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Institute for Jewish Studies
Institute for Jewish Studies

Photo: UHH/Denstorf

B.A. in Jewish Studies

The aim of the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program in Jewish Studies is to provide students with a sound knowledge of Judaism, its basic texts and main currents from antiquity through the Middle Ages to modern times. A key part of this is the academic study of the Hebrew language in all its historical stages of development and essential manifestations. The comprehensive language skills enable students to scientifically grasp Judaism in its diverse forms in the history of ideas as a dynamic tradition.

The subject of Jewish Studies requires knowledge of a range of methods from different disciplines, which are often applied together in the knowledge-oriented research of various topics from the Jewish world of thought, such as linguistics, history, cultural studies, literature, linguistics and religious studies. Students of Jewish Studies are familiarized with the methodological approaches of these diverse disciplines.

Career Prospects

The program is designed to provide students with intellectual skills that can be applied in a wide range of professional fields, as well as to qualify them for a master's program, in particular for the Hamburg M.A. in Jewish Philosophy and Religion. The program also serves a purpose for society as a whole: graduates are able to contribute a nuanced, realistic and dialog-oriented image of Judaism in numerous social and professional contexts.

Structure of Studies

The Bachelor's degree program in Jewish Studies as a major subject (90 credits) is divided into five module groups: three language modules, one introductory module, two advanced modules, one specialization module, and the final module:

  • Language modules I–III: Modern and Biblical Hebrew (38 credits)
  • Introductory module: Introduction to Jewish Studies (8 credits)
  • Advanced module I: Jewish textual traditions I (12 credits)
  • Advanced module II: Jewish textual traditions II (12 credits)
  • Specialization module: Jewish intellectual history (8 credits)
  • Final module: Bachelor's thesis (12 credits)

In the minor subject, the Bachelor's program in Jewish Studies comprises modules worth 45 credits. Students complete two language modules and an introductory module geared to the minor subject. Building on this, two different specializations are offered as elective options: 1) a linguistic specialization by attending a third language module; 2) a historical specialization by attending an advanced module focusing on Rabbinic Judaism.

The subject-specific provisions of the bachelor's program can be found here.

The current version of the faculty's examination regulations applies.