Mar 19, 2024  
USC Catalogue 2019-2020 
    
USC Catalogue 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]

Jewish Studies (BA)


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The interdisciplinary major in Jewish Studies investigates the study of Jewish religion, history, culture and languages through a variety of academic perspectives. Students can work with scholars in the School of Religion in USC Dornsife College, the Louchheim School for Judaic Studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and faculty across the USC campus trained in religious studies, Jewish thought, history, linguistics, literature, international relations, political science, music and sociology. The curriculum is designed to allow students options in combining courses that focus on Judaism as a religion with those that focus on history, literature and other forms of Jewish culture and civilization.

Major Requirements


Students choose among courses that focus on Judaism as a living religious system and those that focus on Jewish history, culture and society in its global setting.

Three core courses are required: REL 301  Introduction to the Study of Religion, REL 401  Seminar in Religious Studies, and either JS 100  Introduction to Jewish History or JS 180  Judaism.

Students must choose one course from the Judaism as a Religious Tradition track and one course from the Jewish History and Culture track which are listed below.

In addition, students must select three courses from either track. No more than two courses in total may come from the lower-division (100 and 200) levels. A total of eight courses are required for the degree (32 units.) 


A. Core Courses


Three courses are required. Students must take REL 301  and REL 401  and select one course from either JS 100  or JS 180 .

C. Jewish History and Culture (at least one course required)


D. Major Electives (three courses required)


In addition to the three core courses in Area A and one required course in each of Areas B and C, students must complete three additional courses chosen from lists B and C. No more than two courses in total may come from the lower-division (100 and 200) levels.

Jewish Studies majors are encouraged to take HEBR 120 , HEBR 150  and HEBR 220 , which fulfill the Dornsife College foreign language requirement.


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