A student who wishes to enroll as a Ph.D. candidate must meet the following criteria:

Possess a Master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in Israel or abroad and have attained a weighted grade of at least 80 (“good”).

Have written a thesis that received a grade of at least 86 (“very good”). In special cases, the Dean of Graduate Studies, upon the recommendation of the departmental Ph.D. committee/ University Committee for Research Students, can approve a deviation from the minimum grades in light of the candidate’s special learning and research achievements.

There is no conditional status in Ph.D. studies.

An applicant for doctoral studies must fill out a registration form and indicate the department in which he/she wishes to continue his/her studies.

The applicant’s file must include the following documents:

1. An application form.
2. Photocopies of B.A. and M.A. diplomas.
3. Certified grade transcripts for each degree.
4. Copy of the applicant’s thesis and articles published in professional journals.
5. Written approval of consent by the dissertation supervisor(s).
6. At least two letters of recommendation from members of an academic faculty; these should be sent directly to the departmental Ph.D. committee. One of the recommendation letters should be from the M.A. thesis adviser.
7. A declaration of intent by the applicant in regard to the topic of the proposed research, approved by the intended dissertation supervisor.
8. The applicant’s curriculum vitae.

Note: Applications for doctoral studies in the framework of the University Committee for Research Students should be submitted directly to the Graduate Studies Authority, following the specifications listed above.
Departments are entitled to impose additional demands on the applicant that include entrance examinations, personal questionnaire, personal interview, prior work experience, additional letters of recommendation, and any other demand that will help to determine whether the applicant meets all acceptance requirements.

The department’s recommendation whether to accept an applicant will be forwarded to the Graduate Studies Authority. After the material is reviewed and approved, the candidate’s file will be forwarded to the registration department in the Students Administration Division, which will send out acceptance notifications in accordance with the decision of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Applicants accepted to a Ph.D. program may start their studies at the beginning of either the winter semester or the spring semester.

Graduates of universities abroad
Applicants for doctoral studies who obtained their graduate degree(s) from accredited universities abroad or from a foreign university’s branch in Israel that operates with the approval of the Council for Higher Education will be required to successfully pass the GRE General Test and score in the 70% percentile in each of its three components. Passing the test with at least this score constitutes one of the acceptance criteria.

The applicant should attach the results of the GRE to the registration kit, as well as confirmation by the Council for Higher Education as to the operation of the foreign university’s branch in Israel (if the applicant is a graduate of that branch). Upon receipt of these confirmations, the applicant’s file will be forwarded to the Dean of Graduate Studies. Following the dean’s approval, the file will be passed on to the departmental Ph.D. committee/University Committee for Research Students.

The documentation of applicants holding a degree from one of the former Soviet Union countries will be transmitted to an academic committee that operates on behalf of the Dean of Graduate Studies for a decision about the admittance procedure.
Departments are entitled to make stricter, but not less stringent, demands, provided these additional requirements are specified in the registration kit and approved by the Graduate Studies Authority.

Acceptance criteria for the direct Ph.D. track

This track is designated for outstanding students who want to pursue studies in continuity towards the Ph.D., and whose intended departments consider them suitable candidates for Ph.D. studies.

An applicant requesting to enroll as a full-time student in the direct Ph.D. track must satisfy the following conditions:

1. Have a B.A. degree from an accredited university in Israel or abroad, with a final grade of at least 90 in each department of study/major.
2. Fulfilled additional requirements set by the department.
3. Submitted the following documents on time:
   1. Application forms.
   2. Certified grade transcript, including a final weighted grade in each department.
   3. Declaration of intent as to the topic of the proposed research, approved by the intended supervisor.
   4. Written confirmation of consent by a supervisor who meets the criteria for advising dissertations.
   5. The candidate’s Curriculum Vitae.
   6. Two letters of recommendation by academic faculty members.

A request to enroll in the direct Ph.D. track may be accepted also from an applicant who wishes to study for an M.A. in a different department from that of his/her B.A. studies. The applicant must satisfy the following conditions:

1. Have a B.A. from an accredited university in Israel or abroad, with a grade of at least 90 in each of his/her departments of study/major.
2. Fulfilled additional requirements set by the department.
3. Submitted an application on time, along with a copy of all documents as specified above.

Notes: There is no conditional status of acceptance for the direct Ph.D. track.  Acceptance to this track is possible only at the beginning of the academic year. Students may be accepted to the direct Ph.D. track no later than the end of their first year of M.A. studies if they meet the criteria specified above and on the basis of their academic achievements in the first year of their Master studies. Departments that have no M.A. program cannot accept students to the direct Ph.D. track.

Acceptance criteria for the supplementary track leading to Ph.D. studies

An applicant who wishes to enroll in the Ph.D. studies supplementary track must satisfy the following conditions:
Have a Master’s degree from an institution of higher education in Israel or abroad and attained a weighted grade of at least 80 (“good”) in those studies.
There is no conditional status in the supplementary track leading to doctoral studies.

The file of an applicant for the supplementary track should include the following:

• Application form.
• Photocopies of B.A. and M.A. degree diplomas.
• Certified B.A. and M.A. grade transcripts.
• Written confirmation of consent by the dissertation supervisor.
• Proposed research topic, approved by the intended supervisor.
• If required, the supplementary-studies program.