Birzeit University was the first Palestinian university to initiate graduate studies when it established the Master’s Program in Education in 1976.
In the early 1990s, with the revival of academic life after the university’s forced closure during the first Intifada, the university expanded its graduate offerings. The Program in Education reopened its doors to students in 1994, and the Program in International Studies was established the same year. In the years that followed, innovative programs in established disciplines and new interdisciplinary areas were launched at the university. Today, Birzeit University offers 30 graduate programs in all.
The Faculty of Graduate Studies was established in 1996. It is entrusted with the overall supervision of the university’s graduate programs and grants degrees in various specializations. It is also in charge of direct supervision of the programs within the faculty, while the various faculties at the university directly supervise their own graduate programs. Birzeit University coordinates with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to develop further the graduate studies programs. It also continues to seek out the needed infrastructure to run its programs, including excellent faculty members, specialized libraries and resources, and the latest techniques and technologies available.
Research Interests and Community Outreach
The research interests of faculty members involved in graduate studies are diverse, covering natural and applied sciences, engineering and information technology, health and medical sciences, education, social sciences and humanities, business, and legal studies. Many programs maintain long-standing relations with Palestinian institutions in the public, private and non-governmental sectors. Training programs, workshops, conferences, and research projects are held in collaboration with Palestinian and international organizations active in Palestine.
