Certificate Program in Jewish Studies

The Certificate in Jewish Studies is an exciting inter-departmental program that offers courses in Religious Studies; Political Science; History; Cultural Anthropology; Comparative Literature; Hebrew Language and Literature; Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies; Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Romance Studies, German Studies; and more. The Center offers you the flexibility to design a curriculum that meets your individual interests.   

Introductory courses in Judaic civilization are especially suited to students who have no previous knowledge of the subject or only a rudimentary familiarity with Judaism and other aspects of Jewish history.  We offer a focus cluster, a transformative ideas course, as well as embedded travel courses, while emphasizing undergraduate research opportunities.

student looking at artifacts
A student looks at artifacts found on the archeological site of Masada, ©David Blumenfeld, Duke Magazine

Requirements

  • 6 courses, One of which must be the Gateway Seminar, JEWISHST 164S, "Antisemitism: Ethnicity, Race, Religion, Culture"
  • 4 at or above the 200 level
  • Independent study, with a capstone project, arranged with the DUS
  • Not more than 3 courses in any particular department (NOTE: Cross-listed courses may count for any of the listed departments: e.g. if you take “Jewish Berlin” which is listed as German/Jewish Studies/Religious Studies 367A, you may count that course towards your allotment of German, Jewish Studies, or Religious Studies courses).

Language courses that directly relate to Jewish Studies (e.g. Hebrew, German, Yiddish, etc.) will be counted at the discretion of the DUS.

Graduation with Distinction

Certificate students are also eligible for Graduation with Distinction. Qualified students may apply to the Graduation with Distinction program on the basis of a thesis or other substantive scholarly project based on course work taken in the Certificate Program. Each student's overall achievement in the field, and in particular the thesis project, is assessed by a three-member faculty committee.