The Center for Jewish Studies fosters the academic study of Jewish cultures, languages, history, society, and religion for all students at the University of Florida. Students are expected to develop as critical thinkers, aware of the diversity and complexity of the field. The center promotes a broad and interdisciplinary approach including the arts, social sciences, and textuality. The curriculum emphasizes historical transformations and comparative frameworks among various Jewish communities and with other groups and religions. Courses draw upon a variety of theoretical approaches to the study of class, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexuality with methodologies that are both textual and performance oriented.

Coursework for the Major

The major requires a minimum of 27 credits in Jewish studies and related courses with minimum grades of C. One year of Hebrew or another language with significant Jewish culture production is generally required but the language requirement can be waived under certain circumstances. A minimum of 15 credits for the major must be taken at the University of Florida. 

Required Coursework

• Introduction to Judaism or another introductory survey course in Jewish studies (3 credits)
• Minimum 21 credits at the 3000 level or above
• Students must work with the Center’s undergraduate advisor to design a curriculum that will give a sampling of the Jewish experience across time and across disciplines. Majors must complete a comprehensive research project in an upper-division course as a capstone experience in their final year.

Special topics courses in other departments may be counted toward the major provided they include substantial coverage of material relevant to Jewish studies. Individual work (JST 4905), which also fulfills requirements for the major, is also available for independent study and special projects. No more than six credits of independent study (JST 4905) will be counted toward the minimum. Normally, no more than 12 credits of the minimum may be transfer credit; however, all transfer credits in JST-related courses from UF-approved programs abroad will apply toward the major.

Honors

Honors in Jewish studies can be earned by students who have at least a 3.5 GPA in their upper-division work and a 3.5 GPA in the major. Students who seek honors are required to complete an honors project, with a grade of A or B, under the guidance of a Jewish studies faculty member. In their senior year, honors students should register for JST 4970, a 2-3 credit course.

Internship in Jewish Communal Services

Students can gain practical experience as an undergraduate through the internship option of JST 4940. The goal of this program is both to expose the student to the opportunities for service in the world of organized Jewry and to provide a means for students to understand how Jewish values are propagated in organized settings. Students earn credit for volunteer work and training in applied settings such as Jewish family and social services agencies, community centers, federations, educational institutions, museums, newspapers, denominational organizations, public affairs groups, synagogues, Hillel or equivalent institutions. To qualify for JST credit, the organization must have an explicit public tie to Judaism and be approved for internship credit by the Center for Jewish Studies.

Overseas Study

The Center for Jewish Studies provides counsel regarding study abroad at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The overseas programs at these Israeli universities offer summer, one semester and full-year courses of study. Information is available in 201 Walker Hall and at the UF International Center, 170 Hub.

Scholarships are available. Travel restriction updates are available on the department website.

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

For degree requirements outside of the major, refer to CLAS Degree Requirements: Structure of a CLAS Degree.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 2

• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 3

• Complete HBR 1130
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 4

• Complete HBR 1131 and one Jewish studies course with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 5

• Complete all critical-tracking courses with a 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 6

• Complete 2 of the remaining Jewish Studies courses
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 7

• Complete 2 of the remaining Jewish Studies courses
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 8

• Complete all remaining Jewish Studies major requirements
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Students are expected to complete the Writing Requirement while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are also expected to complete the General Education International (GE-N) and Diversity (GE-D) requirements concurrently with another General Education requirement (typically, GE-C, H, or S).

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester One		Credits
HBR 1130	Beginning Modern Hebrew 1 (Critical Tracking)	5
JST 2930	Special Topics in Jewish Studies (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Humanities and International)	3
State Core Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement		3
State Core Gen Ed Mathematics		3
	Credits	14
Semester Two
HBR 1131	Beginning Modern Hebrew 2 (Critical Tracking)	5
Quest 1 (Gen Ed Humanities)		3
Jewish studies elective		3
State Core Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences		3
State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences		3
	Credits	17
Semester Three
State Core Gen Ed Humanities		3
Jewish studies electives		6
Gen Ed Mathematics		3
Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences		3
	Credits	15
Semester Four
Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences (area not taken in semester two) 1		3
Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences 1		3
Science laboratory (Gen Ed Physical or Biological Sciences)		1
Electives		7
	Credits	14
Semester Five
Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement		3
Elective		3
Jewish studies electives		6
Gen Ed Physical Sciences		3
	Credits	15
Semester Six
Gen Ed Biological Sciences		3
Electives (3000 level or above, not in major)		6
Jewish studies electives (Critical Tracking)		6
	Credits	15
Semester Seven
Electives		6
Electives (3000 level or above, not in major)		6
Jewish studies elective (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Humanities)		3
	Credits	15
Semester Eight
JST 4970	Senior Honors Thesis (Critical Tracking; optional; or elective)	3
Elective		3
Electives (3000 level or above; not in major)		6
Jewish studies elective (Critical Tracking)		3
	Credits	15
	Total Credits	120

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One General Education option taken this term must be a Quest 2 course.

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This major familiarizes students with the aspects of Jewish history, religion, languages, and cultures. Emphasis is placed on basic language acquisition, analysis, and critical evaluation of texts and contexts, integration of cultural data with disciplinary concerns outside of Jewish studies and comparative frameworks among different Jewish groups and with co-territorial non-Jews.

Before Graduating Students Must

• Satisfactory evaluation of paper written for the CJS capstone course, graded according to department rubric.
• Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

1. Demonstrate knowledge of and competence in the Jewish experience, including minority and diasporic communities within a comparative framework.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of transformations of Jewish communities over time and space.

Critical Thinking

3. Understand the significance of language in assessing Jewish culture(s).
4. Evaluate and apply effectively the significance, quality, and veracity of information (both primary and secondary) in the literature.

Communication

5. Articulate research results clearly and effectively in an accepted style of presentation.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Academic Learning Compact 5

Courses	SLO 1	SLO 2	SLO 3	SLO 4	SLO 5
Courses are taken multiple times with changes in topic.
JST 2930 Introduction to Jewish Studies	I	I	I	I
JST 3930 Holocaust Studies	R	R	R	R	R
JST 3930 Modern European Jewish History	R	R	R	R	R
JST 3930 Jewish History	R	R	R	R	R
JST 3930 Secular Jewish Culture	R	R	R	R	R
JST 4936 Judaism and Politics	A	A	A	A	A
JST 4936 Israeli Society	A	A	A	A	A

Assessment Types

• Direct assessment of essays and final tests (by track: Holocaust studies, Israel studies, general studies)

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