University Bulletin (2016-2017)

The Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program prepares leaders to understand and confront the challenges of a rapidly changing Jewish community, and to help shape its future. Intellectually robust, and experientially varied, the program offers four separate dual-degree tracks which students complete in approximately 21 months (4.5 semesters):

• MA/MBA program with the Heller School of Social Policy and Management.
• MA/MPP program with the Heller School of Social Policy and Management.
• MA/MA program with the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.
• BA/MA program with the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies

All programs combine top-quality scholarship, professional education, national and international travel, and carefully selected field experiences to equip leaders with the tools necessary to help craft twenty-first-century Jewish life.

Students in the Hornstein program have the opportunity to study with outstanding scholars and practitioners whose work shapes Jewish discourse, policy, and professional practice. The curriculum integrates courses in Jewish studies, nonprofit management, and Jewish communal leadership, and highlights the roles of research, evaluation, and reflective practice in achieving professional success.

The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, as specified in an earlier section of this Bulletin, apply to candidates for admission to the Hornstein dual-degree programs. Applicants must submit a single application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, demonstrating professional and academic capability, and the capacity for sustaining an intensive program of study.

In addition, applicants are expected to submit results of either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The Hornstein-Heller MBA program accepts either GMAT or GRE scores. The Hornstein-Heller MPP program and the Hornstein-NEJS program accept the GRE. Applicants must also submit a statement that describes their Jewish interests and future professional plans, and a sample of written material. Applicants are required to arrange for a personal interview. Contact hornstein@brandeis.edu for further details.

Requirements for the Dual Degree of Master of Arts/Master of Business Administration (Hornstein MA in Professional Jewish Leadership, and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management MBA)

Program of Study
This program prepares professional leaders with the full complement of business and nonprofit management skills, as well as specialized knowledge of Judaic studies and contemporary Jewish life. The program blends the Heller School's management curriculum with the Hornstein program's integrated approach to Jewish leadership training. Graduates of the dual-degree program receive two master's degrees: a Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Leadership from the Hornstein Program and an MBA from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

Degree Requirements
The dual degree requires eighty course credits comprised of specific Hornstein courses totaling approximately thirty-six credits, and specific Heller courses totaling approximately thirty-eight credits. The remaining credits are taken as electives. The program is usually completed in four and a half semesters, including the summer between years one and two. Dual-degree students must meet the MBA second-year Team Consulting Project requirement and will generally focus on a Jewish community-related management challenge. TCP advisors will include one Heller and one Hornstein faculty member.

Supervised Professional Field Experience
Supervised professional field experience forms an important part of the Hornstein program. It is designed to immerse students in the best professional practices and organizations within the Jewish community, and to help students refine their practical skills, learn to turn theory into action, and become self-reflective and effective practitioners.

Field experience usually takes place in the summer and/or second year of the program and consists of approximately 150-250 hours of work managing a project jointly created by the student, the Hornstein faculty, and the supervisor in the field organization.

Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel
Students take a classroom seminar (usually two credits each of the two fall semesters) and then travel to Israel (twice, 10 days each winter break) as a required part of the curriculum to examine contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with diaspora communities.

Language Requirement
All students are expected to know the Hebrew alphabet prior to beginning their studies. Proficiency in modern Hebrew at a level comparable to one year of Brandeis University training is required for graduation. Students not meeting this requirement upon entrance are required to enroll in courses in Hebrew language during their academic residency. Students may fulfill the Hebrew language requirement by passing (B- or above) a 20-level or higher Hebrew course. Hebrew credits may count as elective credits, but not as required curriculum course credits.

Cocurricular Requirements

Hornstein Community Time
Meeting periodically throughout the year, these required sessions enable Hornstein community planning, bring innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making, and enable students to present their learning to one another. Students are involved in planning and coordinating the various Community Time activities.

Betty Starr Colloquium
Students spend four days during their first academic year in New York City visiting the national offices of major and start-up Jewish organizations to explore aspects of the communal agenda with agency executives.

Milender Seminar in Jewish Communal Leadership
Students participate in a three-day seminar about Jewish leadership with an outstanding leader of the Jewish communal world.

Optional Seminar in the Former Soviet Union
An optional week-long seminar in a former Soviet Union country examines the past, present, and future issues of Jewish communities in those regions.

Residence Requirement
The residence requirement is 4.5 semesters of full-time study or the equivalent thereof in part-time study.

Requirements for the Dual Degree of Master of Arts/Master of Public Policy (Hornstein MA in Professional Jewish Leadership, and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management MPP)

Program of Study
This program prepares professional leaders with the full complement of policy analysis and development skills, as well as specialized knowledge of Judaic studies and contemporary Jewish life. The program blends the Heller School's public policy curriculum with the Hornstein program's integrated approach to Jewish leadership training. Graduates of the dual-degree program receive two master’s degrees: a Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Leadership from the Hornstein Program and a Master of Public Policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

Degree Requirements
The dual Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Leadership/Master of Public Policy in Social Policy is a rigorous, interdisciplinary degree program that provides students with the skills necessary for advanced careers in the government, nonprofit, and private sectors.

The dual-degree requires eighty course credits comprised of specific Hornstein courses totaling approximately thirty-six credits, and specific Heller courses totaling approximately thirty-six credits. The remaining credits are taken as electives. The program is usually completed in four and a half semesters including the summer between years one and two.

Dual-degree students must meet the MPP second-year capstone requirement and will generally focus their papers on Jewish community-related policy. Capstone advisors will include the instructor of the capstone seminar and a designee from the Hornstein program.

Supervised Professional Field Experience
Supervised professional field experience forms an important part of the Hornstein program. It is designed to immerse students in the best professional practices and organizations within the Jewish community, and to help students refine their practical skills, learn to turn theory into action, and become self-reflective and effective practitioners.

Field experience usually takes place in the summer and/or second year of the program and consists of approximately 150-250 hours of work managing a project jointly created by the student, the Hornstein faculty, and the supervisor in the field organization.

Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel
Students take a classroom seminar (usually two credits each of the two fall semesters) and then travel to Israel (twice, 10 days each winter break) as a required part of the curriculum to examine contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with diaspora communities.

Language Requirement
All students are expected to know the Hebrew alphabet prior to beginning their studies. Proficiency in modern Hebrew at a level comparable to one year of Brandeis University training is required for graduation. Students not meeting this requirement upon entrance are required to enroll in courses in Hebrew language during their academic residency. Students may fulfill the Hebrew language requirement by passing (B- or above) a 20-level or higher Hebrew course. Hebrew credits may count as elective credits, but not as required curriculum course credits.

Cocurricular Requirements

Hornstein Community Time
Meeting periodically throughout the year, these required sessions enable Hornstein community planning, bring innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making, and enable students to present their learning to one another. Students are involved in planning and coordinating the various Community Time activities.

Betty Starr Colloquium
Students spend four days during their first academic year in New York City visiting the national offices of major and start-up Jewish organizations to explore aspects of the communal agenda with agency executives.

Milender Seminar in Jewish Communal Leadership
Students participate in a three-day seminar about Jewish leadership with an outstanding leader of the Jewish communal world.

Optional Seminar in the Former Soviet Union
An optional week-long seminar in a former Soviet Union country examines the past, present, and future issues of Jewish communities in those regions.

Residence Requirement
The residence requirement is 4.5 semesters of full-time study or the equivalent thereof in part-time study.

Hornstein-Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Dual MA Program

This program prepares future Jewish leaders to understand contemporary issues within the context of Jewish history, culture, and tradition. The program provides the knowledge, research skills, and practical tools necessary to envision and help shape twenty-first-century Jewish life. Graduates of this dual degree program receive a Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Leadership from the Hornstein Program, and a Master of Arts from the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.

Degree Requirements
The dual degree requires eighty course credits, usually completed in four and a half semesters, including the summer between years one and two. Approximately thirty-six credits are taken as Hornstein courses, thirty-six credits (100-level or above) as NEJS courses (of which at least 24 credits are taught by NEJS faculty members) with the remaining credits taken as electives. First year students are required to participate in a weekly for-credit graduate Proseminar (NEJS 231a) during the fall. Students must also complete a final comprehensive examination, thesis, or capstone project related to both Hornstein and NEJS learning. The remainder of each student’s program is individualized and is created in conjunction with advisors from Hornstein and NEJS.

Supervised Professional Field Experience
Supervised professional field experience forms an important part of the Hornstein program. It is designed to immerse students in the best professional practices and organizations within the Jewish community, to help students refine their practical skills, learn to turn theory into action, and become self-reflective and effective practitioners.

Field experience usually takes place in the summer and/or second year of the program and consists of approximately 150-250 hours of work managing a project jointly created by the student, the Hornstein faculty, and the supervisor in the field organization.

Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel
Students take a classroom seminar (usually two credits each of the two fall semesters) and then travel to Israel (twice, 10 days each winter break) as a required part of the curriculum to examine contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with diaspora communities.

Language Requirement
All candidates are required to demonstrate language proficiency in modern Hebew. Please see the language requirement for MA degree under Near Eastern and Judaic Studies in this Bulletin.

Capstone Project
Students must complete one of the three capstone options listed under the requirements for the NEJS MA, in a manner that reflects and integrates their study in this joint program.

Cocurricular Requirements

Hornstein Community Time
Meeting periodically throughout the year, these required sessions enable Hornstein community planning, bring innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making, and enable students to present their learning to one another. Students are involved in planning and coordinating the various Community Time activities.

Betty Starr Colloquium
Students spend four days in New York City visiting the national offices of major and start-up Jewish organizations to explore aspects of the communal agenda with agency executives.

Milender Seminar in Jewish Communal Leadership
Students participate in a three-day seminar about Jewish leadership with an outstanding leader of the Jewish communal world.

Optional Seminar in the Former Soviet Union
An optional week-long seminar in a former Soviet Union country examines the past, present, and future issues of Jewish communities in those regions.

Residence Requirement
The residence requirement is 4.5 semesters of full-time study or the equivalent thereof in part-time study.

The Hornstein BA/MA degree supplements undergraduate study in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Hebrew, or Yiddish with a master’s degree in Jewish Professional Leadership. Achieved in a fifth (graduate) year of study, the Hornstein MA provides the professional skills and deep knowledge of the American and world Jewish communities that position graduates for work in a wide range of careers in the Jewish community.

Highly motivated and academically successful Brandeis undergraduates who are NEJS majors or minors are invited in the spring of their junior year to apply for admission to the five year BA/MA. Students must complete all requirements for the BA at the end of the fourth year, including successful completion of the major or minor in NEJS, Hebrew or Yiddish.

Program of Study
Fifty-six course credits are required:

A. Approximately thirty-six total Hornstein credits are required, approximately sixteen of which are taken during the undergraduate senior year and the remainder during the graduate year.

B. Approximately twenty additional credits at the 100-level or above are taken during the summer, fall, and spring semesters of the fifth year of study, in a tailored program of study constructed with the Hornstein adviser.

C. HRNS 297a (Hornstein Professional Field Experience)
Supervised professional field experience forms an important part of the Hornstein program. It is designed to immerse students in the best professional practices and organizations within the Jewish community, and to help students refine their practical skills, learn to turn theory into action, and become self-reflective and effective practitioners.

Field experience usually takes place in the summer and/or final year of the program and consists of approximately 150-250 hours of work managing a project jointly created by the student, the Hornstein faculty, and the supervisor in the field organization.

D. HRNS 350f (Myra Kraft Seminar in Israel)
Students take a classroom seminar (usually two credits each of the two fall semesters) and then travel to Israel (twice, 10 days each winter break) as a required part of the curriculum to examine contemporary issues in Israeli society and its relationship with diaspora communities.

E. Completion of a significant final thesis or capstone project during the last semester of the fifth year. All final projects must be approved by the student’s Hornstein advisor.

Language Requirement
All candidates are required to demonstrate proficiency in modern Hebrew at a level comparable to one year of Brandeis training in order to graduate. Students not meeting this requirement upon entrance are required to enroll in courses in Hebrew language during their academic residency. Students may fulfill the Hebrew language requirement by passing (B- or above) a 20-level or higher Hebrew course.

Cocurricular Requirements

Hornstein Community Time
Meeting periodically throughout the year, these required sessions enable Hornstein community planning, bring innovative Jewish leaders into an intimate setting with Hornstein students for conversations about Jewish leadership and decision-making, and enable students to present their learning to one another. Students are involved in planning and coordinating the various Community Time activities.

Betty Starr Colloquium
Students spend four days in New York City visiting the national offices of major Jewish organizations to explore aspects of the communal agenda with agency executives.

Milender Seminar in Jewish Communal Leadership
Students participate in a three-day seminar about Jewish leadership with an outstanding leader of the Jewish communal world.

Optional Seminar in the Former Soviet Union
An optional week-long seminar in a former Soviet Union country examines the past, present, and future issues of Jewish communities in those regions.

Residence Requirement
One year (summer, fall, spring) of full-time residence (the fifth year) is required after completing the BA.

The Hornstein program is affiliated with several Brandeis institutes and programs that promote research and continuing professional education in the field of Jewish professional leadership and Jewish education. Students have access to research projects, training, courses, and professionals associated with the following.

Brandeis Genesis Institute: established in 2009 to prepare Russian-speaking Jews from around the world to become effective community leaders fortified by Jewish knowledge, a systematic understanding of Russian Jewry, and a commitment to the future of the Jewish people. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/bgi.

Crown Center for Middle East Studies: A research center committed to proving that it is possible to produce balanced, objective, and dispassionate research regarding all aspects of the contemporary Middle East. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/crown.

Institute for Jewish Philanthropy and Leadership: Brings academic expertise to the study and practice of fundraising, philanthropy, and leadership in the American Jewish community. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/ijpl.

Genesis: A summer program for high school students empowering teens to relate their secular interests to Judaism by integrating their studies of the arts and humanities with social and political action. It provides a laboratory for work in informal Jewish education. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/genesis.

Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education: The Mandel Center is dedicated to the study and improvement of Jewish education. Through its initiatives in Jewish education, the Mandel Center contributes to a flourishing Jewish present and future. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/centers/mandel.

Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies: The Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CCMJS) is a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to bringing the concepts, theories, and techniques of social science to bear on the study of modern Jewish life. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/cmjs.

Schusterman Center for Israel Studies: The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies is dedicated to promoting exemplary teaching and scholarship in Israeli history, politics, culture, and society at Brandeis and beyond. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/israelcenter.

Steinhardt Social Research Institute: Collects, analyzes, and disseminates unbiased data about the Jewish community and about religion and ethnicity in the United States. For more information, please see www.brandeis.edu/ssri.