Degrees

Wescoe Hall on the University of Kansas main campusA degree in Jewish Studies provides a strong foundation in which to launch a career in a world of diverse identities, ethnicities, languages and narratives.

Completion of a degree in Jewish Studies demonstrates critical thinking, cultural literacy, and historical analysis of the Jewish people, their history, and their impact on the human experience. Preparing you for success in a multicultural world, graduates of the KU Jewish Studies Program go on to find employment in academics, business, social-services, law, medicine and professional spheres within Jewish agencies, federations, congregations, and community centers.

One of the oldest academic interdisciplinary studies, the breadth of Jewish Studies is extensive. With a foundation rooted in the ancient world and combined with the recent study of history, philosophy, social sciences, and political science, a degree in Jewish Studies is relevant to every department and program in the Humanities, the Social Sciences, and beyond.

Undergraduate Degrees

30 credit hours:

  • 2 courses in Jewish History and/or Culture (6 credit hours)
  • 2 courses in in Religion relevant to Judaism (6 credit hours)
  • 2 courses of Intermediate Hebrew or Yiddish (satisfied by taking courses at the 200+ level) (6 credit hours)
  • Electives in Jewish Studies courses (including Hebrew and Yiddish language courses at 300+ level) (9 credit hours)
  • JWSH 601, a capstone course (3 credit hours)  

18 credit hours:

  • 1 course in Jewish History and/or Culture (3 credit hours)
  • 1 course in Religion relevant to Judaism (3 credit hours)
  • 4 elective courses of any Jewish Studies courses, including Hebrew and Yiddish language courses above the 200+ level (12 credit hours)