Contents
  YU Homepage

Academic Integrity
Attendance
Audit Policy
Curriculum
Degree Requirements
General Requirements
Grades: A/P/N Option
Honors Program
Majors
Minors
Placement
School Regulations
Transfer Credit for Hebrew Language, Literature, & Culture
Workload
 

YESHIVA COLLEGE

Established in 1928, Yeshiva College is the university’s college of arts and sciences for men. Its programs embody its unique mission: to combine Jewish learning with the study of Western and worldwide culture. The college provides a wide range of educational options, which combine broad study in the liberal arts and sciences with specialized preparation for advanced work in a specific discipline or profession.

In addition to programs leading to the degree of bachelor of arts, students participate in programs of Jewish studies requiring intensive analysis of classic texts in the Hebrew and Aramaic originals. Designed to deepen ethical and philosophical insight and values, these programs also afford valuable training in research methods and opportunities for independent work. To achieve this end, each student must be enrolled throughout his stay in YC in a full course of study in any of the following: James Striar School (JSS), Yeshiva Program/Mazer School (MYP), Isaac Breuer College (IBC), or the Irving I. Stone Beit Midrash Program (SBMP). As specified below, students may receive transfer credit at YC for their studies in these programs.

Yeshiva College offers courses in Bible, Hebrew, Jewish history, Jewish philosophy, and Judaic studies under the auspices of the Robert M. Beren Department of Jewish Studies.

Founded in 1999, the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program enhances academic excellence at the College in two ways. It enriches every student’s learning experience either directly or indirectly, and it provides an unexcelled education for students who complete all of its requirements (for specific information, see the special section that follows).

Students find that Wilf’s proximity to several of the university’s other undergraduate schools, graduate schools, and affiliates affords the campus an especially stimulating academic atmosphere. Adding to the enrichment is the fact that all major resources of the institution are easily accessible at this location.

As a liberal arts college in a vibrant urban center, Yeshiva College has incorporated a broad set of educational programs, student services, and extracurricular activities to meet the special needs of the individual student. The college recognizes that as society continues to drive toward greater specialization and sophisticated technology, it is all the more important that each student seek order and purpose for himself and meaning for his life.

YESHIVA COLLEGE GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Students normally complete the degree in four years and can take no more than six years including the semester of admission to the college, excluding official leaves of absence.

The following are required of all students:

I. Basic Skills

a. English 1101–1102. 4 credits.
Successful completion of ENG 1101 is a prerequisite for all literature courses. Both ENG 1101 and 1102 are prerequisites for all English literature courses and should be completed during the first year on campus. For students admitted to the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program, two freshman honors seminars automatically fulfill this requirement. The second freshman honors seminar also counts for one of the general requirements on the list that follows.
Note: If taken during the senior year, ENG 1101 and 1102 do not count toward the 128 credits required for graduation, although they are figured into the 17.5-credit limit and the grade is figured into the grade point average. Foreign students must take ENG 0011 unless exempt by placement.
Non-native English speakers in the United States less than seven years undergo a language screening prior to registering. Students who do not demonstrate near-native proficiency in English are required to register for developmental writing and speaking English courses their first semester and to attend such courses until they pass and are able to register for mainstream composition and speech courses. Students whose language proficiency does not reach the introductory developmental level may be required to take courses outside of the University until they have demonstrated language proficiency sufficient to register for the developmental language courses.

b. One approved course in mathematics, computer sciences, or statistics. 3–4 credits.

c. Physical education. Two courses.
Two PED courses are required of all students and should be completed no later than sophomore year. Students may not register for more than one PED course per semester. No more than 8 credits in PED may count toward the bachelor’s degree. Except for participation on varsity sports teams, PED courses are not repeatable. Students with physical disabilities are not necessarily exempt, and should consult with the Medical Office.

A veteran honorably discharged from the armed forces with service of at least one year may be granted two credits for completion of basic training and military service in lieu of the two-course Physical Education requirement. Veterans with at least two years of service may be allowed an additional two credits.

Yeshiva University grants credit for courses taken with the Armed Forces Institute in accordance with the regulations of the New York State Education Department and with the recommendations of the American Council on Education.

II. Humanities

a. Two literature courses. 6 credits.
The first must be chosen from ENG 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2201, 2202, 2611, 2612, or foreign (not Hebrew) literature; the second may be chosen from among the courses listed above or may be any approved literature course offered at the college, including Hebrew literature.

b. Two courses in history, philosophy, or a foreign language other than Hebrew. 6 credits.

c. One course selected from Art 1052A, Music 1111A, or a foreign language other than Hebrew. 2–3 credits.
To fulfill general education requirements with a foreign language, a student must complete two semesters in sequence or a course at the Intermediate II level or above (e.g. FRE 1202, SPA 1202, SEM 5122. Consult the Coordinator of Languages in Yeshiva College for more information.

A student who wishes to continue a foreign language taken in high school should use the following guideline to determine the level at which he should begin his studies in college: one year of high school study is equivalent to one semester of college study.
Students will not receive credit for college foreign-language courses that duplicate what they have studied in high school or learned through other means. Students with existing skills in languages other than English or Hebrew must consult with the Coordinator of Languages in Yeshiva College in order to determine the level at which they should continue their studies.

III. Social Science
Two courses chosen from economics, political science, psychology, or sociology. 6 credits.

V. Science
Two semesters of a laboratory science 6–10 credits.
Preferably one of the two-semester sequences in biology, chemistry, or physics, or BIO 1001 and/or 1002; CHE 1023, 1024, or 1025; or PHY 1021, 1026, or 1027.

V. Jewish Studies
Students in the Mazer Yeshiva Program and the Irving I. Stone Beit Midrash Program take these courses at Yeshiva College. Students in Isaac Breuer College and James Striar School satisfy these requirements with courses at those schools with some modifications, particularly for JSS students. Under normal circumstances, a student in MYP/BMP takes 20 credits in Jewish Studies courses in YC (per the following), a student in IBC transfers 18 credits (3 per semester), and a student in JSS transfers 24 credits (4 per semester), to his YC record. Students who change Jewish Studies programs during their time at Yeshiva College should consult with the Coordinator of Jewish Studies in the Office of the Dean of Yeshiva College regarding the fulfillment of Jewish Studies requirements in YC.

a. BIB 1015A, plus three additional 2-credit Bible courses, including at least two text courses numbered above 2500. 8 credits.
BIB 1015A is a prerequisite for the text courses and must be taken during the first year of study at YC.
b. HEB 1205–1206. 6 credits.
All students are urged to take Hebrew Language (HEB 1205, 1206) as early as possible in their college careers. Students should be aware that Hebrew Language will, in the future, be a prerequisite for many of the other Jewish Studies courses.
c. Two Jewish history. Two courses chosen from 1200, 1300, 1400, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, or 1834. 6 credits.

THE JAY AND JEANIE SCHOTTENSTEIN HONORS PROGRAM AT YESHIVA COLLEGE
The mission of the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program is to enhance the education of all Yeshiva College students by encouraging the most talented learners to undertake an exceptionally broad, deep, rigorous course of study.

To fulfill this aim, the program emphasizes research, intensive writing, and sophisticated thinking: critical, analytic, quantitative, scientific, interdisciplinary, and creative. Students commit themselves to hard work, a challenging search for understanding, and intellectual excellence. Students admitted to the program will experience especially rewarding interactions with faculty members through honors courses, individual mentoring, advanced study, and senior honors theses. Students who complete the program should feel confident that they can fulfill their potential through advanced training, lifelong learning, and leadership within their various communities.

In the fall of 1999, Yeshiva College began admitting 24 to 36 students each year to the program. Students apply simultaneously to the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Program and for academic merit scholarships. (All students may apply for need-based assistance). Normally, each student must earn at least a 90 average in high school, score at least 1400 on the combined SATs, and earn strong recommendations in both general and Jewish studies. Each year, the Honors Committee admits a few additional students who have earned at least a 3.7 grade point average, submitted promising writing samples, and earned strong recommendations.
Each and every student who successfully completes the 11 required components of the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program can expect favorable receptions from graduate and professional schools, employers, and organizations that award scholarships and fellowships.

The first year, in two freshman honors seminars based in part on core texts, each student develops intellectual sophistication in thinking through intensive writing, research, and analysis. (The first term fulfills the first term of the composition requirement, substituting for ENG 1101. The second term fulfills the second term of the composition requirement, substituting for ENG 1102, and in addition fulfills some other general requirement). After the first year, he chooses at least six honors electives from a variety of academic disciplines. A cocurricular summer experience—for example, a course taught in Europe, a cultural enrichment program in New York City, or a research placement—expands his educational horizons. Finally, the student devotes two terms to a senior honors thesis closely supervised by one or more faculty mentors.

Overall, the student spends at least three full years and completes 108 credits in residence, 24 more than the residence requirement for Yeshiva College. Simultaneously, he must maintain a comparable level of excellence in Jewish studies. Recommendations for an honors student from administrators and faculty members are virtually guaranteed to be exceptionally strong, and his diploma specifically confirms his graduation from the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program as well as from Yeshiva College.

The freshman honors seminars and the senior honors theses are reserved for students admitted into the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program. So far, summer programs abroad, such as “Jewish Art and Culture in Renaissance Italy,” “The Physics of Galileo” (Florence and New York, 1999), “French Jewry 1806–1905: Images and Identities” (Paris and New York, 2000), and “The Maya: The Land and Its People,” (Guatemala and New York, 2003) have been open to all Yeshiva College students.

Honors electives are open to all students who receive instructors’ permission. These courses are listed on the student’s transcript with the letter H beside the appropriate course number. The following partial listing of these courses, each tailor-made for the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program, suggests the breadth, depth, and variety of the program and its impact on the Yeshiva College curriculum:

Baudelaire, Rimbaud, and Mallarme
Classical Political Philosophy
Computational Methods in the Physical Sciences
Creative Writing — Fiction
Dead Sea Scrolls
Economics and Ethical Issues
Experimental Psychology
Greek Myths and Their Influence
Historiography
Honors Calculus-Based Physics
James Joyce
Jewish Historiography
Jewish New York
Jewish Religious Behavior in Sociological Perspective
Maimonides
Midrash Halakhah
Molecular Modeling
Organometallic Lab
Quantum Mechanics
Science, Society, and Ethics
The String Quartet
The Victorian Web
Thoughts of Rav Joseph Soloveitchik

Transfer Credit for Hebrew Language, Literature, and Culture

ISAAC BREUER COLLEGE
Transfer credit for courses taken at IBC is listed on the YC record as HES 1200–1299.

Transfers are made at the rate of three credits per semester unless written permission for a change is received from the Office of the Dean of IBC and filed in the Office of the Registrar.
The grade given for the transfer credit is based on the composite average achieved at IBC that semester.

The composite average is transferred as follows:
3.668 – 4.000 = A
3.334 – 3.667 = A-
3.001 – 3.333 = B+
2.668 – 3.000 = B
2.334 – 2.667 = B-
2.001 – 2.333 = C+
1.668 – 2.000 = C
1.334 – 1.667 = C-
1.001 – 1.333 = D+
0.668 – 1.000 = D
0.334 – 0.667 = D-
0.000 – 0.333 = F

JAMES STRIAR SCHOOL
Transfer credit for courses taken at JSS is listed on the YC record as HES 1000–1099.

Transfers are made at the rate of four credits per semester unless written permission for a change is received from the Office of the Dean of JSS and filed in the Office of the Registrar.

The grade given for the transfer credit is based on the composite average achieved in JSS that semester. The composite average is transferred as indicated for Isaac Breuer College.

Students attending JSS may not take any courses in Jewish studies at any other school without the prior written permission of the Office of the Dean of JSS.

Students in MYP may elect to transfer one, two, or three credits per semester to YC for their studies in MYP. Such courses appear on the YC record as HES 1100–1199. The grade given for the transfer credit is based on the composite average achieved in MYP that semester. The composite average is transferred as indicated for Isaac Breuer College.

STONE BEIT MIDRASH PROGRAM
Students in SBMP may elect to transfer one or two credits per semester to YC for their studies in SBMP. Transfer credit for courses taken at SBMP appears on the YC record as HES 1600–1699. The grade given for the transfer credit is based on the composite average achieved in SBMP that semester. The composite average is transferred as indicated for Isaac Breuer College.

PLACEMENT

English Placement for Foreign Students
Upon entrance, foreign students will be assigned to English as a Second Language based upon a placement examination.

Foreign Language Study Placement
A student who has graduated from or attended a foreign secondary school in which the language of instruction was other than English or Hebrew should consult with the Coordinator of Languages in Yeshiva College if he would like to continue his foreign language and/or literature studies.

SCHOOL REGULATIONS
Regulations pertaining to Yeshiva College alone are given here; for those uniformly applicable to all undergraduate schools, see the Academic Information and Policies section.

Attendance
At the start of the semester, each student must report in person to the instructor of each class to learn the specific attendance, examination, and other requirements of each course.

A student who does not meet these requirements may be dropped from a course.

A record of the student’s attendance in each class is kept by the instructor. In performance courses (such as laboratory, public speaking, music, language, and physical education), attendance is required at all class sessions. Attendance is compulsory for freshmen, sophomores in their first semester on campus, students admitted provisionally, and students on probation. During the first week of the semester, the instructor in any course must specifically notify his or her classes of the attendance policy for all students, and should allow a number of absences equal to or greater than the normal number of class sessions per week.
A student’s attendance record may be taken into account when determining his status in the university. Continued unexcused absences will result in the student being dropped from the course with a grade of G, which may lead to probation or academic dismissal from the college.

Grades: A/P/N Option
Each student above the freshman year who is in good standing is permitted to select one course per semester to be graded A, P, or N. This is for the purpose of stimulating students to take coursework outside their area of specialization; therefore, the course may not be one required for graduation or required or recommended for the student’s major. Students must apply for such a course during the period specified in the academic calendar.

Regulations and limitations applicable to the choice of a course under the A/P/N Option are available in the Office of the Registrar.

Audit Policy
A student may audit no more than one course per semester. Only lecture courses without laboratory, performance, or studio work may be audited. Students must have a 3.0 average and the instructor’s written permission. Attendance must be regular, and the student must fulfill requirements as determined by the instructor. Audited courses do not count toward the student’s workload. No credit is given for an audited course, and it fulfills no requirements. A course being taken for credit may be changed to an audit (L) with the consent of the instructor until the date by which a course can be dropped without a W. A course previously audited may subsequently be taken for credit. Both courses will then appear on the student’s record. For more information and regulations, consult the Yeshiva College Advisement Center.

Upholding Academic Integrity
Within the academic community, the governing principle is integrity—accepting the responsibility for being judged on the basis of one’s own work and achievements. This principle requires that students receive no unauthorized assistance from others and give explicit credit for authorized assistance and for each thought or expression that is borrowed from any outside source. Submission of any examination, course assignment, or degree requirement represents an affirmation that the student has lived up to these standards.

Cheating is the act of providing or utilizing unauthorized material or assistance in answering an examination question or performing part or all of an assignment. It includes but is not limited to stealing, furnishing, transmitting, receiving, selling, or buying an examination, one or more answers, or any part of an assignment. The transmission or reception may be oral, written, or by other means, including, but not limited to, pagers and beepers. Assignments include but are not limited to essays, lab reports, homework, compilations of data, and computer programs. Aiding and abetting any act of cheating is also cheating, and will be treated as such.

Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating: the misrepresentation of someone else’s words, data, information, program, subroutine, finding, or idea as one’s own. Students are responsible for avoiding it in all written and oral assignments and presentations, including, but not limited to, essays, research papers, speeches, homework, computer programs, and lab reports.

The brochure “Upholding Academic Integrity,” available in the Academic Advisement Center, describes procedures for addressing allegations of academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism, as well as penalties for breaches in academic integrity.

Workload
The normal number of credits for a full semester’s work is 15.5 to 16.5 credits. A full-time student is defined as one enrolled for at least 12 credits during a 15-week semester. Under no circumstances will any student be given permission to register for more than 17.5 credits per semester at Yeshiva College (including any credit transferred from any other school of the university or from another institution).

The maximum number of credits that may be earned by any student in a 12-month period (counted as July–June or September–August, at his option) is 43. This includes courses taken in residence, work taken elsewhere, and credit earned by examination (such as the College-Level Examination Program or College Proficiency Examination Program).
Students may not take fewer than 12 credits in any semester without written permission of the Office of the Dean.