Registration

A student meeting the following four conditions may apply for the Ph.D.:

1. Received the MSW with a weighted average of at least 88.
2. Received a grade of at least 90 for the master’s thesis.
3. A faculty member who is at least a senior lecturer is willing to supervise the dissertation.
4. Meets the requirements of the Research Students Authority regulations.

Curriculum

In addition to the research that the student will conduct, s/he must participate in supplementary studies according to the instructions of the supervisor and the accompanying committee, in coordination with the chair of the committee for doctoral studies at the School of Social Work and Social Welfare and with the approval of the Research Students Authority.

Supplementary studies

Students holding the MSW who wrote a thesis must study 6 annual hours (12 credits) and achieve an average of at least 85, as required by the Research Students Authority.

These students are required to take 6 credits of supplementary studies as follows:

1. Historical and philosophical roots of social work practice.
2. Welfare policy in comparative perspective.
3. An additional course that will be decided on by the supervisor together with the head of the doctoral program. The course will be chosen, according to the student’s prior studies, from the following fields of study:
   • Theories of family intervention
   • Advanced theories of personality
   • Organizational theory
   • Civil society and the third sector

In addition, the student must take 12 credits that are connected to the dissertation topic, according to the decision of the accompanying committee.

The Paul Brawald School of Social Work and Social Welfare considers the direct route to a doctorate degree a track of academic excellence. Doctoral degree, in order to complete the studies within five years (including master's studies and doctoral studies).

Admission Conditions:

As stated, it is possible to be admitted to this track upon completion of the graduatedegree, or after the first semester of the master's studies.

1. Graduates who have not yet begun their master's studies:

Students who:

- Have a final grade for a graduate of 94 or higher in social work or another tangential degree.

- Obtain the consent of a faculty member from the rank of senior lecturer or higher from the school to instruct you in the doctoral dissertation.

     2. Students in the graduate program:

Students who:

- Have a final grade for a graduate of 94 or higher in social work or another tangential degree.

- Complete the first semester of the first year of graduate studies with a grade of 94 or higher (at least 8 credits).

- Obtain the consent of a faculty member from the rank of senior lecturer or higher to instruct you in their doctoral dissertation.

Submission Request:

Candidates who meet the criteria must submit an application with the following documents:

• Statement of intent (up to two pages)
• 2 Academic recommendations (including a recommendation from a lecturer from a research seminar)
• Statement by the supervisor that he / she undertakes to guide the doctoral candidate
• Details of the candidate's research experience, if any (for example, in a research seminar, research assistance, etc.). (Up to a page)
• Score sheets
• Writing example (such as work in a course; only work written alone should be attached).

Please refer the application to the head of the teaching department and students and the doctoral coordinator of the school, Ms. Shuli Levy, shulil@savion.huji.ac.il

The doctoral committee will discuss the applications for admission and return answers to the candidates, before the beginning of the school year (for those who receive from the graduate), or before the beginning of the second semester (for those who receive from the graduate).

Submission dates:

For graduates: until 1.10

For graduates of the first semester of the master's degree: until 1.3

The structure and scope of the graduate studies:

The curriculum of each student in the track will be determined and adjusted individually, with the approval of the head of the relevant graduate program and the chair of the doctoral program at the school.

Studies will include:

1. Research seminar - to be written individually (not in a group), during the first year of the master's studies.

You can take the research seminar:

• As an annual course at the school in parallel with the research courses in the first year (additional school day);
• Outside the school, in another department and / or in another university, with the approval of the head of the relevant master's program;
• Write it under the guidance of the facilitator during the second semester of the first year. The product will be a seminar paper, which must also include an element of empirical research. The work must be submitted by 30.9, and must obtain the approval of the relevant master program head.

      2. Thesis seminar in the second year, in which the student will write an offer that he can later use as part of the doctoral proposal.

Students in the direct track must complete all their obligations to the graduate within two years.

The total number of credit points required of students in the direct track will be 32 credits.

Beyond Phase A of the doctorate and submission of the doctoral proposal:

1. The transition to Phase A of the doctorate will be made after the completion of all the obligations for the master's degree (without a final thesis and within two years, as stated), with an average grade of at least 92.
2. It is possible and recommended to start working on the doctoral proposal already during the master's studies.
3. The research proposal for the doctorate will be submitted to the research students up to one year after the completion of the master's degree (ie: no later than 12 months from the beginning of the first phase of the doctorate).

Retirement or non-compliance with conditions:

A student who does not meet the requirements of sections 1'-3 'above, will leave the direct track and complete his studies as a certified student. In such a case, the student will contact the head of the relevant graduate program to clarify the requirements for: (1) completion of a thesis, in order to complete the research track, or (2) completion of a credit in order to complete a non-research track.

Up to two students a year will be admitted to this track.

These students will receive an outstanding scholarship from the school.

Scholarship details:

During graduate studies, students in the direct doctoral track will be exempted from tuition.

After their transition to a doctorate, these students will receive an annual scholarship of NIS 40,000 per year, for 3 years. The renewal of the scholarship from year to year will be conditional on the student's progress.

Students will also have the opportunity to apply for additional scholarships:

• Presidential Scholarship. If they win this scholarship, it will replace the school scholarship.
• Other awards and scholarships awarded on behalf of the school (for example, a graduate outstanding scholarship that grants a tuition exemption) - No double exemptions / scholarships will be awarded on behalf of the school.
• External scholarships (which do not require completion from the school): If they receive such scholarships, the school scholarship will be awarded in addition to them (up to the maximum amount of scholarship that the university allows for doctoral students).

Multidisciplinary Ph.D. program (social sciences-humanities-law, social work and education), jointly with Freie Universität Berlin

The dissertation must focus on “human rights under pressure”. To apply: www.hr-up.net

The link provides information about the academic and economic support offered by the program. The program is open also to current research students at the Hebrew University.

Aim of the seminar:

The research students’ seminar provides a framework for mutual study of the research topics of the students and faculty of the school and of the university generally, enabling students to learn from the faculty’s experience of various topics (e.g., theoretical, methodological, procedural, organizational, socio-cultural, socio-political, ethical, etc.), challenges they have met while conducting research, and how they have coped with them. We intend the research students’ seminar to be one of the ways to form a dynamic, active, interactive and supportive academic community, on the one hand, and a means to overcome the feelings of alienation and loneliness that occur from time to time among research students, on the other. Research students are required to participate in this seminar for two academic years.

Research proposal

The student will prepare a research plan for the dissertation under the supervisor’s guidance. The proposal will include and comprehend all aspects that are required according to the procedures laid down by the committee for research students.

The proposal will be brought before the accompanying committee (see below). After approval by the accompanying committee, it will be submitted to the Research Students Authority for approval. After the latter’s approval, the student may register as a Stage II research student.

Accompanying committee

According to the regulations of the Research Students Authority, an accompanying committee is appointed for each student. This committee comprises, in addition to the advisor, two or more faculty members who are close to the student’s research topic. The committee’s members are proposed by the supervisor, and this is approved by the Research Students Authority, which appoints the accompanying committee. The accompanying committee follows the student’s research up to the stage of submission for evaluation.

Evaluation of the dissertation

The dissertation will be evaluated according to the rules and procedures of the university committee for research students.

Seminar for research students

The program includes two seminars for research students: one for Stage I students and one for Stage II students.

Coordinator: Prof. Mimi Eisenstadt.

Takes place twice a month.

The seminar discusses theoretical, methodological, organizational, ethical and other questions, and how to plan and conduct dissertation research.

It is compulsory to participate in the seminar for two years.

Students will register for 03098-Research Students Seminar I (in the first year) or 03099-Research Students Seminar II (in the second year) with the coordinator for research students, Ori Sagi.

In order to continue to the second and subsequent years within the framework of the direct track, the student must successfully complete a full course load of 12 annual hours (24 credits) with an average of at least 90.

Conditions for progress to status of research student (stage I):

Direct-track students will be permitted to register as Stage I research students if they meet the following conditions:

1. Completed a full program of 39 credits of MSW studies.
2. Found a faculty member who is willing to supervise their dissertation work.
3. Meet the regulations of the Research Students Authority.

After acceptance as a Stage I research student, the direct-track student is required by the Research Students Authority to complete 12 credits of supplementary studies.

Receiving the MSW while studying on the direct Ph.D. track

The direct-track student will be entitled to the MSW after accumulating all the credits required for the MSW with thesis.

Receiving the MSW after leaving the direct Ph.D. track

A student who does not meet the conditions above at the dates and conditions required, or a student who decides to leave the direct Ph.D. track, can complete MSW studies, according to the requirements of the MSW program, and receive the degree.

Scholarships and prizes for Ph.D. candidates

The School bestows prizes and fellowships with the support of donors and foundations, as follows:

• Bracha Ben-Zvi Prize for excellence and innovation in research on social work and social welfare - click here
• Nira Shenhar Fellowship for the topics of immigrant absorption and civil society in Israel - click here
• Scholarships for Outstanding Research Students from the School of Social Work and Social Welfare - click here
• Marcel and Pnina Pinchevsky Scholarship for Outstanding Research Students - click here
• Scholarship from the Paul Brawald School of Social Work and Social Welfare to encourage the completion of the doctoral dissertation - click here

Presidential Scholarships:

Every year, the university, in collaboration with the school, awards presidential scholarships to outstanding doctoral students.

Students will be called to apply every year during the month of January and is published on the university's general website.

Further information on fellowships is available from Ori Sagi (oris@savion.huji.ac.il)