Jewish Studies majors at UWM examine the culture and religion of the Jewish people through language, history, arts, media, politics, and literature.
A major in Jewish Studies prepares students for work in a multicultural world with a skill set that includes the ability to analyze texts and weigh different interpretations, present persuasive arguments in writing and speech, and appreciate different backgrounds and viewpoints. Jewish Studies alumni have found careers in social welfare, Jewish organization administration, government, business administration, journalism, the arts, education, and other fields. Further graduate study has led others to careers in religious leadership, medicine, and the law.
UWM students can choose a Hebrew track within the major which has a focus on the foundations of Judaism, including extensive study of the Hebrew language. Or, students can opt for the Jewish Studies track with an emphasis on modern Jewish history, literature, film and politics.
Jewish Studies majors and minors can further their education by participating in UWM’s Study Abroad opportunities in Israel. Majors and minors studying in Israel are eligible for travel awards from the Stahl Center for Jewish Studies. The Stahl Center for Jewish Studies also offers other scholarships and awards to outstanding Jewish Studies majors and minors, including a scholarship for majors that helps students in their final semesters, so they can progress to graduation more easily.
A major in Jewish Studies may be of particular interest to students earning a certificate in Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Cultures and Communities, and/or Comparative Ethnic Studies, or as a second major with History or Religious Studies.
The major can be completed fully online for students who need coursework that fits their schedules.
Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts Degree
Complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major. The College also requires that students complete at least 30 credits overall in residence at UWM. For additional residency and transfer credit limitations, see L&S Undergraduate Policies and Regulations.
Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.
To complete a major, students must satisfy all the requirements of the major as stated in this catalog. Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the requirements outlined in any catalog issued since the time they entered. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements.
University General Education Requirements (GER)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Oral and Written Communication | ||
| Part A | ||
| Achieve a grade of C or better in the following course: | ||
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research (or equivalent) | |
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as OWC-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | ||
| Part A | ||
| Earn at least 3 credits with a grade of C or higher in one of the following courses or an equivalent course, or achieve a placement code of at least 30 on the mathematics placement test (or other appropriate test, as determined by the Mathematical Sciences Department) | ||
| Mathematical Literacy for College Students II | ||
| Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | ||
| Introduction to College Algebra | ||
| Algebraic Literacy II | ||
| Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning 1 | ||
or PHILOS 111 | Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning | |
| College Algebra | ||
Or equivalent course | ||
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as QL-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits (at least two courses including one lab) | 6 | |
| UWM Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| Complete Foreign Language Requirement through: | ||
Two years (high school) of a single foreign language | ||
Two semesters (college) of a single foreign language | ||
Or equivalent | ||
| UWM Cultural Diversity Requirement | ||
| One course from the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences must also satisfy UWM's Cultural Diversity requirement | ||
- 1
Math 111 and Philosophy 111 are jointly offered and count as repeats of one another. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.
College of Letters & Science Requirements
The degree requirements in the College of Letters and Science build on the University General Education Requirements to provide a broad base of knowledge as well as an array of skills cited by employers as critical to professional success: critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication, ability to work well with others, and adaptability to change.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), you must complete the UWM General Education Requirements as well as these L&S requirements: the International requirement, the Breadth requirement, and the Research requirement. The International requirement develops your potential for cross-cultural understanding in a globalizing world. The Breadth requirement ensures that you take classes in a wide variety of subjects, across humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The Research requirement calls for you to build your critical thinking and oral and written communication skills through conducting an independent research project, usually in your major.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) you will also complete the Language other than English requirement, to further develop your understanding of cultures through language.
I. Total Credits and Upper-Division Courses Requirement
Students must complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
II. Language other than English Requirement
Students doing the BA must fulfill the language other than English requirement by either successfully completing the fourth semester of university work or equivalent in one language other than English, or by successfully completing the second semester of university work or equivalent in two languages other than English (including all world languages and American Sign Language).
Language courses (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. One year of high school language equates to one semester of college work. Proficiency tests approved by the Languages faculty may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement.
Completion of the L&S Language Requirement also satisfies the university-wide Language other than English GER, but not vice versa.
III. International Requirement
To meet the International Requirement, students must successfully complete some three course (minimum 9 credits) combination of
- language other than English (not including American Sign Language) at 3rd semester level or above, and/or
- non-language courses with L&S approved international content (see Courses Approved for the L&S International Requirement for course options).
IV. Breadth Requirement
In addition to completing the University General Education Requirements, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement.
The L&S Breadth requirement calls for 6 credits each in L&S courses designated L&S Humanities, L&S Natural Sciences, and L&S Social Sciences breadth. One of the L&S Natural Science breadth courses must be a laboratory or fieldwork course. These courses must be beyond and in addition to courses in those areas used to satisfy General Education Requirements.
Please refer to the list of Courses Approved for the L&S Breadth Requirement.
V. The Major
The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. Contact your major department for information on whether those credits will count as part of the major GPA. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.
Research Requirement
Within their majors, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S faculty. A list of courses satisfying the research requirement in each major can be found here.
VI. The Minor
Students are encouraged to consider completing a minor, but it is not required. To complete a minor, the College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the minor attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all minor credits attempted, including any transfer work. The minor must contain at least 9 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 and above) courses.
Major Requirements
All majors in Jewish Studies are required to register with the program at the beginning of their candidacy and are encouraged to speak to the program coordinator as early as possible to plan a course of study.
Jewish Studies majors in both tracks must complete a minimum of 15 advanced-level (numbered 300 and above) credits in L&S courses taken in residence at UWM. A GPA of 2.0 is required in courses taken for the major at UWM and in all courses that count for the major, including transfer work. All majors in Jewish Studies must complete a minimum of 30 credits in the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Judaism | ||
| The Jews of Modern Europe: History and Culture | ||
| Introduction to Jewish History | ||
| Research Requirement (All research courses and projects must be approved by the coordinator) | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Advanced Independent Study | ||
One of the 300 level or above courses listed below | ||
| Major Tracks | ||
| Select one of the following: | 24-26 | |
Hebrew Studies Track | ||
Jewish Cultural Studies Track | ||
| Total Credits | 30-32 | |
Major Tracks
Students must select one of the following two tracks:
Hebrew Studies Track
Hebrew language courses: Students are required to complete HEBREW 201 and HEBREW 202 in order to graduate in this track. HEBREW 101 and HEBREW 102 count toward the 100-200 level course requirement below.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HEBREW 201 & HEBREW 202 | Third-Semester Hebrew and Fourth-Semester Hebrew | 8 |
| Select 6 credits of 100 or 200 level courses from the following: | 6 | |
| First Semester Hebrew | ||
| Second Semester Hebrew | ||
| Introduction to Judaism (recommended) | ||
| Jewish Culture in America: History, Literature, Film | ||
| Bible Stories | ||
| Introduction to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible | ||
| The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible | ||
| Representing the Holocaust in Words and Images | ||
| The Modern Middle East in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | ||
| Select 12 credits of 300 level or above courses from the following: | 12 | |
| Topics in Biblical Literature: | ||
| Women in the Bible | ||
| The Arab-Israeli Conflict | ||
| Global Jewish Film and Television: | ||
| The Jews of Modern Europe: History and Culture | ||
| Jewish and Christian Responses to the Holocaust | ||
| Introduction to Jewish History | ||
| Germany: Hitler and the Nazi Dictatorship | ||
| The Holocaust: Anti-Semitism & the Fate of Jewish People in Europe, 1933-45 | ||
| Advanced Independent Study | ||
| Total Credits | 26 | |
Jewish Cultural Studies Track
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 9 credits of 100 or 200 level courses from the following: | 9 | |
| First Semester Hebrew | ||
| Second Semester Hebrew | ||
| Third-Semester Hebrew | ||
| Fourth-Semester Hebrew | ||
| Jewish Culture in America: History, Literature, Film | ||
| Bible Stories | ||
| Introduction to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible | ||
| The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible | ||
| Representing the Holocaust in Words and Images | ||
| The Modern Middle East in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | ||
| Select 15 credits of 300 level or above courses from the following: | 15 | |
| Topics in Biblical Literature: | ||
| Women in the Bible | ||
| The Arab-Israeli Conflict | ||
| The Jews of Modern Europe: History and Culture | ||
| Introduction to Jewish History | ||
| Global Jewish Film and Television: | ||
| Jewish and Christian Responses to the Holocaust | ||
| Germany: Hitler and the Nazi Dictatorship | ||
| The Holocaust: Anti-Semitism & the Fate of Jewish People in Europe, 1933-45 | ||
| Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict | ||
| Advanced Independent Study | ||
| Total Credits | 24 | |
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors and success coaches. Letters & Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional college advisors and faculty advisors. L&S college advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental faculty advisors focus on the major.
College advisors are located in Holton Hall (or virtually for online students) and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College advisors will:
- Assist you in defining your academic and life goals.
- Help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals.
- Assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures.
- Provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate.
- Monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a faculty advisor when you declare your major. Faculty advisors are an important partner and will:
- Help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department.
- Explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences.
- Serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their college advisor and faculty advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
Jewish Studies BA Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Jewish Studies BA program will be able to:
- Identify and interpret the significance of the holidays, religious observances, central texts, key dates, and languages of the Jewish people.
- Accurately identify, explain, and contrast definitions of Jewishness (eg, secular, religious, cultural, political) as they change over time and place.
- Create arguments about the definitions of Jewish identity, culture, thought, and practices, by investigating and analyzing primary and secondary sources.
- Analyze the relationship between Jewish cultures and the surrounding non-Jewish cultures in a variety of historical time periods.
- Identify and interpret sources and effects of antisemitism, analyzing the roles antisemitism plays in Jewish experience and identity.
- Investigate and analyze the complexity and multifaceted nature of Jewish culture, including analyzing the historical, political, religious, and aesthetic issues raised by contemporary popular culture.
College of Letters and Science Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.