PhD. Program

PhD – Doctoral Studies

 

 

There are two tracks for admission to doctoral studies in our school:

 

1. Research student

2. Complementing student (pre-doctoral track for students without a completed MA thesis)

 

Application for doctoral studies:

The administration and application process for PhD students at the Hebrew University is organized by the Authority for Research Students. The Authority for Research Students publishes admissions deadlines every year, which usually fall on the 1st of July for the first semester, and on the 31st of December for the second. Following the deadlines, the Authority for Research Students forwards all applications to our school. The school admissions committee meets to discuss potential candidates twice a year, following the deadlines for each semester. The Authority for Research Students contacts applicants directly with notice of acceptance or rejection.

Registration and application forms can be downloaded from the authority’s website: http://www.research-students.huji.ac.il/

For general inquiries, you may contact the staff responsible for coordinating research students in the Faculty of Social Sciences:

Ruth Nidam, telephone: +972-2-6584759

Keren Nacass-Mualem, telephone: +972-2-6584706

 

Academic requirements and prerequisites

For applicants with an academic background in public policy:

  1. A master’s degree in public policy.
  2. An average of at least 85 (or its international equivalent) in the master’s degree.
  3. A grade of at least 85 (or its international equivalent) in the master’s thesis.
  4. A grade of at least 85 on the final or seminal examination for the master’s degree (if such an examination was part of the program).
  5. Applicants whose first language is not English will need to obtain an exemption (‘ptor’) from studying English. Applicants who begin their PhD studies without an English exemption must obtain one within two years of beginning their program. Further details regarding English language requirements are available from the Faculty of Social Sciences: +972-2-5883416.
  6. A doctoral supervisor. Potential candidates are required to name at least one researcher in the school who has agreed to support their applications and supervise their PhD project.
  7. If the proposed doctoral supervisor has not yet been granted tenure, we recommend approaching an additional tenured supervisor from the school. Applications with the support of only non-tenured researchers are subject to the discretion and approval of the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

For applicants with an academic background outside of public policy:

The same requirements apply to candidates with an academic background outside of public policy. However, PhD students with master’s degrees from other disciplines will be required, as part of their program, to complete the following courses:

  • A Theoretical Lens on Public Administration (59625), 2 credits
  • Theories of the Public Policy Process (59624), 2 credits
  • Qualitative Research Methods (59654), 2 credits
  • Quantitative Research Methods (59770), 2 credits
  • Economics and Public Policy (59716), 4 credits

PhD students will be required to pass these courses with an average of 85, with at least 80 in each course, before moving on to the research phase (‘Stage B’) of the doctoral program. These courses can be recognized as part of the 12 credits required by doctoral degree programs, subject to the discretion and approval of the PhD supervisor and research committee.

Since some of the prerequisites are annual courses, registration for students with a background outside of public policy is only possible in the first semester. As such, applications must be made to the Authority for Research Students by the 1st of July.

Required documentation

The Authority for Research Students requires applicants to PhD programs to submit the following documents:

  1. An updated CV.
  2. Undergraduate and master’s degrees certificates, or documentation stating eligibility to said degrees.
  3. Original degree transcripts.
  4. Documentation stating the final weighted score or grades achieved in the undergraduate and master’s degrees, if this is not specified already on the degree transcripts.
  5. Applicants who have not yet completed their master’s degrees will be required to submit an up-to-date transcript that includes the cumulative grade average.
  6. An example of academic writing (usually a thesis, research article, or similar project).
  7. Two signed academic references, to be sent in a sealed envelope directly to the Authority for Research Students.
  8. A short document (1-2 pages) detailing the applicant’s research intentions.
  9. A letter of agreement to doctoral supervision from a researcher from the Federmann School of Public Policy and Government (subject to the above guidelines).
  10. The Dean’s approval for doctoral supervision, if necessary.

International students:

Students who obtained their degrees at a university outside of Israel will be considered only after their degree certificates have been approved by the Authority for Research Students, who certify the Israeli equivalents to bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Students with degrees from outside of Israel may be required to provide additional documentation.