Direct bachelor’s-master’s degree program for outstanding students at Bar-Ilan University

1.  Introduction

The direct master’s degree program is an accelerated track toward the bachelor's and master’s degree, intended for outstanding students taking their bachelor's degree in an extended discipline only. Students are admitted to this track on the basis of high achievements during their bachelor's degree.

Students on this track enjoy a reduced course load relative to the standard track.

Students in the direct track must complete their bachelor’s degree and their thesis-based or non-thesis master’s degree within an allocated time frame, as specified below.

To complete both degrees within the allocated time frame, and to allow outstanding students to move forward in an accelerated track for graduate studies, a special bachelor's degree program has been designed, that is for the most part in a single department (extended discipline), including a reduced course load. This special program allows students to take part in graduate-level courses already in their third year of undergraduate study.
 

2. Direct track bachelor’s and master’s degree program structure

The program of study for outstanding students admitted to the direct track based on policy indicated below under item 3, shall be as follows (required course load may differ in some departments as determined by them):

For the bachelor’s degree

Extended discipline – reduction of up to 4 AC (8 SC) per departmental decision.

Basic Jewish studies – 10 AC (20 SC) [students who began their bachelor's degree prior to the 2016-17 academic year are required 14 AC (28 SC)].

General course / enrichment – 2 AC (4 SC) [instead of 4 AC (8 SC), as standard requirement].

Total:

A minimum of 58 annual-based credits (AC) (116 SC) for the bachelor's degree. 

 

Hebrew writing skills and English studies, per general requirements (no academic credits granted).

Departmental courses or general / enrichment courses must be completed to reach the minimum of 58 annual-based credits (AC) (116 SC) for the degree.

Students in the program will be awarded a bachelor's degree diploma in an extended discipline.

 

The required course load in the extended discipline specified above relates only to departments in which the overall undergraduate course load is at least 64 AC (128 SC).

 

For the master’s degree

12 AC (24 SC) in research-based Track A (with thesis)

18 AC (36 SC) in non-thesis Track B

Study of a foreign language, per guidelines (no academic credits granted).

Students in the direct track are exempt from basic Jewish studies for the master’s degree.

 

3.    Direct track admission criteria

       A.    For the application to be considered, a minimum average of 85 is required (in some departments a minimum average of 90 is required) in the extended discipline, and on condition that at the time the application is considered, final grades are available for 8 courses over three semesters of full-time study in the extended discipline.

       B.    Consecutive full-time course load in all years of study.

       C.    Consecutive study for bachelor's and master’s degree in a single department and specialization. Students who have taken one or more years in a department other than the one in which they wish to complete the direct track will not be admitted.

 

4.    Program details and direct track application procedures

         A.    During the spring semester of the second undergraduate year, provided direct track admission criteria have been met, applicants are to submit a request in writing to the department head of the expanded discipline, requesting to be admitted to the direct track.

     B.    Students beginning the spring semester of their second undergraduate year, and who have achieved the average needed for admission to the direct track at the end of the fall semester and meet admission criteria, must prepare a study program for the direct track in coordination with the department head and departmental advisor.

       C.    The list of students recommended by the department head for admission to the direct track shall be sent for approval to the School of Graduate Studies, who will examine the qualifications of those candidates and will notify them and the department on their admission to the said track by the start of the third year.

       D.    Students admitted are to register in their third year for a minimum of 8 AC (16 SC) of graduate-level courses, in addition to the courses required for completing their bachelor's degree in the direct track.

       E.    In the third year of bachelor's degree study, students must apply to the master’s degree program (in the life sciences faculty, in their second year). Applications should be submitted in February of the third year of study, before the application deadline in their department of study. The application process is to be carried out online. 

       F.    In the first three years, students are considered undergraduates, while in their fourth year they are considered first year master’s degree students – after having been admitted by the School of Graduate Studies.

 

Please note:

Official admission to the master’s degree program will be based on standard admission criteria of the department.

Furthermore, research proposal submission deadlines, degree completion deadlines, etc., are generally determined on the basis of standard program duration and not on the basis of program duration in the rules and regulations for students in the direct track as indicated above. A request for an extension of studies shall disqualify the student’s right to be included in the direct track, with the exception of cases in which it is explicitly indicated that the decision relates to the direct track.

In practice, direct track students must fulfill conditions of grade average, degree completion deadlines, research proposal submission deadlines, etc., as per guidelines of the direct track.

 5.   Direct track degree completion criteria and program duration

Students in the direct track are required to study consecutively and complete their bachelor's and master’s degree as follows:

1. In the research-based Track A (with thesis) – by the end of the fifth year from the start of undergraduate studies (for students in the life science faculty – by the end of the fourth year).
2. In the non-thesis Track B – by the end of the fourth year from the start of undergraduate studies.
3. Students in the direct track are required to complete their bachelor's degree within three years (or more, based on the program duration in their discipline).
4. Any deviation from the program duration requirements shall automatically disqualify the student’s right to continue in the direct track and all rights granted by that track, such as reduced course load requirements. In such a case students must complete the bachelor's and master’s degree per standard course load requirements.

Years are counted even if students change their area of specialization, their research topic or any other development in the course of their study.
 

6.   Conferral of degrees

        Students who have completed the direct track shall not be awarded both diplomas in the same year.