This fall, Villanova University will add a Jewish Studies minor to its extensive list of minors available at the University. 

According to the Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, “The Jewish Studies minor provides undergraduate students with opportunities to engage in the study of Jewish history, thought and culture through courses offered by the Departments of Communication, English, History, Philosophy and Theology and Religious Studies.”

The minor is open to all undergraduate students at Villanova, offering an interdisciplinary perspective which can be added to any major. 

Beginning this June, the requirements for the minor will be available on MyNova as well as the ability to declare it.

Although students can not officially declare the minor until the start of the fiscal year, they can enroll courses offered this fall which counts towards the minor’s completion. 

Fifteen credits are required to earn the minor. Only one course is required for its completion: a Theology and Religious Studies course titled Introduction to Judaism. 

Courses that will count towards the minor come from a range of academic disciplines including Philosophy, English and Communication.

Heidi Rose, a communication professor at Villanova and the incoming director of the Jewish Studies program, spoke to The Villanovan, highlighting exciting features of the minor. 

Rose believes that the minor will serve as a resource for students and faculty navigating modern-day anti-semitism. 

“Anti-semitism has been rearing its ugly head across the United States and across the world,” Rose said. “It’s always been around and it will never go away. I started to realize that there weren’t a lot of resources on this campus to help students deal with it. I would talk to some of my Jewish colleagues in other departments, but we didn’t have an academic center that could be a knowledge base…we started to explore what it would be like to have a Jewish Studies minor, and the Provost was supportive of the idea.”

When speaking to The Villanovan, Rose relayed that the timing of the minor’s addition could not be more fit. This past fall, the University welcomed its first Jewish chaplain, Leslie Pearl. Rose feels that Pearl’s presence within the Interfaith Counsel makes the necessity of a Jewish studies minor at a Catholic University more necessary than ever. 

Many other Catholic Universities already have a Jewish Studies minor and major and Rose believes that the addition of this minor bridges the gap between students’ curiosities about Judaism and a welcoming space on campus to explore that interest. 

To anyone who might be on the fence about the major, here’s what Rose has to say.

“Coming from the perspective of someone who loves to learn about new things, take a look at these course offerings and give it a try,” Rose said. “I’m excited to see the questions that students will have, what questions we’ll explore and what we’ll learn together.”

Course registration for the Fall 2026 semester began on Monday, March 23, and will be open to students until the first week of next semester’s classes.