Engaged Students

Hofstra offers a world of opportunity to students. The diverse and bright student body of about 12,000 comes from 46 U.S. states and territories and 68 countries. In every collegiate endeavor, whether academic, social, or pre-professional, students are challenged and encouraged to debate, question, research, discuss, and think critically. At Hofstra University, students can choose from about 140 undergraduate program options in liberal arts and sciences, business, engineering, communication, education, law, health and human services, and honors studies. Hofstra also offers more than 100 dual degree programs, giving students the opportunity to earn both a graduate and undergraduate degree in less time than if each degree was pursued separately.

Students discover their paths in one of the University’s main divisions:

• Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers a wide range of majors from religion, literature, and foreign languages to the hard and soft sciences and performing arts, as well as pre-professional programs in law and medicine.

• The Frank G. Zarb School of Business prepares students for careers in such areas as accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, information technology and marketing. Plus, it is one of a few business schools in the nation with programs in both business and accounting that are accredited by AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

• The School of Education, Health and Human Services places a high priority on the liberal arts education of undergraduate students and the preparation of professionals. It prepares students in education, health, counseling and therapeutic services. It is fully accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC).

• The School of Communication offers programs in radio, television and film; speech communication, rhetoric and performance studies; and journalism, media studies and public relations.

• Hofstra University Honors College offers an innovative curriculum that is centered in the liberal arts and compatible with all majors, and is for high-achieving students.

Great Teaching

Hofstra’s outstanding students are taught by faculty that include Guggenheim and Fulbright scholars, Emmy Award-winners, prize-winning scientists, and leaders in business, education and the health sciences. In fact 93 percent of the full-time faculty hold the highest degree in their fields. Most importantly, all classes are taught by faculty – not graduate students. This facilitates the optimal potential for a comprehensive and individualized learning experience. 

Located on 240 acres, Hofstra University’s 115 buildings include state-of-the-art teaching facilities, six theaters, a museum, newly renovated Fitness Center, and libraries containing 1.2 million print volumes and providing 24/7 electronic access to more than 95,000 journals and electronic books.

C.V. Starr Hall, home to the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, features the Martin B. Greenberg Trading Room, one of the most advanced academic trading rooms in the nation, with 34 Bloomberg Professional terminals and Internet access at every student seat. The School of Communication’s Dempster Hall contains one of the largest noncommercial broadcast facilities in the Northeast, as well as a dynamic converged newsroom and multimedia classroom. Hagedorn Hall, where the School of Education, Health and Human Services is located, provides a technology-rich learning environment, complete with interactive whiteboards, computer-driven instructor stations and wireless communication. The David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, a modern 93,000-square-foot facility is home to the Hofstra Pride men’s and women’s basketball teams and wrestling. It is also the site for commencements, exhibitions, trade shows, concerts and other special events. And, with 20 dining establishments and 37 residence halls, students view Hofstra as their “home away from home.”

Vibrant Community

There’s always something going on at Hofstra. Celebrating 75 years of academic excellence, Hofstra University hosts more than 500 cultural events each year, drawing together scholars, business leaders, authors, celebrities, health care professionals, politicians, and journalists from around the world. Hofstra’s cultural events foster a connection between in-classroom work and extracurricular interests, and facilitate personal, academic and professional growth among the University’s top-notch student body. The Hofstra University Museum, which is accredited by the American Association of Museums, coordinates about eight exhibitions annually, and also offers an extensive collection of outdoor sculpture, with 75 pieces. Plus, the entire Hofstra campus is an arboretum and a member of the American Public Gardens Association, which provides an attractive and peaceful outdoor environment for the Hofstra community. Hofstra University also coordinates three beloved outdoor festivals: the Dutch Festival (commemorating the University’s strong Dutch heritage), Irish Experience Festival (featuring top-named Irish bands and step-dancing troupes as well as refreshments and arts-and-crafts), and the Italian Experience Festival (celebrating Italy’s gifts of culture, education and commerce to America). 

The Hofstra community has a wealth of theatrical productions to choose from each year. Drawing talent from the Hofstra community and beyond, Hofstra Entertainment (the University’s resident production company) stages a variety of theatrical productions, including an occasional world premiere! Annual concerts staged by the Department of Drama and Dance include both original choreography and beloved classics, and feature the work of students, faculty and guest artists. Hofstra is also home to one of the University’s best-known traditions: the annual Shakespeare Festival. Continuing a tradition begun more than 50 years ago, Hofstra hosts the festival each year that features plays by the Barb and music performances.

Hofstra University also offers 17 intercollegiate athletic programs that compete at the NCAA Division I level, comprising eight men’s sports (baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and wrestling) and nine women’s sports (basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball). Moreover, the University is home to more than 170 academic, media, multicultural, performance, pre-professional, religious, social, political and sports clubs and organizations; and 23 active fraternity and sorority chapters.

Successful Outcomes

At Hofstra, students are given the tools and resources needed to succeed in their future endeavors. Annual surveys of Hofstra alumni consistently show that a large percentage of graduates entering the workforce are employed within six months of receiving their diplomas. Many of the more than 119,000 Hofstra graduates have gone on to make their mark in all fields of endeavor. Outstanding Hofstra alumni include Academy Award-winning film director Francis Ford Coppola, best-selling author Nelson DeMille, former U.S. Senator Norman Coleman, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge The Honorable Maryanne Trump Barry, and actress Lainie Kazan, to name just a few.

Hofstra’s suburban campus is just 25 miles from New York City, a metropolis that beckons with a world of cultural and internship opportunities of which Hofstra students have easy access to and benefit from. Plus, students have the benefit of networking, interning and learning with top achievers: both Hofstra’s award-winning faculty and noted alumni. The Career Center at Hofstra University strives to assist students and recent graduates find career opportunities by serving as a facilitator for them to make connections beyond their Hofstra experience.

Besides individual career counseling and planning from the first year through graduation, the Hofstra Career Center also teaches job search strategies; helps students develop resumes, cover letters and thank-you letters to prospective employers; offers portfolio critiques; and conducts videotaped mock interviews. In addition, more than 500 leading regional, national and global companies recruit on campus year after year. They, too, believe in the strength and promise of Hofstra’s high-caliber graduates.