Judaic Studies B.A.

The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies was established to foster academic achievement, civic engagement, and leadership skills through rigorous and in-depth interdisciplinary study of Jewish history, culture, and civilization. The interaction of our four core faculty members—working in the study of ancient Jewry, modern Jewish history, Israel Studies, and Jewish literature—together with affiliated faculty in Hebrew language, medieval history, and Middle East Studies creates an enriching and stimulating atmosphere. Thanks to the program’s intimate learning environment, students benefit from the type of personal attention normally associated with small liberal arts colleges while still having the advantages of a large urban university. 

The major in Judaic Studies trains students of all backgrounds in the skills and tools associated with the academic study of Judaism and Jewish culture, offering knowledge and understanding of a major world civilization, with important and widely applicable lessons in close reading, canonicity, historical analysis, the complexity of identity, and the dynamics of tradition and modernity. 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 completing the major are required to take Introduction to Judaism, both terms of the two-term sequence in Jewish history, and three years of modern Hebrew (or the equivalent). They must also choose an area of concentration (Jews in Antiquity; Israel Studies; Judaism; Literature, Culture, and the Arts; and Modern Jewish History) in which they will take at least 12 credits.

Students undertaking the major in Judaic Studies at PSU may be eligible for the following scholarships: the Lois Berlin, John May, Ida & Sam Shleifer Endowed Scholarship, the Abigail Jacobs-Kaufman Scholarship, the Sara Glasgow Cogan Memorial Scholarship, and the Lorry I. Lokey Israel Travel Scholarship .

Total Credit Hours: 60