Admission Requirements

For admissions, see The Graduate School.

Additionally, students must have a master's degree or its equivalent in Midrash or Medieval Bible exegesis, or a cognate field with the approval of the Midrash and Scriptural Interpretation program adviser.

Degree Requirements

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

• MID 8525-8526: Critical Methods I and II (if the student has taken 8525–8526, he/she is then required to add 6 credits in Midrash or Medieval Bible exegesis)
• One doctoral-level course in midrash aggadah or one doctoral-level course in medieval Bible exegesis
• One course in midrash halakhah
• One course in Talmud (6241 [level IV] or higher)
• At least one course in cognate studies is strongly recommended (e.g., Roman social history, Roman religions, Introduction to Christianity to 325, Introduction to New Testament, Patristic Literature, Introduction to Islam, Introduction to Quran and Hadith, or Karaite Exegesis)
• Other courses should be selected in consultation with the adviser

Comprehensive Examinations
Upon satisfactory completion of all course work, the student will take two examinations as follows:

Oral
The student must demonstrate expertise in:

• Genesis Rabbah or
• Leviticus Rabbah plus one-half of Genesis Rabbah or
• The equivalent amount of text in Midrash or medieval Bible exegesis (with approval of adviser)

Written
The student must compose an extensive reading list with the advice of the adviser. The list shall survey major critical contributions to the field of Midrash or medieval Bible exegesis and emphasize those works that formed the direction of critical studies during the last two centuries. The final reading list, on which the candidate will be examined, requires the approval of the program faculty.

Dissertation
A competent piece of research that constitutes a contribution to the field.