Admission to the Direct Ph.D. Track

Students complying with the following criteria may request to transition to the direct Ph.D. track:

a. A minimum average of 85 in their bachelor's degree.
b. Competion of the master's program at the required scope, with a minimum average of 85, within 4 semesters from the commencement of their studies.
c. Alternatively to sections a and b – completion of the master's program with a minimum average of 90.

The request should be submitted to Ms. Mazi Shtein (08-9489189, mazis@savion.huji.ac.il), the advanced studies coordinator at the Office of Student Affairs, and should include the following documents:

a. A detailed recommendation of the supervisor
b. An essay prepared by the student (see evaluation criteria below). The essay will include the following sections:

1. Presentation, analysis and summary of the M.Sc. thesis. This section will include the following:

Cover page – in Hebrew and in English.
Abstract - in Hebrew and in English (up to one page in each language).
Introduction – scientific background, motivation for research, research objectives and the examined hypotheses.
Methods – brief overview, focusing on the main methods only.
Results – description of trends in the results, with references to figures (in the form of graphs, photographs, diagrams etc.) and tables labeled with detailed titles.
Discussion – a comprehensive summary of the main insights, with references to other relevant work.
Bibliography – using a single citation method.

2. Preliminary research proposal for the PhD thesis (research directions and objectives). This section will include the following:

a. Explanation of the relationship between the research done as part of the MSc and the research planned for the PhD thesis.
b. Specification of the research objectives and the hypotheses to be examined.
c. Specification of the research plan, describing the research methods used for each purpose and the rationale for choosing them.
d. Tentative timetable for completing the PhD thesis.
e. Bibliography (only literature not specified in section 1).

The essay will be submitted electronically. It will be no longer than 20 pages, including the bibliography, figures and appendices. The summary of the MSc will be up to 15 pages long and the section pertaining to the PhD research proposal will be up to 5 pages long. Please use font size 12 and 1.5 line spacing and maintain a margin of 2.5 cm on both sides. The deadline for submitting requests is July 31 following the fourth semester of studies, for students who began their studies in the first semester, and 28.2 for those who began in the second semester.

The request will be reviewed by a committee comprising of the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, the chairperson of the Doctoral Field Committee, the two representatives of the faculty in the general assembly of the Authority for Research Students and the head of the teaching program to which the student wishes to register. If necessary and subject to its own considerations, the committee may request further opinions. The decision will be based on students' academic achievements and an evaluation of the overall quality of the request (the quality and scope of the research conducted as part of the MSc studies, the students' scientific writing abilities and their scientific maturity as it is manifested in their research plan). If the committee does not reach a consensus about approving the student's request, they will be summoned to present their work and PhD plan to the committee before the final discussion in their matters. The committee will give its decision within a month of the request submittal.

Requests not submitted according to the above will not be considered. In addition, no changes to the request will be permitted if the committee finds the request insufficient.

 

Awarding a MSc in the direct PhD track

It is possible to award a master's degree without a grade to students studying in the direct PhD track who comply with the following conditions:

1. Completion of all courses and exams of the master's program with a minimum grade of 85.
2. Submission of the PhD thesis research intention and research proposal to the Advisory Committee.
3. The Advisory Committee report was submitted and the student's transition to Stage B was approved.

The MSc diploma will state that the degree was received as part of the Direct PhD Track. The degree will be without a final grade. The eligibility date will be the date of admission to Stage B or the date of the last grade of the supplementary studies (the later of the two).  

Students interested in receiving this degree and who comply with the above conditions are to contact Ms. Mazi Shtein (08-9489189, mazis@savion.huji.ac.il), the advanced studies coordinator at the Office of Student Affairs.