Reflecting Diversity in our Academic Programs

Hofstra University is committed to achieving excellence through diversity in our academic programs that reflect a wide range of cultures and disciplines found in our Schools and Colleges and throughout the world:

Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

African Studies - Hofstra University African Studies program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Africa, where students learn about history, geography, language, politics, economics, and the cultural experience of the African people.
Disabilities Studies - Disability is a fundamental facet of human diversity-people with disabilities make up the largest minority in the U.S. population-and disabled people have histories and cultures deserving of study on their own terms. Disability Studies is not primarily the study of disabled people as a distinct population, however; rather, it involves the comprehensive investigation of disability as a cultural construct that undergirds social practices and cultural representations in various media.
LGBT studies, fellowships and scholarships - This interdisciplinary program focuses on the political, historical, cultural and psychological contexts in which gender identities and sexualities have been and are expressed. A number of fellowships and scholarships are available to individuals with a commitment to serving the LBGT community.
The Sardarni Kuljit Bindra Chair in Sikh Studies - The Bindra Chair is established to promote the academic study of Sikh religion, culture and history. The endowment supports the appointment of a faculty member in Sikh Studies, build the University Library's holdings in Sikhism, provide scholarship assistance to students interested in Sikh religion and culture, and fund annual conferences and lectures directed toward the academic community as well as the general public.
Women's Studies - Recently established as an undergraduate major, women's studies fosters respect for people of diverse physical abilities, races and ethnicities, religions, national origins, sexual orientations, and gender identifications.
Study Abroad Programs - Hofstra University students have many opportunities to earn credits while studying overseas. Many choose the summer and intersession programs which have been developed over the years in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
Asian Studies - The Asian Studies Program at Hofstra University is an interdisciplinary program designed to further understanding of the traditional and modern societies of Asia through teaching, research and service.
Chinese/Chinese Studies
Hebrew Language and Literature Program
Irish Studies
Latin and Caribbean Studies
Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies
Italian and Italian American Studies
Monsignor Thomas J. Hartman Chair in Catholic Studies

National Center for Suburban Studies (NCSS)
The NCSS is a non-partisan research institution dedicated to promoting objective, academically rigorous study of suburbia's problems, as well as its promise. Rooted in the laboratory of Long Island's diverse and aging suburbs, almost literally in the shadows of the iconic Levittown, the National Center will study a broad range of issues from local and national perspectives and, whenever possible, collaborate with researchers at other respected institutions. The suburbs have emerged as the nexus of dynamic demographic, social, economic and environmental change in New York and throughout the United States.

School of Communication's Documenting Diversity
This acclaimed summer program for high school students uses the art of video filmmaking to introduce students from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation and social backgrounds to the experiences of students from populations other than their own.

School of Law - Diversity has become a hallmark of Hofstra Law which has an extremely diversified student body, and a diverse faculty and administration. Our administrative leadership team consists of a majority of women, a dean who is a first-generation immigrant, and members of groups who are under represented in the legal academy and law practice. We are proud to have an integrated academic program where diversity is valued in the classroom which allows our law students to become leaders in many different areas of the law and practice law in a globally diverse environment.

Institute for the Study of Gender, Law, and Public Policy - The mission of the Institute is to facilitate teaching, research, and scholarship concerning gender as it relates to law and public policy.
Asylum Clinic - In the Asylum Clinic, students represent asylum applicants in immigration proceedings before Asylum Officers, Immigration Judges, and the Board of Immigration Appeals. The clients fled their countries because of torture or other persecution, based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
Courses - Hofstra Law School regularly offers courses like Feminist Jurisprudence, Race and the Law, Gender and the Law, and Sexuality and the Law to expose students to the legal issues impacting diverse communities.

Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library Resources