Phd Program

PhD Students

PhD Students

Head of School: Prof. Hanna Lerner

Program Director: Dr. Ronen Mandelkern

Administrative Manager: Mrs. Sigal Shachar

  

Program Goals and Terms of Admission

 

Program Goals

The program aims to train the coming generation of researchers in the fields of political science, government, and international relations. The program follows the same format as PhD studies in the leading universities in the US. The program includes in-depth studies from the school’s core curriculum, while also cooperating with leading researchers and other research students in the school, encouraging academic publications, and teaching in the school. Research students are required to invest their time and energy in their research, and to participate in the ongoing academic activities in the school.

 

Admissions Requirements

Students with an outstanding academic record from all departments may apply. Students will be selected following a rigorous screening process based on academic achievements.

Students with outstanding academic achievements may submit applications if they have one of the following:

-- BA summa cum laude from any department, or a minimum grade average of 90.

-- MA summa cum laude in any department, or a minimum grade average of 90 in course work and a minimum grade of 90 on their thesis, if submitted.

 

Graduates of the non-research MA track will be required to write a thesis paper during their studies in the PhD. Program.

 

Application Process

Applications to the PhD program must include:

1. BA transcript, attesting to a minimum grade average of 90.

2. For candidates with an MA, a transcript attesting to a minimum grade average of 90.

3. Two academic recommendations reflecting the student’s research capabilities (for students with a MA in the research track, one of the recommendations will be from the advisor).

4. CV

5. A letter of intention detailing fields of interest and future research objectives. (2 pages)

6. Thesis / Seminar paper (PDF)

Students may include additional documents testifying to their outstanding academic achievements, such as academic awards.

Documents should be forwarded to:

sigals@tauex.tau.ac.il

Telephone: 03-6406586

 

Applicants for the 2023/2024 academic year must submit their application by May 15, 2023.

The departmental committee for research students will meet to discuss the candidates. The departmental committee will select a number of candidates and forward their recommendations to the Social Science Faculty research student committee. Final authorization of acceptance to Stage I will be granted by the university committee. Master's degree graduates without a thesis will be accepted into the program as a "research student candidate".

 


 

Supplementary Studies

Students who have not completed a degree in Political Science will complete each of the following courses with a minimum grade of 90 in the first semester of their supplementary studies:

-- Three courses from the list of introductory undergraduate courses (in coordination with the program advisor)

-- Research Methods

 

Students must also complete a mandatory course in a third field, in addition to the two fields in which they have elected to major (see below PhD study Tracks).

* The program director may grant exemptions to students who have completed parallel courses in their undergraduate studies.

 

PhD Study Tracks

Direct Track to PhD (for students with a BA degree)

 

Stage I - MA Degree (Curriculum in the first and second years of the track):

 

1.Students must choose two majors from the list below, and study

two mandatory courses in each of their majors: (12 credit hours)

-- Comparative and Israeli Politics:

The Rise and Fall of Governments and Regimes - 3 credit hours

Constitutional Institutions and Democratic Culture - 3 credit hours

 

-- International Relations and Strategy:

The International System - 3 credit hours

International Political Economy - 3 credit hours

 

 

 

-- Political Thought:

Current Issues in Political Philosophy - 3 credit hours

The Concept of Sovereignty in Political Philosophy - 3 credit hours

 

Students may ask to study an alternative field from among the topics taught in the School, for example: Political Economics, or Political Communications. The additional field of study will be determined together with the research student advisor and the relevant lecturers. Courses to be completed will be determined accordingly.

  

2. Mandatory courses for students in all fields (12 credit hours):

-- Approaches and Theories in Political Science for Research Students - 3 credit hours

-- Advanced Statistics - 3 credit hours (not included in grade average) [Students who have taken the exemption exam and received a minimum grade of 70 are exempt from the course.]

--Research Methods for Research Students - 3 credit hours

-- Research Planning Workshop for PhD Students - 3 credit hours [Students must register for this course in their third semester of studies.]

-- Department Seminar/Workshop for PhD Students - attendance is mandatory (not included in credits required for degree). This is a year course that meets once a week. Research students must participate throughout the entire course of their studies and research.

 

3.Two seminars in the same field as the mandatory courses studied. (6 credit hours)

4. Research paper or article (about 10,000 words long). The paper may be written as part of one of the seminar courses or in coordination with a senior lecturer from the school. The paper may be part of the PhD thesis and students will be asked to publish.

 

  5. Qualification Exam in One of the Fields of Study

Students in the direct track are required to take an exam at the end of their second year of studies. The student will take an exam in the field he or she intends to write the PhD thesis in (of three mandatory fields).

The exam will be an open-book take-home exam, and the student will have 72 hours to complete the exam.

The grade on the exam is pass/fail.

 

6. Advanced methodological course

Students are expected to take during their studies one of the advanced methodological courses offered within the program, depending on their field of research. This course will not be included in the number of mandatory points. Below is the list of courses:

• Approaches in the study of political theory

• Empirical research analysis

• Non-quantitative empirical research in political science

 

 

 

First year students will complete at least 15 credit hours of supplementary and mandatory courses.
Continuation to the second year of studies is contingent on an average grade of 90 and the approval of the research student advisor. Before continuing to the second year, students will approach the suitable school faculty members to locate an advisor/s for their PhD thesis.

 

Total Credit requirements for Direct PhD Track

8 mandatory courses: 24 credit hours

2 seminar courses: 6 credit hours

Department PhD seminar / workshop

Research paper

Qualification exam

Total: 30 credit hours

 

Stage II – PhD. Research studies (Curriculum in the third to fifth years of the track)

The student will submit a research proposal in the third year of studies, in coordination with his or her advisor and the accompanying committee. The student will present the proposal before the department PhD seminar.

After the proposal has been approved by the department committee, the proposal will be forwarded to the division committee for final approval and advancement to Stage II. In this stage, the student will complete writing his or her PhD thesis during the fourth and fifth years of study.

 

 

PhD Studies for Students with an MA degree

 

All students with an MA in the non-thesis track will be provisionally accepted to the PhD program as a research student, until a thesis paper has been written in coordination with a senior lecturer from the school.

The paper may be part of the PhD thesis, and students will be asked to submit the paper for publishing during their first year of studies in the program. Regulations allows a student to remain a research student candidate for a maximum period of two years.

 

MA graduates in the thesis track who are accepted to the PhD program will complete the following:*

 

1. Two mandatory courses from one of the three fields below – (6 credit hours)

-- Comparative and Israeli Politics:

The Rise and Fall of Governments and Regimes - 3 credit hours

Constitutional Institutions and Democratic Culture - 3 credit hours

 

-- International Relations and Strategy:

The International System - 3 credit hours

International Political Economy - 3 credit hours

 

-- Political Thought:

Current Issues in Political Philosophy - 3 credit hours

The Concept of Sovereignty in Political Philosophy - 3 credit hours

 

Students may ask to study an alternative field from among the topics taught in the School, for example: Political Economics, or Political Communications. The additional field of study will be determined together with the research student advisor and the relevant lecturers. Courses to be completed will be determined accordingly.

 

 2. Mandatory courses for students in all fields (12 credit hours):

-- Approaches and Theories in Political Science for Research Students - 3 credit hours

-- Advanced Statistics - 3 credit hours (not included in grade average) [Students who have taken the exemption exam and received a minimum grade of 70 are exempt from the course.]

--Research Methods for Research Students - 3 credit hours

-- Research Planning Workshop for PhD Students - 3 credit hours [Students must register for this course in their third semester of studies.]

-- Department Seminar/Workshop for PhD Students - attendance is mandatory (not included in credits required for degree). This is a year course that meets once a week. Research students must participate throughout the entire course of their studies and research.

 Total - 18 credit hours

* The program director may grant exemptions to students who have completed parallel courses in their undergraduate studies. Regardless, university regulations require students to complete an additional 8 - 9 credit hours from the academic program.

Students must complete all requirements (except the Research Planning Workshop for PhD Students) within no more than one year of studies. Advancement to the second year of studies is contingent on the student attaining a minimum grade average of 90 and as well as approval of the program director. Before continuing to the second year, students will approach the suitable faculty members to find an advisor for the PhD thesis.

 

3. Qualification Exam in One of the Fields of Study

Students in this track are required to take an exam at the end of their first year of studies. The student will take an exam in the field he or she intends to write the PhD thesis in (of three mandatory fields).

The exam will be an open-book take-home exam, and the student will have 72 hours to complete the exam. The goal of the exam is to assess the student’s proficiency in the key literature in the field (reading material for the exam includes 20 - 30 books/articles).

The grade on the exam is pass/fail.

Students may take the exam on two dates only. 

 

4. Advanced methodological course

Students are expected to take during their studies one of the advanced methodological courses offered within the program, depending on their field of research. This course will not be included in the number of mandatory points. Below is the list of courses:

 • Approaches in the study of political theory

• Empirical research analysis

• Non-quantitative empirical research in political science

 

 

5. Research Proposal

During the first year, the student must find an advisor (from among senior faculty at the school) and the accompanying committee, and forward the names of the members of the committee to the faculty committee.

During the second year, the student will submit a research proposal, in coordination with his or her advisor and the accompanying committee. The student will present the proposal before the department PhD seminar. Upon approval of the proposal by the departmental committee, the proposal will be forwarded to the unitary committee, for final approval and to move to phase B, during which the students will complete the writing of the doctoral thesis, within 5 years at the most from the beginning of the studies. Any deviation from this period of time requires the approval of the departmental committee and the unitary committee.

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