The Program in Jewish Studies offers an undergraduate major (BA in Jewish Studies) and minor, Departmental Honors (both by research paper and by service learning), and courses in Jewish Studies, Hebrew, and Yiddish; we also co-sponsor courses in many other units, especially Religious Studies and History, Global and International Studies, and Political Science. Among our several focus areas are Jewish history and culture, Judaism, Holocaust studies, Israel Studies, Jewish languages and narratives, and applied service in Jewish organizations.
Students who choose to complete the BA in Jewish Studies often find employment working in Jewish education, non-profit organizations, outreach, and other areas where knowledge of Jewish languages, history, and culture is an asset. The Jewish Studies BA is easy to combine with other majors and/or minors within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Jewish culture and religion have flourished in a rich variety of forms and in remarkably disparate places on the globe for thousands of years. Jewish contributions have deeply affected the art, languages and literature, law, philosophy, and political thought, and the sciences of all nations. The global impact of Jewish culture thus warrants its study as an important component of the liberal arts curriculum at KU. The Jewish Studies Program at KU is the only such program in the state of Kansas. Its mission, therefore, is to celebrate the Jewish experience and promote the understanding of its cultural importance with courses and academic programs that focus on the history, diversity, culture, languages, thought, and practices of the Jewish people and their religion.
Requirements for the B.A. Major
Students take 30 credit hours structured according to the following plan:
2 Jewish culture or history courses;
2 religion courses relevant to Judaism;
2 courses of intermediate or advanced Hebrew and/or Yiddish;
1 capstone seminar course (JWSH 601), writing intensive;1 and
3 elective courses, allowing the student to explore Jewish Studies in greater breadth and depth.
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
| Studies in Modern Hebrew Literature | |
| The Spanish Inquisition | |
| Jews and Slavs in Eastern Europe | |
| Jewish Secular Culture | |
| Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: An Introduction | |
| History of Jewish Women | |
| Jewish American Literature and Culture | |
| Languages of the Jews | |
| Languages of the Jews, Honors | |
| Hitler and Nazi Germany | |
| The Holocaust in History | |
| Modern Jewish History | |
| The Jewish Experience in America | |
| Contemporary Jewish Identities | |
| Jewish Film | |
| Archaeology of Ancient Israel | |
| Jerusalem Through the Ages | |
| Israel: From Idea to State | |
| Mandatory Palestine: 1920-1948 | |
| Israel/Palestine: The War of 1948 | |
| Israel in the First Decade | |
| Politics and Government in Israel | |
| Topics in Israeli Society: _____ | |
| Polls and Public Opinion in Israel | |
| Arab-Palestinian Society, Culture and Politics | |
| International Relations of the Middle-East | |
| Local Self-Governments in Israel | |
| Research Methods | |
| Regimes in the Middle-East and North Africa | |
| Study Abroad Advanced Topics: _____ | |
| Jews, Christians, Muslims | |
| Understanding the Bible | |
| Understanding the Bible, Honors | |
| The Bible Then and Now | |
| The Talmud: Its Origins, Nature, and Evolution | |
| Mystical Tradition in Judaism | |
| Judaism and Political Theology | |
| Introduction to Judaism | |
| Jews and Christians | |
| |
| |
| Intermediate Modern Hebrew I | |
| Intermediate Modern Hebrew II | |
| Advanced Modern Hebrew I | |
| Advanced Modern Hebrew II | |
| Study Abroad Topics in Hebrew: _____ | |
| Studies in Modern Hebrew | |
| Independent Study | |
| Studies in Yiddish: ______ | |
| Independent Study | |
| Senior Seminar in Jewish Studies | |
| |
Major Hours & Major GPA
While completing all required courses, majors must also meet each of the following hour and grade-point average minimum standards:
Major Hours
Satisfied by 30 hours of major courses.
Major Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 15 hours of KU resident credit in the major.
Major Junior/Senior Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the major.
Major Junior/Senior Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in junior/senior courses (300+) in the major. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Below is a sample 4-year plan for students pursuing the BA in Jewish Studies. To view the list of courses approved to fulfill KU Core Goals, please visit the KU Core website.
Freshman |
---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
HEBR 110 (BA Second Langauge, Major Pre-requisite)4 | 5 | HEBR 120 (BA Second Language, Major Pre-requisite)4 | 5 |
ENGL 101 (Goal 2.1 Written Communication/BA Writing I)1 | 3 | ENGL 102 (Goal 2.1 Written Communication/BA Writing II)1 | 3 |
Goal 1.2 Quantitative Literacy | 3 | Jewish Studies Religion Course (Major Requirement)3 | 3 |
First Year Seminar (Goal 1.1 Critical Thinking) | 3 | Quantitative Reasoning (QR)2 | 3 |
| 14 | | 14 |
Sophomore |
---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
HEBR 210 (BA Second Language, Major Requirement)4 | 3 | HEBR 220 (BA Second Language, Major Requirement)4 | 3 |
Jewish Studies Religion Course (Major Requirement) | 3 | Jewish Studies Culture or History Course (Major Requirement)3 | 3 |
Goal 3 Humanities | 3 | Goal 3 Social Science | 3 |
Goal 3 Natural Science | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 |
BA Laboratory/Field Experience (LFE) | 2 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 |
Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 | |
| 17 | | 15 |
Junior |
---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
Jewish Studies Culture or History Course (Major Requirement)3 | 3 | Jewish Studies Major Elective Course (Major Requirement)5 | 3 |
Jewish Studies Major Elective Course (Major Requirement)5 | 3 | Jewish Studies Major Elective Course (Major Requirement)5 | 3 |
Goal 4.1 US Diversity | 3 | Goal 4.2 Global Awareness | 3 |
Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 |
Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 |
| 15 | | 15 |
Senior |
---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
JWSH 601 (Goal 6 Integration & Creativity, Major Requirement) | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 |
Goal 5 Social Responsibility & Ethics | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 |
Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 |
Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 |
Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours6 | 3 |
| 15 | | 15 |
Total Hours 120 |
Please note:
All students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are required to complete 120 total hours of which 45 hours must be at the Jr/Sr (300+) level.
The same course cannot be used to fulfill more than one KU Core Goal. However, overlap of a KU Core course with a major or degree-specific requirement is allowed. Overlapping is recommended to allow more opportunities to explore other majors and/or minors.
Departmental Honors
For departmental honors in Jewish Studies, students must meet the following criteria:
1. Candidates will have a grade-point average in Jewish Studies of 3.5 both at the time of declaring their intention to seek honors and by graduation.
2. In consultation with the JS honors coordinator and with approval from a supervising professor, candidates will declare their intention to seek honors no later than the time of enrollment for the final undergraduate semester.
3. Candidates will fill out a Departmental Honors Intent form and submit a copy of that form to College Undergraduate Academic Services (109 Strong Hall).
4. Candidates intending to conduct research and write a substantial, original research paper (honors essay) will enroll in JWSH 490 Directed Study in Jewish Studies or in JWSH 491 Directed Study in Jewish Studies Honors (if they are in the University Honors Program) for one or two semesters. Candidates intending to engage in service learning at a community organization will enroll in JWSH 650 and, at the end of service, will submit an essay that describes the service and reflects on the student's experience. A grade of B or higher must be earned in this/these courses.
5. A committee of three members of the University faculty (the supervising professor and two others, one of whom must be a member of the Jewish Studies faculty) will approve the honors essay or service learning project and will certify to the JS honors coordinator that the candidate has successfully completed the requirements to earn honors. The JS honors coordinator will write to notify College Advising and Student Services that the JS Honors Program has been successfully completed.
6. If the candidate is earning a double major and is attempting to earn departmental honors in two different departments, one research project may be used to satisfy the requirements of both departments if the candidate obtains approval from both. Both departments must be represented on the student’s committee.