Modern Jewish Studies
Bachelor of Arts, Accelerated Master's, Minor
About this program
The Bachelor of Arts in Modern Jewish Studies helps you explore how Jewish life, thought and culture have shaped and responded to modern times. The B.A. combines history, literature, language and culture with courses in Holocaust studies, American Jewish experience, Israel, Jewish thought and modern literatures. You learn to compare Jewish experiences across cultures and see connections with other global communities. You gain interpretive skills and broad knowledge of how Jewish identity fits into the modern world.
Program Curriculum and Requirements
Program Scope
The Bachelor’s Degree in Modern Jewish Studies is designed for students coming from any and all religious and ethnic backgrounds, and for those with no religious background at all. The teaching philosophy in the Department of Jewish Studies is to use academic approaches of disciplines from across the University to study religion, literature, history, culture, language and all other aspects of Jewish life and experience.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students develop interpretive and analytical skills in reading Jewish religious texts.
- Students develop interpretive and analytical skills in reading Jewish literary texts.
- Students gain knowledge of the history and cultures of Jews and Judaism in the ancient, medieval, and modern periods in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
- Students gain knowledge of the relationships of Jews and Judaism to other peoples, religions, and cultures in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
- Students gain knowledge of the ways that Jews and Judaism illuminate the histories, literatures, religions, and cultures of non-Jews in the world.
- Students gain knowledge of the ways that non-Jewish histories, literatures, religions, and cultures are necessary to understand Jews and Judaism in the world.
- Students find, read, understand, and assimilate primary and secondary research materials.
Minor in Jewish Studies
The Minor in Jewish Studies lets you explore Jewish religion, history, culture, politics, and more. You take courses that connect Jewish and Israeli life with wider global ideas. Most classes are open to students from any major. You complete at least 12 units, including upper-division courses. This minor adds depth to studies in the humanities, social sciences, and other fields.
Learn more about the Minor in Jewish Studies