generate and manipulate images and files within an artistic context. Think creatively, work digitally and examine the potential of digital art making as a new form of art. In addition to class projects and critiques in the media lab, students discuss contemporary artists who use the computer in their work.

VAST 130 - Photography 1
Common Area: Arts
This course is an introduction to digital photography, with a particular emphasis on understanding images made through camera-based techniques. Students will learn the rudimentary aspects of the medium through regular assignments culminating in a final portfolio project. Topics include proper camera use (camera settings), exposure, editing, printing, and presentation. Class time will be devoted to lab demonstrations as well as critical discussions of student work. Also, through lectures and discussion, students will become familiar with aesthetic trends and notable practitioners, both historical and contemporary.