The Certificate in Jewish Studies requires a minimum of 18 s.h., including at least 12 s.h. in courses completed at the University of Iowa. Students must earn a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in all certificate coursework.
The certificate may be earned by any student admitted to the University of Iowa who is not enrolled in a UI graduate or professional degree program. Undergraduate to Graduate (U2G) students may earn the certificate when the undergraduate classification is primary.
The certificate takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Jewish history and cultures across time and space. Jewish studies encompasses a broad range of topics, including biblical studies; ancient, medieval, and modern history; Jewish religion; Jewish literature and art; Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Ashkenazi studies; race and gender; social justice; Holocaust studies; Israel studies; Jewish languages; and more. Jewish studies interrogates ethnicity and other forms of identity and therefore intersects with African American studies; Latina/o/x studies; gender, women’s, and sexuality studies; and other similar fields. Jewish studies is inherently transnational, interdisciplinary, and intersectional.
All students develop an individual certificate plan of study in close cooperation with a Jewish studies advisor. As a general rule, both foundation courses are offered annually, one in the fall and one in the spring. Other courses are typically offered on an annual or biennial basis. In some cases, students may be able to count certificate courses toward certain GE CLAS Core requirements.
Some courses in the following list only apply to the certificate when an appropriately themed section is completed; additional notations appear on those courses. Students must ensure they are enrolled for a qualifying section of the course.
Students may petition to receive credit for courses not listed. These may include more general courses in which students complete a major project centered around Jewish studies, such as courses in the creative and performing arts, independent studies, or a senior or honors thesis. Students are advised to consult with the Jewish studies certificate director about any questions regarding qualifying coursework.
The Certificate in Jewish Studies requires the following coursework.
Foundation Courses
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| One of these: | ||
| HIST:1040 | Diversity in History (when topic is global Jewish history) | 3 |
| SJUS:2240/RELS:2240 | The Worlds of Jews and Judaism: An Introduction to Jewish Studies | 3 |
Elective Courses
Students fulfill the remainder of the 18 s.h. with elective courses selected from the following.
It is recommended but not required that students distribute elective courses in the following ways: courses from at least two different departments; courses from at least two different clusters; and at least 9 s.h. in courses numbered 2000 or above.
Cross-Chronological Cluster
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL:3247 | The English Bible | 3 |
| HIST:1040 | Diversity in History (when topic is global Jewish history; if not taken as a foundation course) | 3 |
| RELS:1001 | Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | 3 |
| SJUS:2240/RELS:2240 | The Worlds of Jews and Judaism: An Introduction to Jewish Studies (if not taken as a foundation course) | 3 |
The Ancient and Medieval World Cluster
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CLSA:1415 | Ancient Origins of Religious Conflict | 3 |
| CLSA:1454 | Hebrew Bible for Everyone | 3 |
| CLSA:1455 | New Testament for Everyone | 3 |
| CLSA:2444/RELS:2444 | Cities of the Bible | 3 |
| CLSA:2482/RELS:2182 | Ancient Mediterranean Religions | 3 |
| CLSA:2489/RELS:2289 | Jerusalem: The Holy City | 3 |
| CLSA:2620/RELS:2620 | Sex and the Bible | 3 |
| CLSA:3247/RELS:3247 | Banned from the Bible: Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha | 3 |
| CLSA:4452/RELS:4352 | The Dead Sea Scrolls | 3 |
| ENGL:3226/MDVL:3226 | Literature and Culture of the Middle Ages | 3 |
| HIST:2461/CLSA:2461/RELS:2361 | Middle East and Mediterranean: Alexander to Suleiman | 3 |
| RELS:1070 | Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament | 3 |
| RELS:3520/CLSA:3520 | Religious Violence and Nationalism | 3 |
The Modern World Cluster
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FREN:4433/HIST:4433 | France Under Nazi Occupation, 1940-1944 | 3-4 |
| GRMN:2618/WLLC:2618 | Film and Literature of the Holocaust | 3-4 |
| GRMN:2620/WLLC:2620 | Anne Frank and Her Story | 3-4 |
| GRMN:2675/MUSM:2675 | The Politics of Memory: Holocaust, Genocide, and 9/11 | 3-4 |
| HIST:1016 | The History That Made Our World (when topic is Israel-Palestine conflict) | 3 |
| HIST:1040 | Diversity in History (when topic is Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel) | 3 |
| HIST:2151 | Introduction to the History Major (when topic is Nazi Germany) | 3 |
| HIST:4478 | Holocaust in History and Memory | 3 |
| POLI:3423 | The Middle East: Policy and Diplomacy | 3 |
| RELS:2265/ASP:2265/GHS:2265 | Hard Cases in Healthcare at the End of Life | 3 |
| SJUS:2050/GWSS:2050/HIST:2150/RELS:2250 | Jews, Judaism, and Social Justice | 3 |
Language Cluster
Students interested in pursuing additional language study through the Big Ten Academic Alliance CourseShare Program should contact the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures for more information.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CLSA:4901/RELS:4001 | Biblical Hebrew I | 3-4 |
| CLSA:4902/RELS:4002 | Biblical Hebrew II | 3 |
| CLSA:5903/RELS:5001 | Biblical Aramaic | 3 |
| CLSA:5904/RELS:5002 | Targumic Aramaic | 3 |
| Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) CourseShare courses in Modern Hebrew, Yiddish, or Ladino | ||
The Certificate in Jewish Studies is of value for careers for which training in ethics and diversity are important qualifications, such as social services, the health care professions, law, and the arts. The certificate also helps to prepare students for careers with Jewish or interfaith nonprofits and graduate work in Jewish studies or cognate fields.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
Jewish Studies, Certificate
This sample plan will be added at a later date.