The Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies is Brigham Young University’s home base for study in the Holy Land. Current BYU undergraduate single students apply to one of three semester-long programs held each year, and upon acceptance, live in the Center while studying a core curriculum focused on the Old and New Testaments, ancient and modern Near Eastern studies, and the Hebrew and Arabic languages. Classroom study is integrated with field trips spanning the length and breadth of the Holy Land, as well as travel to Jordan and to either Egypt, Türkiye, or Greece.
801-422-6017
Program Information
2026 SPRING/SUMMER (April 28 - August 13)
Estimated program cost: $16,432
Applications will be accepted from Oct 31 to Nov 14, 2025, for priority consideration. Applications received thereafter will be considered based on space availability and in the order in which they are received. Please be aware that we reserve the right to close applications at any time after the priority period, depending on the volume of applications received.
Approximate placement notification: end of December
Final admission interviews: January/February
Financial aid deadline: January 9
Mandatory orientation meeting in Provo: Monday, April 27
Out-of-country field trips: Jordan and Greece
2026 FALL (September 1 - December 17)
Due to the current conflict, we are delaying applications for the Fall 2026 program. We will start taking applications on June 1, 2026. For priority consideration, please submit your application by June 15. Applications received thereafter will be considered based on space availability and in the order in which they are received. Please be aware that we reserve the right to close applications at any time after the priority period, depending on the volume of applications received.
Approximate placement notification: end of June
Final admission interviews: July
Financial aid deadline: July 3
Mandatory orientation meeting in Provo: Monday, August 31
Out-of-country field trips: Jordan and Greece
2027 WINTER (January 5 - April 22)
Applications will be accepted from Aug 1 to Aug 15, 2026, for priority consideration. Applications received thereafter will be considered based on space availability and in the order in which they are received. Please be aware that we reserve the right to close applications at any time after the priority period, depending on the volume of applications received.
Approximate placement notification: end of August
Final admission interviews: Aug/Sep
Financial aid deadline: Sep 25
Mandatory orientation meeting in Provo: Monday, January 4
Out-of-country field trips: Jordan and Greece
Required Courses
Each student accepted will be registered for the following courses (16 credit hours). Class and field trip attendance is required.
- Old Testament Studies—Religion 309 (2 credits)
- New Testament Studies—Religion 310 (2 credits)
- Ancient Near Eastern Studies—NES 336 (3 credits)
- Arab and Islamic Civilization—NES 347 (2 credits)
- Israeli and Jewish Civilization—NES 349 (2 credits)
- Field Studies 1—NES 396 (2 credits)
- Field Studies 2—Religion 397 (2 credits)
- Language
Introduction to Arabic—Arabic 100 (1 credit)
or Introduction to Hebrew—Hebrew 100 (1 credit)
Forum Assemblies
On most Wednesday evenings, the Center hosts a distinguished guest who will speak about a topic of current interest. These outstanding lectures are an important part of the Jerusalem Center experience, and attendance is mandatory.
General Education Credit
For students from BYU in Provo
- 6 credits of Religious Education will count towards the core requirement in Religious Education. The New Testament course fills the 2-credit requirement for “Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel.” The other 4 credit hours are elective credits.
- The two Modern Near Eastern courses (NES 347R and NES 349R) automatically meet the requirement for “Global and Cultural Awareness”.
- The Ancient Near Eastern Studies course (NES 336R) automatically provides three hours of “Letters” credit.
For students from BYU-Idaho
- Completion of NES 336R, NES 347R, and NES 349R provide 5 credit hours to satisfy the Foundations of Humanities and International Foundations requirements (2018 Catalog and prior) or the Arts and Humanities requirement for General Education (2019 and future) at BYU-I.
For students from BYU-Hawaii
- Completion of NES 336R, NES 347R, and NES 349R provide 7 credit hours to satisfy both the Social Science and the Humanities and Culture GE requirements at BYU-H.
- Completion of REL 311 and 303 will automatically provide equivalents to REL 211 and 301 (REL 211 fulfills a religion core requirement at BYU-H).
Program Cost
Program cost for the 2026 Spring/Summer Program is $16,432 ($3,444 tuition and $12,988 program fees) which include:
- Airfare (round-trip SLC/TLV/SLC)
- Field trip expenses
- Room and board
- Books and supplies
- Medical insurance
- Laundry
- A refundable room deposit of $400
The $400 deposit paid at the time of application will be applied towards the total program cost. This amount is nonrefundable if you are given initial placement and decide to withdraw from the program. Personal expenses outside the program fees may include passports, immunization fees, excess luggage charges, bottled drinking water, extra food or beverages outside group meals, gratuities, and souvenirs. We estimate that students spend an average of $800 on personal expenses.
NOTE: For this program, all students will receive a $2,500 grant towards the program fees (applied towards the final payment). Funds are made possible by generous donors with stipulations outlined in the information on Jerusalem Center Financial Aid.
Financial Aid
There are two types of financial aid available through the Jerusalem Center with the stipulations outlined below:
- Jerusalem Center Universal Grant: For the current academic year, all students will receive a $2,500 grant toward program fees (no application required).
- Jerusalem Center Need-Based Grant: These grants are based on financial need and are available to qualified students from all institutions. Applicants must have FAFSA information for the current academic year on file at BYU in Provo. (See the application for Jerusalem Center financial aid.)
Notes on Jerusalem Center Financial Aid
Both the $2500 grant and need-based grant are made possible through generous donations by friends and former students of the Jerusalem Center. By donor stipulation, students who have additional funds for extended travel immediately following a Jerusalem Center program are not eligible to receive either Jerusalem Center award, and these funds should be given to others more in need. If a student receives an award and subsequently decides to travel on the way home, the grant(s) must be paid back. Students who travel directly home to a destination other than Salt Lake City are still eligible.
Students are eligible depending on individual needs. No student will receive more than 50% of the Jerusalem Center program cost through all funding from BYU (Jerusalem Center grants, BYU scholarships, employee benefits, etc.). Government aid (Pell grant or student loan) is not included in the 50%. Award notifications will be sent approximately four to six weeks after the application deadline. While Jerusalem Center financial aid is not a loan that must be repaid, recipients are encouraged, if they are able in future years, to replenish the financial aid fund for future students.
Other Financial Aid
Students from BYU in Provo may use university scholarships, government grants, and student loans to help finance their program. However, the Jerusalem Center Program is not affiliated with the Kennedy Center and they don't offer scholarships for the Jerusalem Center program. Students from BYU-Idaho and BYU-Hawaii should contact their campus financial aid office for clarification on whether funds can be used for a Jerusalem Center program.
Contact Us
Provo Campus
BYU Jerusalem Center Office
101 HCEB
770 E University Pkwy
Provo UT 84602
Travel Directions
Phone: 801-422-6017
Fax: 801-422-0702
Jerusalem Campus
BYU Jerusalem Center
1 Hadassah Lampel St
Mount Scopus (P.O. Box 19604)
Jerusalem 9119601
ISRAEL
Phone: 011-972-2-626-5666
Fax: 011-972-2-627-3413
