Jerusalem Program
JERUSALEM IN MIDDLE EASTERN CIVILIZATIONS

Please note: Study abroad programs sponsored by the undergraduate College of the University of Chicago are open to University of Chicago students only. Applications from outside the University are not accepted.

General Description:
The spring-quarter Jerusalem program provides students in the College with an opportunity to study Middle Eastern Civilizations in one of the
world’s most fascinating cities. Jerusalem brings alive the ancient and modern expressions of the three major Western religious traditions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—whose adherents have long struggled to coexist within the city’s rugged limestone walls.  The three-course Civilizations sequence presents a historical survey of the sacred city and its topographies of monotheism. Classroom work is supplemented by weekly excursions to sites of historical interest both within Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel. Participants also take a fourth course in “practical” Modern Hebrew or Arabic language at the appropriate level. The Jerusalem program is operated in cooperation with the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University—Israel’s first and top-ranking university—and participants have access to the resources and activities on its Mount Scopus campus, where they live and study.

Accommodations:
Participants live in a dormitory on the Hebrew University’s Mount Scopus campus, a five-minute walk from university classrooms and a short cab ride from the city center, with its myriad restaurants and shops. Students live in doubles and have access to a kitchen, where they can prepare their own meals. A graduate program assistant from Chicago and an Israeli university student also reside in the dorm and serve as program counselors.

Credits:
A participant in the Jerusalem program receives three credits for the civilization sequence and one credit for the Hebrew or Arabic language course. The sequence meets the College’s civilization requirement. For a student who has already met the civilization requirement, these courses are usable as electives. Course titles, units of credit, and grades are placed on his or her Chicago transcript.

Registration and Tuition:
Jerusalem program students remain registered full-time in the College and pay regular College tuition plus a program fee and the College's $500 non-refundable study abroad administrative fee. The Jerusalem program fee covers accommodation and a Hebrew University activities fee, and contributes to the cost of excursions.
 
Financial Aid:
Students retain their financial aid eligibility. However, two expenses—the study abroadadministrative fee and the round-trip airfare to Israel—are not underwritten by College Financial Aid. On the other hand, since a student cannot be expected to work part-time in Jerusalem, the self-help component of his or her financial aid package does not include a term-time employment factor.

Eligibility:
The Jerusalem program is designed for undergraduates in good standing who are beyond their first year in the College. While the program stipulates no minimum grade-point average, the admissions process is likely to be highly competitive. An applicant should therefore present a transcript and statement demonstrating seriousness of purpose and an adventurous spirit; we are looking for students who will make the most of this opportunity. Because the Civilizations course is taught in English, previous study of Hebrew or Arabic is not required. At the same time students are encouraged to take as much of one or another language as possible before the beginning of the program, and their applications are likely to be strengthened by their doing so (and their experience of Jerusalem enhanced). Please note: Because of the considerable demand on the Chicago Civilization programs abroad, no student may participate in more than one of these programs.

Travel Warning:
The US State Department has issued a Travel Warning for Israel. Students who are admitted to the Jerusalem program will be asked to meet individually with the Jerusalem Program Coordinator, Jenny Quijano Sax, where they will receive a Travel Warning and Consular Information sheet to read, in addition to signing a travel waiver (also to be signed by a parent or guardian).        

Application:
Applications are available on the study abroad website. To apply to the Jerusalem program, a student submits a general study abroad application electronically, then downloads the supplementary application specific to Civilization programs and submits it on paper, normally in mid-winter quarter of the previous academic year. In preparing the application and especially in composing the required personal statement, students should keep in mind that admission to the Jerusalem program is selective and that the number of places available is insufficient to meet the considerable demand. A student accepting an offer of admission is expected to secure his or her place with a $500 non-refundable administrative fee.

Further Information:
Students wishing to discuss the Jerusalem program and the possibility of their participation in it are invited to contact Jennifer Quijano Sax, the Jerusalem Program Coordinator (Harper 216; 773-834-5424).