Israel Programs Academics

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  • time Recent High School Graduates: 17-19 Years Old
  • location Curriculum
  • duration Nine Months
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What You’ll Learn While You Study in Israel

Study in Israel with Year Course! We offer a full range of dynamic and fun classes for you to take during the year. Unlike regular university classes, we’ve customized our academics and created a comprehensive curriculum that combines classroom learning in small groups with experiential and informal educational experiences meant to get you out into Israel, learning far beyond the classroom.

Accreditation

Young Judaea Year Course provides an academic program in partnership with the American Jewish University College in Israel. The American Jewish University’s main campus is located in Los Angeles and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States.

All of our local courses and academic faculty meet the standards set by the American Jewish University/WASC and are supervised by the senior staff members of Young Judaea Israel.

Below are some of the courses that have been offered in recent years. This will give you a good idea as to offerings you’ll be able to choose from when you come on Year Course! Please note that courses may differ each year.

Siyyurim (Excursion) Courses (3 – 4 Credits)

Some things can only be learned in Israel and only out in the real world of Israel! Year Course offers intense, ‘field’ based courses that combine classroom study with in-person excursions. You’ll see the places and meet the people who make this country unlike any other in the world and get a first-hand view of reality while you study in Israel taking the following courses:

  • The Jerusalem Idea (HIS111) Syllabus
  • The Zionist Idea (HIS170) Syllabus
  • The Tel Aviv Idea (SOC178) Syllabus Coming Soon

Hebrew Ulpan (2-8 Credits – Jerusalem/Tel Aviv Yafo)

All Year Course students participate in ongoing Hebrew language and literature instruction at their own level. ‘Ulpan’ classes introduce or expand skills in written and verbal communication and expose students to aspects of Hebrew music, film and literature. Ongoing written and oral assignments reinforce classroom learning. Students are assigned a class level based on a standardized placement exam at the beginning of each term.

College Writing (3 Credits – Jerusalem)

College Writing is a semester course in academic writing skills and critical reading. Students will become familiar with the basic components of structurally and logically sound writing, learn to identify and correct technical errors in their own compositions, and gain an understanding of how different writing strategies serve different purposes. There will also be four creative writing workshops.

Judaic and Israel Studies Courses (3 Credits Each – Jerusalem/Tel Aviv Yafo)

A broad spectrum of topics and ideas meant to engage you in thought, debate and reflection:

  • God Talk : Jewish Theology and Folk Music (JST 104Y) Course Syllabus
  • Jewish Art (ART 103) Course Syllabus
  • Bible & Western Culture (JST 301) Course Syllabus
  • Religion Society and the Individual (COR 302) Course Syllabus
  • Introduction to Hasidism (JST 335) Course Syllabus
  • The Jewish Idea (COR200) Course Syllabus
  • Torah Yoga / Jewish Meditation
  • Sociology of the Jewish People (JST 361)
  • Minorities in Israel Modern Israel- Periphery and Center (JST 362)

Service Learning (3 Credits – Tel Aviv Yafo)

As with all aspects of Year Course, our extensive volunteer experience is undertaken with intentionality and based on our movement ideology. The Service Learning course allows students to reflect on the volunteer work they do in the context of this ideology, Jewish and Zionist principals. It is a change to gain new skills and share experiences and insights with fellow volunteers.

Specialty Program Courses (1-3 Credits)

These courses are offered as part of specialty trips and programs:

How to Earn Credits

Students must be accepted to the American Jewish University in order to receive academic credit while on Young Judaea Year Course. This is done during the process of applying for Young Judaea Year Course, prior to arrival in Israel by submitting a formal and final high school transcript to AJU. You do not need to formally apply to AJU.

In order to be accepted by AJU, the student must have a minimum high school GPA average of 2.0.

After Year Course

More than  7,000 Year Course alumni have gone on to study in hundreds of schools in the US, Canada, the UK and Israel. We would be happy to try to connect you to an alumnus from your top school of choice! Some of the schools attended by our alumni:

  • George Washington University
  • McGill University
  • Tufts University
  • UC Schools
  • New York University
  • SUNY and CUNY Schools
  • Emory University
  • Brandeis University
  • Tulane University
  • Duke University
  • University of Texas
  • Cornell University
  • Syracuse University
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of Michigan
  • Ohio State University
  • Rutgers University
  • University of Maryland
  • University of Bristol
  • University of Guelph
  • Tel Aviv University
  • Boston University
  • The Hebrew University
  • University of Nottingham

Transferring Credits to Your School Post-Year Course

Each college/university has their own policy and procedure when it comes to transferring credits. Check in with your school to learn about their policy!

You can do this by looking at their website or connecting directly with one of the admissions counselors. If you need Year Course to write a letter to your school indicating that you will be coming on Year Course, we will happily do so as long as you are an official applicant which means that you have submitted at a minimum, the $100 Year Course application fee.

Once you complete Year Course, you can request your transcript from AJU.

Ready to Register for Year Course?

If you need additional information please contact us at yearcourse@youngjudaea.org or call us at 1-866-599-2534

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