Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

What you'll study

This interdisciplinary Master's provides advanced study of modern Israel across historical, political, social, cultural and linguistic dimensions. Course work typically covers the emergence and development of the state of Israel; Zionist thought and movements; Israeli politics and public policy; security, conflict and diplomacy; society, ethnicity and migration; religion, secularism and law; contemporary Israeli literature, film and cultural production; and approaches to memory and commemoration.

Students combine taught modules with supervised research. Typical module topics include:

• Israeli history: Mandate period, state formation, major wars and social transformations.
• Politics and governance: Political institutions, party systems, policy-making and comparative analyses.
• Society and identity: Ethnicity, immigration, minority-majority relations and social stratification.
• Security and diplomacy: National security, civil-military relations and regional diplomacy.
• Culture and media: Hebrew literature, film, visual culture and public memory.
• Research methods: Qualitative and quantitative methods, oral history and archival research.

Programme structure is flexible and may include a combination of core seminars, elective modules and either a supervised dissertation or a coursework‑based capstone. Fieldwork, archival study and language components (Hebrew at various levels) are commonly available to support primary-source research.

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold a recognised undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline such as history, political science, sociology, Middle East studies, Jewish studies or another social‑science or humanities subject. Strong applicants from other backgrounds who can demonstrate a clear academic interest in Israel Studies are also considered.

Typical admissions documentation includes academic transcripts, a curriculum vitae, a statement of purpose outlining research interests, and one or two academic or professional references. Where the programme or supervision requires, applicants should demonstrate English-language proficiency; some familiarity with Hebrew is an advantage for primary‑source work but is not always mandatory. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to an interview with faculty.

Career prospects

Graduates of Israel Studies pursue a wide range of careers in academia, research institutes and think tanks; public policy and government agencies; diplomacy and international organisations; non‑governmental and civil‑society organisations; media, journalism and cultural institutions; and education at secondary and tertiary levels. The programme also prepares students for further doctoral study and for roles requiring strong regional expertise, research skills and cross‑cultural communication.

Why study at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Ben-Gurion University offers a distinctive setting for Israel Studies: located in the Negev, the university combines strong regional engagement with interdisciplinary scholarship. Students benefit from faculty whose research spans history, politics, sociology, security studies and cultural analysis, and from access to archives, oral‑history collections and institutional links across Israel.

The campus fosters applied research and fieldwork opportunities in southern Israel and the Negev, enabling students to study contemporary social and environmental issues at close range. Interdisciplinary centres and research units at the university support collaboration, while a diverse student body and connections to public and civil‑society organisations provide practical pathways to careers that require specialised knowledge of Israeli society and its regional context.