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Academic Calendar
Academic calendars can be found here. The program of regular semesters is based on the 4 x 4 calendar with Fall 2020 classes beginning September 24 and concluding (through final exams) December 18, 2020. Spring 2021 classes begin February 1 and conclude (through final exams) May 22, 2021. For information, consult the Office of Academic Records.
Standard Class Time Periods
See below for a list of Hofstra University’s general time periods for class meetings. Not all courses conform to the standard time periods.
January Session
The emphasis of this mini-semester (an intensive session beginning the first week in January) is on diversity. There are beginning, advanced, and courses of general interest, courses earning up to three credits; day, evening, and weekend courses; on-campus and off-campus courses and courses that involve travel.
Students attending this session may not earn more than three semester hours of credit or four semester hours of credit if offered on that basis.
Students may attend the January Session on one of four bases:
- As former or continuing students in good standing;
- As students who are attending the University for the first time;
- As visiting students from other accredited colleges or universities provided they are enrolled and are in good standing at those institutions (visiting students expecting to transfer credits earned during the January Session to another college should get advance official approval from that institution for course work to be taken);
- High school graduates interested in taking a course. Information on registration, tuition, and fees, course offerings, schedules, etc., can be found in the January Session Bulletin.
Summer Sessions
The University offers a full program of day and evening undergraduate courses during three separate academic sessions, varying in length. Day and evening classes usually meet Monday through Thursday.
No undergraduate student may enroll in one summer session for more than six semester hours, or if three- and four-credit hour courses - seven semester hours. For the three-week session, no undergraduate student may take more than one three- or four-credit course. Exceptions to the above may be granted when special circumstances and the student’s special capacities for the work permit. Written approval is required of the dean of the academic unit of the major or proposed major field of study.
Once matriculated, current students may not take courses at other educational institutions. Only in rare cases and for exceptional and extenuating circumstances will a request to attend another educational institution be considered. To request a waiver from this policy, please contact the appropriate Dean’s Office, who must approve any waiver in advance. Please note that documentation of the extenuating circumstance(s) may be required. Students with junior or senior standing (60 or more hours) are not permitted to enroll for courses at junior or community colleges offering two-year terminal programs. (See Transfer Credit Policy for complete requirements.) See also “Attending Other Colleges” in the Forms, Deadlines and Filing Instructions section of this Bulletin.
Study Abroad courses taken at other institutions are the exception. Students studying abroad either directly at foreign institutions or under the auspices of other U.S. institutions may still arrange to have their credits counted toward the completion of Hofstra degree requirements. It is important to remember, however, to get permission from the Office of Study Abroad Programs to transfer those credits BEFORE going abroad.
Visiting students are permitted to attend Hofstra University summer session(s) provided they are enrolled at another accredited college or university. Students expecting to transfer summer credits to another institution should get advance official approval of their selection of courses from that college. A special application form for visiting students can be found in the Summer Sessions Bulletin, which is available in the Office of Admission. On request, an official transcript of all credits earned is forwarded to each visiting student’s college after the summer sessions. There is no fee for an official transcript ordered online; for a student copy, the cost is $5 per transcript.
Details of the course offerings and schedules, as well as information about residence halls, may be obtained by inquiring at the Office of Admission.
BlackBoard
Blackboard is a Web-based course-management system designed to allow students and faculty to participate in classes delivered online (distance learning) or use online materials and activities to complement face-to-face teaching. Blackboard enables instructors to provide students with course materials, discussion boards, virtual chat, online quizzes, an academic resource center, and more.
Bulletin of First Registration
Undergraduate students are expected to satisfy those requirements specified in the Bulletin of their year of first registration at the University. Students who have no record of attendance at Hofstra University for a period of 15 months or more must follow the requirements set forth in the Bulletin in effect when they are readmitted. Any student, however, may elect once during his or her undergraduate studies to follow all the requirements specified in a subsequent Bulletin, provided the Office of Academic Records is notified prior to the semester of graduation. No exceptions regarding the requirements set forth in any Bulletin may be made by the students or by the faculty without the written approval of the dean of the academic unit or of the provost. This policy refers to academic requirements such as degree and major requirements. Other procedures and policies, such as the grading system, may be changed through the University’s governance process. However, students will be notified (by placing notices in our student newspapers and by any other methods and media applicable) of any significant change at least a year in advance of its implementation.
Campus Alert Notification Network (CANN)
A comprehensive notification structure to alert the campus community in the event of an emergency. Sign up online at My.Hofstra.edu by providing your personal telephone contact information. For more information, visit the Public Safety section of this Bulletin.
Change of Address
Students must report a change of their home or local address to the Office of Academic Records immediately. Change of address can also be processed through Hofstra Online.
Change of Program/Registration Changes
Students will be permitted to make program changes (add/drop) in accordance with the published University deadlines.
Change of Study: Change of Major/Minor/Specialization/Concentration/Degree
In order to facilitate orientation and advisement of a student to his or her new major, students must report any change in their major, minor, specialization, concentration, or degree on the official Change of Study Form to the Office of Academic Records. Any change requires a signature from the new department indicating that the student has notified the new department and has been made aware of all requirements. Students are not required to obtain a signature from the program or major they are leaving.
Class Schedules
Classes at Hofstra begin at 7 a.m., Monday through Friday. Classes are usually scheduled for meetings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with 55-minute periods, Monday and Wednesday with 85-minute periods, or on Tuesday and Thursday with 85-minute periods. Laboratory sessions are scheduled separately from the regular lecture hours for a course.
Evening classes are normally scheduled on Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday combinations. However, some 200-level and 2-semester hour courses meet once weekly, as do courses scheduled on Saturday.
Standard Time Periods
Please note: Below is a list of Hofstra University’s general time periods for class meetings. Not all courses conform to the standard time periods. To determine the schedule for any course, students should always consult the specific class schedule for a particular semester, which may be found at hofstra.edu/classlookup (select the desired semester and click “Submit”).
Key: M = Monday; T = Tuesday; W = Wednesday; R = Thursday; F = Friday
| Undergraduate 3.0 Credit Courses |
| MWF, 7-7:55 a.m. |
TR, 6:30-7:55 a.m. |
| MW, 7:30-8:55 a.m. |
| MWF, 8-8:55 a.m. |
TR, 8-9:25 a.m. |
| MW, 8-9:25 a.m. |
| MWF, 9:05-10 a.m. |
TR, 9:35-11 a.m. |
| MW, 9:05-10:30 a.m. |
| MWF, 10:10-11:05 a.m. |
TR, 11:10 a.m.-12:35 p.m. |
| MF, 11:15 a.m.-12:40 p.m. |
TR, 12:45-2:10 p.m. |
| MWF, 12:50-1:45 p.m. |
TR, 2:20-3:45 p.m. |
| MW, 12:50-2:15 p.m. |
| MWF, 1:55-2:50 p.m. |
TR, 4:30-5:55 p.m. |
| MW, 2:55-4:20 p.m. |
TR, 6:30-7:55 p.m. |
| MW, 4:30-5:55 p.m. |
TR, 8:05-9:30 p.m. |
| MW, 6:30-7:55 p.m. |
|
| MW, 8:05-9:30 p.m. |
| Undergraduate 4.0 Credit Courses |
| MWF, 8:25-9:40 a.m. |
TR, 8-9:55 a.m. |
| MWF, 9:50-11:05 a.m. |
TR, 10:05 a.m.-Noon |
| MF, 11:15 a.m.-1:10 p.m. |
TR, 12:10-2:05 p.m. |
| MW, 12:50-2:45 p.m. |
TR, 2:15-4:10 p.m. |
| MWF, 1:20-2:35 p.m. |
TR, 4:30-6:25 p.m. |
| MW, 2:55-4:50 p.m. |
TR, 6:30-8:25 p.m. |
| MW, 5-6:55 p.m. |
|
Class Standing
An undergraduate student credited with 30 semester hours will be ranked as a sophomore, with 60 semester hours, a junior, and 90 semester hours, a senior. Students will be ranked at the beginning of each regular fall and spring semester.
Commencement
Commencement programs are conducted twice each year, in December and in May. Summer candidates are invited to the December exercises and are listed in that program. Information regarding programs is automatically mailed to candidates about six weeks before commencement.
Common Hour
To facilitate student and faculty participation in extracurricular and co-curricular events, the schedule of day classes leaves open a common hour on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.
Course Numbering System
This Bulletin lists all the undergraduate courses offered by the University in its programs.
Courses numbered from 1 to 199 are for undergraduates only. All courses below the 200 level do not carry graduate credit.
Courses numbered 200 and above are for graduate credit. Frank G. Zarb School of Business courses numbered 200 and above are open only to matriculated graduate students in the School of Business and, where appropriate, in The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and the School of Education of HCLAS . In addition, Zarb School of Business undergraduate students enrolled in a BBA/MBA or BBA/MS program may take two or more graduate-level courses (6-9 s.h.) under advisement as part of the undergraduate program. 2000-level courses are graduate courses offered in conjunction with 100-level courses, for which graduate students are expected to fulfill substantially enhanced requirements.
Course numbers with A through Z designations usually indicate that as individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter and added to the course number. The course may be taken any number of times as long as there is a different letter designation each time it is taken. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule.
The University reserves the right to withdraw any scheduled course without notice.
Degree Audit Report/Degree Works
The Degree Audit serves as a tool for advisers and students to determine outstanding program requirements and confirm that students are successfully working towards degree completion. Depending on their catalog years, students may have access to either the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) or the Degree Works audit system. Students entering prior to the 2013-2014 bulletin year will have access to the DARS for their audits. Additionally, any students with the bulletin year 2011-2012 or 2012-2013 will also have access to the Degree Works system. Starting with the 2013-2014 bulletin year, students will only have access to the Degree Works system. DARS can be accessed through Hofstra Online, while Degree Works will appear in the “My Applications” folder in the Hofstra portal (my.hofstra.edu).
Distance Learning (DL) Courses
A Distance Learning (DL) course is a course taught entirely online. Hofstra University offers online learning components in more than 1,700 on-campus courses throughout the academic year in most disciplines and majors. For more information, visit hofstra.edu/DL.
Dual Degrees (Undergraduate/Graduate)
Hofstra’s dual degree (undergraduate/graduate) programs allow you to earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree in less time than if each degree was pursued separately. This can save you the cost of one or more semesters of tuition. Be sure to consult complete program descriptions and admission requirements in this Bulletin. For more information about dual degrees, visit hofstra.edu/dualdegree.
For information about earning a dual undergraduate major or degree, click here .
Elective
An elective is a course students choose to take either because of their special interest in it, because it helps to satisfy their intellectual curiosity or because it complements their college degree requirements. An elective course may be outside of a student’s field or discipline, or it may have a direct relationship to his/her degree program. Limits are placed on the number of elective credits students can earn, and students must consult with a faculty adviser when planning a program of study.
Full-time Study
Hofstra University has a full-time undergraduate student body of approximately 7,000 students usually attending classes between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday. Some part-time undergraduates and graduates also attend during these hours. The regular day program is organized into two 15-week semesters. The average full-time student (registered for 12 to 17 semester hours) completes all course work for the degree in four academic years.
Full-time Undergraduate Status
Undergraduate students are considered full time if they are registered for a minimum of 12 semester hours per semester. Education students are considered as full-time students if they are enrolled in student teaching plus one additional required course, where appropriate.
Liberal Arts
In support of the HCLAS Mission Statement, a liberal arts course 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. Liberal arts courses broadly cultivate 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. 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.
It is an underlying assumption of all liberal arts courses that we must make ourselves aware of, and evaluate, the ends toward which we apply our intellectual efforts. However, while techniques of communication and the applications of theory to practice are crucial objectives of a liberal arts education, courses which emphasize skills as pre-professional or vocational training are not considered liberal arts courses. As stated in the NYSED’s (New York State Education Department) “Policy Statement on Liberal Arts and Sciences,” the “liberal arts core shall not be directed toward specific occupational or professional objectives.”
All courses in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences carry liberal arts credit unless indicated below.
School of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts of HCLAS
All are liberal arts courses except:
DRAM 005 , 013 , 014 , 015 , 016 , 017 , 018 , 019 , 020 , 021 , 022 , 023 , 024 , 031 , 032 , 033 , 034 , 054 , 055 , 056 , 155 , 156
ENGL 007 A-Z , 174
MUS 001A , 031 through 039A , 051 , 052 , 065 , 107A , 107C , 107D , 108 , 109 , 110 , 172 , 172A , 173 , 174 , 175 , 190 , 191 , 101C-122C, 101D-120D, 120B 122D
MUSB 103, 104, 105
PRMD 001,
PUBL 170, 178B, 179A
WSC 130
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of HCLAS
All are liberal arts courses except:
BCHM 173 , 182 , 183
CHEM 111 , 192
FOR 120 , 130 , 140 , 160 , 165 , 180 , 181 , 185 , 192 A-Z , 195
GEOL 020 , 120 , 131
PSY 179
Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs
All are liberal arts courses.
School of Education of HCLAS
The only liberal arts courses are:
FDED 111 , 127
LYST 012
PESP 159
Military Science
All are liberal arts courses except:
MS 001C , 001E , 002C , 002E , and associated leadership laboratories
School of Engineering and Applied Science
All are liberal arts courses except:
CSC 125 , 163 , 172 , 173 , 183 , 184 , 188 , 197A , 197B
ENGG 032B , 034 , 062 , 112 , 143A , 143D , 143E , 143F , 143G , 143J , 143K , 154 , 160A , 163 , 169 , 170 , 178 , 180 , 187 , 192 , 195 , 199
The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication
All are liberal arts courses except:
JRNL 010 , 015 , 016 , 017 , 025 , 026 , 027 , 055 , 056 , 074 , 075 , 076 , JRNL 180 to 189 A-Z
PR 105 , 106 , 107 , 110 , 111 , 150 , 151 , 170 , 171 , PR 180 to 189 A-Z , 199
RTVF 014 , 021 , 023 , 024 , 026 , 040 , 041 , 042 , 043 , 044 , 061 A-Z , 064 , 065 A-Z , 066 , 074 , 084 , 091 , 094 , 100 , 104 , 106 , 107 , 120 , 134 , 144 , 145 , 148 , 152 , 161 , 164 , 165 , 167 , 168A , 168B
School of Health Professions and Human Services
All undergraduate SPCH courses are liberal arts courses except SPCH 138 .
Hofstra University Honors College
All are liberal arts courses except:
HUHC 021 A-Z
Special Project Courses are not for liberal arts credit.
Matriculated Student
A student who has successfully satisfied all admission requirements and has been officially accepted into a degree program at the University.
Part-time Study
Hofstra University encourages the enrollment of undergraduate part-time students who vary greatly in age and educational objectives. Primarily, these students are older than the typical full-time day undergraduates, have major responsibilities outside the University, have gaps between their high school graduation and attending college, or between attending one college and another. They attend college on a part-time basis and attend in the evening. There are, however, many variations to these patterns and individual needs-such as the needs of those who must attend during the day, can be accommodated. All regular degree requirements and academic standards of the University apply to part-time students.
Part-time students with no previous college credits generally require six to eight years to complete all requirements for bachelor’s degrees. They usually enroll in two or three courses, totaling six to nine semester hours of credit, each semester. Although part-time study is intended primarily for students who plan to earn degrees, enrollment is open to students who wish to further their education in specific areas if they meet admission and course requirements.
Requests for information or course schedules for evening programs should be directed to the Office of Admission. Semester schedules include pertinent information on admission and registration procedures. The Office is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the year for assistance with academic questions.
Registration
Students register for classes through Hofstra Online via the Hofstra portal. Registration for the future summer/fall semesters begins in February or early March. Registration for the future January/spring semesters begins in October.
Semester Hour
A semester hour is a term used to describe the number of credits received by the student for successfully completing a specific course. The definition of semester hour is “one-hour period of participation in class per week, or a minimum of two hours of laboratory or studio work per week for one semester, or the equivalent.”
It should be noted that the semester-hour credit given a course is not necessarily equal to the actual number of hours spent in the class. This applies particularly to courses in the sciences and fine arts, where laboratory or studio sessions are scheduled in addition to regular class lectures.
Most courses are given credit of between two and four semester hours; a full-time student normally registers for 15 or 17 semester hours, consisting of five or six courses for each semester, chosen with the aid of a faculty adviser. No student may register for over 18 semester hours without special permission from the major adviser and the dean of the academic unit.
Part-time evening students are advised to limit their program to nine semester hours in the spring and fall semesters except by special permission. For information about January or Summer Sessions enrollment, see above.
In the case of full-year courses, both semesters of the course must be satisfactorily completed before semester hour credit can be received for either semester.
Since all courses are not offered every semester, students should consult the online class schedule for specific offerings before registering for their programs.
Study Time
Each student should schedule study time for each week equal to at least twice the number of hours spent in class.
Transcripts
Students can request copies of their official transcript free of charge online through Hofstra Online via the Hofstra portal. For more information on transcript policies and services, please visit hofstra.edu/transcripts.
Visiting Students: Registration Procedures
Students enrolled at an accredited college or university wishing to attend Hofstra during any session are required to submit written documentation from their home institution confirming their academic good standing, their eligibility to continue classes at their home institution, that there are no pending disciplinary proceedings against them and that they have not been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor charges and there are currently no pending criminal charges against them. Students visiting Hofstra accept full responsibility for University tuition, fees and other applicable charges in effect at Hofstra for the session or semester of attendance. Visiting undergraduate students shall not be permitted to enroll in graduate courses at Hofstra. All visiting students shall be accepted through the Office of Admission. A student may only attend Hofstra for one semester at a maximum credit load of 18 credits. If a visiting student wishes to attend for any additional semester(s), s/he must meet with the director of admission for approval.
Updated October 2020.
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