Bachelor's Degree · B.A.
Understand political phenomena, institutions, and political behavior — and acquire the tools to analyze and research them.
| 60 Credits Dual-Major Track | 80 Credits Single-Major Track |
| 6 Emphases Elective Specializations | 4 Years Accelerated Track — B.A. and M.A. |
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Why study Political Science here
The purpose of the studies in the department is to impart knowledge, understanding, and analytical capabilities regarding political phenomena, political institutions, and political behavior. To this end, students take courses in both theoretical-conceptual and empirical-research areas — a combination that equips them with tools for analysis, understanding, and research in the fields of political science and policy.
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Theory and Research, Not Just News The program combines political thought and theoretical approaches with research methods and statistics — so that by the end of the degree, you can not only observe a political process, but analyze it using systematic tools and test claims against data. |
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Emphasis on Israel, in a Comparative Perspective Special attention is devoted to the problems of government, society, and administration in Israel — but always through comparison to other political systems, since the uniqueness of Israeli politics cannot be identified without comparison. |
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The Department and Faculty The Department of Political Science is the first in the country, and the Hebrew University is ranked first in Israel. The faculty consists of graduates from the world's top universities, Israel Prize laureates, and members of the Academy of Sciences and the Council for Higher Education. |
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Flexibility in Structuring the Degree You can combine Political Science with any other department, expand to a single-major track from the second year, choose one of six emphases — and for outstanding students, begin accumulating credits toward a Master's degree in the third year. |
Where Alumni Go
The tools acquired during the degree are particularly useful for those who will hold positions in state and public institutions, the media, and the third sector.
| Government Ministries | The Knesset — Assistants and Advisors |
| Local Government | Research Institutes and NGOs |
| Media Organizations | Strategic Consulting and Academia |
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What You Study
The first two years are built on mandatory courses that lay the foundations — introductions, political thought, public administration, and research methods. From the second year onwards, the program opens up to core courses, electives, and a seminar, allowing you to focus on a subfield or emphasis.
Mandatory Courses — Year 1 (12 Credits)
| Introduction to Political Science | 4 Credits |
| Introduction to Political Science — Tutorial and Academic Writing | 2 Credits |
| Comparative Politics: Institutions and Processes | 2 Credits |
| Foundations of Political Thought A | 2 Credits |
| The Israeli Political System | 2 Credits |
| Participation in Research — Three annual hours in the Political Psychology Laboratory | Assignment (0 Credits) |
Mandatory Courses — Year 2 (14 Credits)
| Historical Introduction to Contemporary Politics | 4 Credits |
| Modern Political Thought | 2 Credits |
| Foundations of Public Administration | 2 Credits |
| Methods and Approaches in International Relations and Political Science | 3 Credits |
| Research Approaches and Statistics in Political Science and IR | 3 Credits |
Subfields in the Department
Core and elective courses span all subfields taught in the department: Comparative Politics, Political Thought, Israeli Politics, Public Administration and Policy, and Political Economy.
Research topics in the department include historical and analytical political thought, the study of political systems and institutions, political behavior, and the connection between the political aspect of public life and ideological, historical, and social aspects.
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Choosing a Track
In the first year, all department students study in the dual-major track. Those who meet the requirements may transfer to the single-major track in the second year. Common combinations in the dual-major track include International Relations, Economics, Law, Communication, Sociology, and Psychology — but Political Science can be combined with any other department.
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Dual-Major Track Mandatory in Year 1 · With any other department 60 Total Credits 56 Credits in the Department One Seminar — 8 Credits 4 Cornerstone (Avnei Pina) Credits |
Single-Major Track From Year 2 · Expanded Studies 80 Credits in the Department 16–32 Elective Credits Two Seminars — 16 Credits Combined with supplementary studies |
| Dual-Major | Single-Major | |
|---|---|---|
| When to Start | Year 1 — Mandatory for all | Year 2, subject to admission requirements |
| Department Scope | 56 Credits | 80 Credits |
| Seminars | One (8 Credits) | Two (16 Credits) |
| Additional Department | Any other department of your choice | Supplementary studies outside the department |
| Cornerstone (Avnei Pina) | 4 Credits | 4 Credits |
In both tracks: The seminar grade is divided into 4 or 2 credits for course requirements and 4 credits for the paper. An outstanding student with an average of 88 and above at the end of Year 2 will be allowed to take an additional seminar (8 credits) instead of elective courses — and no more than one seminar may be taken with the same lecturer.
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Programs and Emphases
You can study for a general degree in Political Science, or focus your degree on one of the emphases. The emphasis is noted on the academic transcript, and each emphasis has its own admission requirements — full details are in the course catalog (Shnaton).
| Social-Educational Leadership A joint track with the Department of Education — a dual-major degree in Political Science and Education, 60 credits in each department, with shared dedicated mandatory courses. Intended for those who see themselves as socially active in civil society and the field of education. Admission from Year 1. |
| Israeli and Comparative Politics A combination of studying politics in Israel with comparative political research — concepts, models, methodology, and theories, alongside engagement with proposals for changing and improving the political system in Israel, with an emphasis on preserving democracy. |
| Policy, Regulation, and Public Administration An emphasis that includes core and elective courses in Political Science and the School of Public Policy, and writing a seminar paper within an emphasis elective course. |
| Political Psychology Open to students in the dual-major track combining Political Science with one of the following departments: Psychology, Sociology, Communication, or Economics. |
| Conflicts and Violence An emphasis dealing with the study of conflicts and political violence. |
| Political Theory: Values and Ideologies An emphasis in political philosophy, values, and ideologies — and a natural continuation into the Master's track in Political Thought. |
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Accelerated Master's Track
The track is offered to outstanding students interested in continuing to a Master's degree in the department. You can begin accumulating credits for the Master's degree in the third year of your Bachelor's studies — and in this format, complete a Bachelor's and Master's degree within four years.
| 83 Cumulative average at the end of Year 2 | 12 Credits Maximum stored courses | 4 Years For both degrees |
This option is open to department students who completed Year 2 with a cumulative average of at least 83 in Political Science. The Master's degree is taken in the non-research track (without thesis) — 36 credits, comprising 28 course credits and 8 credits for two seminar papers — and you can begin taking elective courses in any of the department's specializations, subject to admission requirements. Master's studies in the non-research track are concentrated on one day a week — Mondays.
Accumulation Procedures — Stored Courses
| You can accumulate up to 12 credits of Master's elective courses, which will be defined as stored courses. |
| Writing a seminar paper in a Master's course will not be permitted in courses intended for storage. |
| Taking mandatory courses from the Master's program is conditional upon special approval from the department secretariat. |
| Upon completing the Bachelor's requirements and heading into the fourth year, you must register for the Master's degree according to department and university regulations. |
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Admission, Progression, and Degree Requirements
Admission requirements, conditions for progressing from Year 1 to Year 2, and additional requirements for completing the degree.
- Admission Requirements and Start Date
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- Admission is based on a weighted calculation of the Psychometric exam score and the matriculation (Bagrut) or preparatory program (Mechina) average. You can check your eligibility using the admission calculator on the university's registration website.
- It is not possible to start studies in the Spring semester. The study program is based on a sequence of mandatory courses and introductions starting in the Fall semester, which are prerequisites for further studies.
- Admission requirements for the single-major track are detailed in Chapter D of the faculty catalog.
- Progression Requirements from Year 1 to Year 2
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- A grade of at least 60 in each of the mandatory Year 1 courses, and an average grade of at least 70 in these courses.
- A student repeating Year 1 must repeat all courses in which they received a grade lower than 60.
- A student repeating a course in which they received a 60 or higher must reach a written agreement with the course lecturer regarding their obligations in addition to the exam.
- A student repeating a course must confirm their study plan with the B.A. advisor.
- Additional Requirements for Degree Completion
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- Cornerstone (Avnei Pina) — Courses totaling 4 credits, in addition to the 56 credits in the department.
- Two courses in English totaling at least 4 credits, including 2 credits within the department's core or elective courses.
- Online course in "Familiarity with Library Resources" — zero credits and no numerical grade.
- Within the elective quota, up to 4 credits can be taken outside the department — from the list of recommended courses, additional Cornerstone courses, or other courses subject to B.A. advisor approval.
- In Year 3, studies must be completed with core and elective courses according to personal preference, until reaching the required credit quota.
- Calculation of the Final Degree Grade
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The final grade in the department is determined as a weighted average of the student's grades, according to the credit quota and the structure of the program they studied, provided they passed each course successfully. The final grades in all courses are weighted by the number of credits awarded for each course.
To view the full catalog — program structure and course list ›
For Further Details and Advising
| Head of Bachelor's Studies Dr. Noam Gidron | Student Administrator Ms. Hila Simon hilasi@savion.huji.ac.il |
| Accelerated Track — Master's Advisor Dr. Yiftah Elazar yiftah.elazar@mail.huji.ac.il | Political Psychology Laboratory Participation in Research lab.polpsych@mail.huji.ac.il |