Spertus | MAJPS | Jewish Studies

Jewish Studies Links

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Phone 312.322.1794

"Spertus is giving me the tools to change careers."
Michael Pytlik,
Spertus Student
Manager of Operations,
Open Solutions
Royal Oak, MI

Jewish Studies Degree Programs

Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies

Individuation Component

The program recognizes that students bring different skill-sets, have different needs, and work in different areas. Therefore, the program is constructed to enable learners – with professional guidance – to carve out a portion of the overall degree to serve their specific needs. The goal of this segment of the program is to enable rich, flexible, and personalized learning to foster individual personal and professional growth.

This MAJPS Program is designed to enable students to tailor an important portion of their studies to their own individual professional learning interests, needs, and agenda.The equivalence of at least three courses is allotted to form this individualized program of study. Each student will meet with the Program Director and their personal mentor to develop a personal inventory of needs and delineate a program accordingly.

Possible individuation programs may include:

Studies in nonprofit management, budgeting and financing, revenue development, management, marketing, or other areas.
Intensified studies in a specific area of Jewish Studies relevant to one’s work (such as interfaith relations or Middle Eastern Studies)
An intensive internship with a senior-level professional in your specific industry.
Work-based projects that utilize the student’s existing professional position as a laboratory for study and growth.
A comprehensive final project that enables the student to focus on a major study of personal and professional interest and value.

The process of developing the personal inventory will begin in the first semester in individual meetings between student and program administration. By the end of the spring semester an individualized study program will be created that will be implemented during the remainder of the program.

Personal Mentor

Throughout his/her studies, each student in this program will have a personal mentor. The mentor will meet with the student on a regular basis (every 2 to 3 weeks). The nature of the role served by the mentor will vary from student to student. Some students may choose a reflective practitioner from their field with whom they will regularly discuss the applicability of course materials to practical work. Others may choose to create a more formalized independent study framework with their mentor, based on readings and writing. Still others may choose a mentor with whom they work on a specific profession-based issue over a sustained period of time. Finally, some students may choose a mentor who serves as a personal coach. The program advisor will work with each student in identifying an appropriate mentor and crafting the nature of the work the mentor will do with the student.