Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
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Office: Second Floor, Heger Hall
Website
Phone: 516-463-5412
Benjamin Rifkin, Dean
Steven Costenoble, Senior Associate Dean for Budget and Planning
S. Stavros Valenti, Senior Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs
Jean Dobie Giebel, Associate Dean for Curriculum and Personnel
Kristin Weingartner, Associate Dean for First-Year Programs
Meena Bose, Executive Dean for the Program in Public Policy and Public Service, Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs
Graduate education in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reflects the college’s commitment to advanced scholarship and professional training that is responsive to the diversity of human experience and constantly expanding boundaries of human knowledge.
Mission Statement
Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the genesis of knowledge and creative works in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, and to the transmission, preservation, analysis and evaluation of knowledge and creative works within the Hofstra University academic community and across larger regional and global communities. The following principles guide the mission of HCLAS:
- The liberal arts are the foundation for all higher education. The main objective of a liberal arts education is to enable students, working with faculty and with one another in an atmosphere of freedom and tolerance, to gain an understanding of how people have attempted throughout history to render the breadth of human experience intelligible. To that end, students explore the various ways in which the human mind has engaged, and continues to engage, its physical and social environment through art, literature, philosophical and historical inquiry, scientific and mathematical reasoning, and social scientific analysis. A liberal arts education develops critical thinking skills and the ability to access and analyze information and ideas in a technologically sophisticated world. Students also master the oral and written communication skills required for active ethical participation in a society characterized by increasing interdependence and diversity. Thus, HCLAS graduates emerge as life-long learners who are intellectually ambitious and adaptable to change. HCLAS is further committed to broadly cultivating the moral judgment, aesthetic sensibilities, and emotional maturity of students to prepare them for lives of social responsibility as members of their local, national and global communities.
- HCLAS faculty are members of two academic communities, one internal to Hofstra University, the other composed of the web of scholars and professionals external to Hofstra University. As members of the former, HCLAS faculty are committed to contributing to the academic environment of Hofstra University through excellence in teaching, mentoring and interdisciplinary engagement. As members of the latter, HCLAS faculty are committed to the production and dissemination of knowledge and creative works beyond the Hofstra campus.
- Within the context of its liberal arts mission, HCLAS is committed to the development and support of selected preprofessional programs, both graduate and undergraduate, that further the career aspirations of students and that meet the needs of society. The purpose of anchoring pre-professional programs to the liberal arts is to awaken and develop the students’ intellectual powers before they enter upon their chosen careers, ensuring that each student brings to his or her profession the greatest possible assets of intelligence, resourcefulness, judgment, and character.
- HCLAS recognizes that academic excellence is nurtured in a community of scholars united in the common goal of mutual enlightenment. To that end, HCLAS is committed to attracting, supporting, and retaining a diverse community of talented students and distinguished faculty.
Graduate Degrees
Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences provides master’s and doctoral degree programs in a range of disciplines that afford students the opportunity for professional growth and advanced study. The College offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, Doctor of Psychology, and Doctor of Philosophy. Master’s degree programs in several disciplines span the arts and sciences and prepare students for advanced studies in professions, such as biology, research, creative writing, forensic linguistics, organizational training and development, human resource management, and medical physics.
HCLAS offers three doctoral degrees in the Department of Psychology . The PhD Program in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association and prepares professional psychologists for work in mental health centers, hospitals, public schools, special educational facilities, university-based academic departments, and independent private practice. The PsyD Program in School-Community Psychology , also accredited by the American Psychological Association, prepares psychologists for service to schools and community health services. The PhD in Applied Organizational Psychology trains graduates to apply basic scientific knowledge and methodology to the solution of human problems in organizations.
Organization of HCLAS
HCLAS is made up of the School of Education of HCLAS , School of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts of HCLAS ; School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of HCLAS ; and the Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs of HCLAS . In addition, Military Science is under the supervision of HCLAS.
School of Education of HCLAS
In the School of Education of HCLAS , Hofstra University’s School of Education is dedicated to preparing outstanding professionals to serve in 21st century schools, community centers and universities. As the educational landscape has changed over the decades, the School of Education has not only remained current, but in many instances been the impetus for changes in curriculum, policy and applications of technology. Our distinguished faculty invite you to explore the broad range of programs which are offered at the bachelor’s, master’s, advanced certificate and doctoral levels.
School of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts of HCLAS
In the School of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts of HCLAS , students will develop their oral and written communication skills in English and in other languages, both classical and modern, as well as their ability to learn and think with creativity, imagination, and sensitivity, while being exposed to the best that the history of humanity has to offer in literature, theater, music, dance, painting, sculpture, architecture, and design. Students may also develop their writing skills and literary and artistic talents as a preparation for careers in the arts and other fields, such as publishing, grant-writing, curating, non-profit administration, Web design and development, and education.
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of HCLAS
In the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of HCLAS , students and faculty work together to foster the discovery and transmission of knowledge in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, environmental studies, mathematics, physics, and psychology. Students conduct research in both the laboratory and the field under the guidance of their faculty mentors, and they go on to present their data and ideas at local, regional, and national fora. They prepare to continue their studies in advanced degree programs in their fields and for a wide array of careers as medical and mental health professionals, research scientists, educators, and entrepreneurs. The School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of HCLAS prepares students for careers in the natural and physical sciences and for professional schools, and offers courses to foster an understanding of science and mathematics to students outside the sciences.
Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs of HCLAS
In the Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs of HCLAS , students will prepare for their future as informed and responsible citizens of their local, national, and global communities through engagement with the rigorous intellectual traditions of social scientific inquiry in disciplines such as anthropology, economics, geography, sociology, political science, history, and philosophy. Students will conduct social scientific research to prepare them to think critically and creatively about policy issues and alternatives and, through service learning experiences, may prepare for careers in law, in business, in public service, in governmental agencies and NGO’s, in non-profit organizations, and in public and educational institutions.
Departments offering graduate programs and/or courses:
School of Education of HCLAS
School of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts of HCLAS
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of HCLAS
Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs of HCLAS