The Jewish Studies programs offers both a Graduate Certificate and a Masters Degree in Jewish Studies. The non-degree Certificate is currently only open to students already enrolled in another graduate program at the University of Maryland. The Masters Degree in Jewish Studies is a 30-credit program combining broad, interdisciplinary, graduate-level training in Jewish Studies with in-depth focus in an area of specialization. The program draws on Maryland’s strengths in areas such as Jewish History, Bible, Jewish Literature and Cultural Studies (especially in the ancient and modern periods), Yiddish, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Israel Studies.
The MA program is flexible. It may be pursued full-time or part-time, and may be combined with such professional programs as education and library science. The program is ideal for students wishing to prepare for doctoral-level work in Jewish Studies at Maryland or elsewhere, and for educators and professionals already working in related fields.
In order to be eligible for the Jewish Studies Certificate Program a student must be accepted into or currently enrolled in a master's or doctoral degree program at the University of Maryland.
Students must take four graduate level courses (12 credits) in Jewish Studies. At least six of the 12 credits must be in a different discipline than the student's home department. All students take JWST 600, General Seminar in Jewish Studies, plus at least two other graduate readings or research courses at the 600-800 level. Only one 400-level course can count toward the certificate. Students must work with an advisor to determine which courses best suit their particular needs.
As a prerequisite for admission, students must have achieved the proficiency-level corresponding to four semesters of university-level Hebrew, and must achieve the level of six semesters of university-level Hebrew by the time they have completed the program. Courses in Hebrew language will not count toward the 30 credits needed for the degree. Students will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge of modern academic Hebrew by examination, or through a research project making extensive use of Hebrew-language materials.
Core Distribution: (a) JWST 600, General Seminar in Jewish Studies (3 credits), which introduces students to the fields, methods, and problems of Jewish Studies as a cluster of disciplines; (b) one course each in the general areas of Jewish History, Jewish Thought or Religion, and Jewish Literature, normally by enrolling in JWST 648, Readings in Jewish history; JWST 658, Readings in Jewish Thought; and JWST 678, Readings in Jewish Literature (9 credits total).
Specialization: 4 courses (12 credits) in consultation with the advisor. Students may opt to write an MA Thesis (6 credits). Non-thesis students prepare a dossier of 2 major research papers or their equivalent to be evaluated by an examining committee.
Cognate Studies: Two courses (6 credits) from outside Jewish Studies in the discipline(s) related to the student's area of specialization.
International Student Applications
There are admission requirements for TOEFL Internet-Based Testing (IBT). Each international applicant must provide an official statement regarding financial support. This statement ensures that the applicant has sufficient financial resources to meet educational and living expenses.
Note: The International Educational Services Office (IES) will review the academic and financial records of ALL international applicants before the department will review the application. For specific application requirements for international students please refer to the IES website.
Students may also be interested in graduate degrees in specific disciplines. Currently, students are able to pursue Jewish-Studies-related degrees in the departments of History, English (which houses Comparative Literature as well) and Philosophy
Admission to all graduate programs is through the Graduate School. Please refer to the Graduate School website and the online application for further reference