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Rewrite Your Summer Story: Standout Summer Classes

cscala — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:56:52 +0000

Whether you want to study the stars, master the art of the remix or intern for a global brand, these are a few highly recommended summer classes, personally selected by the summer classes team and Adelphi faculty.

You can dive into the topics you’re actually curious about, knock out those PATH general education requirements in a more focused environment, take on an internship or travel the world—all while keeping your graduation timeline on track.

You can see all the courses here, but take a look at these standouts.

Explore the Cosmos (and Check Off Your Science Credit)

Ever looked up at the night sky and wondered how it all started? Astronomy (PHY-104) takes you from the Big Bang to the formation of distant galaxies.

If you’re a STEM major or pre-med student, you can also power through College Physics I and II (PHY-111/112).

The perk: You get a deep dive into scientific reasoning while satisfying your PATH natural science requirement.

Study in Australia: The Ultimate Field Trip

If a traditional classroom feels too small, Introduction to Tropical Marine and Terrestrial Systems (BIO-215) is your ticket to the Great Barrier Reef and the Australian rainforest. You’ll participate in real ecological research in some of the most biodiverse (and threatened) spots on earth.

Earn your PATH natural science credits while building a résumé that literally spans the globe.

Make This a Summer of Creativity

Summer is the perfect time to let your creative side breathe without the pressure of a full fall/spring course load.

The History of Animation (ARH-260): Trace the magic from Disney to Tim Burton.
Introduction to Digital Art (ART-125): Learn Photoshop and Illustrator to build a professional portfolio from scratch.
The American Hip Hop Phenomenon (MUH-242): Explore how turntables and Tupac changed global culture.

These courses satisfy your arts PATH requirement while fueling your artistic passions.

Understand Human Behavior

Want to understand what makes people tick? Our social sciences offerings help you see the world through a different lens:

Cultural Anthropology (ANT-111): Learn to think like an ethnographer and understand diverse global traditions.
General Psychology (PSY-101): A foundational look at the mind, from biology to social influence
Media and Children (COM-205): Analyze how TikTok, TV and movies shape the development of the next generation.

You will gain essential “people skills” for any career while fulfilling your PATH social sciences requirement.

The Global Career Accelerator: Work for Netflix or L’Oréal

Looking for an internship-style experience without the commute? The s an online experiential program where you’ll work on real-world projects for companies like Netflix, Intel and the Grammys.

Collaborate: Work with students from 50-plus countries.
Earn 3 academic credits and up to 4 industry micro-credentials.

This course is a massive résumé booster that proves you can thrive in a remote, international workforce.

TESTIMONIAL: “Summer at Adelphi is about more than just getting ahead—it’s an opportunity for students to explore topics they’re excited about while building skills that will benefit them beyond the classroom.”—Meghan Buckley, Executive Director of Early Engagement and Partnership Programs

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Change Makers: Social Work Alumni Who Turned Passion Into Purpose

ahassan — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:50:05 +0000

She went on to acting school after graduation but, as a former foster child, she was always drawn to helping kids. In 2016, she combined her passions by creating , a nonprofit with chapters in New York and Atlanta, Georgia, that helps children heal from trauma through performance-based practice, turning their experiences into plays, films and photography.

Centeno isn’t alone in using her Adelphi social work experience to create an organization outside the clinic, and the Master of Social Work (MSW) program is a key ingredient in their process. One of the nation’s highest-ranked social work programs, the Adelphi MSW infuses human rights, racial justice and anti-oppressive practices throughout its curriculum, which includes classes focused on using law and legislation to promote policy change. A social action initiative each spring works with area nonprofits in antiracist and criminal justice advocacy work—perhaps serving as an inspiration to alumni who end up creating their own paths.

Healing Trauma Through The Arts

The Playbill for Somewhere Between, a Foster Care Unplugged stage production exploring the journey of foster youth, performed at the Mark O’Donnell Theater in Brooklyn on March 27 and 29, 2026.

Centeno cites Adelphi’s program as a formative part of her career. When taking acting classes, she realized that performance wasn’t all that different from group therapy. “Acting is responding to something that is not real, so you have to tap into your emotions to get there,” she said. At the same time, foster children are often deeply skeptical of traditional therapy, worried their words will be used against them or their family. The performance-based practice, Centeno said, can help them overcome mistrust by recognizing that others feel the same way they do, and working together to produce a creative project.

“I remember one girl who wouldn’t speak to anyone when she first came in, but by the end of the program, she would not be quiet,” said Centeno. The proof is in the numbers: Foster Care Unplugged has a 93 percent retention rate—a level virtually unheard of in foster care programs—and surveys have found a rise in self-esteem of 23 percent after the 12-week program. In leading the program, Centeno draws upon the hands-on training she got at Adelphi. “So many classes weren’t just ‘read this text, write this paper,’” she said; rather, they put students in the shoes of clients through journaling and other experiential activities to develop empathy. “They taught me to actually live out the journey of the clients I was about to serve.”

Cynthia Jean celebrates the Spring Forward Hope for Pink Event, held at Kendra Scott SoHo in New York City.

Expanding Breast Cancer Education

Cynthia Jean, MSW ’12, also draws upon personal passion at her nonprofit, . In 2014, Jean was diagnosed with breast cancer, yet struggled to find accurate information about her options for treatment and recovery, especially as a young woman of color. “I didn’t find a lot of information provided for women who look like me or who are in my age group,” said Jean, who is Haitian American. “You had to dig for it.” After her cancer went into remission, Jean founded to offer information and guidance to other women through health fairs and other events and organizations, empowering women to advocate for themselves. Too often, for example, doctors immediately propose mastectomy when less invasive treatments are available or don’t adequately inform patients about genetic testing or the importance of monitoring after treatment.

Founding Hope for Pink in 2024 has further expanded Jean’s mission to advocate for policy changes on a higher level to expand treatment for underserved populations. At Adelphi, she took courses in political social work, and attended a certificate program at

Participants gather at the Spring Forward Sweat Fete, a pink awareness health and fitness event celebrating breast cancer awareness and community wellness.

the University of Connecticut’s that focused on influencing government policy. She has since drawn upon that background as part of the , which advocates for more equitable access to cancer screening tools, and , which facilitates free or low-cost screening for uninsured women. “I was always interested in having a broad impact, knowing that policy is important, because that’s where change happens,” she said.

Music in Dementia Care

Dan Cohen, MSW ’78, similarly focused on the political aspects of social work during his time at Adelphi. “My goal was not to be a counselor or do clinical social work, but more about what systems I might be able to help change,” he said. After earning his degree, his life took a detour into the technology field for four decades, but he always remained interested in social justice. When he heard about a new device called the iPod in 2006, he began volunteering in nursing homes, setting up elderly residents with music from their youth. He was amazed at the results. “You could have residents who were out of it for weeks or months, and then all of a sudden they spring to life,” he said.

At the same time, he struggled with red tape, eventually creating a nonprofit, , to cut through it, training teams in some 5,000 hospitals and assisted living facilities to integrate music as part of residents’ treatments. As he dug into the science, he found that exposing elderly patients to music is associated with a 48 percent decrease in depression. “If you had a pill that did that, every doctor would want to prescribe it,” he said. In addition, music results in dramatic decreases in falls and choking by dementia patients who show improved attention, as well as decreased burden on caretakers.

A woman responds joyfully to personalized music as part of the Right to Music program, which uses individualized playlists to spark connection and engagement in older adults.

As wonderful as music can be as a treatment, Cohen said, it struggles for recognition amid the deep-pocketed advertising budgets of pharmaceutical companies. He has since started a new organization, , to advocate on an international level, raising awareness and seeking to change policies to facilitate the introduction of music in gerontological settings. Among other endeavors, he’s been involved in work through the to expand access to music in care settings around the world, as well as efforts to free up money from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to devote to music and dementia efforts in the United States. “At Adelphi, I found some smart, passionate people who helped me focus my own skill set and understand a bit more about the paths to systems change,” he said. “My social work degree certainly laid the foundation for me to move confidently as I now try to make change.”

The ��ý MSW program is available in three locations—Garden City, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie—and, this fall, will also be part of the University’s new Manhattan Center.

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From Army Chaplain to Beloved Professor: One Social Worker’s Unlikely Journey

ahassan — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:40:19 +0000

path to Adelphi might be considered nontraditional. Before arriving as a member of the faculty at the School of Social Work in 1984—a role he would hold for the next four decades—he had already accumulated a remarkable range of professional experiences. He served as a first lieutenant and chaplain with the U.S. Army Combat Engineers, which brought him face-to-face with the psychological costs of stress, crisis and trauma. That service instilled in him a practical understanding that led him to pursue psychoanalytic training at the , where he earned his Master of Social Work degree and became a licensed social worker.

“After becoming a social worker, I ran into a priest at a party who said I should try teaching as he did,” said Dr. Belson. “I enjoyed teaching too. So I became a DSW and a professor at Adelphi, and I love it. I realized that teaching is my specialty. I called that priest every year until he passed away to thank him.”

The Art of Teaching

In 2003–2004, Dr. Belson received ��ý’s Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence. This recognition was inspired by his vibrant teaching style that balanced intellectual seriousness with humor. He once delivered a keynote titled “Intensity, Chaos, Humor and Redemption: 30 Years of Working With Couples and Families,” a title that gives some indication of his pedagogical approach. He taught students not just how to intervene, but how to be present, how to listen for what isn’t said and be comfortable amid complexity.

Dr. Belson’s retirement does not mark an ending so much as a consolidation—a life’s work that will continue through the practitioners he trained, the papers he wrote and the questions he taught an entire generation to ask. The ��ý School of Social Work will miss him, but the field he served is richer for everything he gave.

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