The Associate of Arts in General Studies with Judaic Studies (Concentration) is offered entirely online, providing students the flexibility to pursue their academic goals from anywhere. The concentration introduces the foundational elements of Jewish history, sacred texts, and philosophical thought, offering a broad liberal arts education rooted in cultural and ethical awareness. It also serves as a strong stepping-stone toward a bachelor’s degree in religious studies, philosophy, humanities, or related fields.
Note: This degree does not lead to any form of licensure or certification.
What Makes This Program Different?
- 100% online delivery — no on-campus residency required
- Transfer-friendly — apply up to 45 eligible credits to accelerate completion
- Designed for flexibility — fit coursework around your schedule
- Excellent preparation for further undergraduate study or career advancement
- Small class sizes with instructor-led discussions for a personal learning environment
- Focused on critical thinking, interpretive writing, and cultural literacy
What makes the TUW online Associate’s in General Studies program different?
- 100% online
- Very affordable tuition
- Nonprofit Accredited University
- No residency required
- Accelerated admissions process
- 6 start dates throughout the year
- 8 weeks session
- Professors are both scholars and practicing Rabbis, combining academic rigor with real-world insight.
What will you learn?
Graduates of the TUW Associate of Arts with a Concentration in Judaic Studies will develop a foundational understanding of Jewish thought, history, and sacred texts. Students will:
- Gain insight into Jewish Philosophy — Delve into enduring questions in the Jewish philosophical tradition, including the relationship between faith and reason, free will, ethics, and the nature of divine justice, through influential writings from antiquity to the modern era.
- Explore Medieval and Modern Biblical Exegesis — Trace the evolution of biblical interpretation from medieval commentators to contemporary scholars, examining how historical context, language, and philosophy shape our understanding of sacred texts.
- Build critical and analytical skills — Strengthen the ability to interpret complex ideas, analyze primary sources, and communicate thoughtfully about religion, ethics, and culture.
Program at a glance
60 total credit hours:
- General Education & Core Courses
- Judaic Studies Concentration courses
Typically completed in two (2) years of full-time study; part-time options are also available.
Career and Further Education Opportunities
Graduates with this associate degree will have developed strong analytical, interpretive, and writing skills. These prepare them for careers or continued study in fields such as:
- Religious or cultural education
- Community leadership
- Non-profit or faith-based organization work
- Continued undergraduate study in Judaic Studies, Religious Studies, Philosophy, or Humanities
AREA A Communication
6-9 credits
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Concepts of communication. Includes audience analysis, selection of topic, reasoning, mapping, material organization, visual aids, public speaking, verbal and non-verbal cues.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Expressing ideas and conveying information in writing. Includes reasoning, factual support, clarity of purpose, organization, and language. Instruction and practice in reading and writing of expository and argumentative essays.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course focuses on improving students writing ability in various rhetorical modes, including description, narration, persuasion, definition, classification, comparison, causation, and process analysis. During the term, we will read examples of effective writing, discuss composition techniques and strategies, analyze and critique texts, and explore ways to put concepts and theories into practice through specific written assignments and Threaded Discussions.
CREDITS
3
AREA B Critical Thinking
3-6 credits
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is an introductory course in philosophy to satisfy the General Education requirement. Topics include the various traditions of philosophical thought, such as concepts of knowledge, reality, mind-body duality, existence of God, free will, and morality. Special topics include philosophers from Classical Era to 21st Century.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Basic concepts of logic. Includes deductive and inductive reasoning, techniques of argumentation, analysis and assessment, evaluation of evidence, language, definition, and fallacies.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Learn basic concepts of probability and statistical inference, focusing on an intuitive approach to understanding concepts and methodologies. Get an introduction to statistical and critical thinking, including descriptive statistics, probability, sampling distributions, interval estimation, hypothesis testing and regression.
CREDITS
3
AREA C Mathematics
3-6 credits
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Algebraic concepts and methods. Includes real numbers, graphs, linear and quadratic equations, systems of equation, polynomials, sinusoidal equations, theory of functions
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course covers general concepts of functions, including limits and continuity. It covers various rules for the computation of derivatives and integrals, such as the sum, product, and quotient formulas, as well as the chain rule. It also covers applying these concepts to the determination of maxima, minima, optimizations, and rate-related topics. The determination of the area of shapes through integration is also covered. Topics learned are applicable to various real world settings.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course will review of Functions and Graphs, Applications of Integrals, and conclude with Infinite Sequences and Series. By the time you’re done, you’ll have studied how to use derivatives and integrals to solve a variety of problems and understand the connections and relationships that are fundamental to the theories of calculus.
CREDITS
3
AREA D Physical & Biological Sciences
3 -12 credits
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is a general education course for students interested in the chemistry of everyday life. Includes determining the composition of foods and drugs, measurements, unit conversions, scientific notation, chemical representations, mole concept, structure of atoms and molecules.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction to basic biological concepts including biochemistry and macromolecules, the structure and function of cells, basic genetic principles, DNA replication, transcription and translation.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course examines nutritional concepts and scientific findings. Emphasis is placed on macro and micronutrients as methods of assessing nutrient intake in the well client. Additional topics include digestive processes, food additives, safety and sanitation as well as factors that influence nutrient intake. Fundamentals of normal nutrition, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and their roles in human metabolism as well as nutrition and the life cycle are presented and explored.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course discusses unifying principles of elastic, sound, light and matter waves. Models of nature. Successes and failures of wave and particle models and their synthesis. The course meets the lower division General Education requirement in Natural Sciences.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces the learner to the structure and function of the human body with particular emphasis on mechanisms of homeostasis. This course focuses on chemical, cellular, and tissue levels of organization, the integumentary system, skeletal system, muscular system, central and peripheral nervous systems, organs of sense and concludes with the endocrine system. Laboratory experiences are obtained through the use of the Virtual Dissector, digital human program.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The learner continues the journey through the structure and function of the human body with particular emphasis on mechanisms of homeostasis. This course focuses on normal structure and function of bodily systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, hematological and reproductive systems. Concepts of acid/base, fluid and electrolyte balance as well as basic genetics are included.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction to the biology of major groups of microorganism including their role in infectious diseases, their role in nature and their relationship to humankind.
CREDITS
3
AREA E Arts and Humanities
3-6 credits
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides an in-depth approach to issues of ethical, legal, and social responsibility impacts on decision making in the managerial and multidisciplinary environment. Emphasis on case studies will stimulate critical thinking and collaborative group discussions, which will address various current issues/topics for the 21st century.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Analysis and interpretation of art. Art culture and society. Emphasis on style, form, and meaning. A survey of works and artists across the visual and performing arts.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to both technical and conceptual elements of digital photography. Students will learn the fundamentals of a digital camera and image editing. This course will utilize technology in producing and manipulating photographs. Projects will apply the photographic components of exposure, composition, depth of field, and lighting. Students will develop the conceptual skills of looking, interpretation, and critique. Students will learn to communicate through photographic visual language, understanding and exhibiting how images produce meaning through medium and form. This course will also investigate historical and contemporary photography in order to examine how these photographic skills are practiced.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A comparative study of some of the basic patterns of religion and/or a focus on one specific religion. The course will focus upon such themes as religious experience, myths of creation, stories of religious founders and heroes, the origin and resolution of human suffering, and the structure and meaning of religious community and ritual. Source material for these themes will be taken from the literary and artistic resources of the religious traditions of Judaism.
CREDITS
3
AREA F Social Sciences
9-12 credits
AREA G Cultural Studies
3-6 credits
COURSE DESCRIPTION
In this course students will research the relationships between human societies and cultural adaptation and learn about social and cross-cultural behavior, language, customs, and social organizations.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course in anthropology and world culture introduces students to the fundamentals of human social and cultural adaptation. Course topics include social organization, language, types of non-literate and traditional societies, economics, religion, and art.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Focus is on the influence of culture on illness, health, and rehabilitation. The relationship that culture plays in the health and wellness of both individuals and the community in which they live will be explored.
CREDITS
3
AREA H History
3-6 credits
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Political and social development of the United States, with emphasis on colonial period, the Constitution, and American institutions, up to the Civil War.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course surveys the political, economic, and socio-cultural history of western civilization, mainly focusing on Europe and North America, from the seventeenth century to the present. Topics covered include the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, Age of Revolutions, industrialization and imperialism, the world wars, the Cold War, and decolonization.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course surveys the history of the Jews throughout the world from c. 300 C.E. to the present. The first half will examine interactions between Jews and Christian and Muslim cultures, the evolution of Jewish social organization, and the development of Judaism and Jewish thought up to approximately 1700. The second half will examine how modernity generated radically new varieties of Jewish religious and political life but also transformed traditional anti-Judaism into a virulent anti-Semitism.
CREDITS
3
AREA I Information Literacy
3 credits
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction to computer and Internet technologies for school research and writing. Provides a overview of data, electronic information and files and methods of organizing information. Includes strategies for using a variety of electronic resources emphasizing technological skills and critical thinking abilities as well as understanding the changing nature of information resources, computer and Internet ethics and security.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is a computer literacy course designed to familiarize the learner with a variety of computer tools and computer concepts with emphasis on utilizing basic operating and software programs. The course provides an introduction to the use of computers, common software programs and peripherals. Students are instructed in a variety of areas to include the use of software applications in word processors, spreadsheets, databases, presentations, and the Internet.
CREDITS
3
Judaic Studies Concentration Courses (Please choose 5 concentration courses)
15 credits
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course addresses style and methodology of the exegetes, with attention to the exegetes of the Northern French School (10th to 14th centuries): Rashi, R. Joseph Bechor-Shor, and the Spanish Schools of Ibn Ezra, Radak, Ramban, et al.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course addresses style and methodology of the exegetes, with attention to the exegetes of the Northern French School (10th to 14th centuries): Rashi, R. Joseph Bechor-Shor, and the Spanish Schools of Ibn Ezra, Radak, Ramban, et al. There is also an emphasis on modern exegetes: Malbim, Netziv, Hirsch, et al.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides an in-depth analysis of Biblical narratives dealing with the role, place, and impact of women. Special emphasis is on the lives of the Matriarchs, and the roles of Devorah and Esther.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
In this course, students study selections from medieval and modern Jewish ethical literature. In addition to examination of classical texts such as Hovot ha-Levavot, Sha’arei Teshuva, Sefer Hasidim, and Mesillat Yesharim, the course will focus upon the development of the Mussar movement as reflected in the writings of Rabbi Israel Salanter and his disciples.
CREDITS
3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course has a special emphasis on faith and reason with readings in Hilkhot Deot, Moreh Nevukhim, Kuzari, and Shmoneh Perakim.
CREDITS
3
Credit Hours
60
Class Type
100% online, 8-week courses
Scholarship
Receive up to a $7,200 scholarship!
Transfer Credits
Transfer in up to 45 credits
Accreditation
WSCUC
Request Information
Tuition Information
TUW’s tuition is $500 per semester credit. A range of tuition assistance programs are available to prospective students to help reduce the out-of-pocket expenses associated with continued education, including scholarships and students loans.
Many employers offer tuition assistance programs, so make sure to check to find out if additional financial support is available to you. TUW tuition assistance counselors are available to determine your eligibility for financial aid and other tuition assistance programs.