BA in Jewish Studies
Admission to the Program
Formal admission to the major requires a grade point average of 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) and the approval of the director of the program.
University Requirements
- A total of 120 credit hours
- 6 credit hours of college writing
- 3 credit hours of college mathematics or the equivalent by examination
General Education Requirements
- A total of ten courses, consisting of one foundation course and one second-level course in an approved sequence from each of the five curricular areas
- No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline
Major Requirements
- 39 credit hours with grades of C or better
Course Requirements
- HEBR-216 Hebrew, Intermediate Modern I (3)
- HEBR-217 Hebrew, Intermediate Modern II (3) or equivalent proficiency in Hebrew as approved by the Jewish Studies faculty. Note: HEBR-116/HEBR-117 Hebrew, Elementary Modern I/II are prerequisites for the language requirement but do not count toward the major.
- HIST-245 Modern Jewish Civilization (3)
- JWST-205 Ancient and Medieval Jewish Civilization 2:2 (3)
- JWST-481 Senior Thesis in Jewish Studies I (3)
- JWST-482 Senior Thesis in Jewish Studies II (3)
- One course in Jewish literature
- One course in Jewish thought
- One course in contemporary Jewish life
- 12 additional credit hours in Jewish Studies
Eighteen of the total 39 hours must be at the 300 level or above. Related courses from other university departments may be used with approval of the program director.
University Honors Program
To graduate with University Honors, students must be admitted to the University Honors Program, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50, and receive grades of B or better in all University Honors course work. There are three levels of University Honors course requirements: Level I (100-200-level); Level II (300-level and above); and Level III (Honors Capstone Project). The department Honors coordinator advises students in the University Honors Program regarding requirements for graduating with University Honors in the major. For more information, go to the University Honors Program.
Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees
American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its accelerated bachelor’s/master’s programs. Undergraduate students may complete up to 3 credits for every 9 credits required for the graduate degree that may be applied to the requirements for both degree programs. The department that oversees the graduate program the student enters will determine if the courses the undergraduate student completes will satisfy master’s degree requirements.
Bachelor’s/master’s students must complete at least 18 in-residence credit hours at the graduate level after the bachelor’s degree is earned and maintain continuous, sequential enrollment in the two programs. Students must finish the master’s degree requirements within three years from the date of first enrollment in the master’s program.
