Religious Studies Major, B.A.–Jewish Studies Concentration

The undergraduate major in religious studies — Jewish studies concentration is an interdisciplinary curriculum that explores the history, literature, culture, and religious life of Jews in their interaction with other peoples from ancient times to the present. It also offers students an opportunity to become more knowledgeable about selected areas of the Jewish experience.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the religious studies major — Jewish studies concentration, students should be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of Hebrew and of the history, literature, culture, and religious life of Jews across at least three historical periods
Demonstrate knowledge of influential terms, approaches, and theories in Jewish studies
Conduct research in Jewish studies, including interpreting primary sources, assessing scholarly literature, and constructing original arguments
Clearly and effectively communicate the results of research

Requirements

In addition to the program requirements, students must

earn a minimum final cumulative GPA of 2.000
complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill courses
take at least half of their major core requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill
earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the major core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for major or specific courses.

For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Core Requirements
JWST 100/RELI 123	Introduction to Jewish Studies	3
JWST 697	Capstone Course: Themes and Methodologies in Jewish Studies ¹	3
Six (6) additional Jewish Studies (JWST) elective courses, with at least two courses numbered 400 or higher.		18
Additional Requirements
Two language courses relevant to Jewish Studies, chosen from the following options: ²		6
HEBR 101, HEBR 102, HEBR 203, and HEBR 204
RELI 211 and RELI 212
RELI 401, RELI 402, RELI 403, and RELI 404
Total Hours		30

¹: An alternative for this course requires the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies - Jewish Studies.
²: Other languages not listed above (e.g. Yiddish, Ladino, Arabic, etc.) or a language exemption require the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies - Jewish Studies.

Although this concentration of the religious studies major is housed in the Department of Religious Studies, the director of Jewish studies is responsible for advising all students who elect the concentration in Jewish studies.

Special Opportunities in Religious Studies

Honors in Religious Studies

Students majoring in religious studies (including double majors) with a grade point average of 3.5 or above in department courses and 3.3 grade point average overall and who will have successfully completed at least one course numbered 400 or above on a topic in religious studies that is related to the proposed thesis may choose to write an honors thesis. Candidates for graduation with honors in religious studies are to be enrolled in RELI 691H in the fall and RELI 692H in the spring semester of their senior year. RELI 691H and RELI 692H count toward the major as courses fulfilling subfield requirements. Students should submit applications for the honors program to the department’s director of undergraduate studies by the end of February during their junior year. Consult the department’s director of undergraduate studies for details.

Study Abroad

Some courses through the Study Abroad Office can count towards the major and minor in religious studies as well.

Undergraduate Awards and Honors

The department presents three awards at the end of each academic year: the Bernard Boyd Fellowship, the Bernard Boyd Memorial Prize, and the Halperin-Schütz Undergraduate Essay Award. The department also has funds to support summer research connected to students' pursuit of a major in religious studies.

The department also inducts qualified majors into the Religious Studies National Honor Society, Theta Alpha Kappa.