One-Year Certificate in Jerusalem Studies

The objective of this new one-year graduate program is to appreciate Jerusalem in its cultural, historical, and linguistic diversity. Students will spend considerable time in direct contact with various communities in order to gain a firsthand understanding. This will include overseeing socio-linguistic questionnaires, recording interviews, visiting historically significant sites, and meeting with community representatives. In addition, they will explore primary historical sources such as the writings of Josephus, Byzantine pilgrims, and Muslim geographers. They will learn the science of ancient inscriptions (epigraphy) with field trips to decipher Greek and Arabic incscriptions. They will discover the "other" languages of Jerusalem such as Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Greek.

The program is especially suitable for professional development in the fields of tourism, journalism, diplomacy, or international cooperation, and may also be of interest to students of cultural studies or socio-linguistics who desire a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding modern-day Jerusalem.

Considering that language is an integral part of understanding culture, the Jerusalem Studies program includes a language studies option for students who wish to improve their skills in Hebrew (Biblical and Modern), Arabic (Spoken and Modern Standard), koine Greek, Classical Syriac, or Bohairic Coptic.