Program Overview

Jewish Studies (JWST)

Overview

The Jewish Studies Program offers both a Master's Degree in Jewish Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Jewish Studies.

Abstract

The Master's Program in Jewish Studies is designed to offer students broad, interdisciplinary, graduate-level training in Jewish Studies, as well as in-depth focus on some aspect of the Jewish experience. The curriculum draws on the strengths of the Jewish Studies Program at Maryland, especially Jewish History, Bible, Jewish Literature and Cultural Studies (particularly in the ancient and modern periods), Yiddish, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Israel Studies. In addition, students take courses in cognate fields outside of Jewish Studies in consultation with their advisors. The extremely strong, and still growing, library collection (rivaled in the mid-Atlantic region only by the Library of Congress), and our proximity to the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and other museums and institutions make the University a prime location for graduate Jewish Studies.

The Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Jewish Studies offers students already enrolled in graduate programs at the University to receive training in Jewish Studies. The program draws on faculty in History, English, Philosophy, Hebrew, and other departments and programs.

Financial Assistance

MA applicants are eligible for University-wide fellowships. In addition, the Jewish Studies program may award up to two fellowships per year to outstanding Master's students.

Limited funds may be available for outstanding certificate students.

General Requirements

• Statement of Purpose
• Transcript(s)
• TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)

Program-Specific Requirements

• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• CV/Resume (optional)
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (optional)
• Publications/Presentations
• Writing Sample

Application Deadlines

• Domestic Applicants:
  • US Citizens and Permanent Residents: April 9, 2026 (Fall), November 14, 2025 (Spring)
• International Applicants:
  • F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A, E, G, H, I and L visas and immigrants: March 13, 2026 (Fall), September 30, 2025 (Spring)

Faculty

• Antoine Borrut: Associate Professor, History; Affiliate Associate Professor, Jewish Studies
• Bernard Dov Cooperman: Associate Professor, History; Associate Professor, Jewish Studies
• Maxine Grossman: Associate Professor, Jewish Studies; Affiliate Associate Professor, Women's Studies
• Shay Hazkani: Associate Professor, History; Assistant Professor, Jewish Studies
• Regina Igel: Professor, Spanish Language and Literature; Professor Emerita, Spanish Language and Literature; Affiliate Professor, Jewish Studies
• Avital Karpman: Associate Clinical Professor, Jewish Studies
• Hayim Lapin: Professor, History; Professor, Jewish Studies
• Adi Mahalel: Visiting Assistant Professor, Jewish Studies
• Charles H. Manekin: Chair, Jewish Studies; Professor, Jewish Studies; Professor Emeritus, Philosophy
• Rachel Manekin: Assistant Professor, Jewish Studies
• Marsha L. Rozenblit: Professor, History; Professor, Jewish Studies
• Ilai Saltzman: Assistant Research Professor, Jewish Studies
• Rachel Schine: Assistant Professor, History; Assistant Professor, Jewish Studies
• Saul Sosnowski: Professor, Spanish Language and Literature; Affiliate Professor, Jewish Studies
• Matthew Suriano: Associate Professor, Jewish Studies
• Shibley Telhami: Professor, Government and Politics; Affiliate Professor, Jewish Studies
• Peter Wien: Professor, History; Affiliate Associate Professor, Jewish Studies
• Eric S. Zakim: Associate Professor, Jewish Studies; Associate Professor, Comparative Literature
• Madeline C. Zilfi: Affiliate Professor, Jewish Studies

Graduate Degree Program

College: Arts and Humanities

Jewish Studies, Master of Arts (M.A.)

The University’s libraries hold over 3,000,000 volumes and house among the strongest holdings in Judaic Studies in the Mid-Atlantic region. In addition to the outstanding holdings of the Library of Congress, the area also offers the specialized resources of the Dumbarton Oaks, the National Archives, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and numerous other scholarly, cultural, and political resources. Through the Consortium of Institutions in the Washington D.C. area, University of Maryland graduate students may enroll in courses at other universities for graduate credit.