Judaic Studies (BA)

Students from many different backgrounds and diverse interests benefit from learning more about the history of Western civilization through the perspective of Judaic studies. The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies offers both a major and a minor for students. The program emphasizes the history, religion, and civilization of the Jewish people, as well as two years’ proficiency in Hebrew language and literature. The major is interdisciplinary, meaning undergraduates can take courses from a variety of departments that appeal to their unique interests. Students graduate with both advanced language skills and an increased awareness of diverse cultures and traditions.

The Judaic studies program consists of core courses taught under the HBRW, JDST, and REL subject codes and related courses taught in the disciplines of participating faculty members—anthropology, art history, comparative literature, conflict and dispute resolution, English, geography, folklore and public culture, German and Scandinavian, history, landscape architecture, music, philosophy, political science, religious studies, Romance languages, and women’s and gender studies.

The focus on Jewish cultures and experience as a lens to study the world provides a liberal arts background suitable to careers in a range of professional fields (law, education, rabbinate, social service, public policy) and prepares students for graduate work in Judaic studies, religious studies, and related fields.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Obtain B2 language proficiency in Modern Hebrew (CEFR); identify and explain the significance of language in assessing Jewish culture(s).
• Identify, describe and explain Jewish experiences, achievements, and challenges in various historical, social, religious, political, and cultural contexts.
• Identify and analyze Jewish aesthetic and cultural artifacts and be able to contextualize them and critically discuss there connection to other disciplines, i.e., political science, anthropology, literary theory, etc.
• Read and critically analyze primary sources and current scholarly literature, applying appropriate theoretical and methodological tools in the academic study of Judaism and Jewish culture.
• Make an effective and valid argument in speech and writing: one that successfully establishes a premise and critically supports that premise with appropriate and persuasive scholarly evidence.
• Knowledge of major historical figures, writers and other cultural figures and ability to evaluate and discuss them/their work.
• Critically understand the difference between the American Jewish experience and the Jewish experience in other nations.
• Identify, describe and explain materials, terminologies, and methodologies in literature, film and media pertaining to the field.

Judaic Studies Major Requirements

Courses used to fulfill the major requirements must be taken for letter grade and passed with a grade of C+ or better. A maximum of two courses can be overlapped with another major or minor ( up to 8 credits).

Honors in Judaic Studies

A degree with honors in Judaic studies requires the following:

1. Satisfaction of the requirements of the major
2. A cumulative grade point average of 3.50 in courses taken to satisfy the major requirements
3. Satisfactory completion of an honors thesis

The candidate for honors must register for 4 credits in Research: [Topic] (JDST 401) winter term of the senior year in order to prepare for writing the thesis, and for 4 credits in Thesis (JDST 403) spring term for its completion. A faculty committee of two supervises the project. A first draft of the thesis must be submitted six weeks before the end of the term in which the student expects to graduate and the final draft two weeks before the end of the term.

Four-Year Degree Plan

The degree plan shown is only a sample of how students may complete their degrees in four years. There are alternative ways. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best path for them.

Bachelor of Arts in Judaic Studies