Information and Guidelines: Basic Jewish Studies Requirements – Bachelor’s Degree 

Information and Guidelines: Basic Jewish Studies Requirements – Bachelor’s Degree 

The School for Basic Jewish Studies calls on you to embark on a fascinating journey of self-discovery and cultural familiarization with the breadth of the Jewish experience through the ages. You will experience an innovative model of learning that combines traditional and contemporary perspectives. You will be able to explore Jewish society and culture and your own place within them, to hold an open dialogue with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and to experience innovative methods of learning such as hybrid courses, on-line courses and interactive workshops. Join us to deepen your knowledge, expand your horizons and take part in a meaningful discourse independent of your ethnic, religious or sectorial identification. Discover how Jewish studies could enrich your learning experience at Bar-Ilan University and open you up to a new world of insights and inspirations.

Basic Jewish Studies requirements beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year

  • Total: 20 credits*
  • Choose from a wide range of courses in the cluster in In-Bar portal [applies to all students including continuing students]
  • Only courses defined explicitly as Basic Jewish Studies courses will be recognized as such [codes: 01/02/03/04]

Restrictions by year

  • First year: up to 8 credits*
  • Second year: up to 16 credits* cumulatively
  • Third year: supplement to achieve a total of 20 credits* cumulatively

Requirements by faculty / department:

 Faculty of Law:

  • Required: 4 credits*
  • Choose from an array of courses offered by the Basic Jewish Cluster in In-Bar platform                   

 Faculty of Medicine (6-year program):

  •  Required in total: 20 credits*

  Students specializing in Jewish studies:

 Department of Bible Studies:

  • Total: 16 credits*
  • Note: The course “Fundamentals of Jewish History in the Biblical Era” (11-004): is considered 4 credits* of Basic Jewish Studies

     - The remaining 12 credits* are to be taken from the Basic Jewish Studies cluster

     - This is on condition that the course is not a mandatory course for the degree from the Department of Bible Studies

 The Department of Talmud:

  • Total: 12 credits*
  •  If the number of required Basic Jewish Studies credits in your program is less than those required for all other students, courses from the departments of specialization must be supplemented to reach the minimum of 128 credits*

 Department of Hebrew Languages:

  •  Total: 20 credits*

Students who hold a bachelor’s degree from another university (and are studying for an additional bachelor degree at Bar-Ilan):

  •  Double major: 10 credits*
  •  Single major: 14 credits*

Certificate studies

Teaching certificate:

  • Students who do not hold a bachelor’s degree from Bar-Ilan: 8 credits*
  • Students who hold a bachelor’s degree from Bar-Ilan are exempt from Basic Jewish Studies

 Accounting certificate studies:

  •  Students who do not hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree from Bar-Ilan: 4 credits*
  •  Students who hold a bachelor’s degree from Bar-Ilan are exempt from Basic Jewish Studies

Teaching certificate:

 Online courses [via LAMDA platform]

  • May be taken from the second year onward
     
  • Maximum:

        - Total throughout the degree: 8 credits*

        - Each year (second and third years): 4 credits*

 Summer semester courses:

  • An online course taken during the summer semester is included in the overall quota of 8 credit.
  • Summer courses are deducted from the annual quota of the subsequent academic year.

Note: The 8 credits* maximum includes all Online courses, including summer semester courses.

Institute for Advanced Torah Studies / Midrasha

Students could opt for fulfilling their Basic Jewish Studies requirements through the Institute for Advanced Torah Studies (men) or at the Midrasha (women). Courses at the Institute for Advanced Torah Studies or the Midrasha grant credits equivalent to half a Basic Jewish Studies course. Thus, students who choose that option must ascertain that they fulfill the number of credits required by Bar-Ilan policy.

Grades in Basic Jewish Studies courses

Students must fulfill all the requirements of Basic Jewish Studies courses (as stipulated in each course syllabus) and achieve a numerical passing grade (60 or higher).

Non-Jewish students

Non-Jewish students are exempt from Basic Jewish Studies but must instead complete 20 credits* of General courses. A contact form must be sent to the Status Office including all relevant documents; the Committee will then instruct the Curriculum Planning (Talam) Office to convert the Jewish Studies clusters to the General Studies clusters.

The request process:

  1. Submit the contact form to the Status Office

  2. Submit relevant documents

  3. The Committee will instruct the Curriculum Planning (Talam) Office to convert the Jewish Studies clusters to the General Studies clusters.

Note: Be sure to complete the form in its entirety and include all necessary documents so that your request can be processed.

Exemption from Basic Jewish Studies

  1. Students who completed hesder yeshiva, yeshiva gevoha or women’s Jewish studies institutes may submit a request for a partial or full exemption

Requests are to be submitted via In-Bar Portal: Guidelines for submitting request for exemption from Basic Jewish Studies

  1. Students who obtained a bachelor's degree from Bar-Ilan and are now enrolled in an additional bachelor's degree program – have an automatic exemption (if they fulfilled their requirements in their prior degree) and need not submit a request.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to verify that the Basic Jewish Studies requirements have been fulfilled before graduation.

*For details on the change in credit specification terminology click here.