With more than 45 full-time Jewish studies faculty, the Gershon Kekst Graduate School offers cutting-edge scholarship and unparalleled training in Jewish texts. Graduate students have access to hundreds of Jewish studies courses, both at JTS and through our consortium with schools such as Columbia University, Union Theological Seminary, and Princeton University.
PhD students pursue a specialization through one of four primary doctoral areas. Students pursuing the doctor of Hebrew Literature or master’s degree can choose from numerous areas of specialization, including Modern Jewish Studies, Rabbinic Literatures and Culture, and Jewish Professional Leadership.
MA Areas of Study
- Ancient Jewish Studies
- Hebrew Bible and Its Interpretation
- Jewish Ethics (MA only)
- Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies
- Jewish History
- Jewish Literature
- Jewish Professional Leadership (MA only)
- Jewish Studies and Social Work
- Jewish Ethics and Public Health
- Jewish Studies
- Jewish Thought
- Medieval and Early Modern Jewish Studies
- Midrash
- Modern Jewish Studies and the Israel Studies Track / Semester at Ben-Gurion University
- Rabbinic Literatures and Culture (In-residence and partial distance learning options available)
PhD and DHL Areas of Study
- Hebrew Bible and Its Interpretation
- Rabbinic Literatures and Cultures
- Medieval and Early Modern Jewish Studies
- Modern Jewish Studies
A Sampling of JTS Graduate Courses
Courses are offered at many levels, from introductory to advanced specialized studies. Some introductory courses utilize Jewish texts in translation, while many other courses focus on Jewish texts in their original languages.
Below is a sampling of just a few offerings from the JTS Course Catalog, where you’ll find a complete list. Generally, Jewish studies courses listed at the 5000 level and above are open to graduate students. Hebrew courses are open to all JTS students, based on Hebrew placement exams.
- Philosophizing from the Margins: Feminist Ethics & Modern Jewish Philosophy, with Dr. Shira Billet
- Women and Biblical Law, with Dr. Yael Landman
- Conversion to and from Judaism in the Christian and Islamic Worlds, with Dr. Benjamin Gampel
- Jewish Bioethics, with Dr. Alan Mittleman and Columbia University’s Dr. Alan Astrow
- The Structure and Formation of the Babylonian Talmud, with Dr. Richard Kalmin
- Zohar as Mystical Poetry, with Dr. Eitan Fishbane
Non-Degree Programs
If you are interested in taking a course simply for the sake of learning at the highest level, JTS is the ideal place for you. Individuals seeking to enhance their knowledge of Jewish studies in an academic setting can audit a class or enroll for credit.
Learn more about being a non-degree student
Contact Us
We invite you to speak to us about the Gershon Kekst Graduate School. For information, please contact our Admissions Office at gsadmissions@jtsa.edu.
