The Department of Middle East Studies Ph.D. Studies

The department offers students who seek to pursue their research passion the support, resources, and guidance required to excel in their chosen topic and launch a successful academic career. We welcome proposals from prospective students, and we encourage you to review our core and emeritus faculty’s areas of expertise and publications to determine if we can help you make a substantial contribution to the field.

Doctoral degrees from the department last no longer than five years, for which successfully accepted students receive full funding. Most doctoral students also gain important pedagogical experience, acting as lecturers and teaching assistants alongside their independent research.

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PH.D. Study Tracks

Candidates may choose one of the following two study tracks:

Regular Track: Intended for students who have completed an M.A and final thesis. The required duration of study is four years. Students who have not completed a final thesis must do so before beginning their doctoral studies.

Direct Track: Intended for students who have completed a B.A. and boast high academic scores in their chosen field of study. Students in this track complete their doctoral studies without prior registration for an M.A.* and commit to the completion of the full degree program. The duration of study is no longer than five years.

* Students in the direct track who have completed the quota of courses required for post-graduate studies, have submitted a research proposal, and have defended it successfully will be awarded an M.A. by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. In the case of inter-disciplinary studies, an M.A. will be awarded only upon completion of a final thesis.

Process and Requirements

The following are the steps that students must take to qualify for and complete a doctoral degree in the department:

Dissertation Topic and Advisor: Candidates to the Ph.D. program must first define their preferred areas of study and identify a faculty member who can supervise their dissertations. If need be, you may request assistance from the Department’s Graduate Studies Committee. Dissertation advisors must be at the level of senior lecturer or above, and should have significant expertise in either your proposed field of study or a closely related one.

Entrance Examinations: Candidates from abroad must successfully pass the GRE examinations* and send their results, together with all application forms, to the Kreitman School of Advanced Graduate Studies at BGU. The admissions committee will only discuss applications that include GRE results.

Probationary Period: Candidates are accepted for a probationary period of up to one year. At the end of the period, students are required to submit their dissertation proposals and successfully pass the department’s review panel. Candidates whose proposals are approved by the panel become full-time students.

Required Courses: Students must take a certain number of graduate-level courses selected in consultation with their dissertation advisors.

Dissertation Defense and Approval: Students’ dissertation committees decide when the dissertation is ready for defense. The Ph.D. is awarded when students’ dissertations pass the committee’s review.

Graduation: The program is ideally completed in no more than 5 years.

*In certain cases, candidates may be exempt from the GRE; the decision is left to the discretion of the research students’ committee.