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The graduate program in Yiddish Studies began at Columbia in 1952 under the leadership of the renowned linguist Uriel Weinreich and reached international acclaim as the most important and influential center of research into the Yiddish language, Yiddish literature and Yiddish culture. Under Weinreich and his successor, Marvin Herzog, Yiddish Studies at Columbia were located in the Department of Linguistics and were offered in close conjunction with the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. As of 1989, graduate studies in Yiddish literature, linguistics and culture are directed by an Interdepartmental Committee on Yiddish Studies.

Students register in one of the participating departments, usually the Department of Germanic Languages. Other participating departments are History, Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures, and Religion; in these departments students are required to satisfy degree requirements set by the departments as well as those set by the Interdepartmental Committee; in Germanic Languages, only the Interdepartmental Committee’s requirements must be met. Each student is assigned an adviser from the Interdepartmental Committee who consults with the student about his or her individual program of study.

Degree Requirements

For the M.A. Degree

The M.A. degree may be earned through a program of part-time study. The requirements are the same as for the full-time M.A. degree, except that part-time students may take up to four years to complete the degree. Programs should be planned in consultation with the Chair of the Interdepartmental Committee and the Director of Yiddish Studies in the Department of Germanic Languages.

For the Full-Time M.A. Degree

Program of study: To be approved by the student’s adviser during registration.

Length of program: Usually one year.

Required Residence Units: Two.

Required courses: Eight one-term courses, including the following: at least two semesters of graduate courses in Yiddish Studies; two semesters of Yiddish language courses at the advanced level; two courses in Jewish history or modern Hebrew literature.

Languages: In addition to completing the advanced Yiddish course, a reading knowledge of Hebrew or German is required; knowledge of a Slavic language is highly recommended.

Essay: The student must submit an original M.A. essay, representing research on a specific topic in Yiddish Studies, supervised by a faculty member from the Interdepartmental committee.

For the M.Phil. Degree

Beyond the requirements for the M.A., the student must complete the core sequence of Yiddish Studies graduate courses: Yiddish W4101, G6500, G6106, G6200, G8310, and the remaining courses chosen from the fields listed below: Germanic languages and literatures, Hebrew language and literature, Jewish history, Comparative literature, Judaism, Yiddish studies, or courses offered in conjunction with the Max Weinreich Center for Advanced Jewish Studies of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Graduate courses in Slavic languages and literatures may be substituted for the above upon special permission. In addition a reading knowledge is required of the second language not presented for the M.A. degree.

After completing the course work, the student must pass written examinations in three areas: general Yiddish Studies, a major field of specialization within Yiddish Studies, and in one of the following outside fields: modern Hebrew literature, East European Jewish history, German language and literature, comparative literature, or religion.

For the Ph.D. Degree