Why take courses in Jewish Studies?

Courses in Jewish Studies provide an opportunity to develop critical analytical, reading, and writing skills, and offer a unique vantage point to grow you inter-cultural literacy, such an important asset in our interconnected and globalized world. Since dynamic contact with many other religions and cultures influenced the development of Jewish civilization, you can study Jews and Judaism within the broader context of dominant societies and the spectrum of the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

A Jewish Studies minor also allows you to train for a career in the Jewish community or in Jewish education, learn about Jewish issues and opportunities for Jewish service, and develop a deeper understanding of American and world Jewry.

Consider completing a Minor in Jewish Studies—you may be closer to fulfilling the requirements than you think!

At UCI, students can explore Jewish life in past and present in a journey that can lead them to places as diverse as ancient Persia, medieval Spain, twentieth century Germany, or contemporary Mexico. Jewish Studies offers courses in many different departments, including History, Political Science, German, Comparative Literature, Religious Studies, and more.

Jewish Studies features lower-division classes that fulfill the Gen Ed requirements and upper-division courses that allow you to delve more deeply into the study of Jewish culture and religion, the history of the Holocaust, or the Middle East in past and present.

Some of the courses that we are offering regularly include:

HIST 18A –Jewish Cultures
HIST 10 – The Holocaust
HIST 70E – Jerusalem: 3 Religions, 3000 Years
HIST 130C – The Hebrew Bible
HIST 114 – Antisemitism
HIST 114 – True Love-Hate-Relationship: Jewish Life in Germany
HIST 130B – Modern Jewish History
 
View the full list of Approved Courses here.

If you are interested in pursuing a Minor in Jewish Studies, please see the requirements listed in the UCI Catalogue.