Jewish Studies - Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies is designed to help students develop the professional skills they need to become engaged global citizens, preparing them to obtain a job after graduation, pursue graduate studies and engage in dialogues about social justice around the world. By studying the world through the lens of Jewish culture, history, literature, society, and thought from a broad, interdisciplinary perspective, our students gain fundamental critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills.

Students pursuing a BA in Jewish studies may choose one of the following two concentrations:

• Culture intensive concentration, in which students will pursue an in-depth study of Jewish culture.
• Foreign language intensive concentration, in which students will obtain advanced language skills in addition to considerable knowledge of Jewish culture.

The major in Jewish studies is open to all students of all backgrounds, Jewish and non-Jewish.

Requirements

General Requirements

In addition to the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, students must complete 36 credit hours of Jewish Studies requirements, of which 18 credit hours must be in upper-division (3000- or 4000-level) courses. Of the 18 upper-division credit hours, 12 must be completed on the CU Boulder campus.

A grade of C- or better must be received in all courses used to satisfy the major requirements, with an overall average of 2.00 in the major.

No more than 6 credit hours may be taken in independent study. No pass/fail graded courses may satisfy the 36-credit-hour minimum requirement. No more than 45 credits in JWST may be applied to overall graduation requirements.

For the specific major course requirements, see the Concentration Areas tab.

Graduating in Four Years

Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major.

Please speak with your advisor for specific recommendations; the following is intended to be a general outline only and there may be flexibility to this plan. To maintain adequate progress in Jewish Studies, students should meet the following requirements:

• Declare the major by the beginning of the second semester of freshman year.
• Chose to pursue either the Culture Intensive Concentration or the Foreign Language Intensive Concentration.
• For students pursuing the Foreign Language Intensive Concentration, have language study approved by Jewish Studies' Director of Undergraduate Studies by the beginning of the first semester of freshman year. Enroll in beginning language course (or language level applicable) during the first semester of freshman year.
• Enroll in JWST 2350/GSLL 2350 the second semester of freshman year.
• Each semester, complete two Jewish Studies courses.
• The last spring semester in residence, complete the Capstone in Jewish Studies (JWST 4000).

Concentration Areas

Students pursuing a BA in Jewish studies may choose one of the following two concentrations: culture intensive or foreign language intensive.

Culture Intensive Concentration

Foreign Language Intensive Concentration

Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study

Culture Intensive Concentration

Through the required coursework for this track of the major, students will complete all 12 credits of the Arts & Humanities area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement as well as one component of the Gen Ed Diversity Requirement and may complete some of the Social Sciences area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement.

Foreign Language Intensive Concentration

Through the required coursework for this track of the major, students will complete all 12 credit hours of the Arts & Humanities  area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement as well as one category of the Gen Ed Diversity Requirement and may complete some of the Social Sciences area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement.

Learning Outcomes 

An undergraduate degree in Jewish Studies emphasizes knowledge and awareness of:

• The history of global Jewish communities over time, including the history of Israel and Palestine, biblical and medieval Jewish history, history of Jewish communities in the Mediterranean, the history of the Holocaust and post-Holocaust American Judaism.
• Dimensions of Jewish culture across variant Jewish communities, including differences in Jewish cultural practices, Jewish music and film, and Jewish philosophies, religious practices, mysticisms and thought.
• Jewish literature from the biblical period to the present, including Israeli literature, the Hebrew origins of western civilization and contemporary Jewish literature.
• Global languages of the Jewish people, including Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, German, Ladino and others (for students pursuing the foreign language intensive concentration).

In addition, it is expected that through a degree in Jewish Studies: 

• Students will think critically about the historical and global diversity of Jewish cultures, religion, practice and thought.
• Students will analyze a wide range of contemporary and historical events, structures and movements using perspectives drawn from fields including (among others) history, women and gender studies, religious studies, literary studies and the arts.
• Students will communicate complex ideas from the field of Jewish studies to academic and general audiences.
• Students will analyze how power and privilege function in Jewish history, cultures, religion, practice and thought, exploring the intersection of gender, sexuality, race, class, ability, nationality and colonialism.
• Students will work collaboratively to implement, and organize around, a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives used in Jewish studies.