Academics

The Science Academy is the signature program at Holy Cross High School located in Waterbury, Connecticut. The program harnesses the school’s built-in strengths to provide a well-rounded, broad educational experience in the finest liberal arts tradition.

The program's curriculum is built around the big-four natural sciences—Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Science—and their logical integrations with mathematics and technology. Students progress through the main coursework in that order and are highly encouraged to take them at the most advanced levels. They finish their Catholic high school experience at the intersection of faith and science when the Theology Department offers coursework on those topics as well as ethics from the Catholic perspective.

The Capstone is the culminating project of the program, challenging the graduating Senior to independently research and write a thorough literature review that s/he must orally defend in the style of the honors programs found at the finest liberal arts institutions. Review manuscripts are peer-reviewed by a panel of five faculty members (one from the Theology Department, one from the Social Studies or Humanities Departments, the program director, and two others from the Science Department). Accepted manuscripts are, usually after suggested revisions, submitted for publication by Spes Unica: The Journal of Holy Cross wherein the editing and typesetting are done by the rising seniors as part of their course on Scientific Communication.

Students graduate primus inter pares.