BA in Judaic Studies
The Bachelor of Arts in Judaic Studies is a small program, offering a peer community with ample opportunities for faculty mentorship. Students complete three core courses and seven Judaic studies electives of their choice, with options including War Crimes Trials, Modern Hebrew Fiction, The Israeli Media and The American Jewish Experience.
A senior thesis is also required, which gives majors the opportunity to prepare a high-quality written product and deliver an oral presentation before program faculty and students.
Undergraduate Student Resources
Departmental Honors
Students may apply to earn special honors in Judaic studies to be noted on their transcript. To be eligible, students must:
- Meet GW’s special honors requirements
- Complete the Senior Thesis course (JSTD 4019) and receive a grade of A
- Maintain a GPA of 3.7 or higher in the major and 3.3 overall
Related Program
Hebrew courses are a popular choice among Judaic Studies Program students fulfilling elective requirements for the bachelor's degree or minor. Part of the GW Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, the Hebrew program helps students develop intermediate to advanced levels of Hebrew proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening. In addition to undergraduate students, the Hebrew curriculum also attracts members of the greater Washington, D.C., community and GW faculty and staff.
BA in Judaic Studies Course Requirements
Please note: Any course crosslisted with JSTD 2001 or JSTD 2002, but is not listed below, is also eligible to count towards meeting these requirements with permission of the Judaic Studies' Program Advisor. Contact Dr. Rob Eisen ([email protected]) for permission and further information.
Spring 2023 petitionable courses include:
IAFF 3181.10: Israeli-Palestinian Peacebuilding (Lazarus, E)
IAFF 3188.10: Identity, Politics, and Society in Israel (Lazarus, E)
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.
Program-specific curriculum:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign language requirement | ||
| Two semesters of study in a single foreign language (or the equivalent) | ||
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| REL 2201 | Judaism | |
| HIST 2050 | History of Jewish Civilization: From the Bible to Spinoza | |
| JSTD 4019 | Senior Thesis | |
| One course (3 credits) from the following: | ||
| ANTH 3805 | Archaeology of Israel and Neighboring Lands | |
| CLAS 2803 | The Ancient Near East and Egypt to 322 B.C. | |
| CLAS 2804 | History of Ancient Israel | |
| CLAS 3104 | Dead Sea Scrolls * | |
| HIST 2051 | Antisemitism from Origins to the Present | |
| HIST 2116 | Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain | |
| JSTD 2001 | Topics in Judaic Studies: Pre-modern | |
| REL 1009 | The Hebrew Scriptures | |
| REL 2211 | Rabbinic Thought and Literature | |
| REL 3923 | Violence and Peace in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | |
| One course (3 credits) from the following: | ||
| HEBR 3101 | Modern Hebrew Literary Classics in Translation | |
| HEBR 3104W | Gender and Sexuality in Israel * | |
| HEBR 3301 | Modern Hebrew Fiction | |
| HEBR 3302 | The Israeli Media | |
| HIST 2060 | Modern Jewish History | |
| HIST 2061 | Ghetto: History of a Concept | |
| HIST 2812 | History of Zionism | |
| HIST 3061 | The Holocaust | |
| HIST 3062 | War Crimes Trials | |
| HIST 3367 | The American Jewish Experience | |
| JSTD 2002 | Topics in Judaic Studies: Modern | |
| PSC 2379 | Politics and Foreign Policy of Israel | |
| PSC 2476 | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | |
| or PSC 2476W | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | |
| REL 3291 | Modern Jewish Thought | |
| Five additional courses (15 credits) from the two lists above. | ||
*Elective options available as of the spring 2023 semester.