Degree Programs

The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC) administers both the undergraduate concentration in Jewish Studies and the graduate degree programs in Jewish Studies, as well as a number of other graduate programs in different fields of study, all concerned in some way with both the ancient and modern languages and civilizations of the Near East.

The NELC departmental website provides information about degree requirements and admissions to the A.M. and Ph.D. programs in Jewish Studies and other Near Eastern fields.

Those interested in pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Jewish Studies should email nelc@fas.harvard.edu or call the NELC office at (617) 495-5757.

Jewish Studies and Other Academic Fields

The study of Judaica at Harvard is not limited to students specializing in the field within the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. Undergraduate and graduate students from many different fields take courses in Judaica from among the diverse offerings of our faculty. In addition, Harvard's Core Curriculum, in which all undergraduates are required to participate, presently includes courses offered by our Jewish Studies faculty: The Modern Jewish Experience in Literature; The Book of Job and the Joban Tradition; and "If There is No God, All is Permitted": Theism and Moral Reasoning. These courses are quite popular and enroll hundreds of students on an annual basis. The availability of Jewish Studies to large numbers of undergraduates may be viewed as a new form of Jewish education pursued within the discipline of a college curriculum.

Much of Judaica is by definition interdisciplinary and therefore serves to unite various fields and to deepen the appreciation of many aspects of historical and humanistic study. As a result, many students working in the departments of history, religion, philosophy, literature and government elect to specialize in some aspect of Jewish history or Hebrew literature as part of their program of study. In this way, too, our Jewish Studies program has reached out beyond its own boundaries to serve the larger University community--and the very nature of what is studied in universities has been changed as a result.

Courses in Jewish Studies

At the start of each academic year, the Center for Jewish Studies publishes a booklet called Jewish Studies at Harvard listing the current academic year's course offerings in Jewish Studies throughout Harvard University.

Jewish Studies at Harvard: Course Offerings, 2007-08 is now available online. You can also request a hard copy be sent to you by sending your mailing address to the Center for Jewish Studies via email.