Judaic Studies

[ Major/Minor] [ Ph.D.] [ Faculty] [ Courses]

OFFICE: 4008 Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Muir College
http://historyweb.ucsd.edu//JudaicStud.html
(858) 534-4551
Fax: (858) 534-7283

Judaic Studies is an interdisciplinary program offering courses, majors, minors, concentrations, and masters degrees that draw upon a variety of perspectives. For doctoral programs see below—the Ph.D. in ancient history and the Ph.D. In anthropology. Courses are offered in the Departments of Anthropology, Communication, History, Literature, Music, Political Science, Philosophy, and Sociology. Students also have the option within the Literatures of the World major, in the Department of Literature, of concentrating on Judaic literature; or on a combined program of the Literatures of the World major (concentration in Judaic literature) and classical studies.

In addition, Revelle and Muir Colleges have noncontiguous minors in Judaic studies and in Hebrew language and literature; Warren College has Judaic studies and Hebrew literature concentrations; and various general requirements in all colleges can be met by courses in the Judaic area. For details students should inquire at their provost’s office or at the Judaic Studies Program office.

The Judaic Studies Program offers scholarships and fellowships for study abroad.

Students are encouraged to participate in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) in Jerusalem or Beersheva, and to investigate other options through the Opportunities Abroad Program (OAP). By petition, credits earned through EAP/OAP can fulfill UCSD degree, major, and minor requirements. Interested students should contact the Programs Abroad Office in the International Center for more information. Please visit the Web site at http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/icenter/pao.

In addition, the Judaic Studies Program and UCSD Department of Anthropology offer credit and hands-on experience in Near Eastern archaeology at their archaeological field school in Israel or Jordan. Up to twelve units of academic credit may be earned through the UCSD Summer Session Program. Some scholarships are available through Judaic Studies. For more information call the UCSD Summer Session Office, or visit our Web site at: http://anthro.ucsd.edu/~tlevy for our archaeological field schools in Israel and Jordan. For a general overview of the Judaic Studies Program see: http://historyweb.ucsd.edu//JudaicStud.html.

Major

Requirements for the major in Judaic studies are:

  1. Judaic Studies 100 or equivalent; HITO 104, HITO 105.
  2. Twelve upper-division courses in Judaic Studies, to be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor.
  3. Upper-division competence in Hebrew, normally to be fulfilled by completion of first- and second-year Hebrew language courses, or the equivalent.

Minors

A. Requirements for the minor in Judaic studies:

  1. Judaic Studies 100, HITO 104, HITO 105.
  2. Four upper-division courses in Judaic studies, to be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor.

B. Requirements for the minor in Hebrew language and literature:

Seven quarter courses in Hebrew language and literature, ordinarily Judaic Studies 1, 2, 3, 101, 102, and 103 plus one elective course.

Note: Other course combinations for the major and minor may be approved by the student’s faculty advisor.

Note: A majority of the courses for the major or minor must be taken at UCSD.

The Ph.D. In Ancient History

The Department of History offers a Ph.D. program in ancient history. Relevant major fields are the history of Israel in the biblical period and the history of the Jewish people in antiquity. One of the two minor fields may be outside the history department. Students must acquire competence in the relevant ancient and modern languages.

The Ph.D. In Anthropology (Archaeology)

The Department of Anthropology offers graduate training in social, cultural, and psychological anthropology, as well as in anthropological archaeology and biological anthropology. In conjunction with the Judaic Studies Program, students may concentrate in Near Eastern archaeology with a focus on Israel and Jordan. Students pursuing anthropological archaeology are expected to take required courses in anthropology and engage in field research.

Archaeology

Since 1993, the Judaic Studies Program has sponsored major archaeological excavations in Israel’s northern Negev desert. Shortly after the peace treaty was formalized between Israel and Jordan, the program began a long-term archaeological field program in the Jabal Hamrat Fidan Region (JHF) of southern Jordan. The project aims at studying the influence of early ore procurement and metallurgy on social change from the Neolithic period through the Iron Age. UCSD graduate students play an active role in the fieldwork and laboratory studies of material from these excavations. Qualified students are encouraged to use these data as part of their doctoral studies. In 2006, the UCSD Judaic Studies Program will join in several excavations along the Wadi al-Guwayb and Wadi al-Jariyeh in southern Jordan. This is part of the UCSD Fall Session Middle East Field School.

The Judaic Studies Program supports a state-of-the art archaeological laboratory in the Social Sciences Building. A wide range of digital-based technologies is used for archaeological data and image processing that are linked through the Internet. Labs for processing pottery, stone tools, and other materials are available for student use.

The M.A. in Judaic Studies

The M.A. in Judaic Studies, offered under the auspices of the Department of History, is an interdisciplinary program permitting the student to select courses primarily in history and literature, but also in anthropology, political science, sociology, and philosophy.

Fellowships

Four fellowships are available for Ph.D. students. These include:

The Dita and Erwin Gumpel Judaic Studies Endowed Fellowship
The University Fellowship
The Wexler Family Judaic Studies Fellowship Fund in honor of David Noel Freedman
Judaic Studies Fellowships

Teaching assistantships are available in the Revelle College Humanities/Writing Program and in other writing programs and departments. Dissertation fellowships may be awarded to doctoral students at the dissertation stage of their studies. Funds are also available for support of travel to archaeological excavations. Students are also eligible for research-travel funds to other campus libraries of the University of California, as well as for grants that permit research in archives and libraries elsewhere. Students who deliver papers at scholarly conferences may also receive financial support for their participation.

Publications

The program produces a series of volumes: Biblical and Judaic Studies from the University of California, San Diego (published by Eisenbrauns Winona Lake, USA). The Anchor Bible (Commentary, Reference Library, and Dictionary) is edited by David Noel Freedman at UCSD. The series Approaches to Anthropological Archaeology is edited by Thomas E. Levy for Equinox Publishing Ltd. (London) at UCSD.

Lectures and Conferences

The program regularly hosts international conferences and an annual series of lectures and seminars by distinguished scholars in Hebrew Bible, Archaeology, and Judaica. The Yigal Shiloh Memorial Lecture in Archaeology is given by an archaeologist each year in memory of Professor Yigal Shiloh.

Application Procedures

The deadline for applications is January 9. For further information contact:

University of California, San Diego
GRADUATE PROGRAM, JUDAIC STUDIES 0104
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, California 92093-0104
e-mail: dwagoner@ucsd.edu