About the Lander College Mark and Ruth Hasten Women’s Division

The Lander College Mark and Ruth Hasten Women’s Division is a student-centered institution where Jewish women can follow a rigorous academic program while continuing and deepening their Torah education and commitment. The College is dedicated to the intellectual and moral education of women in an atmosphere that respects and values women's intellectual and religious experience. Only within such an environment can women feel that their interests, concerns and aspirations get first priority. The Judaic Studies and general academic curricula aim to enrich the student's general knowledge, to develop her leadership skills and to prepare her to enter her chosen field of interest. The curriculum and department offerings are comprehensive and provide a solid foundation in all major academic disciplines and professional fields. The faculty is outstanding in its dedication to teaching and to the students. The school has helped women reach their fullest potential in a caring and challenging environment since 1974.

The Judaic Studies program is at the heart of the Women’s Division mission. Its aim is to create a lifelong commitment to Torah studies beyond the high school and seminary level. The young women who choose to come to this division consider the continuation of their Judaic Studies vital for their professional preparation during their college years. These young women are filled with pride in their Jewish heritage and have the capacity to function as competent and committed Jews in all aspects of life. The Judaic Studies faculty are gifted scholars renowned in their fields. Their concern and love for their students is at the basis of their teaching commitment. The Women's Division offers courses on a variety of levels and stresses mastery of the skills necessary for lifelong learning and growth. Advanced students are able to take courses in the Graduate School of Jewish Studies during their senior year.

The academic curriculum is grounded in the Humanities Core requirement. The Core's sequence of courses in history and literature of the Western World forms the background for a sophisticated liberal arts education. This preparation allows our students to enter the mainstream of American culture with knowledge of its intellectual and historical foundations. Its breadth and scope develop the valuable skills needed for critical reading, writing and communication skills.

The Lander College Mark and Ruth Hasten Women’s Division is located in an elegant new, glass and steel five story complex in an educational and cultural corridor on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Located at 227 West 60th Street between Amsterdam and West End Avenues, the ultra-modern facility – which occupies a beautiful new space in the center of one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in New York – is situated just blocks away from Lincoln Center, Fordham University School of Law, the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle and several new parks being developed along the Hudson River.

The students are involved in the wide range of extracurricular and communal activities open to them in the New York Metropolitan area and its Jewish community. Valuable career experience is gained through the Women’s Division's superb internship programs designed to enhance the student's academic advancement, and the professional placement office offers a smooth transition from the classroom to the world of work.