Apr 19, 2024  
Course Catalog 2005-2006 
    
Course Catalog 2005-2006 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Jewish Studies


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Major


The Jewish Studies major consists of a minimum of 30 hours of core and elective courses. Majors select four courses from core (required) areas in Hebrew, JWST history and religion, and at least three additional courses in either JWST history or religion.

Core Courses


Students are required to select a two-semester Hebrew language sequence (either Classical or Modern Hebrew), and two additional courses from the five introductory JWST history and religion offerings listed below:

JWST 111 - (Classical Hebrew I) and JWST 112 (Classical Hebrew II), or
JWST 101 - (Modern Hebrew I) and JWST 102 (Modern Hebrew II)
JWST 131 - Jewish History from Biblical Times to 1492
JWST 132 - Jewish History from the Spanish Expulsion to the Present
JWST 150 - Introduction to Judaism
JWST 151 - Modern Jewish Thought
JWST 152 - Medieval Jewish Thought: Law, Mysticism, and Philosophy.

JWST History or Religion Concentration


Majors are urged to complete the four-course required sequence during their first two years of study. Majors are then required to choose a concentration in either Jewish history or Jewish religion and to take three additional courses in those areas from the program’s offerings or, with the approval of the Program Director, equivalent courses offered elsewhere, up to the limit listed below. Majors with a concentration in Jewish history are required to select three additional JWST history courses, including a second semester of the required survey (JWST 131/132), if that was not taken to satisfy the core requirement, and at least one 300-level seminar. Majors with a concentration in Jewish religion are required to select three additional JWST religion courses, including JWST 150 and either JWST 151 or 152, if that was not taken to satisfy the core requirement, and at least one 300-level seminar. The student’s major advisor and the Program Director must approve these three additional courses, insuring that the major attains both breadth and depth of study. Majors may also establish a concentration in one era of Jewish history, combining courses in history and religion, with the approval of JWST faculty and the Program Director.

Elective Courses. In addition, majors select three elective JWST courses, in consultation with their JWST advisor, to complete the required 30 hours. The program encourages use of Hebrew in more advanced courses and recommends that majors live in Johnson House, the Program House of Jewish Studies, where Hebrew language and text study and/or cultural programming are offered. The program encourages majors to pursue intensive study of Jewish languages (Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, Judeo-Arabic) in approved programs elsewhere, subject to the approval of the Program Director, and offers an award, open to competition by all students, for such study; see the Program Director for details. Normally, admission to 300-level courses will be open only to students who have taken the relevant introductory course (see list, above), or equivalent.

Minor


A minor in Jewish Studies consists of a minimum of 15 credit hours in JWST courses.

Note


All courses in Jewish history and Jewish religion are cross-listed with the departments of History and Religion, respectively, and also count for credit in those majors.

Honors


Qualified students wishing to do an advanced research project in JWST, working closely with an appropriate faculty member, are invited to apply for admission to the Honors Program for their seventh and eighth semesters. Students wishing to be considered for the Honors Program must consult the Program Director and submit a statement of the proposed topic and its methodology and bibliography (8-10 pages total), by April 15 of the student’s sixth semester; late applications may be considered. Admission to the program and actual award of Honors will be determined by JWST faculty based on the student’s academic record in JWST and overall, and the strength of the proposal and the finished product. Credit hours earned from the Honors Project should be beyond those required for the major. For further details, see the Program Director.

Transfer of Credit


Students may transfer up to 14 hours toward the major, or seven hours toward the minor, from accredited institutions, at the discretion of the Program Director. With the exception of Hebrew, such credits should be for specialized courses, rather than for courses equivalent to introductory courses required for the major/ minor.

A minimum grade of C– is required for any course to count for the major/minor.

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