<HTML> <HEAD> <title>MA in Jewish Studies - The School for Overseas Students</title> </HEAD> <body bgcolor="#546AF6" background="images/Back_Texture.gif"> <TABLE> <tr> <td width="10"></td> <td width="647"> <center> <img src="pic/maProgram.jpg" width="222" height="171"><br> <hr width="30%" noshade></center> <h2>M.A. Program in Jewish Studies</h2> <p> Earn an M.A. degree in Jewish Studies at Tel Aviv University.<br> The program is specially designed for English-speaking and Hebrew-speaking students from around the world who seek a solid and well-rounded graduate education in Jewish Studies with intensive training in Hebrew language as well. The M.A. Program in Jewish Studies is one of several international graduate programs offered in English at the University.<p> Tel Aviv University (TAU) is Israel's largest university- a dynamic center of learning whose activities extend into every area of Israel and the Middle East. World-renowned for its academic excellence, TAU draws students from all around the globe to its lively, attractive, and extensive campus.Located in the cultural and economic center of Israel, TAU is a gateway not only to the city of Tel Aviv but to the country of Israel, with its ancient historical roots and thoroughly modern life, and to the entire Middle East. <p> TAU's facilities include a great library system, a School of Jewish Studies, a Center for the Study of Diaspora Jewry, a sports center, a Jewish cultural center and synagogue, an array of cafeterias, a student computing center, and many other facilities to which students in the program will have complete access.<p> The M.A. Program in Jewish Studies is conducted under the auspices of the Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies within the Entin Faculty of the Humanities; however, its courses and instructors are drawn from se veral faculties of the University, including the social sciences and arts. Instructors and advisers include m any senior faculty, stellar scholars. The Hebrew language faculty is expert. The program is run together with the School for Overseas Students, which is located in the Carter Building, at the very center of the campus.<p> The M.A. degree that is earned in this program is equivalent to any M.A. earned at any Israeli university ( 36 credits with a thesis plus up to 12 credits in Hebrew, depending on one's level) and is more demanding and credit-worthy than most M.A. degrees earned at universities elsewhere.<p> <B>Who will be interested in the program?</B><p> The program is designed for students who<p> · Seek an excellent and well-rounded education in Jewish studies on the M.A. level<br> · Want to learn modern Hebrew intensively and in the unique Israeli cultural environment of Tel Aviv<br> · Seek a strong foundation in Hebrew, the study of Jewish texts, and Jewish history for the pursuit of graduate work in Jewish studies at any university in the world<br> · Seek a better understanding of Israel-its history, its politics, its culture<br><p> <b>Students who complete the program can </b><p> · Find positions in Jewish education and communal affairs, journalism and the media, research and writing <br> · Continue their training as scholars, academicians, communal leaders <br> · Use their training to enrich their communities as well as themselves <br><p> <b> What are the goals of the program? </b><p> The program is designed in order to achieve a variety of goals:<br> · To learn Hebrew well (for those who may not already be fluent in Hebrew)<br> · To get experience in reading Jewish texts from the classical as well as the modern period<br> · To become familiar with Jewish history and thought<br> · To become familiar with the land, the society, the literature, and the culture of Israel<br> · To become more sensitive to Israeli politics and Israel-Diaspora relations<br><p> <b> How does the program achieve these goals? </b><p> The program will achieve its goals by means of <br> · Courses and seminars specially designed and selected from the wealth of TAU's offerings and all presented in English for English speakers; Hebrew speakers will be able to select appropriate courses from TAU's regular offerings<br> · Guidance and teaching by leading faculty<br> · Intensive Hebrew instruction by expert faculty<br> · Tours of historical and cultural sites in Israel<br> · Guided visits to museums and other cultural institutions<br> · Participation in cultural events<br> · Special programs<p> <b>What is the program?-The Curriculum</b> <p> The M.A. in Jewish Studies for English-speaking students is a two-year program of study. (Extensions will be available for those who choose to complete the program over a somewhat longer period.) It entails nine 4-hour seminars in a variety of areas, plus up to 16 academic hours of Hebrew instruction (for those who need it), and the writing of an M.A. thesis. In three of the nine seminar courses (one per semester), students will write a seminar paper (in the six others students will write a take-home or final examination). Spread over four semesters, the program involves (up to) 16 academic hours of weekly study for three semesters, with one semester reserved for writing the thesis and for reading Hebrew texts. Students will enjoy the guidance and direction of senior faculty for the duration of the program and especially for the research and writing of the seminar papers and the M.A. thesis.<p> <b> Areas of study </b> <p> The course of study will include all of the following areas, in addition to Hebrew language:<p> · History and archaeology of the biblical period <br> · The Hebrew Bible <br> · Classical Jewish literature and thought <br> · History and archaeology of the Jews in the Greco-Roman and Byzantine period <br> · Medieval Jewish culture and thought <br> · Modern Jewish history <br> · Modern Jewish thought <br> · History of modern Israel <br> · Modern Hebrew literature <br> · Contemporary Israeli culture <br> · Israel-Diaspora relations <p> <b>Among the seminars from which the course of study will be built are:</b><p> · The archaeology of Israel in the biblical period<br> · Israel's beginnings: Between myth and historical reality<BR> · Politics in the Bible<BR> · The problem of evil in the Bible and the ancient Near East<BR> · The Jewish bookshelf: Sources for the study of Jewish history<BR> · Art and architecture of the Second Temple period, the period of the Mishnah and the Talmudic period<BR> · Ethics and law of the rabbis: Moral dilemmas in halacha<BR> · Jewish folk literature<BR> · Maimonides' Guide to the Perplexed<BR> · Jewish-Christian polemics in the Middle Ages<BR> · Jews and Judaism in modern Jewish thought<BR> · The many faces of Zionist thought<BR> · The political struggle to establish the State of Israel<BR> · The Israeli-Arab conflict<BR> · Israel in the international area: From the rise of the State until today<BR> · The triangular relationship between Israel and the U.S.: strategic concerns, shared values, Jewish power<BR> · America and Israel: The Shoah, identity, and gender<BR> · The Shoah in modern Hebrew literature<BR> · National identity in Israeli cinemaM.A. Program in Jewish Studies<BR> · Hebrew theater as Jewish art<p> Depending on the size of the program in any given year (ideal course size will be 10-15 students), one or more alternative courses will be offered for each slot in the program. Each course is a 4-hour seminar (meeting for two 90-minute classes per week). A sample course of study might look like the following:<p> <B>First semester:</B><p> The archaeology of Israel in the biblical period<BR> Jewish folk literature<BR> The many faces of Zionist thought<BR> Hebrew language<p> <B>Second semester:</B><p> The Jewish bookshelf: Sources for the Study of Jewish History<BR> Jewish-Christian Polemics in the Middle Ages<BR> The Shoah in Israeli Culture<BR> Hebrew language<p> <b>Third semester: </B> <p> The problem of evil in the Bible and the ancient Near East <br> The triangular relationship between Israel and the U.S.: <br> strategic concerns, shared values, Jewish power<br> National identity in Israeli cinema<br> Hebrew language<p> <b>Fourth semester:</b> <p> Writing the M.A. thesis<br> Hebrew language: Hebrew sources and texts<br><br> <b>Admission to the program</b><p> Admission to the program is open to all students who have completed a B.A. degree at an accredited college or university and whose grade point average is at least 3.0 (B or better). <p> <b>Requirements of the program</b><p> Students will satisfactorily complete an entire course of study. In each seminar for which course (not seminar) credit is desired, students will take an examination or write a paper. For each of the three courses taken as seminars, students will write, under the supervision of their instructor, a seminar paper (from 15-30 pages). <p> Students will have to get a B or above in each one of the first year seminars in order to continue studying in the second year of the program.</p> <p> Hebrew language courses-beginning Ulpan, intermediate, and advanced-will be taken on the basis of an examination that prospective students will be given. Students who already function on an advanced level will not need to take Hebrew language courses.<p> Students who are capable of taking regular university courses in Hebrew may substitute appropriate courses for corresponding courses in the program, with the approval of the program director.<p> The M.A. thesis will deal with a topic from among the subjects covered in the program. The topic, methodology, and bibliography for the thesis will be developed under the direction of an appropriate TAU faculty member. The thesis will comprise an original piece of research and will extend to approximately 75-125 pages, including notes and bibliography. The fourth semester of the program is reserved for the research and writing of the thesis.<p> <b>Interested in a Ph.D.? </b><p> Students who complete the M.A. program successfully may apply to one of the schools in the Faculty of the Humanities for acceptance as a Ph.D. candidate. Depending on the student's particular course of study and the topics researched in the seminar papers and thesis as well as on the direction the student wishes to pursue for the Ph.D., additional courses may be required by the school or program. Most Ph.D. programs also require facility in research languages.<br> <center> <img src="pic/maProgram.jpg" width="333" height="271"><br> <hr width="40%" noshade> <script LANGUAGE = "JavaScript"> <!-- hide script from old browsers document.write("This page was last updated on " + document.lastModified ); // end hiding contents --> </script> </center> </td> </tr> </TABLE> </BODY> </HTML>