New Semester Kicks off New Social Science PhD and Israeli Studies MA

On January 31, 2015, more than 11,000 students started the second semester of the 2014/2015 academic year at Birzeit University.

The new semester was also celebrated with the launching of a doctoral program in social sciences that was recently accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education. It is the first of its kind in Palestine and in the Arab world. Twelve students are enrolled in the PhD program, which is comprised of 54 credit hours, 30 hours in theory and 24 hours in practice. The courses offered by the program aim to creatively study social phenomena, produce new knowledge and critically analyze prevailing concepts and ideas.

The university is also proud to begin offering courses in its master’s in Israel Studies program, a full-time program that includes study of the Hebrew language and offers scholarships for interested students. It is expected that this program will help bridge the gap in experts and academics in Israeli affairs in Palestine and the region.