Master of Jewish Liberal Studies

Jewish imagination knows no bounds. Discover your personal connection to Judaism through the creative vision of Jewish artists, poets, writers, musicians, philosophers and historians. The Master of Jewish Liberal Studies degree (MJLS), is designed for the adult learner, and will enable you to define or refine your personal Jewish history via an interdisciplinary exploration of Jewish culture and civilization, viewed through the lens of the Jewish humanities. Recent courses that have been developed for students in this program include Art and Jewish Experience, Explorations in Jewish Literature – From the Ancient Parable to the Contemporary Short Story; Music and Prayer in the Jewish Tradition.

An informational webinar on the MJLS program can be accessed here.

Course of Study

Most students complete the MJLS degree entirely via distance learning; if you live in the Greater Boston area, you may select from a mix of online and on-campus courses. All students participate in a summer week-long residential seminar, held on campus, during the course of their studies. This seminar generates 3 credits toward the degree.

Degree Requirements

The MJLS degree requirement is 30 credits. You may complete the program at your own pace, as a full- or part-time student. The ability to read Hebrew phonetically and to understand basic Hebrew terms is required; Hebrew College offers online introductory Hebrew to enable you to meet this requirement.

9 credits: 3 course sequence covering Bible, Rabbinics, Medieval and Modern Jewish civilization (Me’ah graduates are given advanced standing toward fulfilling this requirement)
12 credits: Any 4 courses in Jewish culture (includes music, art, literature, Jewish thought, history and culture)
6 credits: Any 2 courses in classical Jewish texts

3 credits: Final Project Seminar

MJLS students are required to attend a summer residential seminar (worth 3 credits in one of the disciplines listed above), at some time during their program. A final master’s paper or capstone project is required for the MJLS degree. During the spring semester prior to graduation, students enroll in the Graduate Research Seminar course for credit, where they join with other Jewish studies students who are completing their master’s papers and degrees. Students work with an advisor on this final capstone project. Prior to graduation, all Masters level students participate in a day devoted to final project and paper presentations, and share some of their research results with faculty, students, and the Hebrew College community.

Admission Requirements