Minor in Jewish Studies

The Minor in Jewish Studies, drawing from faculty throughout the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts, has both disciplinary and interdisciplinary components. We offer an array of Jewish languages. We offer courses that cover the span of Jewish history and religion, from the Bible through modern times. Our offerings in Judaica are strong not simply in number but by their contextualization, unique among the University of California campuses, within an energetic Religious Studies Department and the perspective that it brings. A further strength lies in our interdisciplinary configuration, especially in the modern period. Jewish political movements, the sociology of Jewish minor and majority communities, and the representation of Jewish experience in literature, philosophy, film, art, and architecture – all these facets combine to produce a dynamic yet grounded study of Jews throughout the world. Our program reflects the diversity that is inherent in the Jewish religion itself.

To see individual descriptions of courses and upcoming courses, please visit our Courses page.

Minor Requirements

Undergraduate Program: All courses to be applied to the minor must be completed on a letter-grade basis.

Preparation for the minor

Religious Studies 17A-B-C or Hebrew 1, 2, 3 (or equivalent)

Upper-Division

24 Upper Division units are required, distributed as follows:.

Area Requirements Available Courses Units to Complete
A) One course in Hebrew Bible

RG ST 115A,

RG ST 132B,

ENG 116A

 4 __________
B) Two courses in Jewish History and Religion

HIST 133D,

HIST 133Q,

HIST 146T,

RG ST 115A-F-G-DA,

RG ST 116A,

RG ST 131C-D-H-J,

RG ST 132A-B-C-D

RG ST 133C,

RG ST 142A-B-C

 8 __________
C) Two courses in Jewish Literature, Culture and Society

C LIT 113,

C LIT 122A,

ENG 132PR,

HIST 118B,

HIST 146T,

RG ST 110G,

RG ST 116A-B,

RG ST 131C-D-F-H-J,

RG ST 132A-B-C-D,

RG ST 133B*-D-E*-F,

RG ST 157

RG ST 177

 8 __________
D) One additional course from either Area B or C   4 __________

Notes

* Cross-listed courses can be taken through either department.

  • Courses listed in more than one area may be applied to only one area
  • Students who wish to complete an optional emphasis in Hebrew should complete the lower-division language preparation and two of the following courses: Hebrew 4, 5, 6, 114A-B-C, or Religious Studies 142A-B-C.
  • Substitutions and waivers are subjected to approval by the chair of the department.

Students must consult the General Catalog for prerequisites to required courses.

The following conditions must also be met for official recognition of the minor:

  • The sponsering department reports completion of the minor prior to the posting of the degree.
  • At least 18 upper-division quarter units are completed for the minor. (Waivers cannot reduce the requirement below this number.)
  • The UC grade-point average in all applicable upper-division courses is 2.0 or higher.
  • No more than 5 upper-division units overlap between this minor and the upper-division portion of the major(s) or minor(s). If overlap is greater with the major(s), completeion of the minor will not be formally recognized; if overlap with other minor(s) is greater, only the first minor reported will be recognized.