Department of Information Science

This page is updated for the academic year 2023-2024.
Information for the academic year 2024-2025 will be updated in the coming days.
 

Introduction 

Department objectives 

To teach and perform research at a high standard in information science and knowledge management, in order to train information experts in information centers and libraries, and to teach and perform research at a high standard in web technology and data analysis in order to train front-end web developers, digital experts  and data analysts to work in hi-tech companies and in the industry. Our graduates are employed in key positions at leading enterprises and organizations. 

The department has set a goal to equip students with: 

• understanding of the essence of information and its role in a society 
• expertise in use of information and online technologies 
• ability to analyze information structures, to develop management, access and knowledge distribution strategies and systems 
• capabilities to respond to the information needs of different groups of consumers 
• research skills 

Master's Degree 

Tracks 

Two tracks are available: 

Track A – includes research and thesis submission. 

Track B – not research-based. 

Admission requirements 

A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 76. A personal interview, as needed. 
Applicants are initially admitted to Track B – not research-based. 
Students who wish to do thesis work must submit a request for track change in their first year; the request will be considered by the departmental committee. 

Students who have not studied for a B.A. in the department will be required to take 3 hours (weekly hours) (6 credit points) Completion courses in the Information Science program. 
 
Students who have not studied for a B.A. in the department will be required to take 4 hours (weekly hours) (8 credit points) credit completion courses in the fields of information technology and digital humanities. 
 
Students who have studied a B.A. secondary in the department will be required to study 2 hrs (4 credits) completion. 

The information science program: practical work (internship) totaling 100 hours.All tracks and programs: Mandatory attendance at all departmental colloquia, participation in research and surveys taking place in the department, field trips. 

Program duration – two years. 

Programs and focus areas 

Information science program 

A combined program training information managers for hi-tech and data companies, information and library scientists with a high level of professional knowledge and information technologists and community workers capable of contributing to developing social potential concealed in the use of digital and numerical data. Studies are intended to train information technologists who will advance organizational processes and data systems within organizations.  The program is also geared toward training information technologists, librarians and managers who engage in managing resource centers and libraries in research and development. The program also trains social, medical and legal information technologists, for managing content of data websites and data bases in the fields of social welfare and medicine, in public institutions, in medical centers, in law firms and in private data services. 

Information studies program 

There are two areas of study: 

1. Information technology 

Students encounter advanced aspects of data science, learn advanced programming languages, principles, standards and tools for publication and organization of content on the web, to handle non-textual data (graphical, audio and video), to build network services, to retrieve and supply data dynamically from data repositories. Studies train experts for work in information centers of organizations as service providers and developers of data repositories and new tools for information retrieval. 

Graduates are excellent candidates for points of contact within an organization who mediate between decision makers and developers (inside or outside the organization). 
  

2. Digital humanities 

The discipline of digital humanities is gaining traction around the world and focuses on the study of the effect of culture, humanities and society via digitization and technology. The aim of digital humanities is to broaden traditional humanities research with large-scale quantitative analysis methods by using artificial intelligence and big data methods. Experts in digital humanities engage in improving all stages of the digitization processing and analysis of non-digital document repositories. Students in the digital humanities program gain knowledge and experience in modern machine learning methods, tools for statistical analysis and information processing and visualization. The aim of the master’s program in digital humanities is to train digitization experts and big data analysts in understanding the latest methods and technologies that can be applied to the humanities, and to open before them diverse new employment possibilities in hi-tech companies engaged in digitization and development, in content management enterprises, government ministries, museums, archives, libraries, academic institutions and heritage centers. 

  

Track A – research-based track 

Credit and seminar requirements 

Credit requirements for undergraduate major in other disciplines – 16 AC (32 SC) (including 2 seminars) +Credit requirements for undergraduate major in information science and/or library science minor – 16 AC (32 SC) (including 2 seminars)  

Credit requirements for undergraduate major in information science and/or library science major/extended – 16 AC (32 SC) (including 2 seminars). 

Credit requirements for certified librarian / information science certificate studies – 16 AC (32 SC) (including 2 seminars). 

Students are required to write two seminar papers and to attend labs, research studies, departmental colloquia and practical work (internship) (100 hours) and/or final project, in addition to the thesis in the area of specialization. 

An advisor is selected by approval of the departmental committee for advanced degrees and the department head. 

Thesis 

Topic to be determined in coordination with the departmental committee. 

Thesis guidelines 

See School of Graduate Studies Rules and Regulations in the introductory chapter. 
Guidelines for thesis preparation and writing may be found in the student guide on the department website. 

Final exam for the master’s degree 

The final exam is based on the thesis and its underlying bibliography. 

Language proficiency 

English at the master’s degree level.  
(Details on placement tests, course levels and exemption eligibility criteria – see introductory chapter). 

Students who do not obtain an English exemption on the placement test must pass their English course in the First year of study. This also applies to students admitted with prerequisite completion requirements. 

Jewish studies 

As per general requirements for the master's degree (see introductory chapter). 

  

Research proposals are to be submitted 
by the end of the fall semester of the second year of study. 

  

Track B –  non-research track 

Credit and seminar requirements 

Credit requirements for undergraduate major in other disciplines – 22 AC (44 SC) (including 3 seminars)Credit requirements for undergraduate major in information science and/or library science minor – 22 AC (44 SC) (including 3 seminars) . 

  Credit requirements for undergraduate major in information science and/or library science major/extended – 22 AC (44 SC) (including 3 seminars). 

Credit requirements for certified librarian / information science certificate studies – 18 AC (36 SC) (including 2 seminars). 

Students are required to write three seminar papers and to attend lab exercises, field trips, departmental colloquia, research studies and practical work (internship) (100 hours) and/or final project, and in department surveys. 

Language proficiency 

English at the master’s degree level (details on placement tests, course levels and exemption eligibility criteria – see introductory chapter). 

Students who do not obtain an English exemption on the placement test must pass their English course in their first year of study. This also applies to students admitted with prerequisite completion requirements. 

Jewish studies 

As per general requirements for the master's degree (see introductory chapter). 

• C In the Information Science program: 
  3 hrs (6 hrs): 

 
Course 35980 Introduction to 

Information Science 
Course 35728 Introduction to Data Management 
Course 35994 Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics 
 
In the field of information technology and in the field of digital humanities: 
 
4 hrs (8 hrs) 
 
Course 35980 Introduction to Information Science 
Course 35728 Introduction to Data Management 
Course 35994 Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics 
Course 35756 Mathematical Fundamentals of Data Science 

 
For  secondary  in Informatics - 2 hrs (4 hrs). 
 
Students wishing to continue their studies in a thesis-free track are required to complete a completion average of at least 80 with a passing grade in each of the courses. 
Students interested in continuing their studies in a track with a thesis are required to complete a completion average of at least 86 with a passing grade in each of the courses 

phd 

 Admission requirements

Thesis-based master’s degree with a minimum grade of 86. 

Recommendations from academic faculty members. 

A personal interview with the departmental committee chair. 

Approval of the School of Graduate Studies. 

For further details contact the department or the School of Graduate Studies. 
 

Research proposals are to be submitted by the end of the first year of study. 
 

Students without a background in information studies are required to make up courses totaling 4 AC (8 SC) in the Information Science program, 3 AC (6 SC) in Information Technologies and Digital Humanities areas of study. In some cases additional courses will be required. 

Students with a master’s degree in information studies must take 6 additional courses with a total credit load as agreed upon with the advisor (including 1 AC (2 SC) seminar + colloquium). 

Students without a master’s degree in information studies must take 8 additional courses with a total credit load as agreed upon with the advisor (including 1 AC (2 SC) seminar + colloquium). 

 In addition, all PhD students must register each year for the following course: 

999 – Dissertation 

Students must attend doctoral student forum meetings, departmental colloquia and guest lectures. 
 
  

For further details 
contact the department by phone at 03-5318351 or via email 
or visit the Department of Information Science website