The Major
Requirements
Honors Program
Combined BA/MA
While Jewish Studies courses serve a wide and diverse clientele,
the Jewish Studies major appeals to students who want an
in-depth exposure to Jewish culture, literature, history,
and texts. The purpose of the Jewish Studies major is to
provide students with a broad understanding of the full
range of Jewish experience over the past four millennia
as well as in-depth understanding of aspects of that history
and culture. Like all majors in the Arts and Humanities,
a Jewish Studies major not only trains students in a field,
it also teaches them how to analyze texts and weigh evidence,
read in a discriminating manner, and argue persuasively
in speech and in writing. Majors pursue a variety of careers
in law, medicine, journalism, government service, education,
social work, Jewish communal service, and the rabbinate.
An increasing number of students choose to complete two
majors and often choose Jewish Studies as one of their two
majors. The Jewish Studies major is a demanding one. Students
must obtain proficiency in Hebrew language. Accordingly,
there is a prerequisite of two years of college-level Hebrew
or the equivalent. All students must take third-year Hebrew.
Students who major in Jewish Studies without prior knowledge
of Hebrew often find it helpful to spend time in an ulpan
at a university in Israel, but many succeed by taking the
sequence of excellent courses offered at UMCP. In addition
to the Hebrew requirements, students must take a variety of courses in Jewish history, Jewish literature, and Jewish
texts. All students must take JWST 309, a seminar in which
they produce a substantial research paper. HEBR 313 and
HEBR 314 (Third-Year Hebrew) JWST 234 and JWST 235 (Survey
of Jewish History) JWST 309 (Research Seminar) One course
in classical Jewish literature (can be in translation) One
Hebrew text course (in Hebrew; upper level) Five courses
(15 credits) of electives in Jewish Studies (at least 9
credits upper level).
Requirements for the Major [top]
Prerequisite: Two-Years of College Level Hebrew or
the Equivalent
1. HEBR 313 and HEBR 314 (Third-Year Hebrew)
2. JWST 234 and JWST 235 (Survey of Jewish History)
3. JWST 309 (Research Seminar)
4. One course in classical Jewish literature (can be in
translation)
5. One Hebrew text course (in Hebrew; upper level)
6. Five courses (15 credits) of electives in Jewish Studies
(at least 9 credits upper level)
7. Four supporting courses (12 credits): courses in other
fields of the humanities or social sciences that deal with
other cultures and societies and thus support understanding
of Jewish culture (at least 6 credits upper level).
Honors in Jewish Studies [top]
The Honors Program in Jewish Studies is designed to encourage Jewish Studies majors with excellent grades and strong academic interests to pursue an individual research project of their own design, in consultation with and under the direction of an advisor. The Program consists of twelve credits taken in a student's Junior and Senior years culminating in the writing of an honors thesis. Students who complete the Honors Program are deemed to have completed the research seminar requirement for the major, typically completed through JWST 309.
Junior Year : Students apply for admission to the Honors Program in the Fall of their Junior year, and, upon admission, enroll in the Honors Seminar (JWST 408) (3 credits) in the Spring of their Junior year. During this time students are expected to develop a general research plan to be approved by the prospective thesis advisor. Thesis advisors will generally belong to the regular or affiliate Jewish Studies faculty. Other faculty may serve as thesis advisor with the written permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Senior Year : In the Fall of their Senior year students select an upper-level course (3 credits) closely related to their research agenda in consultation with the advisor. This may include a regularly offered undergraduate course, independent study, in which case students are encouraged to apply for an Honors Option for that particular course. In addition, students may request permission to enroll in a graduate-level course to complete this part of their requirement. Students who enter the Honors Program with a clearly defined research interest may complete this requirement in their Junior year.
In addition, students take 6 credits of JWST 418: Honors Thesis Research, under the direction of their thesis advisor. Typically these will be divided between the Fall and Spring semesters. Students are expected to work out with their advisors clear goals that contribute to the thesis as a whole for each semester of thesis research, and will be graded each semester on the basis of having met those goals. In the second semester, the principal goal will be the completed thesis.
Combined BA/MA [top]
The Combined BA/MA program in Jewish Studies follows rules established by the University for individual programs. The program allows students to take nine graduate credits while still undergraduates and have them count toward both their BA degree and an MA degree. As a result, students enter the Jewish Studies MA program having only 21 credits to complete. JWST majors and majors in other departments and disciplines are eligible to apply for the program.
1. Students submit an application for approval of a combined BA/MA Program of Study in Jewish Studies in the Spring of their Junior year. (Download here)
2. Up to three graduate-level courses (9 credits) may be counted toward both the BA and the MA program. These are normally taken in the student's Senior year, and should consist of the following:
a. JWST 600
b. Two additional courses on the recommendation of the Faculty Sponsor(s)
During the student's Senior year the student applies to the Graduate School for an MA in Jewish Studies
Acceptance into the Combined BA/MA Program is not complete without the signed approval of the Director of Jewish Studies, the Chair of the student's major department (if not Jewish Studies), and the Director of the Graduate School. These signatures are to appear on the Graduate School's "Combined Bachelors / Masters Form."
Acceptance into the Combined BA/MA Program by Jewish Studies does not constitute admission to the Graduate School, nor does it guarantee admission to the Graduate School.
With the application form please provide the following:
1. Transcript (unofficial transcript is sufficient)
2. Letter of support from Faculty Sponsor(s) (non-JWST majors require a JWST Faculty Sponsor as well as a Sponsor in their own department)
3. Letter from sponsor(s) should specify two graduate courses in the Student's proposed field to count toward both the MA and the BA
3. Statement of academic purpose
4. Sample of academic writing (e.g., a paper submitted for a class) |
