M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies Curriculum

Curriculum

Students in this program are required to complete a total of 30 credits. Each course is three credits unless otherwise noted. 

Required Core Courses (6 Credits)

The Destruction of European Jewry, 1933–1945 
Dr. Joshua Zimmerman 

Choose one of the following two courses:

• The Holocaust: An Interdisciplinary Exploration
   Dr. Shay Pilnik
• Genocide in the Modern Age: From Armenia to Darfur
  Dr. Shay Pilnik

Sample of Offered Electives (18 credits)

• The Holocaust: Special Issues Relating to Rescue
  Dr. Mordecai Paldiel
• Germany and the Holocaust: Roots, Perpetration and Aftermath 
  Dr. Jess Olson
• Teaching Literature of the Holocaust 
  Dr. Karen Shawn
• Teaching About the Holocaust through Narrative, Film, Art, and Artifact 
  Dr. Karen Shawn 
• Remembering Communal Catastrophe: The Destruction of the Temples through the Holocaust 
  Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter 
• Vilna: A Jewish Cultural Metropolis 
  Dr. Josh Karlip 
• History of the Jews in Eastern Europe Since 1914
   Dr. Josh Zimmerman 
• Survey of Modern and Contemporary Philosophy: Evil and Suffering 
  Dr. Daniel Rynhold 
• Transgenerational Trauma 
  Dr. Vera Bekes Required Exit Courses (6 credits)

Required Exit Courses (6 credits)

Exit Unit: This course marks the culmination of the program. Open-ended and highly flexible, students may choose one of the three options:

a. Thesis: a 40–60 pp. long research paper dedicated to a particular subject in the field of Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

b. Capstone Unit: Students can select a local museum, Holocaust education center, a human rights or genocide prevention institute around the world and harness their talent, knowledge, and skills to make a significant contribution to the field of Holocaust and Genocide Studies. 

c. Comprehensive Exam: The examination is based on coursework and a reading list, to be worked out with a faculty adviser and/or the Fish Center director. This unit will summarize and synthesize the knowledge the student has gained throughout their coursework

• The Roundtable: Seminar in Readings from the Field 
Dr. Karen Shawn, Dr. Shay Pilnik