For questions about the Jewish Studies major, minor, or courses in general, please contact the Program’s Associate Director, Dr. Joshua Shanes, via email or phone (843-953-3929), or Program Director Dr. Yaron Ayalon (email or 843-953-7625).
The Jewish Studies major enables students to understand the diversity and complexity of the Jewish experience. Students acquire a sophisticated understanding of the historical, religious, philosophical, literary, sociological, and linguistic components that constitute the Jewish experience, as well as an armory of interpretative and analytical skills that can be applied within and across a broad range of disciplines.
The Jewish Studies major is a wonderful addition to any curriculum. It is a great way to impress others with a rich transcript and resume, to demonstrate your command of a foreign language, and your superb writing skills and “out of the box” approach to problem solving. Our majors regularly pair Jewish Studies with such areas as business, political science, history, international studies, psychology, and education.
The Jewish Studies minor does the same, but in a more limited way. The Jewish Studies minor is a wonderful addition to the curriculum of those students who are in “heavy” majors that do not leave time or credit hours for a second major; or for those who already pursue two majors or another minor.
Double Dip! In addition to fulfilling the Jewish Studies major/minor requirements, the two Jewish Studies history survey courses, JWST 210 and 215, fulfill the general education history requirement of the college. All our other electives fulfill the humanities requirement, and Hebrew the foreign-language requirement.
Note: Students enrolled in JWST 210 and 215 (Jewish history survey sequence) for their history general education requirement should seriously consider a Jewish Studies minor. Those enrolled in Hebrew in addition to JWST 210 and 215 should seriously consider the Jewish Studies major, as those courses fulfill nearly half of the major.
Jewish Studies Major – details:
Jewish Studies Major Requirements: 36 hours (21 required, 15 elective)
Language through Culture requirement – select one of the following options (also fulfills the College’s foreign language requirement):
Hebrew option:
HBRW 101 Elementary Modern Hebrew I
HBRW 102 Elementary Modern Hebrew II
HBRW 201 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I
HBRW 202 Intermediate Modern Hebrew II
OR
Arabic option:
ARBC 101 Elementary Arabic
ARBC 102 Elementary Arabic
ARBC 201 Intermediate Arabic
ARBC 202 Intermediate Arabic
OR
German option:
GRMN 101 Elementary German
GRMN 102 Elementary German
GRMN 201 Intermediate German
GRMN 202 Intermediate German
Students wishing to complete the requirements for the Jewish Studies major while achieving proficiency in another language (not Hebrew, Arabic, or German) at the 202-level will require permission from the Director of the Jewish Studies Program. Students placing out of any of the courses (101-202) in the Language through Culture requirement must still complete the minimum 36 credit hours in the program with Jewish Studies electives. For details, contact Program Director Dr. Ayalon at ayalony@cofc.edu.
JWST 210 Jewish History I: Ancient to Modern
JWST 215 Jewish History II: Modern to Present
JWST 400 Independent Research OR
JWST 499 BAchelor’s Essay (6 hours, 3 elective)
AND
15 additional course hours from the electives listed below, at least three of which must be at the 300 level or above. See comment above for students who place out of any section of their foreign language requirement. Such students will take additional elective courses to complete at least 36 total hours in the major.
Jewish Studies Minor – details:
6 courses required in total (18 credit hours)
Take:
JWST 210 Jewish History I: Ancient to Modern
AND five additional courses from the electives listed below. Most students also take JWST 215, as it fulfills a general education humanities requirement.
Electives (for majors and minors):
FYSM 124* First-Year Seminar in Jewish Studies
HBRW 101 Elementary Modern Hebrew I (required for major, optional for minor)
HBRW 102 Elementary Modern Hebrew II (required for major, optional for minor)
HBRW 201 Intermediate Modern Hebrew I (required for major, optional for minor)
HBRW 202 Intermediate Modern Hebrew II (required for major, optional for minor)
HBRW 313 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Conversation and Composition
HBRW 314 Advanced Modern Hebrew: Conversation and Composition
ARBC 313 Conversation and Composition I
ARBC 314 Conversation and Composition II
ARBC 343 Advanced Arabic Conversation and Composition
ARBC 390 Special Topics in Arabic
GRMN 313 German Conversation
GRMN 314 German Composition and Grammar
GRMN 315 Advanced German Reading
GRMN 320 Special Assignment Abroad
GRMN 325 German Contemporary Issues
GRMN 326 German Media
GRMN 328 German Language Study Abroad
GRMN 329 Current Issues in Germany or the German-Speaking World
GRMN 331 German for Business
GRMN 332 German in International Business
GRMN 341 Advanced Grammar and Syntax
GRMN 365 Introduction to Literature
GRMN 390 Special Topics in German
GRMN 413 Advanced German Conversation
GRMN 424 German Civilization and Culture
GRMN 460 German Literary Heritage
GRMN 468 Studies in Modern German Literature
GRMN 472 Studies in German Cinema
GRMN 490 Special Topics in German
ENGL 191 Introduction to Jewish-American Literature
JWST 201 Topics in Jewish Studies (course can be repeated if different theme)
JWST 215 Jewish History II: Modern to Present (required for major, optional for minor)
JWST 225 The Jewish Tradition/RELS 225 The Jewish Tradition
JWST 220 History of Israel
JWST 230 The Holocaust
JWST 240 Jewish Philosophy
JWST 245/ENGL 191 Introduction to Jewish-American Literature
JWST 250 The Arab-Israeli Conflict
JWST 300 Special Topics in Jewish Studies (course can be repeated if different theme)
JWST 305 Israeli Cinema
JWST 310 Topics in Jewish History
JWST 315 Southern Jewish History
JWST 320 Topics in American Jewish Culture
JWST 325 Jewish Mysticism
JWST 330 Representations of the Holocaust
JWST 335 Modern Jewish Politics
JWST 345 Jewish American Literature and Film
JWST 350 Jews and Muslims: Coexistence and Conflict
JWST 399 Directed Reading
JWST 400 Independent Study in Jewish Studies
HIST 213 American Jewish History: Colonial Times to the Present
HIST 244* History of Germany
HIST 344* Modern European Cultural History
HIST 345* Modern German Cultural and Intellectual History
HIST 359 Modern Jewish History
PHIL 255* Philosophy of Religion
POLS 324 Politics of the Middle East
POLS 339* Special Topics in Comparative Politics
RELS 201 The Old Testament: History and Interpretation
RELS 310* Sacred Texts
*NOTE: These courses must have specifically Jewish content to count towards the Jewish Studies major/minor.
ARBC and GRMN electives are only available to students pursuing those languages as part of their major.