B.A. in Judaic Studies

Declaring the JUS Major

Current students must email the JUS Advisor, Christopher Cruz, (cbcruz75@arizona.edu), to declare the major.

Major Requirements

In addition to general education requirements, students must complete 34 JUS major units, of which 18 need to be Upper-division.

Major Checklist

Core Course

JUS 301 is intended as an introductory survey and as a gateway to more specialized courses in Judaic Studies. The subject of the course is the Jewish people, one of the oldest nations of the world, whose culture has developed both among and within other cultures as a distinct and relatively continuous whole since Antiquity. Although its content and its precise borders are sometimes difficult to ascertain, "Jewish Civilization" may be defined as the evolving culture--or constellation of related cultures--that the Jews and their Israelite ancestors created and have understood as their collective heritage.

History or Engagement Course (Pick One)

Survey of major political, socioeconomic, and cultural developments in the history of Diaspora Jewry: Modern Jewish history.

Survey of major political, socioeconomic, and cultural developments in the history of Diaspora Jewry from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. 

Survey of the history and religion of ancient Israel. The Biblical period through the Babylonian Exile; introduction to the Hebrew Bible. 

Survey of the history and religion of ancient Israel. Ezra-Nehemiah to the Roman Empire, with emphasis on the formation of rabbinic Judaism. 

Evolution of the State of Israel from the rise of Zionism in 19th Century Europe to the present. Survey of the origins of the State of Israel from the rise of Zionism in 19th Century Europe to the Declaration of the State of Israel from 1949 to the present. Emphasis on interactive generative processes and understanding of the interplay between processes and present socio-political realities. 

The course examines various definitions of anti-Semitism and traces the history of anti-Semitism (or "anti-Judaism") from the earliest arguments between Christianizing Jews and Judaizing Christians to the birth of Islam, through the period of Muslim expansion and the Crusades, to the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, and the Holocaust. It looks at the differences among various types of Christian anti-Semitism, Muslim anti-Semitism, and Jewish anti-Semitism, and concludes with a look at contemporary forms of anti-Semitism.

Specialized work on an individual basis, consisting of training and practice in actual service in a technical, business, or governmental establishment.

Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work.

The practical application, on an individual basis, of previously studied theory and the collection of data for future theoretical interpretation. 

Elective Requirements

Students must complete 23 units of JUS elective courses. Click to see full list of Major Courses.

Please view the JUS Major Checklist to find the complete list of electives.

Language Requirements

Students must reach 4th-semester proficiency in a relevant foreign language. In addition to Hebrew, other language opportunities include Arabic, Farsi, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.

Intensive introduction to basic oral skills, reading and writing to accomplish simple conversation and read easy Hebrew with comprehension.

Intensive introduction to establish foundation for beginning fluency in conversation, reading and writing.

Instruction to achieve moderate fluency in conversation, reading and writing.

Advanced instruction in modern Hebrew language and literature.

Double Major Opportunities

JUS is a fantastic option for a 2nd major, requiring about 10 courses to complete. Up to three courses (9 units) can be double dipped with a 2nd major.

More Information

  • No courses used for the JUS major may be used for general education requirements. 
  • JUS 160D1 cannot be used in the JUS Major or JUS Minor if you started in Fall 2021 or earlier.  If you started the JUS Major or Minor in Spring 2022 you can.
  • A 2.00 GPA minimum is required to graduate