The major in Public Policy and Public Service is designed for students who want to combine their interest in policy, the political process and public service in one degree. Students will develop a deep understanding of modern policy challenges, and the leadership skills to meet them. This program includes:
- FOUNDATION IN FOUR CORE AREAS
Cross-cultural and Global Affairs; Ethics and Public Policy; Institutions, Policy Making and Historical Development; Interest Groups and Social Movements - INTERDISCIPLINARY & INDIVIDUALIZED STUDY
Courses in eight different disciplines; design your own concentrations based on your interests - LOCAL, NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS
Get practical, applied, professional experience with public and private public policy institutions, including government agencies, elected officials, think tanks, community and interest groups.
Undergraduate Degree
BA in Public Policy & Public Service
The BA in Public Policy and Public Service is a multidisciplinary program that allows students flexibility to design their own concentrations.
Career Potential
Among 2017-2018 Hofstra graduates who majored in public service, public policy, and political science, 96% of survey respondents reported that within a year of graduation they found employment and/or were attending or planning to attend graduate school. 93% of those students who reported employment said they secured their position within six months of graduation. Among Hofstra graduates who majored in these areas and who reported salary, the median annual self-reported salary was $46,000.
Alumni outcomes data is based on the results of Hofstra’s annual Alumni Outcomes Survey and other reliable sources. Of the 1,508 undergraduate students who graduated between August 2017-May 2018, data was collected via surveys and other reliable sources resulting in knowledge about the outcomes for 83% of the 17-18 undergraduate alumni. Salary data is self-reported voluntarily by students and are based upon a 45% response rate for full-time employed undergraduate survey respondents. Salary figures only include annual base salary. They do not include bonus, commission or any other guaranteed compensation.
Examples of where our alumni are working include:
- American Civil Liberties Union
- BNY Mellon
- Congressman Peter King
- Cronin & Cronin Law Firm, PLLC
- Democratic Party of New York
- Human Rights Watch
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Nassau County Government
- Suffolk County District Attorney's Office
Examples of institutions our alumni are pursuing graduate studies include:
- American University
- Brooklyn Law School
- Columbia University
- Cornell University
- Hofstra University
- Seton Hall University
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Connecticut
- University of Virginia
- William & Mary Law School
Our Centers and Institutes
On-campus centers and institutes such as the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, the Hofstra Cultural Center, and the Center for Civic Engagement regularly present a packed schedule of thought-provoking discussions and highly respected guest speakers who discuss the issues currently affecting young people, their families, and the communities in which they live.
Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency
Together with Hofstra's conferences on the American presidency, the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency and the Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies make Hofstra one of the very few institutions in the country with a unique focus on the presidency.
The Hofstra Cultural Center
The Hofstra Cultural Center (HCC) is the force behind the University's noted presidential conference series, and it works on a regular basis with the faculty of the Political Science Department to present speakers, symposia, and other events.
Center for Civic Engagement
The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) organizes forums, conferences, debates, workshops, exhibitions, cultural gatherings, and performances around several important themes including nonviolence, social justice and sustainability, the democratic process, and globalization. CCE offers a minor in civic engagement and internships.
Internships
Internships offer real-world experiences beyond the classroom and prepare students for professional careers.
Hofstra students have interned for the government, media organizations, nonprofit organizations, think tanks, and advocacy groups. Examples include ABC/ABC News, American Legislative Exchange Council, Citizens Committee for NYC, Congressman Peter King, Doctors Without Borders, International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, National Legal Aid and Defender Association, Planned Parenthood, Uniondale Community Council, Voice of America, and the public relations agency Zimmerman/Edelson, Inc.
In addition, the Public Policy & Public Service Program offers:
The Washington Semester Program
This program invites Hofstra students to become interns in Congress, the executive branch, the federal judiciary, and various nongovernmental organizations. In recent years, Hofstra students have worked for various senators and representatives in the State Department and the Justice Department, for the Office of the Clerk of the United States Supreme Court, and for such groups as the American Defense Institute.
The New York State Assembly Session Internship
This internship involves working in the office of a member of the New York State Assembly in Albany. Interns are assigned research and administrative responsibilities in an assembly office, spending a minimum of 30 hours at the capital each week. In addition, interns enroll in a course on legislative politics, for which required readings are provided and which meets periodically.
Washington Center Seminar
Students with outstanding academic records and a keen interest in American politics may be selected to participate in a seminar at The Washington Center examining the current political and media landscapes.
Hofstra has sent students to the Washington Center January seminar for close to a decade, supported by scholarships provided by Scott Rechler, chief executive officer and chairman of RXR Realty LLC.
Dr. Meena Bose, PhD, executive dean of public policy and public service programs and director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, has directed several programs for the Washington Center, and traditionally oversees the student selection process.
Lives in Public Policy and Public Service Address
The Kalikow School’s Lives in Public Policy and Public Service Lecture Series was created in 2016 to bring distinguished public leaders to campus to share their personal journey in pursuing a career in public service, and the special challenges and achievements they have experienced.
The lecture series is designed to encourage and motivate Hofstra students to pursue their own passion for public service. Students in the Kalikow School departments (which include anthropology, economics, global studies, history, philosophy, political science, religion, and sociology), and in Hofstra’s recently created interdisciplinary undergraduate major in public policy and public service, are keen to participate in the public sphere, whether through elected office, political appointment, or outside organizations that influence policy making.
2023
Dr. Christina Grant, Hofstra alum and State Superintendent of Education, Washington, D.C.
2021
Ray Zaccaro, Hofstra alum and Communications Director for U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
2020
Colby Itkowitz, Hofstra alum and National Politics Reporter at The Washington Post.
2019
Jessica Ramos, New York State Senator (District 13)
2018
Beverly Tillery, Executive Director, New York City Anti-Violence Project
Featured Links
Questions?
Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service Programs
Meena Bose
The Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies
Professor of Political Science
516-463-7316
Email