Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Professions

Education and Jewish Studies, M.A. Programs

The masters programs are designed to enhance the skills and provide training to teachers and aspiring administrators in Jewish educational settings.

Philanthropists and communal organizations have placed a high priority on the recruitment and retention of well-trained professionals in the field of Jewish education, but institutions still struggle to fill their positions with professionals of the quality they seek.

The program in Education and Jewish Studies, with its academic location in a comprehensive school of culture, education, and human development and its physical location in the center of American Jewish communal life, provides a unique environment for students from all backgrounds to prepare for such careers.

M.A. in Education and Jewish Studies

Degree Requirements

The M.A. program requires a minimum of 38 points, consisting of the following:

  • Foundations (13 credits):
    • E54.2003 The History of Jewish Education -- The Modern Period
    • E54.2005 The Social Context of Jewish Education
    • E20.2002 Sociology of Education
    • G78.2685 Historical Perspectives on the Jewish Community
  • Courses from one of three areas of study (12 credits):

    • Curriculum and Instruction:
      Twelve credits in the Department of Teaching and Learning to be determined in consultation with the program director and the chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning.

Examples:
• E15.2051 Foundations of Curriculum for Diverse Learners
• E23.2042 Teaching Social Studies in the Middle and Secondary School
• E25.2021 Human/Child Development
• E27.2010 Inquiries into Teaching and Learning
• E29.2099 Teaching Foreign Languages: Theory and Practice
• E63.2272 Adolescent Development
• E75.2162 Education of Students with Disabilities in Middle Childhood-Adolescent Settings

  • Leadership and Administration:
    Twelve credits in the Department of Administration, Leadership, and Technology to be determined in consultation with the program director and the chair of the Department of Administration, Leadership, and Technology.

Examples:
• E65.2005 Professional Seminar in Educational Administration
• E65.2085 Excellent School Seminar II: Teachers and Students
• E65.2343 Decision Making and Leadership Development
• E95.2053 Organizational Theory
• E95.2055 Introduction to Management and Information Science

    • Foundations of Education:
      Twelve credits in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences to be determined in consultation with the program director, and the chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Professions, including a minimum of one course in each of philosophy, history, and sociology of education.

Examples:
• E20.2090 Planned Change in Organizational Settings
• E20.2325 Learning of Culture
• E50.2013 Values, Morals and Schooling
• E55.2067 History of Higher Education
• E55.2070 Public Problems: Education and Social Policy
• E55.2174 History of American Education: Race & Ethnicity
• E55.2175 What Are Schools For? Historical Perspectives
• E55.2176 What's Worth Knowing? Historical Perspectives
• E55.2177 What Are Teachers For? Historical Perspectives
• E55.2235 Twentieth Century Educational Thought

  • Electives (6 credits) taken in the Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies in the Graduate School of Arts and Science, to be determined in consultation with the program director, and the chair of the Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies.

Examples:
• G78.1318, 1319 Academic Hebrew
• G78.1601 Modern Jewish Thought
• G78.1693 History of Contemporary Israel
• G78.2115 The Bible and Literary Criticism
• G78.2371 Readings in the Babylonian Talmud
• G78.2456 The Medieval Jewish Experience
• G78.2462 Gender and Judaism
• G78.2601 Seminar: History of the Ancient Near East
• G78.2682 Historiography: the Modern Period
• G78.2686 Colloquium in American Jewish History

  • Electives (3 credits) taken in the Steinhardt School outside the area of study

  • E54.2008, 2009 Master's Seminar in Education and Jewish Studies. This year-long seminar (4 credits) supports the completion of a traditional M.A. thesis or a capstone project. These activities increase student effectiveness in Jewish educational settings by developing pedagogical and leadership skills, and content knowledge.

Students may enroll in this program for part-time or full-time studies.

Dual M.A.: Master of Arts in Education and Jewish Studies and Master of Arts in Hebrew and Judaic Studies

Degree Requirements

The Dual M.A. program requires 58 credits. Students complete the requirements for both M.A. programs concurrently.

The ability to count 6 credits of Hebrew and Judaic Studies electives toward the requirements for the M.A. in Education and Jewish Studies and 6 credits of Steinhardt School electives toward the requirements for the MA in Hebrew and Judaic Studies provides a significant savings of both tuition and time, and reduces the total number of credits required for both degrees from 70 to 58.

  • 38 credits for the M.A. in Education and Jewish Studies as outlined above
  • 32 credits for the M.A. in Hebrew and Judaic Studies consisting of the following:
  • Students complete two required courses (6 credits):
    • History of Jewish Education to the Modern Period
    • G78.2456 History of the Jewish Community

  • Students also complete 20 credits by advisement; this includes at least 2 courses in American Jewish History, at least 1 course in Israel studies, and the remaining credits to be selected from other content courses, including but not limited to:

    • G78.1318, 1319 Academic Hebrew
    • G78.1601 Modern Jewish Thought
    • G78.1693 History of Contemporary Israel
    • G78.2115 The Bible and Literary Criticism
    • G78.2371 Readings in the Babylonian Talmud
    • G78.2462 Gender and Judaism
    • G78.2601 Seminar: History of the Ancient Near East
    • G78.2686 Colloquium in American Jewish History
  • Students must also:
    • demonstrate competence at the second-year level of college Hebrew via a departmental examination
    • complete an original essay on a topic in American Jewish life
    • pass a written examination in Jewish history

Students are expected to enroll full time in the dual degree program.

Students enroll in the Steinhardt School during their first three semesters and in the Graduate School of Arts and Science during their remaining semesters.

Most students can complete the dual degree program in three years or less.

Admission Requirements

No specific undergraduate major is required to gain admission to the M.A. or dual M.A. programs, but applicants should demonstrate a commitment to a career in the field of Jewish education, and an understanding of the aims and content of the program.

All applicants to the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development are evaluated based on the relevance and quality of prior professional work, prior academic achievement, Grade Record Examination scores, letters of reference, and a personal statement.

The Education and Jewish Studies M.A. admissions application package must include a completed Steinhardt School admissions application, a curriculum vita, official Graduate Record Exam score report, official transcript(s), a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation.

Applicants to the M.A. and the dual M.A. programs should specify in their admissions essays their intended area of specialization in education: Curriculum and Instruction, Leadership and Administration, and Foundations of Education.

Applicants to the dual M.A. program must apply to both the Steinhardt School and the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies through the NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science individually and must meet the respective admissions standards for each program. No special admissions standards will apply to dual degree applicants. A student will quality for the dual degree program only once admitted to the Steinhardt School and the Skirball Department. Applicants to the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies are evaluated according to prior academic achievement, letters of recommendation, Graduate Record Examination scores, and a personal statement.

Application Deadlines

MA in Education and Jewish Studies:

  • January 4 for Summer or Fall entry
  • November 1 for Spring entry

Dual MA Program:

  • January 4 for Summer or Fall entry

Financial Aid

Steinhardt provides a variety of ways to help master’s students finance their graduate education, including scholarships, fellowships, work study, and loans. Visit our graduate financial aid section for more information.

All applicants for the dual degree program leading to an M.A. in Education and Jewish Studies and an M.A. in Hebrew and Judaic Studies will automatically be considered for the Jim Joseph Foundation Fellowship. The Fellowship provides generous tuition support for up to 4 new students matriculating as full-time students each academic year. The Fellowship supports the preparation of the next generation of leaders and innovators in education and Jewish studies.

The Jim Joseph Foundation, located in San Francisco, is devoted exclusively to the education of Jewish youth.