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Studies & Degrees in Hebrew Language

Hebrew is a Semitic language, written from right to left in its own alphabet. Students meet it in two main forms. Modern Hebrew is the everyday language of Israel, used in schools, universities, media and public life. Biblical (or Classical) Hebrew is the language of the Hebrew Bible, studied in order to read ancient texts in the original. Between the two lie the Hebrew of rabbinic literature and of medieval poetry and philosophy, which specialised degrees also cover.

A Modern Hebrew course trains the four skills: understanding, speaking, reading and writing. The introductory sequence at The University of Chicago, for example, teaches students to read text without vowel signs and introduces the Hebrew root system and the seven basic verb conjugations. A Classical Hebrew course works differently: its aim is to read biblical prose, and later poetry, with a good command of grammar and a dictionary.

Qualifications and levels

  • Language courses within a degree. At most universities Hebrew is taken as a language sequence inside another degree. At The University of Chicago both Modern and Classical Hebrew are taught in three-quarter sequences at elementary and intermediate level.
  • Majors and minors in Hebrew or Jewish Studies. In the United States and the United Kingdom the language is often the core of a degree in Jewish, Near Eastern or Middle Eastern Studies. The Jewish Studies major at Chicago requires twelve courses, and students in other fields can take a minor. The University of Oxford, a centre of Hebrew and Jewish Studies since the sixteenth century, offers courses that range from the Dead Sea Scrolls to modern Hebrew poetry.
  • Spain. An official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. The Universidad de Salamanca teaches the Grado en Estudios Hebreos y Arameos, which lasts four academic years (240 ECTS credits), covers Hebrew and Aramaic from their earliest stages to the present and renewed its accreditation in 2017 and 2023. At the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, students of the Grado en Lenguas Modernas y sus Literaturas can choose Modern Hebrew in the first year, but it is not offered as a major or minor language, so they move to another language in the second year.
  • Ulpan and intensive courses in Israel. An ulpan is an intensive Hebrew school. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem states that its Division of Hebrew Language Instruction, established in 1965, is the largest academic institution in the world for the study of Hebrew. It teaches Modern Hebrew at five levels, from elementary (Aleph) to advanced (Heh), in intensive summer courses and during the academic year. Private schools also exist: Home Ulpan, in Ramat Yishay, offers beginner, intermediate and advanced courses, Biblical Hebrew, online lessons and family programmes in which students stay with an Israeli host family.
  • Master's and doctorate. Graduate study usually specialises in Bible, Jewish history, Hebrew literature or Semitic linguistics, and expects a solid reading knowledge of the language.

Exams and language requirements

Israeli universities that teach in Hebrew ask applicants to prove their level. The National Institute for Testing and Evaluation runs YAEL, a Hebrew proficiency test for candidates who take the Psychometric Entrance Test in another language. At the Hebrew University the exemption exam (p'tor) corresponds to level Heh, the highest of its five regular levels. Outside Israel, universities usually set their own placement tests.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 14 active schools for Hebrew. Nine are in the United States and two in the United Kingdom; Spain, the Netherlands and Israel have one each. In the United States the list includes The Ohio State University, the University of Michigan, The University of Chicago, the University of California Los Angeles, New York University, Wayne State University, Drew University, Bryn Mawr College and the State University of New York. In Europe it includes the University of Oxford, University College London, Leiden University and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and in Israel, Home Ulpan.

University courses outside Israel are taught through the language of the country, with Hebrew used more as the level rises. In Israel, ulpan classes are normally held in Hebrew from the first day.

Careers

Hebrew is rarely a profession in itself; it is a skill that graduates combine with another field. Typical paths are translation and interpreting, teaching, academic research in biblical, Jewish or Middle Eastern studies, religious and community work, publishing, libraries and archives, diplomacy and international business with Israel. For interpreters and translators in general, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growth of 2 percent from 2025 to 2035 and notes that a bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement.

Frequently asked questions

Should I learn Modern or Biblical Hebrew?

It depends on the goal. Modern Hebrew is for living, studying or working in Israel and trains speaking and listening. Biblical Hebrew is for reading ancient texts and concentrates on grammar and reading. Many degree programmes include both.

Can I take a degree in Hebrew in Spain?

Yes. The Universidad de Salamanca offers the Grado en Estudios Hebreos y Arameos, of four years and 240 ECTS credits. At the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Modern Hebrew can be taken in the first year of the Grado en Lenguas Modernas y sus Literaturas, but not as a main language.

What is an ulpan?

An intensive school or course of Modern Hebrew in Israel. Universities and private schools run them, in formats that range from summer courses to full semesters.

Do I need Hebrew to study at a university in Israel?

For degrees taught in Hebrew, yes: universities ask for proof of level, for example through the YAEL test or their own exemption exam. Ask the university whether the programme you want is taught in Hebrew or in English.