Understanding the diverse, international character of the Jewish experience: the Jewish Studies Minor.
The undergraduate minor in Jewish Studies helps students with majors outside the scope of Jewish Studies develop an additional academic concentration through the scholarly study of Jewish culture and civilization throughout history. The minor, which recognizes the diverse, international aspect of the Jewish experience, reinforces any disciplinary specialization and contributes a comparative focus.
Read about the requirements for attaining a Jewish Studies Minor (below) and contact us via e-mail at jwst@umn.edu for more information. We would be delighted to visit with you about the possibility of pursuing your degree in Jewish Studies.
Course of Study for Jewish Studies Minor
Students must complete 5 courses (minimum 14 credits of upper-level Jewish Studies courses) to satisfy the requirements of the minor, taking at least one course in antiquity (ancient / medieval) and one in the modern period. Students otherwise choose freely from among the full range of Jewish Studies courses in biblical studies, archaeology, ancient Judaism, Hebrew, Jewish history (including Holocaust studies), German-Jewish literature, the American Jewish experience, etc.
Requirements (credits and grading policy): Completing the minor requires a total of 5 courses (min. 14 credits 3xxx or higher), taken on an A-F basis, with grades of C- or better and a 2.0 GPA.
Ancient and Medieval Foundations: At least one course on the ancient religious foundations of Jewish civilization, either “The Bible: Context and Interpretation” (*JwSt 3201) or “Introduction to Judaism” (3034).
Judaism in Modernity: At least one JwSt 3xxx course on any aspect of Jewish civilization in the period since 1492 C.E.
Language policy:
- Up to 10 credits of either/both Biblical and Modern Hebrew courses (3xxx or higher) may count toward the Minor.
- If shown to be relevant to the student's study of Jewish history and culture, courses in other languages may be substituted (3xxx or higher), by petition to the DUS.
- If students wish to study a second language in addition to completing four semesters of study in one language, introductory courses (1xxx or 2xxx) in that additional language may count towards the minor if relevant to Jewish Studies, and with approval of the DUS. This provision applies to students who have studied Modern Hebrew but wish to add biblical, or vice versa.