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Jewish Studies Schools and Programs in The United States

Study Jewish Studies in The United States

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Jewish Studies Studies in The United States

Jewish studies (also called Judaic studies) is the academic study of Jewish history, religion, languages, literature and culture. In the United States it is an interdisciplinary field: most universities run it as a programme or centre that draws its teaching staff from departments such as history, religious studies and literature, and a smaller number have a full department. The courses are academic rather than religious training, and programmes describe themselves as open to students of all backgrounds, Jewish and non-Jewish.

How the degree is organised

A bachelor's degree is usually completed in four years of full-time study, according to EducationUSA. Students take classes in a wide variety of subjects in addition to their major, which is often declared only at the end of the second year. Jewish studies can be taken at several levels of commitment:

  • A major, the main field of a bachelor's degree
  • A minor or an undergraduate certificate alongside another major
  • Hebrew language courses, which many programmes teach themselves; some also offer Yiddish
  • A master's degree (M.A.) or a graduate certificate
  • A Ph.D., usually taken in a related department such as history, religion or literature with a Jewish studies specialisation

The last point matters for applicants. At the University of California San Diego, for example, graduate students cannot apply to the Jewish Studies programme itself; they apply to affiliated departments such as History, Anthropology and Literature and work with the programme's faculty. Duke University likewise offers its master's degree through the Department of Religious Studies and its Ph.D. programmes through the Graduate Program in Religion.

Admission and language

Teaching is in English, and US universities require an English language proficiency test before admission. Undergraduate applications for a September start are typically due between November and January. No prior knowledge of Hebrew is normally assumed at undergraduate level, since language courses are part of the programmes; doctoral applicants should check the language requirements of the department they apply to. International students on a degree programme normally hold an F student visa, which requires admission to an institution certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

Where to study Jewish studies in the United States

The 42 schools listed for Jewish studies include large public universities, private research universities and liberal arts colleges. Baltimore, Philadelphia and Los Angeles each have two of them. Examples:

  • The University of Wisconsin-Madison, whose Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies was founded in 1991; undergraduates can pursue either a major or a certificate in Jewish Studies
  • Vanderbilt University in Nashville, with a Department of Jewish Studies that offers a major and minor, Hebrew, a Master of Arts degree and a graduate certificate
  • The University of Maryland in College Park, whose Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Program and Center for Jewish Studies offers minors in Jewish Studies, Israel Studies and Hebrew Studies, a Jewish Studies M.A. and a graduate certificate
  • San Diego State University, with a major in Modern Jewish Studies and a minor in Jewish Studies
  • The University of California San Diego, where the interdisciplinary programme offers a major and two minors, Jewish Studies and Hebrew Language and Literature
  • Duke University, whose Sperling Center for Jewish Studies offers an undergraduate certificate programme
  • Northwestern University, with a major and minor, Hebrew language courses and a Jewish Studies Graduate Cluster
  • The University of Washington in Seattle, where the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies is part of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and runs a Sephardic Studies programme

Other schools in the list include New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Brown University, the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University and The University of Texas at Austin, and colleges such as Wellesley College and Bryn Mawr College.

Recognition and the academic community

US institutions are accredited at national or regional level by independent accrediting bodies; there is no separate accreditation for Jewish studies programmes. The field's learned society is the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS), founded in 1969, which reports more than 1,900 individual members and over 70 institutional members.

Careers

A Jewish studies major is a humanities degree rather than a professional qualification. The University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that its alumni have gone on to careers in law, medicine, secular and religious education, academia, business, community organising and the rabbinate. An academic career requires a doctorate: according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), postsecondary teachers at 4-year colleges and universities typically need a Ph.D. or other doctorate in their field. The BLS projects employment of postsecondary teachers as a whole to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035; it does not publish separate figures for this field.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be Jewish to study Jewish studies?

No. These are academic programmes; the University of Colorado at Boulder, for example, describes its Program in Jewish Studies as open to students from all backgrounds, Jewish and non-Jewish.

Do I need to know Hebrew before I start?

Not usually for a bachelor's degree. Programmes such as those at Vanderbilt University, Northwestern University and the University of California San Diego teach Hebrew as part of their offer.

Can I do a Ph.D. in Jewish studies?

Yes, but often through a related department. Duke University, for example, offers Ph.D. programmes through its Graduate Program in Religion, and at the University of California San Diego graduate students apply to affiliated departments such as History or Literature.