Program Overview

Program Overview

The Certificate in Jewish Studies is designed for Ph.D. students in any graduate program in the Laney Graduate School who wish to certify a specialization in Jewish studies.

Program Goals

The goals of the program are:

• To provide a framework through which students may supplement their doctoral program with broad training in the data, methods, approaches, and languages of Jewish studies;
• To provide students with access to cross-disciplinary perspectives that they may not gain in their doctoral programs;
• To create, through participation in coursework and related programs, a sense of community for students working in Jewish studies;
• To facilitate mentoring and support in identifying professional opportunities such as conference attendance, for grants, fellowships, and jobs, and to prepare students for the professional culture of Jewish studies;
• To provide a formal framework through which students may demonstrate credentials in Jewish studies for potential employers and granting agencies.

Program Completion Requirements

Completion of the certificate program requires:

• The core course, Jewish Studies 561: Methods in Jewish Studies, will introduce students to a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to the field.
• Three additional Jewish studies-related courses. Students must take all courses for a letter grade and achieve a grade of B or higher in a course in order for the course to count toward the certificate.
• Ongoing participation in TIJS seminars and lectures, which serve as the intellectual center of the program, is strongly encouraged after completion of the core course.
• Students must pass a translation exam in one Jewish language. Exams are regularly administered in Hebrew (Biblical and Modern) and Yiddish. Exams in other languages (e.g., Judeo-Arabic and Ladino) can be administered upon request.
• Following the completion of coursework, students in the Certificate Program must include a member of the core faculty of TIJS on either their examination committee or their dissertation committee, or both.
• When all requirements for the Certificate have been fulfilled, the student must complete the Certificate Program Requirements Completion form and submit this to the JS Academic Program Coordinator for coursework verification. In the term prior to graduation, the student must notify the Graduate Program Coordinator of his or her intent to graduate. The student must then apply for both their Certificate and Ph.D. in their online degree application, and submit the signed Completion Form to the graduate school. The certificate will post to the transcript with the final degree.

Graduate Courses in JS-Related Fields

Students should consult with the TIJS' Director of Graduate Studies regarding which courses related to Jewish Studies would fulfill the requirements of the Certificate Program.

Admission to Certificate Program

Admission to the certificate program is on a rolling basis, but applicants are encouraged to apply within the first two years of graduate study to help ensure that necessary coursework can be completed. Graduate students interested in pursuing a certificate in Jewish studies should obtain permission from both their home department's thesis advisor as well as the Jewish studies DGS. Once you have obtained the necessary approvals, you must declare your intention to pursue a certificate with LGS.