The Department of History offers a wide variety of courses on the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, from ancient and medieval times to the 21st century. Students acquire skills in critical analysis and communication crucial for professional success, as well as the knowledge they need as citizens. History majors pursue successful careers in many fields, including business, education, law, and politics.
History Matters
As a student of history, you will learn to unearth new stories from new perspectives and challenge received wisdom. The past (our origin) is intrinsically fascinating, but it matters to society in ways that go far beyond its interest to us as individuals.
Learn about the visit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Hofstra in 1965.
In the Classroom
Learn from the Experts
Our faculty members include several recent winners of Fulbright and NEH grants for teaching and research. They are engaged in a vast range of projects, including President Nixon’s foreign policy, the diaries of a Japanese midwife in mid-20th century Seattle, the cultural history of Naples, the history of soccer in Latin America, the 11th century Iberian kingdom of León, gender and conflict in modern Egypt, Jewish cultural production in fin-de-siècle France, and health care in the Deep South.
Programs and Courses
You’ll begin your studies with a series of introductory-level courses and from there move on to more advanced classes that provide in-depth analysis of individual subject areas and different parts of the world. Classes focus on the histories of different parts of the world from ancient and medieval times to present day.
Many students pair their history major with a double major or a minor in an area that relates to a subject that interests them. Some popular examples include political science, journalism, English, education, anthropology, global studies, and sociology. The major culminates with a seminar that involves a substantial research paper where students apply their acquired skills to an area of particular interest.
Major in History
A major in history is a powerful tool in understanding global affairs, politics and social change, and economic developments. Students acquire skills in critical analysis and communication that are crucial for professional success, as well as the knowledge they need as citizens.
Minor in History
Studies in history can complement a wide variety of majors, including business, the performing and visual arts, education, communications, journalism, philosophy, global studies and geography, political science, and foreign language studies.
Courses Offered
The History Headstart
As a history major, you'll learn about the human experience and gain an enhanced capacity for informed citizenship and critical thinking. You’ll sharpen your research, verbal, and writing skills and prepare for a wide range of careers, as well as advanced study in law, business, journalism, or public policy.
At a Glance...
Campus Events
Enjoy campus events, such as political debates, presentations by guest speakers, series like Day of Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples' Day, and programs sponsored by the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, the Center for Civic Engagement, and the Institute for Peace Studies, which further the academic experience.
Study Abroad
Hofstra's history students are offered opportunities to study overseas to broaden their global perspective. Many have studied in countries such as Italy, Spain, Israel, and Australia.
Clubs and Organizations
Hofstra's vibrant History Club organizes field trips and on-campus speakers. We discuss history through interactive presentations and games, screen historical (or pseudo-historical) films, and usually have a themed party at the end of the semester.
We also have a vibrant chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society for exceptional university history students. Each spring, the history faculty inducts new members into this prestigious society. For more information, please contact the faculty advisor, Dr. Stanislao Pugliese, at 516-463-5611 or by email.
Community Outreach
For the past two decades, Hofstra University has hosted the regional competition for National History Day, where elementary and secondary students choose and then research historical topics and events. Many of our staff and faculty serve on the advisory committee for National History Day, and Hofstra students serve as volunteers for the event.
Internships
Recent internship opportunities have included museums, law offices, government offices, political campaigns, and school districts, including the office of the Huntington town supervisor, the Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco, and the U.S. Senate.
Career Outcomes
Historians can work in a variety of industries. In government, some historians do research to provide historical context for current policy issues. Others write about the history of a particular government activity or program, such as a military operation or the space program. At historical sites and within historical associations, historians preserve artifacts and explain the historical significance of a wide variety of subjects, such as historic buildings, religious groups, and battlegrounds. Historians who work for businesses may examine historical evidence for legal cases and regulatory matters.
Recent Hofstra alumni have reported finding employment at a number of local school districts, Hearst Publishing, JetBlue Airways, and in local government. They are pursuing advanced degrees at institutions like CUNY Brooklyn College, Fordham University, Pace University, University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Virginia.
96%
Percentage of recent grads from our Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy, and International Affairs that reported they were employed or pursuing graduate studies a year after their graduation from Hofstra.
91%
Percentage of Kalikow School students who reported employment said they landed their position within six months of graduation.
$49K
The mean reported salary for 2020-2021 Kalikow School graduates.
More about us
Fulbright Awarded to History Grad
Allie Richardson ’20 has been awarded a Fulbright Study/Research Grant to conduct research on late medieval Germany at the University of Trier in 2021. Richardson, who lives in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA, has a dual major in history and German.
Professor Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship
The John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship has been awarded to Professor of History Simon Doubleday for research in medieval history. The fellowship will allow Dr. Doubleday to conduct research and begin writing a new book, tentatively titled Between Land and Water: Galicia, an Atlantic Realm, over a 12-month period starting in the summer of 2022.
History major receives research fellowship
Rocco Distefano (left), pictured with classmates Simon Ignat and Kayla Hernandez, has been awarded Hofstra’s Firestone Fellowship. Distefano, a dual major in history and philosophy, is focusing his research on systematic racism and its impact on immigrant populations on Long Island from the 1920s to 1990s.
Alum Hired as a Supreme Court Justice Aide
Marina R. Pino ’12 is no stranger to the halls of the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier this summer, she was hired as Aide to Chambers for Justice Elena Kagan – the third position she has held at the Court in less than two years.
“Learning from the various officers and offices of the Court has been a thrilling experience, and one that I am so fortunate to have right after graduating from Hofstra,” Pino said.
Finding the Teachable Moments
When then New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered the closure of all schools statewide to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, 100% of Hofstra's education majors with student teaching assignments were able to continue their assignments online.
Among those students who continued their student teaching placements were history majors and aspiring social studies teachers Imani Hinson ’20 and Dennis Belen Morales ‘20.
Fulbright Awarded for Italian History Research
Professor Stanislao Pugliese, professor of history and the Queensboro UNICO Distinguished Professor of Italian and Italian-American Studies, has been awarded a 2020 Fulbright grant to teach at the University of Calabria in Italy and research patterns of Italian immigration and emigration. He also plans to finish a book on the port city of Naples.
Prof Awarded Fulbright for Sports History Studies
A history professor who will conduct research in Latin America about women’s soccer and a senior who will spend 10 months teaching English in Germany have won 2018 Fulbright Grants.
Contact Us
Department of History
301 Shapiro Family Hall
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Department Chair
Dr. Sally Charnow
Room 301A Shapiro Family Hall
Hempstead, NY 11549
Phone: 516-463-5609
Email