View our Jewish Studies Minor Brochure here

The Jewish Studies Minor introduces students to the history, religion, culture, and civilization of the Jewish people in Europe, the United States, and Israel. The Minor, which is administered by the College of Arts and Letters, is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in undergraduate degree programs at Michigan State University.

To earn the Minor, a student must complete a minimum of 18 credits from the “Checklist of Courses,” which can be taken while fulfilling the requirements for a major in nearly any field. Hebrew credits count only from 201-202 and upward. Students enrolled in summer semester, or year-long, MSU study in Israel programs can use courses taken at Israeli universities to qualify for the Minor. Certification of completion of the Jewish Studies Minor is added to the official graduating academic transcript. Some course numbers may only touch on topics that are relevant to Jewish Studies in some semesters. These courses are marked with an asterisk (*). Please check with the Director of the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel, Yael Aronoff if you have questions about whether a course offered in a particular semester meets the requirements for inclusion in the Minor. The director will review syllabi to certify appropriate courses.

Students who plan to complete the Jewish Studies Minor should contact the Director of the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel (517-884-7054; Yael Aronoff) and submit a “Checklist of Courses” form to the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel Program office. Students are coded as Minors in Jewish Studies, receive special advising and information from Jewish Studies, and are eligible for other opportunities as they arise.  A file is kept for each student in the office of the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel.

View our Social Science Track to the Minor in Jewish Studies Brochure here

Students majoring in a College of Social Science major may complete a minimum of 16 credits from the following set of requirements in fulfillment of the minor requirements in lieu of the requirements above. Students who plan to complete these requirements should consult an undergraduate advisor in the College of Social Science and the Director of the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel. The requirements will meet the College of Social Science interdisciplinary requirement.

a.      The following courses (6 credits):

HST 317 American Jewish History                                                            3

HST392 History of the Holocaust                                                             3

b.  Complete one of the following courses (4 credits):

MC335 Israeli Politics, Cultures, and Society                                              4

MC387 Jews and Antisemitism                                                                     4

c.  Two of the following courses (6-8 credits):

ENG 356 Readings in Jewish Literature                                                      3

HEB102 First-Year Hebrew II                                                                          4

HEB201 Second-Year Hebrew I                                                                     4

HEB202 Second-Year Hebrew II                                                                   4

JS390 Special Topics in Jewish Studies                                                      4

JS400 Study Abroad in Jewish Studies                                                      2 to 4

JS495 Seminar in Jewish Studies                                                                 3 or 4

REL310 Judaism                                                                                                3

REL412 Jewish Mysticism                                                                               3

REL413 Jewish Philosophy                                                                             3

REL414 Jewish Identity                                                                                   3