Master of Arts in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
Develop your knowledge with a master’s degree at the largest Jewish Studies department outside the State of Israel. Our interdisciplinary curriculum—focused on Bible and Ancient Near East, Jewish studies, and Arabic and Islamic Civilizations—provides students with a breadth and depth of experience that is hard to find at other institutions.
Brandeis University’s Near Eastern and Judaic Studies program has the largest faculty of any Jewish studies department at a secular American university. Whether you are interested in literature, philology, history, sociology, law, religious studies, philosophy, or gender studies, you can rely on our world-renowned faculty to address your needs.
This degree is not just for students who want to enter a doctoral program. Our alums work in a wide range of settings, including education, museums, non-profits, community and religious organizations, and the diplomatic corps. It may also serve as a stepping-stone to a professional qualification at seminary or a rabbinic ordination.
In addition to Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, our areas of study include joint degree programs with Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies or Jewish Professional Leadership.
Why Brandeis?
We offer a flexible 14-course program that can be completed in 4 semesters (2 years).
We offer 4 master's degree options, in addition to the PhD program.
Most of our master’s program students receive merit- and need-based scholarships.
Alum Spotlight
"For me, it was providential to study at Brandeis. I matured intellectually, spiritually, and ethically under my wise teachers. I'm proud to be a 'Brandeis man' and to have absorbed the great ideals of this institution."
— Jason Olson, PhD'16, United States Navy Chaplain