Student Experience

If you’re considering a master’s at Hofstra, you can do it. Don't think you're too old for it or it's too late. I waited almost two years after I graduated to pursue my master’s, and while I wish I had started sooner, I did not at all feel behind those in my classes who were fresh out of undergrad. 

I started my graduate career at another university in the fall of 2019 and hated it. Everything about it from the classes to the shut-off, non-personable professors and staff. Then, I came to Hofstra and it's a complete 180! I've been able to make a connection with every one of my professors and they all genuinely care about my education! I know I will be taking what I learn from them and applying it to my own teaching methods, and that's a great feeling.

I chose an MA in PR because I want to teach at the college level! And I love learning, I feel there's always something more to learn and teach ourselves! The program really appealed to me, and after chatting with Prof. Morosoff, I knew it's where I wanted to be!

After I graduate I want to be a college professor or work in an admissions department of a university.

The events of 2020, with the killing of George Floyd, had many companies refocusing on how they deal with the issue of race. Many had no idea how to change their messaging or message awareness. The pandemic only compounded all of these issues. During the lockdown, I decided to focus my attention on making myself more marketable for the workforce by gaining more experience and knowledge in public relations and crisis management and Hofstra seemed like the perfect fit. The school, being five minutes from my house, only made the decision more comfortable. 

Hofstra has a stellar reputation for turning out excellence. I wanted to be part of that community. Once I had an opportunity to interact with the faculty and got to see the caliber of professors, it made sense to gain from their knowledge and experience. 

Like most things in life, there is an adjustment period. The brilliance and caring nature of the faculty have made it seem less. They understand what the world requires and what you require, and are always willing to assist and or point you in that direction. 

Upon graduation, my goal is to become a VP or senior executive of public relations and or crisis management. I am eager to put into practice some of the many things that I have already learned.

I wanted to further my education with a master's degree that will help with my current position in marketing. My experience as a graduate student has so far been great. The coursework has been both interesting and relevant to public relations crises going on every day. After I graduate, I hope to become a VP of marketing.

I chose Hofstra because they offered exactly what I was looking for! Besides my desired course of study, they offered small class sizes. I attended a big university with large lecture courses, but I wanted my MA classes to be more personable. As a graduate student of Hofstra, my experience has been amazing! I was able to take part in mentoring and became a WRHU radio producer and Unispan Records team member. It gave me an opportunity to reinvent myself.   

I always have a love for business and writing, so I decided to combine my passions. I started a small business in 2019 and felt I needed to better understand the public relations side, since my business is all about media/entertainment.

I would love to eventually teach and continue mentoring others who are looking to go into the Music/Media fields. I want to continue to grow my business, GENEUS, into a national name supporting indie artists and provide music business education.

Throughout this year and a quarter at Hofstra, I have been overwhelmingly grateful for the staff and my graduate student cohort. Professors Topper, Cordeau, Kelly, Jacobellis, Alaimo, Young, Cardona, and Morosoff were extremely helpful in their lessons and processing methodologies. 

This made learning the aspects of public relations straightforward, with their combined hands-on experience.

Though much of my time as a Hofstra student has been marred by the ongoing pandemic, I am thankful that all professors in our courses gave us their best efforts to ensure we received the high standard of education we grew accustomed to. In this testing period, we were able to adapt to our revised ways of learning and this wouldn't have been possible without them. 

Graduate school is a testing but enlightening experience. To students considering a Master’s degree, I would urge them to map their career path(s), then see how and what program can aid them in their desired pursuit. Fewer walk the extra mile, therefore, as a graduate student one should acknowledge that it is no easy stroll. Despite this, with good focus, balance, ambition, drive, and support this can be a very rewarding and worthwhile experience.

When I think of my career path and its endless possibilities, I would like to believe that it will follow a path of representing companies, organizations, and individuals that focus on environmental solutions. 

After completing my undergraduate degree, I found myself in a clear focus of how I could utilize my strengths and skills. Upon further research, I found that acquiring an MA in PR would allow me the professional and personal growth I sought. 

My extracurricular experiences included the opportunity to aid professor Murillo via the Diversity & Inclusion panel at the Herbert School. These meetings gave a platform to professors and students addressing campus concerns with ongoing social issues and in them, we were able to implement step-by-step solutions.

Finally, organizations such as PRSSA and Leaf provided students networking opportunities within our studied industries and for the latter, environmentally focussed interests. These organizations brought students and faculty of different. As I set course to the upcoming chapter of my life I am appreciative of all that I have learned, and all of whom I met in the Hofstra family- rather, the Hofstra Pride!

Before my enrollment in Hofstra’s online Master of Arts in Public Relations program, I would watch the news and question how organizations would get themselves out of the crises they found themselves in. That's when I knew a concentration in Crisis and Reputation management was an interest I wanted to pursue. Within my first few weeks at Hofstra, I knew I had made the right choice in this program. The program fits my schedule while I work full time. What’s more, the topics, discussions, and theories grant us room for interpretation and freedom to apply our newly inherited knowledge to real life crises. Materials from my courses have helped polish my tactics on how to approach situations on behalf of organizations. This program has solidified my passion for this field and its intimate course sizes allow my classmates and me to share our ideas and present points of view that we might not have thought of on our own. The constant communication with my professor has been informative and inspiring. I'm truly grateful and inspired to be in a program with professors who are just as passionate about public relations as I am. I toured other universities prior to applying, but their curriculums on crisis management in public relations didn’t compare to Hofstra, in my eyes. I can't wait to see what the future has for me after I complete my master's at Hofstra University.

When I began the process of looking at public relations graduate programs, I knew I wanted to be in a program that was writing intensive. Being from an English and psychology background, I wanted to find a program that would help me translate my academic writing skills to press releases, social media, pitches, and all of the other communications-related writing that I had yet to be acquainted with. Hofstra’s public relations MA program was one of the few in the country that emphasized writing to the degree I was looking for. My course work and professors have challenged me creatively and have strengthened me professionally. The class sizes are small, and I’ve greatly benefited from the personalized instruction given to me by my professors, who are always available to help me better understand difficult concepts and assignments. Every class, they assist me in honing my strengths and improving my weaknesses. I also have enjoyed closely collaborating with my diverse group of classmates and building connections with them; I have gained so much knowledge from their unique viewpoints and communications techniques. I feel that the skills I am learning will allow me to excel in the professional world, and I’ve already used so many of these new skills in my internships. It was a big leap for me to move from a small town in Tennessee to just outside of New York City, but I am so glad I did. I have been able to take advantage of so many wonderful opportunities through this program. I feel so proud of all I have accomplished in this program, and I feel more than prepared to begin my journey as a public relations professional.