The combined major in Jewish studies and religion offers students an integrated program of study of two naturally complementary fields. Study of Judaism as a religion is enhanced by broad familiarity with the world’s religious traditions; conversely, in-depth knowledge of Jewish history, identity, and cultures provides students of religion with valuable insight into the ways in which religion interacts with a wide variety of forces to shape the experiences of the adherents of a particular faith. The combined major is designed to enable students to understand the history, cultures, and religion of the Jewish people; analyze and apply theoretical understanding to the interaction between religious, social, and historical factors that have shaped the experiences of the Jewish people; and demonstrate fluency in understanding the major religious traditions of the world. The combined major in Jewish studies and religion is designed to prepare students for graduate work in Jewish studies, religion, or many of the other disciplines that make up Jewish studies or for work within the Jewish community or in communal organizations associated with other religions.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
BA Language Requirements
All BA students are required to complete the BA degree language requirements, for a total of 12 semester hours of language study or demonstrated equivalent proficiency, as described in Additional Requirements for BA students. Successful demonstration of proficiency does not reduce total minimum semester hours of study required to earn the BA degree.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Jewish Studies Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| JWSS 1285 | Jewish Religion and Culture | 4 |
| or PHIL 1285 | Jewish Religion and Culture | |
| or JWSS 1294 | History of the Jews in the Modern World | |
| or HIST 1294 | History of the Jews in the Modern World | |
| JWSS 4660 | Jewish Studies Module | 1 |
| Jewish Religion and Thought | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Sex, Gender, and Judaism | ||
or WMNS 2259 | Sex, Gender, and Judaism | |
| Law and History | ||
| Israel Studies | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Contemporary Israeli Literature and Art Abroad | ||
| Modern Israel | ||
| Arab-Israeli Conflict | ||
| Jewish History | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Hitler, Germany, and the Holocaust | ||
| The Holocaust and Comparative Genocide | ||
| America and the Holocaust | ||
or JWSS 2285 | America and the Holocaust | |
| Immigration and Identity in the American Jewish Experience | ||
or JWSS 2431 | Immigration and Identity in the American Jewish Experience | |
| Jewish Art and Culture | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Contemporary Israeli Literature and Art Abroad | ||
| Bedrooms and Battlefields: Hebrew Bible and the Origins of Sex, Gender, and Ethnicity | ||
or JWSS 3678 | Bedrooms and Battlefields: Hebrew Bible and the Origins of Sex, Gender, and Ethnicity | |
| Modern and Contemporary Jewish Literature | ||
or JWSS 3685 | Modern and Contemporary Jewish Literature | |
| Jewish Studies Electives | ||
| Complete three of the following: | 12 | |
| Contemporary Israeli Literature and Art Abroad | ||
| Bedrooms and Battlefields: Hebrew Bible and the Origins of Sex, Gender, and Ethnicity | ||
or JWSS 3678 | Bedrooms and Battlefields: Hebrew Bible and the Origins of Sex, Gender, and Ethnicity | |
| Modern and Contemporary Jewish Literature | ||
or JWSS 3685 | Modern and Contemporary Jewish Literature | |
| Hitler, Germany, and the Holocaust | ||
| The Holocaust and Comparative Genocide | ||
or JWSS 2282 | The Holocaust and Comparative Genocide | |
| America and the Holocaust | ||
or JWSS 2285 | America and the Holocaust | |
| Immigration and Identity in the American Jewish Experience | ||
or JWSS 2431 | Immigration and Identity in the American Jewish Experience | |
| Modern Israel | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Understanding the Bible | ||
| Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | ||
| Religion and Politics | ||
| Government and Politics in the Middle East | ||
| Arab-Israeli Conflict | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Inequality | ||
Religion Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Foundational Course | ||
| PHIL 1110 | Introduction to Religious Studies | 4 |
| Lived Religion Elective | ||
| Complete one of the following courses that has not been used to satisfy another requirement: | 4 | |
| Selling Spirituality | ||
| The Meaning of Death | ||
| Apocalypticism in Film | ||
| Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | ||
| Islam: Rituals, Traditions, and Debates | ||
PHIL 1295 | ||
| Science Fiction and Film: Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Analysis | ||
| Music and Religion | ||
| Cults and Sects | ||
| Possession, Sacrifice, and Divination in African Diasporic Religions | ||
| Race and Religion in Film | ||
| The Religious Worlds of Boston: Faith and Devotion in Urban Life | ||
| Comparative Religion Elective | ||
| Complete one of the following courses that has not been used to satisfy another requirement: | 4 | |
| Introduction to World Religions | ||
| Comparative Ethics | ||
| The Meaning of Death | ||
| Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | ||
| Hinduism, Buddhism, and Beyond | ||
| Chinese Philosophy and Religion | ||
| Science Fiction and Film: Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Analysis | ||
| Japanese Buddhism | ||
| The Religious Worlds of Boston: Faith and Devotion in Urban Life | ||
| Electives | ||
| Complete five of the following courses, one of which must be at the 2000 level or above and another one of which must be at the 3000 level or above, that have not been used to satisfy another requirement: | 20 | |
| Goddesses, Witches, Saints, and Sinners: Women and Religion | ||
| Introduction to World Religions | ||
| Understanding the Bible | ||
| Comparative Ethics | ||
| Selling Spirituality | ||
| The Meaning of Death | ||
| Apocalypticism in Film | ||
| Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | ||
| Hinduism, Buddhism, and Beyond | ||
| Islam: Rituals, Traditions, and Debates | ||
| Jewish Religion and Culture | ||
| Chinese Philosophy and Religion | ||
PHIL 1295 | ||
| The Problem of Evil in Film | ||
| Science Fiction and Film: Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Analysis | ||
| Music and Religion | ||
| Cults and Sects | ||
| Japanese Buddhism | ||
| Possession, Sacrifice, and Divination in African Diasporic Religions | ||
| Race and Religion in Film | ||
| The Religious Worlds of Boston: Faith and Devotion in Urban Life | ||
| Seminar in Religion | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Complete the following course that has not been used to satisfy another requirement: | 4 | |
| Seminar in Religion | ||
Integrative Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following courses that has not been used to satisfy another requirement: | 4 | |
| History of the Jews in the Modern World | ||
or JWSS 1294 | History of the Jews in the Modern World | |
| Immigration and Identity in the American Jewish Experience | ||
or JWSS 2431 | Immigration and Identity in the American Jewish Experience | |
| Hebrew Language Introduction | ||
| Complete two courses in Hebrew. These courses also count toward the BA language requirement. | 8 | |
Jewish Studies and Religion Major Credit Requirement
80 major semester hours required
Experiential Liberal Arts
All students in this College of Social Sciences and Humanities program are required to complete the Experiential Liberal Arts Requirement.
Program Requirement
128 total semester hours required
Four Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | Lived religion elective | 4 | Vacation | 0 | Elective | 4 |
| PHIL 1110 | 4 | Israel studies | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||
| PHIL 1285 or JWSS 1285 | 4 | HBRW 1101 | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | HIST 1100 | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Elective | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | 0 | Elective | 4 | |
| Jewish history course | 4 | JS elective | 4 | ||||
| Comparative religion elective | 4 | ||||||
| HBRW 1102 | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| PHIL 2000-level elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| Jewish art and culture course | 4 | JWSS 4660 | 1 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | |||||
| JS elective | 4 | JS elective | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 9 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| PHIL 3000-level elective | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | Elective | 4 | ||
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Intergrative requirement course | 4 | ||||||
| PHIL capstone | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Total Hours: 129 | |||||||