Requirements for Candidate Admission and Academic Tracks
Students who wish to apply for the doctoral program, must have a masters (MA) degree in Sociology from a certified university in Israel or abroad and they must have an average of at least 85 and they must have received at least an 86 on their BA thesis/final research project. Graduates of certified universities abroad or those who received their degree from branches of foreign universities located in Israel will be asked to submit GRE scores.
Students will be asked to submit a resume in Hebrew and in English, final grades, and recommendations. Candidates should contact a faculty member who might potentially act as advisor. Together with the advisor, the candidate should discuss and formulate their intended topic of research so that the candidate might write a document outlining their intentions. The doctoral committee will then evaluate the candidates ‘letter of intentions’ and in some cases the student will be invited for an interview.
Required Preliminary Courses for Graduates in other Fields
We will consider the candidacy of a limited number of doctoral students who did not complete undergraduate studies in the fields of Sociology. Graduates in other fields must have a Masters degree and final empirical BA thesis as well as an average grade in their MA program of at least 90. These students must meet all the requirements as listed above including recommendation letters and the selection of an advisor. If they are accepted, we will custom design a program of preliminary courses to suit the student’s background coordinated with both the advisor and the doctoral committee. The letter of intentions will be formulated and submitted only after their year-long preliminary course load has been successfully completed.
Doctor of Philosophy Program Description
A student who is accepted to the Doctor of Philosophy program will begin their studies as “research student stage one” until their research proposal is accepted by the Authority for Research Students. Upon acceptance of their research proposal they will be classified as “research student stage two.”
In order to receive the Doctor or Philosophy degree the research student must plan and implement an original and independent research that entails a significant contribution to knowledge and understanding in their field of research and to write a scientific essay in accordance with the format and terminology in the literature in their field. This essay will be termed the dissertation. In addition, research students must prove that they are proficient in the professional literature in their field of specialization and to successfully complete the required course work in accordance with regulations.
The doctoral program is a four year program.
The research proposal must be submitted at the end of the first year of the program. During the first three years of the program students are required to participate in a research seminar and in the departmental seminar.
Students who excel in their studies will be invited to enroll in an international European doctoral program.
Candidates must submit their letters of intention, after receiving their advisor’s approval, no later than 10 days before the doctoral committee meeting.
Requirements for Candidacy in International Program
The SESS European Program is an integral doctoral program at the University of Haifa. Students who have reached an advanced stage in their doctoral proposal or whose proposals have been accepted may apply to the SESS program. Requirements and information pertaining to enrollment may be found in the following web site:
Israeli doctoral students must take the TOFEL English exam as part of their requirements.
Doctoral students at the University of Haifa who have been accepted to the SESS doctoral program are required to take an advanced research methods course and at least two methods seminars during the first two years of the program, as determined by the head of the program.
Scholarships
Students who are accepted to the SESS program may apply to the Advanced Studies Authority for a scholarship in accordance with the criteria and regulations of the department and the university. In addition, there are a number of scholarships available to cover the accommodations of students enrolled in the international program who wish to attend one of the affiliated universities abroad.