Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies

Admission & Tuition

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Admissions - Who is Eligible?

Master's program in Desert Studies
For most specializations in Desert Studies, applicants should hold a B.Sc. degree in either science or engineering.

Master's program in Hydrology and Water Quality
For the Hydrology and Water Quality program, a B.Sc. degree in either science or engineering is required.

M.Sc. in Ecology and Conservation

For the Ecology and Conservation program, a B.Sc. degree in science is required.

For all programs, proficiency in English is mandatory. Applicants must successfully pass the TOEFL examination or IELTS examination.

English proficiency requirement is waived for applicants who received their B.Sc. degree in a program taught in English. GRE is recommended but not required.

Students may apply for admission for either the fall or spring semester.

How to Apply?

To apply for the master's programs at AKIS-BGU, please fill out the online application:

English application (for international students)

Hebrew application (for Israeli students)

When filling out the online application, please make sure to note potential advisor(s) with whom you would like to work on your thesis. (To see a list of faculty members and their areas of research, please refer to the list of "Academic Staff Members" on our website.)

As part of the application, you will be requested to submit the following:

1. A certified copy of your diploma (to be uploaded via the online application). If your documents are not in English, please also include a translation into English (no need for an official or notarized translation).

2. Certified copies of your academic transcripts (to be uploaded via the online application). If your documents are not in English, please also include a translation into English (no need for an official or notarized translation).

3. Curriculum Vitae (to be uploaded via the online application)

4. Two letters of recommendation along with the reference form, written by academicians (to be sent by the reference directly to dschool@bgu.ac.il)

5. Class rank if available (to be sent directly to dschool@bgu.ac.il)

6. Official copy of TOFEL examination score or IELTS examination score (to be sent directly to dschool@bgu.ac.il)

7. Student Housing Form (to be sent directly to dschool@bgu.ac.il)

For non-Israeli students:

8. A photocopy of the first page of your passport (to be sent directly to dschool@bgu.ac.il)

Please note that upon arriving in Israel at the beginning of your studies, you will need to provide the hard copies of your official certified academic transcripts and diploma.

All material should be submitted before the application deadlines listed below:

Semester: 1 (Fall Semester)

Deadline: July 1^st

Semester: 2 (Spring Semester)

Deadline: January 1^st

Mailing Address:
The Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies
The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Sede Boqer Campus, Israel 84990

Tel: 972-8-6596733
Fax: 972-8-6596985
E-mail: dschool@bgu.ac.il
Website: http://www.bgu.ac.il/akis

Tuition and Expenses

	Master’s Program		Ph.D. program
	Israeli Students	Non-Israeli Students	Israeli Students	Non-Israeli Students
Tuition	$4,000 (per year)	$5,000 (per year)	$2,000 (per year)	$2,500 (per year)
Registration for the Program	$135 (one-time payment)	$135 (one-time payment)	$135 (one-time payment)	$135 (one-time payment)
Security	$150 (per year)	$150 (per year)	$150 (per year)	$150 (per year)
*Housing ($270 per month)**	$3,240 (per year)	$3,240 (per year)	$3,240 (per year)	$3,240 (per year)
Health Insurance ($1.75 per day)		$640 (per year)		$640 (per year)
Local Living Expenses ($700 per month for master's and $1,320 per month for Ph.D.)	$8,400 (per year)	$8,400 (per year)	$21,230 (per year)	$21,230 (per year)
Total Cost per Year	$15,925 (per year)	$17,565 (per year)	$26,755 (per year)	$27,895 (per 4 years)
Total Cost for the Full Program	$31,715 (per 2-year program)	$34,995 (per 2-year program)	$106,615 (per 4-year program)	$111,175 (per 4-year program)
* Electricity and water payments are not included

A limited number of scholarships covering tuition and living expenses may be available to outstanding students. Students may apply for scholarships from international organizations such as F.A.O., U.N.D.P., UNESCO and WHO. Contact their local representatives for more information. For scholarships from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs please contact the Israeli Embassy in your country

PhD Applications

All PhD applications must be submitted to the Kreitman School of Advanced Graduate Studies in Beer Sheva.

For more information and to apply via Kreitman, please click here.