Master of Arts in Cultural Studies of Israel and Palestine

THE DETAILS

Course Requirements

The M.A. degree in Cultural Studies of Israel and Palestine (formerly Middle Eastern Cultures and Religions) includes 48 semester credit hours of course work as outlined below. The degree is designed to be completed within two calendar years, although students choosing to pursue the thesis track are granted an additional year. Students with a documented learning disability or for whom English is not their native language are expected to finish the degree in three years if taking the non-thesis track, or four years if pursuing the thesis track. Up to 24 credits of approved graduate-level courses may be transferred in from another degree program if approved by the JUC Academic Committee. At least half of the program must be completed in-residence.

*The course requirements below are updated and will go into effect for students matriculating in the Fall of 2026. Students who have matriculated prior to Fall 2026 can choose which program track to matriculate into and should contact the Registrar with questions. View previous MECR requirements here.

Internship

Students are required to complete an intensive internship course (3 credit hours) which includes 100 contact hours at an approved area ministry, NGO, or comparable placement, together with a written component produced by the student. The internship is designed to provide an opportunity for students to develop and refine practical skills necessary for leadership in the Middle East. It does this by integrating classroom learning with practical field experiences. For this reason, each internship placement is closely matched to the individual student’s academic program and vocational goals.

Society: 9 hours

• Introduction to the Modern Middle East (3)
• Palestinian Society and Politics (3)
• Historical and Social Settings of Modern Israel (3)

Geography: 4 hours

• Physical Settings of the Bible (4) OR Historical & Geographical Settings of the Bible + Jordan Extension (4)

History: 6 hours

• History of the Jews During the Medieval and Modern Period (3)
• History of the Holy Land from the Rise of Islam to 1948 (3)

Religion: 9 hours

• Jewish Thought and Practice (3)
• Islamic Thought and Practice (3)
• History of the Church in the East (3)

Modern Language: 6 hours of Arabic or Hebrew

• Colloquial Arabic I (3)
• Colloquial Arabic II (3)
• Modern Hebrew I (3)
• Modern Hebrew II (3)

Seminar: 3 hours

• CSIP Seminar (3)

Internship: 3 hours

Elective: 3 hours total

• Biblical Archaeology II (3) OR Archaeology of Jerusalem II (3)
• Biblical Jerusalem and Its Explorations (Online) (3)
• Cultural Background of the Bible (3)
• History of the Second Temple Period (3)
• Hermeneutics of Old Testament Texts in Jewish and Christian Tradition (3)
• Text Studies in Midrash, Mishnah, and Gemara: The Shared Heritage of Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity (3)
• Guided Research in Cultural Studies of Israel and Palestine (3)
• Second langauge track (Modern Hebrew or Colloquial Arabic)

Thesis-track degree: 6 hours

• Guided Research on Thesis Topic (2)
• Thesis Writing (4)

Non-Thesis-track degree: 6 additional hours of elective courses

Bible Content Examinations

• Old Testament Bible Content Examination
• New Testament Bible Content Examination

Comprehensive - Integrative Examinations

• Contemporary Issues in Cultural Studies of Israel and Palestine
• Modern Hebrew Examination OR colloquial Arabic Examination

Total Credit Hours: 49