PhD Studies

The Aim of the Studies

PhD studies aim at training the student for advanced independent research in the field of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies.

Admission Requirements

PhD candidates are students with an MA in Middle Eastern history from an accredited university in Israel or abroad, with a grade of at least 85 (or equivalent according to the Advanced Studies Department’s protocol) in their MA studies and of at least 86 on their final research paper (or equivalent according to the Advanced Studies Department’s protocol).

Program Structure

PhD studies are divided into two phases:

  1. Phase (a)- up until the approval of the research proposal
  2. Phase (b)- the writing of the dissertation

When registering, please submit the following documents to the department’s secretary:

  1. Statement of intents (2-3 pages) about the research topic, and about half a page in English
  2. Curriculum vitae in Hebrew and in English
  3. Copies of BA and MA certificates
  4. Two recommendation letters from lecturers in prior studies (one from the advisor of the thesis)
  5. A letter from a certified lecturer in the department, stating the lecturer agrees to supervise the writing of the proposed dissertation

After receiving the acceptance letter, the student will first begin with preparing the specified research proposal.

The supervisor/s will then approve the research proposal, alongside the department’s PhD Committee. The final approval will be given by the Advanced Studies Department. Upon receiving this approval, the student will be registered as a research student in phase (b). The supervisor/s of the dissertation will determine the student’s program and scope of studies, in addition to the participation in courses for doctoral students in the School of History. The Departmental Committee for PhD Students will approve the program. The committee may require the student to take an exam (verbal or written) for the classes in which the student was required to participate. In seminars, only active participation is required. In addition, fluency in the relevant languages for the research topic should be proven. The scope of the program (including language studies) will be no more than 16 credits and no less than 4 courses.

With the completion of the research, the printed work will be submitted, signed by the supervisor/s, to the departmental PhD committee, which will discuss its approval for marking and transfer it to the Advanced Studies Department. After confirmation that all of the requirements were met according to the protocol, the dissertation will be sent out for evaluation according to the accepted practice.

Miscellaneous

  1. Candidates who graduated from accredited universities abroad, in addition to graduates of universities with branches in Israel, who operate under the certification of the Council for Higher Education, will be required to pass the GRE exam.
  2. The standard duration of PhD studies is four years. The research proposal must be submitted during the first year of study.