Doctor of Philosophy

Admission Requirements

For admissions, see The Graduate School.

Additionally, students must have a master's degree in history or Judaica and demonstrate fluency in Hebrew

Degree Requirements

Languages
In addition to languages required of all students in The Graduate School, students must demonstrate fluency in Hebrew and reading proficiency in German and one of the following languages: French, Yiddish, Spanish, or Russian. Choice of reading languages must be approved by the department chairperson and language proficiency exams must be taken prior to the comprehensive exams. While it is recommended that language proficiency be demonstrated as early as possible after formal admission to the course of study, the following schedule of language examinations will serve as the minimal requirement: 

  • First reading language by the end of the first year
  • Second modern language by the end of the second year
  • Languages of general area of specialized research by the end of the third year

Courses
In addition to courses required of all students in The Graduate School (see this page), 30 graduate credits beyond the MA are required as follows:

  • Courses should be distributed among three areas: the entire range of Jewish history, the period of specialization in Jewish history, and the period in general history parallel to the period of specialization.
  • Courses will be taken in the Department of Jewish History and at one of the recognized university graduate schools with which special arrangements have been made for this purpose.
  • The designated departmental seminar must be taken for credit until students are on extended residence and must be audited thereafter until students have taken their comprehensive examinations.

Comprehensive Examinations
Upon satisfactory completion of all course work, students will take a two-hour oral examination, testing candidates in-depth on the secondary literature of all periods of Jewish history and in the area of general history related to the field of specialization.

Dissertation
An original monograph-length dissertation on a significant topic in Jewish history.