Hofstra University Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Griffin

Depends on the major, but for arts, they're awful.

yixuan

My major is Accounting and International bussiness. My favorite classes are ECO001 and 002, in these classes, I learned a lot about the market and how the sociality market work during our life. My classmates are really very smart, so they can teach me when I got a problem.

Gillie

The Academic aspect of our school really varies in quality with each teacher, as I think it does at all Universities. Most of my classes are small, allowing the teacher to know everyone and for the class as a whole to bond. I have one class that is slightly larger (around 30 people) in which the professor doesn't really know anyone and not too many people actually talk to each other. I'm in the honors college at Hofstra, meaning as a Freshman I take two specifically honors classes which are taught mostly by deans and other higher up professors who introduce you to many classic works which is definitely useful. My honors classes do tend to be a little more involved and insightful than my regular questions, but that doesn't mean that every class doesn't have many insightful people in them. Also, I'm a journalism major which is a fairly large department on campus. While I haven't started any of my actual journalism classes yet (as those typically are taken sophomore year on), the department has already been great to be involved with. With the Hofstra Chronicle and the Ed2010 club, it's easy to get involved with other people interested in your career on campus. Also, the journalism department is very encouraging of its students to get internships and is very helpful in doing so. The academic requirements, especially for people on scholarship are higher, but nothing that can't be accomplished with a fair effort. Hofstra definitely wants its students to get a well-rounded education, but it's also very, very career oriented, trying to make sure every student will have a job after graduation. Though there are definitely some professors that are generally lesser-liked by the student population, there are also many caring and passionate adults who are willing to help you succeed if you put in the work to do so.

Meaghan

Love the academics here. All of my professors know my first and last name. They are all great and really want you to do well here. I enjoy all of my classes because I actually took the time to research the professors and the course to make sure I would like it. Some are a lot of work, but it's college. If you think you're going to get by without pulling at least one all nighter you're wrong. Students here study all of the time, especially the week before and during finals week, the library and hammer are packed. Depending on the class, participation can play a major role in your grade but the professor will make this known. Like in my History of the Holocaust class. It's discussion based so obviously participation is a huge part. I'm a journalism major and love it. The courses are great and everyone in the department is awesome, then again it is one of the better programs here. You'll get the education you work for. If you spend time and speak with professors outside of the classroom then you're going to get so much more of out it. Whether you want the education for your own sake or for getting a job is up to you, regardless if you put the effort in you will be successful.

Tabatha

Professors know my name! Classes are never too big unless it's one of those general classes, like chemistry. But even so professors still remember you. My favorite class so far was Ethics. I only took it to fulfill a requirement but I loved it and am now minoring in philosophy! My least favorite class has been writing. There is a 2 semester writing course requirement here which sucks but as soon as you finish your freshmen year you do not have to take anymore writing classes if you pass the proficiency exam. Students are always studying, either in the library or the computer lab which is open 24/7. Class participation is common in every class I am in. I often over hear students having intellectual conversation outside of class! Students here are pretty competitive, especially the ones in my classes, since I am taking pre-med requisites. It really depends on your major as well. This school is a huge business school so there is definitely competition there. The most unique class I have taken is Sikh Mysticism. It is very interesting and not really studied in many schools. My new major is health science (I used to be biology, but switched because I wasn't too happy with all the work). The health science department is great. They are relatively new so they are doing many things to make their department bigger. It is becoming more popular here. I love the major because the classes I'm taking is relevant to what I want to do in the future. I do spend time with professors outside of class, during office hours if I need it. They usually all have open schedules. Some of the school's academic requirements make me mad because I do not want to do them, but I understand that it is for students to get a well rounded academic background. I believe that the education in this school is geared toward learning for it's own sake. There are many different classes you could take that vary in many topics and there are many majors and minors! The professors are interested in what they teach and it is a school that cares about it's students. :)

Jared

Professors always know your name whether you speak up or not they make it their business to get to know you. Students vary from studying constantly to an hour before a midterm. It depends on the class and student. Some Hofstra students have very intellectual conversations. Overall the student body is not very informed of politics and world issues. My school. The school of communications still has issues with the structure of curriculum. It is not updated for today's Internet environment or job prospects overall. I feel the education requirements should be more IT based because that's where the jobs are. Some majors are learning sake based. Many are job oriented.

Tristan

I'm in the Communications department (Broadcast Journalism major) and I'm absolutely obsessed with it. Hofstra has WRHU, an incredibly successful and student-run radio station, as well as Studio A, which is the largest sound studio on Long Island. The classes range from relatively easy to very challenging, but every single one of them has helped me in some way. Professors are generally great and working in the field, so they know what they're talking about. And they ALL want us to have jobs when we come out of Hofstra; most of them invite us to their office hours to help with our resumes, audition tapes, etc. The Career Center does that too, and is especially helpful for those in business or finance (like my boyfriend), who are looking for internships and jobs. Hofstra is a great resource for that stuff.

Sheryl

Professors on the whole are great. My favorite class was a bore for many but I made it interesting and the other students loved the professor, just not economics. Students are competitive but will help each other. The requirements are fair and are not too hard to satisfy.

Keith

I feel that some of the requirements are absolutely crazy.

Mike

Academics are really good at Hofstra. Class sizes are small, the biggest class I have been in was 30 students and the smallest was 15. Professors do get to know you and they do care about you doing well. The TV department's professors are great. They love to hear what you have to think and will give you good criticism. We have bbqs with the professors and it is fun to hear stories from when they were working in the industry. The TV program is very geared towards getting a job later on. Every class I take is meant as if it is a job and not a class.

Joe

I am a Fine Arts major. The professors within the Fine Arts department are really awesome. My focus is Ceramics, and the full time Ceramics professor is extremely talented and has work in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA (I think...). It's really inspirational to have such a talented professor. He makes classes very hands on and makes sure that we are using art as a form of expression. The Fine Arts department is fairly small, and so the students in the department are a close-knit group of people. We also have friends in other departments which can be very diversifying. I think that Hofstra's academic requirements are a less than they should be. I feel like some classes could include a lot more information/projects, but teachers are too relaxed about giving students extra time to work, when the students could get the work done if they just spent the entire class working. I think that the Fine Arts studio classes should be worth more than 3 credits because of the amount of time that the class is scheduled for. The in class time per week for a studio course is 4 hours, yet we only get 3 credits. I think this is an injustice, and thus lowers our quality of work.

Nora

i like how we have small classes in one of my journalism classes there are 10 students in the class and that makes me feel more hands on and i like that the teacher knows my name because that makes me work much harder

Michael

Well i think the only professor that knows me is my english teacher considering that i have had him for two semesters straight and its a very close nit class where he gets us involved. Class participation is very common on this campus and encouraged to help all students. I believe that when on campus conversations among the students are intellectual and relevant to the class most of the time. the most unique class i have taken i believe was philosophy intro class i reccomend it to everyone. I believe hofstra's requirements are actually pretty good, and also will provide the student with well-rounded knowledge of any field of interest. I believe it is a little bit of both that hofstra's academic classes are geared to help you learn but when in your major and line of interest then it starts to move to where you are looking at something related to the job that you are interested in.

Emma

classes are good except for chem. tutors aren't helpful

Kayla

The majority of my professors know me by name. My favorite classes are my psychology classes and Philosopohy, Religion, and Public Life. Class participation is usually decent. Some students have intellectual conversations outside of class. The psychology department is amazing, but do not ask them for help outside of their department, because they are usually not very helpful. The education here is definitely geared toward intellectual growth AND getting a job.

Sharon

My favorite class is scuba class. Most people don't know that we have this class, but I think it's awesome that you can get credit for hanging out at the bottom of a pool for an hour. We do have tests, but they are a lot easier than regular academic classes.

Tammy

The classes here are nicely sized, around 20 students a class. The teachers are all also very fantastic. They are very helpful in and outside of class. They always keep to their open hours and have your best interest at heart. Classes aren't an easy breeze, but teachers do everything they can to help you. Being a chemistry major, im in the chemistry/physics building a lot and i've really gotten to know the teachers well. They're a lot of fun to talk to outside of class. There are also some teachers, that i've encountered, that just intimidate the heck out of me because they are simply brilliant. Students here are competitive, but not to a dangerous degree. They would never try to make you do worse in order to do better. Everyone here is always helping others with what they dont understand.

Christine

My normal class sizes aren't any bigger than about 25 people, so you get the attention you need while being able to blend into the background on a bad day. There are alot of political conversations on campus, although most students don't seem very educated about the debates they get into. I've never spent time with a professor outside of class, but it wouldn't be out of the question. My most unique class has been my most recent major class, where I was able to direct my own productions after only a few weeks, and as a freshman, you're unlikely to find that possibility in other schools.

John

I really enjoy my class. My teacher is very involved and once you engage her in class, she returns the favor. Also, I find some of the students in my class complementarity to my education. I wish the class had more papers due.

Lindsey

The political science department is excellent. I have kept good relations outside and beyond the semester with most of my professors (also in other departments). Most of the professors I have had in all departments are, in my opinion, extremely knowledgeable in their area of expertise. No academic complaints.

Lorie

The classes here are great sizes, its small enough that you get to know your professor and obtain personal help if you need it. They are genuinely interested in you doing well in the class. Office hours are always posted and kept. Professors (especially mentors at Honors College) always plan field trips and events outside of class that are fun and educational at the same time.

Brianna

Chemistry. The chem dept is very exclusive, and once you declare, they are very helpful and protective over you. It's a small department, and only a few kids graduate from it every year. The professors will help you wherever they can, they know your name, your personality, they joke with you and will go out of their way for you if you need them. The kids in the department, with the exception of a few, generally think about helping each other through the tough classes rather than getting better grades than the next person. We all look out for eachother, whether we're friends or just classmates.

Matthew

I have cool professors. My favority class is Information Technology because the prof. is funny. My least favorite class is speech communications. Students are not generally competitive but I'm not in the law school.

Samantha

Every professor knows my name. They are all always at their office during their posted office hours, which every professor is required to have. They are always willing to help and always go the extra mile. There isn't so much work so that it takes up all of your time but it's enough so that you are fully knowledgeable in the subject area. You truly get out of it what you put in, plus more.

Bevan

I am very close with my professors. They are very smart. I have had many intellectual conversations outside of class, but I wish I had more.

Mary

The professors here are really easy to get ahold of and are really easy to talk to about questions or if you are having trouble.

Jessica

My favorite class would be C&E, because we get to read classic literature and relate the ideas to some of the common debates of today.

linda

if u get to know your profs they get to know you too, they're really helpful and really want to see you do well

Ryan

Most of my professor are terrific. I have only had one or two encounters where I have run into some disagreements with professors. Normally they know my name and they get to know the students. They are very understanding and wise about college life. Most of them are very helpful with helping outside of class and they are understanding when it comes to knowing that college students have lives outside of the classroom.

Ash

My favorite class this semester is Intro to Electronic Music because the professor personally knows many of the composers and inventors we discuss since he helped invent the synthesizer. It's really cool to learn about a topic from someone that invested his life into it and really knows what he is talking about.

Rory

classes vary. some are great, some are lousy, just like at any other school. i find honors classes most stimulating because of the attiudes and work ethics of the students taking them.

Torry

Hopfstra has some really great programs, among them business, communications (film, broadcasting, journalism, etc), and political science. I hear we also have a good Education program for teachers-to-be. You really do get a liberal arts education, which is useful because it gives you skills like critical thinking and analytical reasoning. I would also say your writing develops a bit too. Honors College is especially great--the staff and professors are exceptional. Some honors classes are really tough, while others are just really really interesting. You will be doing some more writing if you're in the Honors College though, but it certainly won't kill you.

kelly

academics are nice, although some classes are unforunate because they are "distribution" classes, which means everyone has to take them, whether they are intersted or not, which takes away from the quality of the learning.

John

Really good.

Keith

The class sizes are generally really small when compared to other universities. Even the few "lectures" I have are still smaller than other people I know at other schools. The school offers a large variety of majors; that gives a lot of freedom for each student to discover what they want to do.

barbara

the poitical science department is pretty good- the faculty that i've interacted with are all terribly smart, accessible and encouraging. honors college has some tough academic requirements (i'm thinking of Culture & Expression) but i'm glad i've gone through it.

Ben

the profs are really intelligent, and they're friendly too. some of them are intimidating but only because they're brillant

Brian

There is definitely a mix of professors. Some are very knowledgeble but are good at teaching but I've plenty of very good teachers too. Many of the general requirement classes are kind of boring but I've heard that as you get further into a specific major it's better.

Joanne

profs are cool, they are great at helping out

Bob

Professors are wonderful. They know names and are available for help. I don't really have a favorite class; I enjoy all of them about equally. Class is class, but it is bearable. I am looking forward to taking classes in my major. I don't know much about it or the department yet, so I'm excited for that to happen. I think that it depends on what kind of students you spend your time with as to whether or not intellectual conversations occur. I would not say that students are extremely competitive. I feel like the education is geared equally toward getting a job and learning; getting a job coming later in the four-year experience. I feel the academic requirements are very managable, and am happy that we are now able to register for 18 credits.

Lindsey

See above.

Kelly

The thing I hated about high school was that I didn't feel like I was learning towards anything. My classes here make me feel like I'm learning to be a better person IN MY CAREER when I leave. I've had some awesomely small classes and the professors always manage to learn your name within a week or two. They're also required to have office hours so you can go and get a paper looked at, just chat about class topics, or eventually solicit recommendations. Being a liberal arts school there's a solid amount of core education, but with soooooooo many options for classes it's never boring. I HATE science, so for a science requirement I took Biology in Society, which related to current social and medical events. A million times more relative to what I was really interested in.

Nicole

I really enjoy the small class size and the numerous opportunities for internships.

Jill

Most professors know their students by name, which is nice. Students I know have intellectual discussions outside of class, but most of my friends are in Honors College, like me.

Chris

I have had some brilliant professors, and some i wonder why they were heading the class and not a baboon. The academic environment is not very competitive. I am a b.s. music merchandising major, and was accepted into the program without a formal audition. Furthermore, i feel the academic curriculum to be very weak and unorganized. Most conversations i overhear are of weekend endeavors to bars.

Gabe

Class sizes are freakin sweet. It feels like high school still. All my teachers know who I am, and I'm pretty comfortable with them. The curriculum is difficult, but not unreasonable (in most cases). What I learn in class definitely percolates into everyday life. I do have discussions with other students outside of class. I'm pretty satisfied so far with the academics.

joanne

people don't participate much in class, especially early ones. that's why i like honors seminars, because students actually want to be in class (most of the time) and are trying to have educated conversations

Melissa

My favorite classes are painting classes. Most teachers know our names. Honors classes are stimulating and competative, outside the honors community you have to work to find your niche. the political science department is great- really interesting personalities, very supportive and welcoming, if you put yourself out there to get to know them.

Dawson

the class sizes are really nice, they're not huge and not too small at the same time. profs are also really good with responding to emails and being present during office hours. the career center here is also really helpful in resume writing, internship and job obtaining.

Tina

The Dance Department is really amazing at Hofstra University. It's got about 80 students so that's pretty large. Since it has so many students it can afford to bring in really big name artists and teachers. This also creates a great sense of community and a really creative environment.