It involves the academic study of Talmud, Jewish law, philosophy, ethics, and rabbinic literature; see Yeshiva § Curriculum.
In many institutions, this degree is a standard component in the study for semicha (rabbinic ordination).
At accredited institutions this degree requires between 72 and 90 credit hours of study; 72 being the minimum determined by academic accrediting agencies and 90 being on the upper end of certain schools that wish to ensure a broader study of the related material.
Ordination in a mainstream[clarification needed] yeshiva or rabbinical school requires seven or eight years of education past high school: the first four in undergraduate studies leading to a Bachelor of Talmudic Law and then three or four years of seminary or rabbinical school leading to the MRb.
Contrary to the principles laid out by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation in Transfer and the Public Interest: A Statement to the Community,[6] many regionally accredited institutions continue to base transfer credit decisions solely or primarily upon regional accreditation.