The Edgar F. Magnin School of Graduate Studies offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts, Doctor of Hebrew Letters, Doctor of Hebrew Studies, and (in cooperation with the University of Southern California) Doctor of Philosophy.

The Magnin School bears the responsibility for the graduate level of performance not only in the doctoral programs but in all other departments of the Los Angeles School where the master's degree is offered.

The school participates in a variety of programs in cooperation with the University of Southern California and with departments of religion of other universities and theological schools.

Doctoral Programs

Doctor of Hebrew Letters - limited to rabbinical alumni of HUC-JIR, or a comparable rabbinical seminary. Requirements for the D.H.L. conform to the requirements for this degree at the Cincinnati School.

Doctor of Hebrew Studies - is open to qualified candidates who are not alumni of the College-Institute and are able to demonstrate an advanced level of Hebrew language competency. Sixty credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree or its equivalent are required. Candidates who hold a Master of Arts in Religion, Judaic Studies or related fields, or its equivalent, may, upon successful petition, transfer up to 28 units of credit toward the D.H.S.

Graduate students of the College-Institute who are pursuing the Doctor of Hebrew Studies degree may be required to take graduate work in the School of Religion or other schools or departments at the University of Southern California.

For the D.H.S. degree, examinations in the candidate's program may be required. Either the major or the minors must involve extensive use of Hebrew sources. Candidates must submit a dissertation reflecting ability to do advanced and independent research.

A member of the graduate committee will be assigned to chair the candidate's guidance committee. The candidate and chairperson will meet to outline the complete course of study, procedure, dates, deadlines and requirements, with periodic meetings to follow; the guidance chairperson will keep the graduate committee informed of the candidate's progress.

Candidates for the D.H.S. degree are required to submit an acceptable dissertation proposal to the Committee on Graduate Study no later than completion of the 60 credit hours. The dissertation must be approved by the guidance committee before the candidate will be admitted to the final oral examination in the major field. Two copies of the dissertation are to be presented to the registrar. After the dissertation has been approved, the candidate shall stand for examination in the major subject.

All requirements for the D.H.S. degree are normally completed within seven years from the date of the formal approval of the candidate's program by the graduate committee. After the expiration date, the candidate may petition the graduate committee for an extension.

Admissions

Applications for admission for the Doctor of Hebrew Letters or Doctor of Hebrew Studies degree should be submitted by March 15 to the Admissions Office with a request of intent to enter the graduate program. Application fee and complete college transcripts must accompany the application. For further information, contact the director of the Magnin School of Graduate Studies.

Tuition and Fees
Go to Tuition and Fees.

Doctor of Philosophy - a program in which a candidate may pursue studies leading to the Ph.D. degree at the University of Southern California in cooperation with the Magnin School of HUC-JIR. For further information, contact the Magnin School of Graduate Studies.

Master of Arts Program

Master of Arts in Judaic Studies - The MAJS program offers advanced academic training in Bible, Rabbinical Literature, History, Jewish Thought, and Modern Hebrew Literature. It is designed for individuals who seek to enhance their work in Jewish communal and professional life, and for those who seek preparation for a doctoral program in Judaic Studies or Religion.

Completion of the degree requires 36 credits, of which 20 must be completed at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles. A thesis is required of all candidates for the degree. The program is normally completed in two years.

Admissions

An earned bachelor's degree from an accredited college or University with a GPA of 3.0 or better is required. Basic familiarity with Bible and Jewish literature will be considered in the admissions process. To be admitted to the program, applicants must demonstrate an acceptable level of Hebrew language competency.

Applications for admission to the master's program must be submitted by March 15 and accompanied by application fee, complete college transcripts, scores of the Graduate Record Examination, 3 letters of reference addressing the student's readiness for graduate study, and a statement of academic purpose.

All communications regarding admission to the full-time program should be addressed to the Director, Edgar F. Magnin School of Graduate Studies.

Course Offerings

Please consult the course bulletins distributed prior to each semester for a list of available courses during that academic year, since not all courses listed below are offered each year.

In addition to courses of the type listed below, students in the Graduate School may enroll in the 500 level courses in the Rabbinical School. Some of the 600-level courses may be offered for independent study.

Problems in the Development of Medieval Jewish Exegesis 605
Literary characteristics of the commentaries of the northern French rabbis of the 11^th-12^th centuries.

Hebrew Literature 611
Brenner's final novel, Schechol Vechishalon (Breakdown and Bereavement), read primarily from a literary point of view, but with attention to the social implications of the work.

Hebrew Literature 613
The novels and short stories of Agnon with specific reference to figurative language.

Hebrew Literature 614
Eight major essays reflecting various phases of 19^th and 20^th century Jewish life.

Contemporary Fiction of Jewish Reference 615
Issues in 20^th century Jewish life reflected in fiction, primarily short fiction, by Jews and non-Jews.

Contemporary Poetry of Jewish Reference 616
Issues in 20^th century Jewish life reflected in poems by Jews and non-Jews.

Jews in Transition 620
A socio-psychological approach to the transition of East European Jews to western (primarily American) society.

Jews in Modernity 621
Literary and psycho-sociological perspectives.

Social Reality and Halachah 623
The relationship between social reality and Halacha as reflected in rabbinical responsa of the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

Emancipation Era 624
The major ideational and structural changes in Jewish life during the period of the Emancipation in Europe.

Intellectual History of Zionism 625
Development of the Zionist idea beginning with classical Jewish religious thought, with emphasis on how the idea of Zion was transmuted into a modern ideology expressed in several distinct forms.

Seminar in Jewish Ethics 626
A theoretical analysis of the sources and structure of Jewish ethics and the application of these sources to areas of contemporary moral concern.

Seminar on Spinoza and Mendelssohn 627
Spinoza's Theological Political Tractate and Mendelssohn's Jerusalem in the light of the dissolution of traditional European Jewish society.

Major Personalities of the Tannaitic Period (2) 628
Elisha ben Abuyah, Rabbi Meir, and the treatment of heresy in the tannaitic period.

Christianity in Talmud and Midrash 629
Simeon ben Zoma and the Levey hypothesis on Jewish Christianity.

Reform Judaism: History, Theology and Practice JS 633
An investigation of Reform and traditional approaches and theologies to the High Holy Days, the three Pilgrimage Festivals, and major life-cycle events.

Talmudic Law 639A
Selected legal passages of the Babylonian Talmud examined in terms of talmudic methodology and the rabbinical juristic approach to various phenomena of individual and social behavior.

Talmudic Aggada 643
Hidden treasures of the rabbinical tradition interpreted in terms of present-day Jewish experience.

Interdisciplinary Study of the Jewish Woman 647
Seminar and independent study.

Religious Themes of the Rabbinical Period 671A/671B
Discussion of the treatment of purity in tannaitic sources.

Medieval Jewish-Christian Polemics 675
Private and public disputation in the polemical literature of the Middle Ages.

Boundaries of Normative Jewish Behavior 680
A study of the institutions which claim to be authentically Jewish (e.g., atheistic synagogues, so called ultra-orthodox Jews, Hebrew Christians).

Directed Research 700E
Research methods and bibliography. (Required of all doctoral candidates.)

Directed Research 800E
Fields: Aramaic, Bible, Commentaries, Hebrew Language and Literature, Jewish History, Philosophy, Theology, Midrash, Rabbinical Hebrew, Talmud.

Dissertation 900E
(Required of all candidates for graduate degrees involving thesis or dissertation.)