Admission Requirements

For admissions, see The Graduate School.

Additionally, students must be admitted to the Columbia University School of Social Work. Information on the Columbia program may be obtained from their Office of Admissions, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, (212) 851-2300 or on the Columbia University School of Social Work website.

Students in the Dual-Degree Program may also apply for enrollment in the program leading to certification as a teacher of Jewish studies. Those interested in doing so should consult with the director of the Social Work Program prior to application.

Degree Requirements

Courses
Students entering the program will be required to take LIT 5031: Introduction to Liturgy, or the equivalent, if they have not previously studied liturgy from a scholarly perspective. Students will be matriculated upon satisfactory completion of this prerequisite and are permitted to register for courses counting toward the degree while fulfilling this prerequisite.

In addition to courses required of all students in The Graduate School (see this page), a minimum of sixty-nine graduate credits are required as follows:

• A minimum of forty-five credits in social work (to which the School of Social Work adds a maximum of fifteen transfer credits for work completed at JTS);
• Twenty-four credits in Judaic studies (to which The Graduate School adds six transfer credits for work completed at Columbia University) as follows:
  • Six credits (two courses) in American Jewish social history; 
  • Three credits (one course) in the analysis of contemporary Jewish issues with traditional Jewish sources;
  • Three credits (one course) in Jewish history, either in modern Jewish history or medieval Jewish communities and culture; 
  • Three credits (one course) the Israel seminar-SWK 5105; 
  • Nine credits (three courses) of electives, approved by the advisor.
    

All students must register for four semesters of a non-credit social work seminar.

In addition to the courses described in the preceding section, students who wish to pursue teacher certification for non-education majors will be required to take between two and five additional courses. Students may choose to take courses which meet the certification requirements as their three electives in the MA program. These courses must be approved by the Social Work Program and the teacher certification advisors.

Degrees are awarded only upon successful completion of both (JTS and Columbia University) parts of the program. Students can generally complete the program in four to six semesters plus one or two summers (two to three years).