Hofstra University Continuing Education: Enhancing Skills and Careers

Hofstra University Continuing Education offers a diverse range of programs designed to enhance professional skills and foster personal growth. From writing workshops to real estate licensing courses, American Sign Language to yoga, these programs cater to a wide array of interests and career aspirations. Even with the suspension of in-person classes, Hofstra continues to provide accessible and engaging learning experiences through online platforms.

Writing Programs: Unleash Your Inner Author

For those who dream of sharing their thoughts or life experiences through writing, Hofstra University Continuing Education provides the perfect launching pad. Whether you're a novice seeking guidance or an experienced writer aiming to refine your craft, these courses offer invaluable support and expertise. Taught by seasoned authors and journalists, the writing programs cover various genres and skill levels.

One such offering is an online creative writing workshop designed to help participants develop their creative pieces. This workshop emphasizes literary techniques, peer review, and constructive criticism. Students learn to move their work from the prewriting stage to editing and final revision, utilizing literary devices, meaningful dialogue, and imagery to enrich their drafts. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a thoroughly developed creative writing piece ready for submission or further refinement.

As Dina S., instructor of "I Just Wrote a Book: Now What," notes, the online format can be surprisingly effective: "While virtually all in-person classes have been suspended at Hofstra and across the nation, the good news is that writing is one of those pursuits that lends itself to online learning. I recently had the opportunity to conduct my class I Just Wrote a Book: Now What? virtually, and I found the teacher-student dialogue to be just personable and intimate as -- if not more than -- a classroom setting."

American Sign Language Certificate Program

Hofstra’s American Sign Language Certificate Program is a comprehensive 200-hour program designed to equip students with a clear level of competence in American Sign Language. The program consists of a sequence of noncredit courses, complemented by eight workshops of the student’s choice. The curriculum is continually updated and rotated across the summer, spring, and fall semesters.

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Affiliated instructors are members of both the hearing and deaf communities, providing a rich and diverse learning environment. Courses like ASL 3 advance students’ proficiency in expressing complex concepts, such as making requests, seeking permission, and conveying concerns, along with fingerspelling skills. The course expands on grammatical knowledge with a focus on structure and the use of locative classifiers. Through immersive practice, students refine their ability to explain, correct, and confirm information, enhancing their fluency in ASL.

Bookkeeping Essentials

The Bookkeeping course provides an introduction to the principles of double-entry bookkeeping, essential for managing the financial well-being of any organization. Students will learn the basics of preparing financial statements and how to analyze business transactions. The curriculum covers working with a general ledger, preparing end-of-period worksheets and financial statements, and adjusting and closing entries.

The required textbook for the course is "College Accounting Chapters 1-13" by John Price, M. David Haddock, and Michael Farina (Publisher: McGraw-Hill; Edition: 17; ISBN: 1265656363).

Real Estate Licensing: A Gateway to a New Career

For individuals seeking a career in real estate, Hofstra University Continuing Education offers a salesperson's course that is required by the Department of State as a prerequisite for its licensing exam. This qualifying course fulfills the requirements established by the New York State Department of State Division of Licensing Services, consisting of 77 hours of instruction and a 3-hour final examination, totaling 80 hours.

To earn a certificate, registrants must comply with the New York State Department of State Division of Licensing Services attendance policy. The course covers a wide range of topics, including: License Law and Regulation, Law of Agency, Legal Issues, The Contract of Sales and Leases, Real Estate Finance, Land Use Regulations, Construction & Environmental Issues, Valuation Process and Pricing Properties, Human Rights and Fair Housing, Real Estate Mathematics, Municipal Agencies, Property Insurance, License Safety, Taxes and Assessments, Condominiums and Cooperatives, Commercial and Investment Properties, Income Tax Issues in Real Estate Transactions, Mortgage Brokerage, Property Management and Instruction.

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Upon completion of the course and successful passage of the course and state exam, individuals are qualified to work under the sponsorship of a licensed broker in New York State.

Title Closer Course: Mastering the Art of Real Estate Closings

A successful real estate or mortgage closing often depends on the expertise of knowledgeable and competent title closers. Hofstra's Title Closer course familiarizes students with the documents, procedures, and potential problems that may arise during a title search. The course also covers the various fees, transfer and mortgage taxes, and other charges collected by the title company at a closing.

Title closers play an essential role in ensuring a smooth closing process, verifying correct amounts due, recording legal documents, and confirming the accuracy of all paperwork. This practical course is offered online via ZOOM.

Creative Arts Therapy Conference

Hofstra University hosts the Creative Arts Therapy Conference, inviting attendees to reflect on how acts of hospitality shape the conditions for vulnerability and open the possibility for healing within therapeutic and professional relationships. By framing the art therapy space as a site of welcome, attunement, and shared humanity, the conference encourages a deep reflection on how professional presence, boundaries, and creative processes become vessels for connection and transformation.

The conference calls the field to consider how we might remain open to what emerges in moments of uncertainty, complexity, and change, thereby strengthening both clinical and communal foundations of art therapy for healing. Lynn Kapitan PhD, ATR-BC, HLM, Professor Emerit and Founding director of doctoral and masters graduate art therapy at Mount Mary University, is a featured speaker.

Forensic Linguistics: Language as Evidence

Hofstra offers courses in Forensic Linguistics, exploring the intersection of language and the law. These courses demonstrate how forensic linguistics augments legal analysis by applying rigorous, scientifically accepted principles of linguistic analysis to legal evidence such as letters, confessions, contracts and recorded speech. Topics include linguistic theory, the structure of meaning systems and their arbitrary nature, sociolinguistic analysis of variation in dialect and language.

LING 230 provides a broad introduction to the field of forensic linguistics, covering the investigation of criminal, intelligence, and terrorism cases, foundational linguistic theory, ongoing research on threat assessment, criminal defense strategies, a selection of US civil law cases in addition to criminal cases, and includes European forensic linguistic responses to terrorism, threats, and violence.

Yoga: Energize Your Body and Mind

Start your day with an energizing yoga practice offered through Hofstra Continuing Education. This class is designed to gently wake up your entire body and focus your mind. Each class begins with a centering meditation to help you leave the world behind and come into the present moment. Participants will learn to link their breath with mindful movement as they are guided through a sequence of yoga poses, also known as asanas. The class closes with a relaxing Savasana, leaving participants feeling balanced and refreshed. All levels are welcome, and no prior yoga experience is necessary. Yoga mats and props are supplied.

Saturday Classes for Young People: Fostering a Love of Learning

Saturday Classes for Young People aims to instill a love of learning in children. The small class sizes ensure individual attention and encourage students' curiosity, fostering confidence in asking questions. Winter and summer programs are six weeks in duration, while spring and fall sessions run eight weeks. Classes include W.A.R.M. (Writing, Arithmetic, Reading and More), exam preparation for Regents, SAT and ACT, and Summer University for Reviewing Fundamentals (S.U.R.F.).

Other Programs

Hofstra University Continuing Education also offers programs in:

AI-Empowered Data Analysis
Python Development
Project Management
Security Certification
Healthcare
Animal Care
Dance and Performing Arts
Workforce Management

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