Judaic Studies, BA

Location(s): Main Campus

The Judaic Studies program offers students an interdisciplinary perspective on three millennia of Jewish culture, literature, thought, and modern Israel. The curriculum draws from both the humanities and the social sciences, covering a wide array of topics, including modern Hebrew and Yiddish. Judaic Studies majors can construct their own areas of specialization, including, but not limited to, Jewish communal service, Jewish history, Jewish thought, Holocaust studies, and literature and culture.

Judaic Studies majors acquire a wide range of skills that are easily transferable to the real world, including an ability to adapt in cross-cultural settings, analyze and relate to unfamiliar settings, communicate logically, make critical observations, mediate conflicts and disputes in basic values, and more. Majors graduate with a liberal arts degree that prepares them for both graduate studies and professional studies such as law, business, or public administration, as well as careers in Jewish communal organizations.

Program Requirements

University General Education Requirements

All Binghamton University undergraduate students are required to fulfill this set of university-wide requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of a SUNY university undergraduate education. Please refer to the General Education page for more information.

Harpur College Requirements

All students in Harpur College must fulfill additional requirements designated by Harpur College to complement and extend the general education requirements. Please refer to the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences page for more information.

Major Requirements

Prerequisites

HEBR 101 and HEBR 102 may be prerequisites to fulfill the major’s language proficiency requirement. Students may contact the Judaic Studies program advisor for more information on how to fulfill the language requirements.

Course Requirements

The Judaic Studies major requires at least 10 courses, of which at least five are taken at the 300-400 level. Students must fulfill the following requirements for the major:

One introductory course: JUST 101 Introduction to Judaic Studies
- JUST 111 Introduction to Philosophy of Religion and RELG 101 World Religions may be substituted
Two Core Survey Courses*:
- JUST 201 History to 1500
- JUST 202 History 1500 to Modernity
- Relevant upper-level courses may be substituted for survey courses
Four area courses
- Students focus their coursework in an area of their choosing in consultation with faculty.
- Possible areas of study include Jewish history, philosophy, Jewish social justice, communal service, Sephardi studies, Holocaust studies, Yiddish language and culture, Jewish literature and culture, Hebrew, Israel studies, American Judaism, and others. Students may consult with faculty to create their own area of study.
Two Elective Courses
- Any two courses, including language courses
One 400-level seminar course (typically taken in the fourth year)
Language Proficiency
- Students must complete coursework in Hebrew or Yiddish through the 203-level

Additional Information About the Program

Students who have not met their General Education foreign language requirement are advised to take Hebrew or Yiddish (Courses in these languages above the 203 level may be counted toward the major).
A grade of C or better is required for courses to count toward the major. No courses taken Pass/Fail will count toward the major.
Residency Requirement: At least five courses in the major must be taken at Binghamton University.

For more information on the Judaic Studies BA program, please refer to the Judaic Studies Department website. To apply to the Judaic Studies BA program, please visit the University Admissions website.