Judaic Studies Minor
Portland State University offers a conceptually structured yet flexible undergraduate minor in Judaic Studies. Students completing the minor will have gained exposure to the study of Jewish history and culture in a variety of national and international contexts. Students completing the minor are required to take Introduction to Judaism and at least one term of the two-term sequence in Jewish history, as well as coursework dealing with Jews and Judaism in Europe, Israel, and the United States, the major historical centers of Jewish life in the modern period. 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 Memorial Scholarship and the Abigail Jacobs-Kaufman Scholarship.
Requirements
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:
Courses
| JSt 201 | Introduction to Judaism | 4 |
| | Area electives (see below) | 12 |
| | Advisor-approved electives (see below) | 12 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 28 |
Area electives must include at least 4 credits of coursework from the list of electives above (see requirements for the major) focusing on each of the following categories:
| | Jewish history/culture in the United States | 4 |
| | Jewish history/culture in the State of Israel | 4 |
| | Jewish history/culture prior to 1700 | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Approved Electives
Adviser-approved electives may include up to 4 credits of coursework not on the list of approved electives, but which has a conceptual, topical, or methodological relevance to the discipline of Judaic studies. Up to 8 credits of Heb 203 or higher may be applied.
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 adviser.