The Jerome H. Louchheim School of Judaic Studies,
Los Angeles


Undergraduate Judaic Studies at USC

The courses of Louchheim School of Judaic Studies are open to all undergraduates at USC, and are listed in the USC Course Catalogue under JS and HEBR. Though some of the courses in the Louchheim School have prerequisites, most are open. Questions can be directed to louchheim@huc.edu or 765-2113.

Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Religion and an Emphasis in Judaic Studies

A Bachelor of Arts in Religion with an area of emphasis in Judaic Studies is offered cooperatively with the University of Southern California School of Religion. The Bachelor of Arts degree requires a total of 128 units, which shall include 20 units in upper division Judaic Studies offered by HUC-JIR.

Other departments of the University may permit students to enroll in courses at the College-Institute. Such courses may be taken as lower division electives or general education requirements, or they may constitute a portion of the student's major, in keeping with the regulation of each department.

Minor in Judaic Studies

The minor in Judaic Studies provides the opportunity for in-depth study of Jewish thought, ethics, history, literature, tradition, spirituality and women's studies using approaches developed through the academic study of religion. It is an interdisciplinary program that challenges and stimulates students to examine and learn about Judaism as a topic of scientific interest.

For the minor, 20 units in Judaic Studies and Religion are required. The following courses are required: REL 301 and JS 180. Three additional courses may be chosen from among JS 311, JS 321, JS 340, JS 361, JS 375, JS 382, JS 383, JS 415 and REL 312. Successful completion of five 4-unit courses or the equivalent in Jewish American Studies is required to qualify for the minor.

Admissions

All communications regarding admission to the full-time programs should be addressed to the University of Southern California Admissions office.

Please consult the course bulletins distributed prior to each semester for a list of available courses during that term, since not all courses listed below are offered each year.

Hebrew (HEBR)
120 Hebrew I
Modern spoken and written Hebrew with emphasis on the principles of grammar.

150 Hebrew II
Continuation of Modern Hebrew I.

220 Hebrew III
Continuation of Hebrew II; stress on grammar, composition, and conversation.

315 Biblical Hebrew Literature (Hebrew IV)
Introduction to biblical Hebrew style through reading of selected biblical texts; examination of linguistic and literary aspects.
Judaic Studies (JS)
100g Jewish History
Major ideas, personalities, and movements in Jewish history from antiquity to the present.

180 Introduction to Judaism
Jewish beliefs, practices, and history from the biblical period to the present.

200 The American Jewish Experience
Patterns of immigration, acculturation, religious forms, and ethnic expression in Jewish life in America from the Colonial period to the present.

211g The Holocaust
Historical background and responses to the Holocaust, with emphasis on ethical implications.

214 Zionism, Israel and the Modern World
Ideas about nationalism, Zionism, and society-building; emphasis on self-definition in the Jewish State.

311 Contemporary Jewish Ethics
Classical Jewish roots and modern Jewish approaches to critical ethics problems.

321 Women in Judaism
A critical approach to gender issues in Jewish life and an exploration of roles and representations of Jewish women.

322 Modern Jewish Movements and Their Ideologies
An introduction to the rise and development of Jewish denominationalism.

361 Scripture and Polemic in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Origins of Scripture and their polemical environments in earliest Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

375 Issues of American Jewish Literature
Study of the human experience in America as expressed in the fiction, poetry, drama, memoirs, and literary criticism of American Jews.

381 The Jew in American Society
Sociological profile of the American Jew and organization and development of their communities.

382 Judaism as an American Religion
American expressions of Judaism as part of the American religious context.

383 Jews in Contemporary American Leadership
Social and cultural history of American Jewish contributions to the arts, science, literature, economics, and politics.

390 Special Problems
Rabbinical Studies
Cantorial Studies
Jewish Educational Studies
Jewish Nonprofit Management
Grad/Undergrad Studies
Continuing Education
& Youth Programs