Courses in religion give students the best of both worlds: crucial thinking about life’s big questions, plus career preparation in communication, analysis, politics, global issues, and interfaith realities that will make their application for a job or graduate school stand out from the crowd. Part of the Kalikow School of Government, Policy and International Affairs, the Religion program prepares students to handle our diverse and interconnected world and lead the way in interreligious understanding. It cultivates their wonder, questioning, creativity, and originality. Professors in the department are devoted mentors who will counsel students on internships and professions. Recent graduates have started successful careers in health care, law, business, journalism, nonprofits, the arts, and much more.
"The failure of Americans to understand other religions "poses one of the great challenges to our public diplomacy."
- former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright (2003)
"If I went back to college today, I think I would probably major in comparative religion because that's how integrated [religion] is in everything that we are working on and deciding and thinking about in life today."
- former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (2013)
Highlights of the Religion program at Hofstra include:
- Courses that complement specific career goals in health and healing, journalism and media, diversity and global politics
- Internships in hospice, museums, and nonprofits related to interfaith understanding and social justice
- A specialized BA major in Jewish Studies; courses in Catholic Studies and Sikh Studies; classes about the "spiritual but not religious” phenomenon as well as atheism, humanism, and skepticism; concentrations within other majors in the School of Health Professions and Human Services and the Kalikow School
- The presentation of the annual Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize that gives students valuable networking opportunities with national and international leaders
- Annual lectures in Critical Spiritualities and Global Judaism that bring renowned scholars to campus
Mission Statement
Religions are among the most important and controversial forces in global human society, both past and present. They are central to the lives of billions of people. They inspire radical quests across the boundaries of time, space, and place, even as they are assemblages of the everyday – rituals, texts, beliefs, codes of conduct, and bodily practices.