Bachelor of Jewish Studies at University of Florida

University of Florida

United States of America, Gainesville

University Rank:#212

The Jewish Studies is a Bachelor degree offered by University of Florida at its main campus in Gainesville , United States of America. The program is delivered on campus as a Full Time course in English and requires approximately 4 years to complete. Students study at the university's main campus while gaining the knowledge and practical experience expected for this area of study. The next intake is available from January 9, 2027.

About Bachelor of Jewish Studies

The Center for Jewish Studies fosters the academic study of Jewish cultures, languages, history, society, and religion for all students at the University of Florida. Students are expected to develop as critical thinkers, aware of the diversity and complexity of the field. The center promotes a broad and interdisciplinary approach including the arts, social sciences, and textuality. The curriculum emphasizes historical transformations and comparative frameworks among various Jewish communities and with other groups and religions. Courses draw upon a variety of theoretical approaches to the study of class, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexuality with methodologies that are both textual and performance oriented.

Coursework for the Major

The major requires a minimum of 27 credits in Jewish studies and related courses with minimum grades of C. One year of Hebrew or another language with significant Jewish culture production is generally required but the language requirement can be waived under certain circumstances. A minimum of 15 credits for the major must be taken at the University of Florida.

Required Coursework

Introduction to Judaism or another introductory survey course in Jewish studies (3 credits)
Minimum 21 credits at the 3000 level or above
Students must work with the Center’s undergraduate adviser to design a curriculum that will give a sampling of the Jewish experience across time and across disciplines. Majors must complete a comprehensive research project in an upper division course as a capstone experience in their final year.

Special topics courses in other departments may be counted toward the major provided they include substantial coverage of material relevant to Jewish studies. Individual work (JST 4905), which also fulfills requirements for the major, is also available for independent study and special projects. No more than six credits of independent study (JST 4905) will be counted toward the minimum. Normally, no more than 12 credits of the minimum may be transfer credit; however, all transfer credits in JST-related courses from UF-approved programs abroad will apply toward the major.

Honors

Honors in Jewish studies can be earned by students who have at least a 3.5 GPA in their upper-division work and a 3.5 GPA in the major. Students who seek honors are required to complete an honors project, with a grade of A or B, under the guidance of a Jewish studies faculty member. In their senior year, honors students should register for JST 4970, a 2-3 credit course.

Internship in Jewish Communal Services

Students can gain practical experience as an undergraduate through the internship option of JST 4940. The goal of this program is both to expose the student to the opportunities for service in the world of organized Jewry and to provide a means for students to understand how Jewish values are propagated in organized settings. Students earn credit for volunteer work and training in applied settings such as Jewish family and social services agencies, community centers, federations, educational institutions, museums, newspapers, denominational organizations, public affairs groups, synagogues, Hillel or equivalent institutions. To qualify for JST credit, the organization must have an explicit public tie to Judaism and be approved for internship credit by the Center for Jewish Studies.

Overseas Study

The Center for Jewish Studies provides counsel regarding study abroad at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The overseas programs at these Israeli universities offer summer, one semester and full-year courses of study. Information is available in 201 Walker Hall and at the UF International Center, 170 Hub.

Scholarships are available. Travel restriction updates are available on the department website.

This major familiarizes students with the aspects of Jewish history, religion, languages and cultures. Emphasis is placed on basic language acquisition, analysis and critical evaluation of texts and contexts, integration of cultural data with disciplinary concerns outside of Jewish studies and comparative frameworks among different Jewish groups and with co-territorial non-Jews.

Before Graduating Students Must

Satisfactory evaluation of paper written for the CJS capstone course, graded according to department rubric.
Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Content

Demonstrate knowledge of and competence in the Jewish experience, including minority and diasporic communities within a comparative framework.
Demonstrate knowledge of transformations of Jewish communities over time and space.

Critical Thinking

Understand the significance of language in assessing Jewish culture(s).
Evaluate and apply effectively the significance, quality and veracity of information (both primary and secondary) in the literature.

Communication

Articulate research results clearly and effectively in an accepted style of presentation.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Academic Learning Compact 5
Courses	SLO 1	SLO 2	SLO 3	SLO 4	SLO 5
Courses are taken multiple times with changes in topic.
JST 2930 Introduction to Jewish Studies	I	I	I	I
JST 3930 Holocaust Studies	R	R	R	R	R
JST 3930 Modern European Jewish History	R	R	R	R	R
JST 3930 Jewish History	R	R	R	R	R
JST 3930 Secular Jewish Culture	R	R	R	R	R
JST 4936 Judaism and Politics	A	A	A	A	A
JST 4936 Israeli Society	A	A	A	A	A

Assessment Types

Direct assessment of essays and final tests (by track: Holocaust studies, Israel studies, general studies)

Disciplines

Liberal Arts and Sciences

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Jewish Studies at University of Florida

Entry Requirements

Applicants who should complete the SSAR:

Attended a high school regionally accredited in the United States for at least three years.
Attended a DODEA (Department of Defense Education Activity) school.

Applicants who should not complete the SSAR:

Attended a secondary school located outside the United States for more than one semester.
Studied a curriculum that did not follow the standard U.S. system.

Required: At least three full years of your most recent secondary school transcripts, including courses in progress (grades 9, 10 and 11 + senior schedule) in both the native language of instruction and a word for word certified English translation (if applicable). Unofficial transcripts are accepted electronically via the status Check Status page for the review process, while official transcripts and translations are required upon enrollment.

English Requirements

IELTSMin 6
TOEFLMin 80

English Program Requirements

All applicants, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate English proficiency. English proficiency examination results, such as TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test, are encouraged for non-native English speakers, but are not required for freshman admission. SAT or ACT results are required for all freshman applicants.

Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Jewish Studies at University of Florida

How to Apply for Bachelor of Jewish Studies at University of Florida

A copy of your transcript for any school you have attended with the grades you have earned
A list of your high school activities including jobs, clubs, sports, community service, etc.
Information about your parent(s) or guardian(s), such as educational background, occupation and employer information

Add UF as a university to receive your application and review our specific application requirements.

Fill in your profile information. Your profile is where you'll enter information that will be sent to all schools to which you apply. The University of Florida requires the following sections:

Information about who you are and how to contact you, your address, citizenship, high school and family information
Current-year coursework
Honors and distinctions
Activities and experiences

Complete the UF Supplement. This includes a few additional short-answer questions so that we can learn more about you when reviewing your application.

Complete the essay questions. The essay helps our admissions staff get to know you better. Use this space to tell us something about yourself that we wouldn’t learn elsewhere in your application. And remember, the best essay topic for you is going to be the one that you are most excited to write about.

Once you have submitted your application, a link will appear on your status page to create your Student Self-Reported Academic Record (SSAR). List your high school courses and grades exactly as they appear on your transcript. You must complete the SSAR by December 1 for your application to be complete. If you begin the SSAR separately before submitting your UF application, be sure to link it to your application once your application has been submitted.

Submit your test scores to UF no later than December 15. You may either self-report your SAT and/or ACT scores through your application status page or send official scores from the testing agency. Since accuracy is critical, students who choose to self-report should have a copy of their SAT/ACT score report(s) available to reference when submitting their scores. Because UF superscores both the SAT and ACT, we encourage you to submit scores for all SAT or ACT tests you have taken. If admitted, students who have self-reported their scores in the admissions process will be required to submit official scores from the testing agency to UF by May 1. UF Institutional Codes:

You may request to begin your studies in either the Summer B or Fall term. The term requested DOES NOT affect the consideration of your application. If you are admitted, we will try to offer you the term you requested, but space limitations may mean you receive an offer for a different term.

When you submit your application, pay the $30 nonrefundable fee by credit card unless you qualify for a fee waiver. In both the Common and Coalition applications, you can indicate in the profile section if you qualify for a fee waiver.

You will receive an email 24-48 hours after submitting your application with instructions to create your MyAdmissions application status credentials. Once completed, you can log in to the MyAdmissions app status portal to keep track of your application status and the materials that UF has received. This is also where you will find the link to create your SSAR.

Bachelor of Jewish Studies at University of Florida

University of Florida

United States of America, Gainesville