Program: Jewish Studies, B.A.
Program Description
The Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies provides an interdisciplinary examination of Jews and Judaism. Courses in the major explore the interactions of culture, history, language and religion across the global Jewish diaspora. Many courses in the program satisfy General Education requirements or may be used as electives in other majors.
Program Requirements
A course may be used only once within the major. Of the 30 units in the major, at least 18 units must be upper division.
1. Required Courses (18 units)
HIST 210/JS 210 History of the Jewish People (3)
JS 100 Jewish Religion and Culture (3)
JS 318 Applied Jewish Ethics (3)
JS 390CS Nonprofit Internship in the Jewish Community (3)
Select two courses from the following (6 units):
HIST 427/JS 427 Israel’s History and Peoples (3)
JS 306/SOC 306 Sociology of Jewish Families and Communities (3)
JS 320/RS 320 Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) (3)
or RS 101 The Bible (3)
JS 335/SOC 335 Jewish Identity in the U.S. (3)
or JS 378/RS 378 American Jewish Experience (3)
2. Electives (12 units)
Select from the upper division courses listed above as well as the following:
ENGL 371 Issues in Jewish-American Writing (3)
HEBR 101 Elementary Hebrew I (4)
HEBR 102 Elementary Hebrew II (4)
HIST 357/JS 357 History of the Holocaust (3)
HIST 409/JS 409 History of the Jews in the Modern Era (3)
JS 151 Natural Environment in Judaism (1)
and RTM 151F Survival (2)
JS 220 Critical Thinking About Jews on Film (3)
JS 255 Great Books of Jewish Culture (3)
JS 300 Ancient and Medieval Jewish Arts and Literature (3)
JS 330 Women in the Jewish Experience (3)
JS 333 The Jewish Graphic Novel (3)
JS 495A-Z Selected Topics in Jewish Studies (3)
3. General Education (43 units)
Undergraduate students must complete 43 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (E.S.) requirement.
9 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: JS 100 satisfies Area 3B Humanities; JS 318 satisfies 3 units of Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences; and JS 210/HIST 210 satisfies 3 units of CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies.
If taken, JS 220 satisfies Area 1B Critical Thinking; JS 300 satisfies Area 3A Arts; and ENGL 371, HEBR 101, HEBR 102, JS 306/SOC 306, JS 330, JS 335/SOC 335 or RS 378 satisfies 3 units of CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies. ENGL 371, JS 300 or RS 378 also fulfills the Information Competence requirement.
4. Campus Requirements (6 units)
Undergraduate students must complete 6 units of Campus Requirements as described in this Catalog. JS 390CS meets the Lifelong Learning requirement.
Total Units in the Major: 30
General Education Units: 34
Campus Requirement Units: 3
Additional Units: 53
Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120
Contact
Jewish Studies Program
Office of Interdisciplinary Studies
Sierra Tower (ST) 807
(818) 677-6762
Program Learning Outcomes
Students receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies will be able to:
- Describe the variety of Jewish languages, religious practices, and cultures around the world, explain their history, and identify and analyze continuing changes in them.
- Analyze how Jewish identity intersects with racial, ethnic, national, and other identities.
- Explain the role of foundational Jewish texts in the continuing development of Jewish law and religious practice, and the major historical turning points therein.
- Identify, define, explain, and apply major concepts in Jewish ethics, thought, religion, and/or philosophy.
ADT/STAR Act Degree Road Maps
Students who have graduated with a verified Associate Degree for Transfer and have been admitted to a CSUN program that has been deemed similar will be able to complete the baccalaureate degree within 60 semester units. For additional information, see ADT/STAR Act Degree Road Maps.