A Guide to Study and Research Opportunities at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem 

If you are excited to become a part of Israel's authentic educational culture, the country’s oldest Hebrew University at Jerusalem is the best destination. It carries the academic experience since its establishment in 1918 and holds the title of the best educational and research center in the country. It is also included in the list of the world’s best 100 universities and can become a good point in your CV for international communities. 

Zionist Movement of the 19th century stands behind the idea of establishing a higher educational institution in the country of Israel. In 1918, they received British permission to put the University’s cornerstone. The official opening of the University was later, in 1923, where the Nobel Laureate Alber Einstein read the first lecture of the Theory of Relativity. The opening ceremony was at Mount Scopus, which is one of the University’s core campuses up to current.  

What can you study at HU? 

Hebrew University supports multidisciplinary studies and research, offering academic programs in different directions. You can choose to study in 7 faculties, 6 campuses, and 14 schools included in the university. 

The Faculty of Humanities focuses on the knowledge areas of Jewish people and religion. It also offers Humanities classes in different parts of the world. There are courses for History of Jewish People and contemporary Judaism, Jewish Studies, Hebrew language, etc. In parallel, students can explore Asian, Slavic, Spanish, Latin American, German, and Arabic studies. 

The Faculty of Social Sciences guides students through the main areas of human societies. In parallel to the standard Social Science courses such as Communication, Journalism, Psychology, etc. there are also unique programs including Gender Studies, Community Development Studies, Environmental Planning, and Policy, etc. 

The Faculty of Law is the flagship program for legal studies and research, as its programs are backed up with a strong practical experience. The faculty offered the first law program in the country, and the majority of the country’s Supreme Court Justices are HU alumni. Many of them are also actively involved in teaching roles of the faculty, therefore expect to have up-to-date and practic lectures in the program. 

Mathematics & Sciences offers courses in Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Earth Sciences. There are also extensive research opportunities in the more narrow fields such as Molecular Dynamics, Nanoscience, Nanotechnology, Computational Quantum Chemistry, etc. 

Agriculture, Food & Environment Faculty’s main directions include Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Medicine degrees. For the domestic students and those who wish to stay in the country after studies, this program prepares specialists who thoroughly understand the Israelian agricultural picture and can invent ways to improve it. 

The Faculty of Medicine prepares future medical professionals who master the personalized approach to disease treatments. Students learn the skills to deal with modern medical technologies which use artificial intelligence, machine learning, bioinformatics data analysis, etc. 

The Faculty of Dental Medicine is operated by Hebrew University and Hadassah School of Dental Medicine. HU is responsible for the first 3 years of the student’s experience in the program, while Hadassah school is responsible for the rest. There is intensive training of the most up-to-date dental technologies for the dentist and dental auxiliary professionals. 

Great opportunity to study Hebrew Language

Israel is the perfect place to study the country’s native language. If you are always interested in exploring the language, the Hebrew University's language program is a great choice. In this way, you will not only pass the academic level knowledge but also be in the center of communication with locals and native speakers. 

The Hebrew language program is also beneficial for international students pursuing academic goals in the country. Many of the faculty programs are taught in Hebrew, and receiving the preparatory courses in the language will break your choice limits for academic programs.

HU at Jerusalem offers Hebrew programs for the summer term and for the separate autumn and spring semesters. During Summer Ulpan Hebrew Programs students accompany lectures from native Hebrew speakers with cultural trips and other entertainment activities in the country. The program lasts slightly more than a month, from August to mid-September, and during all the program term students live in Jerusalem. 

Other semester programs in spring and autumn are available for Modern Hebrew studies. The program is open both for students who study at HU like a study abroad student and to external applicants who meet the admission requirements. 

Admission requirements

For all the programs, students need to have a language proficiency of either English or Hebrew languages. For the majority of Hebrew requiring programs, the entry minimum limit is 105 points of YAEL/YAELNET. To validate your English knowledge, you will need at least 85 of the Amiram Test. The mentioned requirements, in addition to the High School diploma, are the main admission requirements for undergraduate students. 

To apply for the graduate programs, students need proof of their Bachelor’s degree completion in the regionally accredited university. Also, for certain programs, there might be additional requirements of a minimum of 3.0 or 3.5 GPA and GMAT or GRE scores. 

There is a strong need to check the individual entry requirements for all the countries, as The Hebrew University at Jerusalem has different approaches to student admissions, based on their country of nationality or the country where students received their last academic degree. Head to the University’s admissions requirement part, where you can choose your country and read the particular requirements for the students of that country. If the list does not include an appropriate country for you, there are the contact details for the Overseas Applicant Unit, where dedicated specialists will navigate you through the necessary application steps. 

How to Apply?

All the students should apply to the Hebrew University at Jerusalem via the online application. You will need to create a new account or to sign in the existing one to begin the process. 

Choose the option of “Applicants with Overseas Qualification” > Overseas applicant unit. > Choose the semester you are applying for. 

These steps will guide lead you to the application website's full interface, where on the left side, you will see the separate sections for the appication. All the sections should be carefully filled in for the applicant to pass the shortlisting phase. Many of the Hebrew University website pages are written only in Hebrew, or Hebrew and Arabic. However, on the application page, you have the option to turn the website language into English. 

The main four application forms students should fill in include:

• Personal details

• Academic information

• Proposed studies 

• Declaration

Each of these sections has specific instructions available to you during the application.

For the other four application sections, students should upload a document. Those sections include Transcripts, CV, Copy of ID or passport, Proof of the application fee payment. 

Application fee

Students should complete an online application payment varying from 13 - 110 $ depending on whether the student already studies in one of the Hebrew programs or apply as an external student. The fee for the full application is 110$. 

The application is considered final if the applicant does the final submission, which means you will need to click “Submit forms” first for the uploaded forms, and then “Submit” for the whole application. 

Tuition Fees

The general tuition range for studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem varies around 47,000 to 60,000 ISL, which equals 14,500 to 18,440 USD at the moment of writing this article. However, the different faculty prices might differ at the moment you are exploring the opportunity of studying HU, therefore, check the above links of the universities’ main faculties to find the specific tuitions for your chosen programs. Note, that fees for domestic and international students usually vary. 

Fund your education at Hebrew University

Schulich Leader Scholarships funds the first year of studies in the fields of exacts sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Annually, 10 students receive the scholarship, for which you should apply before June 15 via the scholarship website.

HESEG foundation is founded by Canadian people Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman, to support those people who sacrifice their comfortable life in other countries to serve in the IDF and contribute to Israel’s security. Also, the scholarship gives preference to the minority groups Ethiopian and Druze. HESEG scholarship covers the full expenses for the academic program, including living costs.  

IMPACT! scholarship funds students who have completed their military within the 5 years period and pursue academic goals to succeed in their careers. IMPACT! covers the full costs of B.A. studies, and can fund separate Bachelor’s studies years expenses or the full 4-year program. Each year of B.A. studies is funded for up to 4,000 $.

The ISAF funds those students who have completed their military or full national service. The priority of the scholarship is given to those students who have high involvement in social processes and demonstrate leadership skills. ISAF also provides personal assistance to its scholars throughout the whole term of the scholarship. 

Zuckerman STEM leadership program supports students in Israel and the US who pursue career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The program cooperates not only with Hebrew University, but others in Israel and in parallel works to promote the Israelian research institutions worldwide. 

Research Mobility Program

The Hebrew University at Jerusalem also offers the research mobility program in cooperation with EURAXESS. Due to the program’s opportunities, researchers can benefit from the free researcher’s movements across the EU and associated countries. Head to the EURAXESS portal at Hebrew University for more details on the available mobility options. 

ARMACAD has also collected the study and research opportunities in Jewish studies and Israel studies, which might be interesting for you.