The diversity of the student body at Holy Cross College is reflected in our broad offering of academic programs and unique enrollment pathways. Although our students are on many different academic journeys, all receive a timeless liberal arts education rooted in the Holy Cross tradition of educating the mind and heart. Our mission is to bring you to the deepest level of understanding of yourself and the world around you. Which academic path will you travel to get there?
Traditional Degree
Accelerated Degree
Driscoll Scholars Program
Gateway Program
Transfer Preparation
Dual Degree and Graduate Programs
Traditional Degree
Most students at Holy Cross College are enrolled in a traditional, four-year degree program with one or more majors supplemented by one or more minors culminating in the conferment of a bachelor’s degree. The flexibility of our curriculum allows for a student to explore many interests to gain a broad foundation to begin a successful career or continue to graduate studies. All students, regardless of major, complete the core curriculum, which is rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and is designed with a distinct goal: to form each student into a scholar, citizen, leader, and disciple prepared to make a difference in our global community.
We strive to provide both a rigorous and personal classroom experience. The average class size is only 14 students, and there will be no class with more than 35 students in it. Lectures halls with hundreds of students? You won’t find them at Holy Cross College.
The core curriculum includes several courses that are experience-based. The Common Good Practicum and Seminar will immerse you in the local community to study and help solve real issues facing our neighbors. The Global Perspectives Seminar will widen your world view and take you to places like Peru, Uganda, and India. You’ll also complete a Professional Internship, gaining invaluable experience.
Majors and Minors
Although applicants are asked to indicate an intended major on the application, students at Holy Cross College have until the end of the first year to declare a major—or two! After the first year, you will be assigned an academic advisor specific to your major who will help guide you through the curriculum as well as serve as a mentor. These are the majors and minors currently offered:
| Majors | Minors |
| Biology | Biology |
| Business | Business |
| Elementary Education | Communication |
| English | Elementary Education |
| English with Communication track | English |
| History | Global Perspectives |
| Liberal Studies | History |
| Liberal Studies with Pre-Law track | Liberal Studies |
| Psychology | Marketing |
| Psychology with Clinical track | Philosophy |
| Theology | Political Studies |
| Visual Arts with Graphic Design track | Psychology |
| Visual Arts with Studio Art track | Spanish |
| Sports Management | |
| Theology | |
| Visual Arts |
Of students who entered Holy Cross College as First Year students and continued to graduate in 2018, 92% graduated in four years or fewer. 13% of the 2018 graduates completed their degrees early by graduating in seven or fewer semesters. Your success is our priority.
Tri-Campus Courses and N.I.C.E
Full-time students who have earned at least 30 credits and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA can enroll in one course each semester at the University of Notre Dame, our tri-campus partner, as space allows and if prerequisites have been met. This opportunity is provided with no additional tuition charge, and First Year students who enroll with pre-matriculation credit (AP exams, dual enrollment, etc.) may qualify to participate as early as the second semester.
The Northern Indiana Consortium for Education (N.I.C.E.) consists of Bethel College, Goshen College, Indiana University at South Bend, Ivy Tech Community College, Purdue Polytech–South Bend, and Saint Mary’s College, our tri-campus partner. With approval and on a space-available basis, Holy Cross students may enroll in courses offered by other N.I.C.E. institutions that are not offered at Holy Cross College at no additional tuition charge.
69% of First Year students who are not enrolled in one-year transfer matriculation agreements return their second year.
Study Abroad
Some of the most transformative experiences happen in places we’ve never imagined ourselves. This is why Holy Cross College offers study abroad programs. Our partnership with four of Europe’s leading Catholic universities offers you the chance to gain a clearer sense of self while absorbing the world through full cultural immersion. You may be studying in Europe, but Holy Cross College is with you every step of the way, promising new perspectives and independence while making lasting connections with friends and mentors. Your tuition, meals and accommodations during your journey remain as they would here at home, so you’ll be ready to focus on what matters most: the discovery of your place in the world. Holy Cross College has articulation agreements with the following institutions:
- John Cabot University, Rome, Italy
- National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Ireland
- The John Paull II Project, Krakow, Poland
- Saint Mary’s University, Twickenham, England
Accelerated Degree
Holy Cross College offers accelerated programs in select majors. Among other benefits, the accelerated program offers significant savings of both cost and time; three-year students are ready to enter a career or graduate studies earlier with significantly less tuition commitment. The three-year curriculum is rigorous and ideal for a student who enters Holy Cross prepared to declare an accelerated major and take upper-level courses. First Year applicants can indicate an interest in an accelerated degree on the application
Three-year degrees are currently offered in business, English, liberal studies, psychology, and theology.
Driscoll Scholars Program
Holy Cross College and the University of Notre Dame have partnered to create a program that allows students the opportunity to earn an undergraduate degree in a STEM major from Notre Dame after completing a 2+3 or 2+2 curriculum. Students selected for this program will complete two years of study at Holy Cross College as Driscoll Scholars, and if minimum requirements are fulfilled, will transfer to Notre Dame to complete remaining coursework. This is a highly-selected, transfer-preparation program. Click here to learn more about the Driscoll Scholars Program and the selection process.
Gateway Program
Holy Cross College and the University of Notre Dame have partnered to create a program that allows students the opportunity to enroll at Holy Cross College with a direct path to an undergraduate degree from Notre Dame. Students selected for the Gateway Program complete one year of studies at Holy Cross College, and if minimum requirements are fulfilled, transfer to Notre Dame to complete remaining degree requirements. This is a highly-selected, transfer-preparation program. Click here to learn more about the Gateway Program and the selection process.
Transfer Preparation
We are committed to assisting students build personalized curriculum plans to meet individual goals. Some students complete a one- or two-year honors curriculum with the intention of transferring to larger colleges or universities.
It’s no secret that the many of our transfer-preparation students are interested in applying to the University of Notre Dame. Before we were a four-year institution, Notre Dame was a natural “next destination” for Holy Cross two-year graduates. You could say preparing students to transfer to Notre Dame is in our DNA. (Have you seen Rudy?)
If transferring to Notre Dame is your goal, we will do our best in helping you prepare a strong application. Namely, we will enroll you in the most rigorous courses for which you are eligible because your Holy Cross curriculum and GPA are major evaluation factors in the transfer application process. (You should pay special attention to the required courses for your intended area of study during course registration at Holy Cross.) Additionally, we recommend becoming engaged community members at Holy Cross from day one. Competitive applicants for transfer admission have displayed leadership in our classrooms, in student clubs, in our residence halls, and on our athletic teams. One of the benefits of enrolling at Holy Cross is the opportunity to become involved at Notre Dame, too, and even enroll in a course at Notre Dame.
Transfer admission to Notre Dame is a very competitive process. Each fall, Notre Dame enrolls approximately 75 transfer students from a pool of nearly 800 applications. Among those who successfully earn transfer admission to Notre Dame, an average of eight to ten come from Holy Cross each year. We’re proud of this admission rate as it reflects the historical and trusted relationship between our two institutions. The average GPA of a Holy Cross student admitted as a transfer student is approximately 3.80. The median SAT test score is 1330. Typically, transfer students are entering the College of Arts and Letters to pursue a liberal arts degree.
Dual Degree and Graduate Programs
Holy Cross College, in collaboration with its tri-campus partners, has identified graduate programs in which Holy Cross students may receive preferred admission upon meeting minimum academic requirements and other criteria as set forth in the institutional agreements.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame agrees to offer admission to a select number of students into its Master of Science in Management (MSM) Program within the Mendoza College of Business. To qualify, Holy Cross students must:
- Be a non-business major
- Have an overall GPA of 3.40 or better
- Have an average GPA of 3.40 or better in all MSM program prerequisites
- Have a GMAT score of 620 or better
- Receive a written recommendation by Holy Cross Dean or Provost
Saint Mary’s College
Saint Mary’s College agrees to accept applications for admission into its Master of Autism Studies and Master of Science in Data Science Programs. Holy Cross College students will apply during the junior year and begin taking graduate-level courses during the senior year. These programs, open to both men and women, are 4+1 dual degree programs, which means Holy Cross College students would complete a bachelors and graduate degree in five years.