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Minor Degree in Judaic Studies

Portland State University offers a conceptually structured yet flexible undergraduate Minor Degree in Judaic Studies. Students  impleting the minor will have gained exposure to the study of Jewish history and culture in a variety of national and international contexts. Since the primary, though not exclusive, focus of the Judaic Studies program at PSU is on the encounter of Jews and Judaism with modernity, students completing the minor are required to take an overview of modern Jewish history and culture (JSt 201), as well as coursework dealing with Jews and Judaism in the United States and Israel, the two major centers of Jewish life today. Students are also required to take coursework focusing on Jewish history or culture prior to the modern period (defined as 1700 and earlier). Through exploration of Jewish culture, Jewish contributions to other cultures, and the impact of modernity on national, ethnic, and religious identity, students will have broadened and deepened their education, better preparing them for our interconnected world of diverse cultures and religions.

Students undertaking the Minor in Judaic Studies at PSU may be eligible for the Sara Glasgow Cogan Scholarship.

To earn a minor in Judaic Studies a student must complete 28 credits, at least 16 credits of which must be upper-division courses, and at least 12 credits of which must be taken in residence at PSU. These 28 credits must include the following:

 credits
JSt 201 Introduction to Jews, Judaism, and Modernity 4
Area electives (see below) 12
Advisor-approved electives (see below) 12
Total 28

Area electives must include at least 4 credits of coursework focusing on each of the following categories:

 credits
Jewish history/culture in the United States (e.g., Hst 344) 4
Jewish history/culture in the State of Israel (e.g., Eng 330) 4
Jewish history/culture prior to 1700 (e.g., Hst 461) 4
Subtotal 12

For a complete list of approved area electives, contact the program advisor: weingrad@pdx.edu.

Advisor-approved electives may include up to 4 credits of coursework not on the partial list of approved electives below, but which has a conceptual, topical, or methodological relevance to the discipline of Judaic Studies.

Partial list of courses that may be used to satisfy requirements:

Eng 318 The Bible as Literature
Eng 330U Jewish and Israeli Literature
Heb 203, 301 or higher (up to 8 credits)
Hst 344U Jews and Judaism in America Since World War Two
Hst 461/561 Topics in Jewish History
JSt 399 Special Studies
JSt 401 Research
JSt 405 Reading and Conference
JSt 407 Seminar
JSt 409 Practicum
JSt 410 Selected Topics

The program advisor will have a current list of additional approved electives, which includes appropriate topics courses (e.g., Eng 308 Literature of the Holocaust, Hst 407 Jewish Women in U.S. History, etc.).

For information about special by-arrangement courses, and for-credit academic internship opportunities with local cultural and community institutions such as the Oregon Jewish Museum, contact the program advisor.