The School for University Studies offers an alternative and innovative approach to education for undergraduate students with particular academic challenges. There are four components: the Degree Division, the Freshman Division, the PALS Division and the Transfer Division.

The Degree Division allows full- and part-time students the opportunity to fulfill the requirements of a liberal arts degree through a flexible curriculum.

The Freshman Division introduces students to the demands of a university education for one full year before transferring into one of Hofstra?s degree granting programs. The Freshman Division is a program for high school graduates with above average potential that has not been identified through traditional testing. An intellectually challenging curriculum paired with academic support services, the Freshman Division offers students a chance to realize and develop their strengths.

The Program for Academic Learning Skills (PALS) is a one-year program that offers special support services to students who have traditionally been identified as learning disabled. Auxiliary aids and compensatory services include: time extensions, quiet locations and a reader for exams, books on tape, assistance with contracting classmates for note taking, computer lab for papers and exams, computer technology   (voice-activation; PCs; electronic readers), notification of accommodations (upon request).

Additional services available to PALS freshmen include:

• Skills instruction and development (mandatory)
• Individualized weekly meetings with a PALS instructor to develop learning skills: time management, organization, decoding, comprehension, listening, studying, written expression, test-taking and self-advocacy. (NOTE: This does not include content tutoring in mainstream course work.)

 The Transfer Division is a one-year program that aims to strengthen the abilities of students who may not have realized their full academic potential during their initial semesters in college. The academically challenging curriculum, combined with support services, is designed to prepare these students for full participation in one of Hofstra?s degree-granting undergraduate programs.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

New Opportunities at Hofstra (NOAH) ? For New York state residents only, NOAH provides exceptional support for students who are scholastically and financially disadvantaged.

University Without Walls (UWW) ? For adults who can spend very little time on campus but whose life situations provide a rich opportunity for full- or part-time learning, UWW is an alternative means to an education and a bachelor?s degree.

Program for the Higher Education of the Disabled (PHED) ? PHED familiarizes academically qualified students with the many services available at Hofstra, which is 100-percent program accessible to persons with physical disabilities.