The Department of Sociology and Anthropology >
This page is updated for the academic year 2023-2024.
Information for the academic year 2024-2025 will be updated in the coming days.
Master's Degree
Graduate studies in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Bar-Ilan University impart analytical tools for exploring the connections that bind the individual to society, and allow us to understand the reality in which we live. It would seem as if every life story, every institution, every interaction between people, is unique. The questions of whom we love, how we manage our time, the home we live in, the music we listen to or what makes us feel uncomfortable seem to characterize us uniquely, and justifiably so. At the same time, however, a sociological and anthropological view identifies these as repeating patterns, reflecting an invisible social order. Our identities, the way we feel we belong to our gender, our ethnic group, our social standing or our religious group, and the language through which we communicate about all these things or brush them off – all these are shaped by society and culture.
The courses and seminars in the Department help us answer a wide range of sociological questions, such as: What are the meanings behind familiar social labels such as ‘masculinity”, “old age”, “traditionality”, “Ashkenazi”, and how do these differ from context to context? How do economic changes like new markets and flexibility in employment affect inequality in society? How do labor organizations cope with processes of globalization? How do women and men integrate the conflicting demands of work and family, and what social forces result in workers (especially women) living under the poverty line? How do new technologies change social and political life? For example, how has Facebook affected our social and informational networks? In what social and historical situations are new religious groups shaped? What is the meaning of citizenship in a divided and polarized society? How do the labor market and the division of geographical space (for example between center and periphery) contribute to the disparities among groups and communities? Why are social movements important, and to what extent are they able to bring about change and social justice? What social language does our body speak? When do personal emotions, such as shame, become collective? How are authenticity, nationalism, or political rage shaped by society, and how do they affect political action? Do we have freedom of choice, and what is it that shapes the choices we make?
An anthropological perspective will take us on a journey through other cultures. It will offer surprising insights through which we learn both about the here and now in Israel and in the world, and on the role culture takes, together with symbolic systems, texts, and representative media, in the way humans understand reality. We will ask questions such as: Where did a gift-giving economy develop in the world instead of a monetary economy? How do perceptions and patterns of motherhood vary across cultures? How does culture affect collective and individual emotional experience? How are art and the cultural structure of religion connected? And what is the connection between the Internet and the tradition of thousands of years of familial respect?
The Graduate Studies program in the Department allows its participants to acquire tools for decoding and exploring a variety of social processes in different institutional spheres such as the family, the military, the work environment, the third sector, the economy, employment networks, and digital media, while understanding the interrelationship among them. Students develop analytical and applied tools allowing advanced understanding of cultures and societies as they are, and understanding at an in-depth level the society in which we live and the changes occurring in it.
Our Department has an exceptionally warm, family atmosphere. It provides its students with close academic guidance throughout their studies, assisting them in identifying suitable research topics, until degree completion and even beyond, assisting in publication of findings in local and international scientific platforms. The breadth and analytical abilities developed in the study of sociology and anthropology in our Department render our graduates ideal candidates for a wide range of positions in today’s workforce, which demands decision-making under conditions of social, gender, intercultural and age diversity.
Tracks and specializations
Two tracks are available in the Sociology & Anthropology Department’s M.A. program:
Track A – includes research and thesis submission.
Track B – not research-based.
The Department offers the following areas of specialization:
Social Psychology (Track A or B)
Organization Consulting (Track B)
Organizational Sociology (Track A)*
Society and Culture (Track A or B)
Digital Culture (Track A or B)
* In exceptional cases, it may be possible to transition to Track B during the second year of study.
The Department will also open the following specialization area in 2022/2023 subject to approval:
Urban Studies (Track A or B)
Further details on these specialty areas appear under the Curriculum section below, as well as on the Department’s website. .
Master’s degree by specialization
Admission criteria and requirements
- The Department considers admission candidates with a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 85 for the research-based Track A, and a minimum of 80 for the non-thesis Track B. Space is limited, and admission is competitive. Meeting minimum grade requirements does not guarantee admission. Preference is given to an undergraduate major in sociology and anthropology. Admission of applicants without a suitable background in social sciences is contingent upon completion of required background courses.
The Departmental Committee for Graduate Degrees reserves the right to consider those applicants with the highest chances for success in the program, and to recommend their admission to the School of Graduate Studies. To guarantee a fair decision, the Committee may choose to consider an application only after all required supporting material has been received, as specified below. Furthermore, the Committee has the right to ask applicants to submit seminar papers for its perusal, and to call applicants to a personal interview.
- When applying, a full undergraduate transcript must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies. If the full list of final grades is not yet available at that time, additional grades are to be sent as soon as they are available directly to the office of the Departmental Committee for Graduate Degrees.
3. Applications for admission to the Organizational Consulting program must include a resume, one academic faculty recommendation letter, and one employer’s recommendation letter. Applications for the other programs must include one or two letters of recommendation from academic faculty members who have taught the applicant at the undergraduate level, preferably in seminar courses. Recommendation forms may be obtained from the Department office, or from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology website. Referees are to send their completed recommendation forms directly to the the Departmental Committee for Graduate Degrees. We guarantee full confidentiality to the referees.
- Applicants admitted to the master’s degree long after completing their bachelor's degree in sociology and anthropology, or students who did not major in sociology and anthropology, or who have not taken basic sociology and anthropology courses at the undergraduate level, must complete background undergraduate courses (in addition to the normal master’s degree requirements), per decision of the Departmental Committee on Graduate Degrees and the School of Graduate Studies.
Background course completion does not earn students any master’s degree credits. Please note that these background courses do not necessarily fall on the same days of the week as most of the master’s degree areas’ courses (Wednesdays and Fridays). These courses must be completed with a minimum average grade of 76.
Students requesting exemption from background courses based on courses they have taken in the past are to submit a request to the Department before the start of the academic year describing the courses they have taken, including a course reading list.
Students who are required to take the structured background course in “Sociological Theories” may take the required “Selected Topics in Sociological Theories” only after completion of the background course.
*Curriculum
Registration for courses outside the Department
In exceptional cases, courses may be taken outside the Department, with approval from department heads of both the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the host department. Registration for courses outside the Department is with the host department.
Program format and schedule
Track A students (with thesis) must complete altogether 14 weekly hours (w/h) equal to 28 credit points (c/p), including 6 w/h (12 c/p) of the required departmental courses (not in their chosen program).
Track B students (without thesis) must complete 18 w/h equal to 36 c/p, including 5 w/h (10 c/p) of the required courses (not in their chosen program).
Days and hours of study
In most Programs, graduate courses are held on Wednesdays between 2:00-8:00 PM and on Fridays between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM. (The exact scheduling details will appear on the Department's website). Students in the Organizational Consulting program should plan for an additional half-day, during the first year of studies, for the practicum work.
Program duration and continuity of study
Program duration for coursework in Track B (non-thesis) is three semesters: fall and spring semester of the first year, and fall semester in the second year. Program duration for Track A (research-based) is two years, during which frontal coursework is completed in three semesters and the fourth semester is dedicated to thesis research work. Two programs – Society and Culture and Urban Studies - are an exception: frontal coursework, both in tracks A and B, takes two years.
The School of Graduate Studies may grant an extension for a third year to students in research tracks when such a case is deemed justified, if their research proposal has already been approved. Continuity of study must be maintained until degree completion. A leave of absence may be approved in exceptional cases only, for a short and clearly defined time period, provided an official request is made in advance. Students not studying / not registered / having left for any reason, without advanced approval, are considered as having given up their place in the Department. This statement is considered to be advanced notice to such students; no additional notification will be given regarding leaves of absence.
Taking courses in other university departments
In exceptional cases, students can enroll in courses outside of Sociology & Anthropology Department – not exceeding 4 w/h (8 c/p). This requires advance approval of both our Department and the one where the course is taken. Registration for the ‘external’ courses is done directly with the relevant Departments.
Departmental seminar
The department holds a seminar for faculty and graduate students. The seminar is an opportunity to become acquainted with sociological and anthropological research in Israel and to engage in an enriching dialogue among researchers that broadens the purview of participants. The seminar is held several times each semester, on Wednesdays between 12:00-2:00 PM. Seminars host lecturers, from within and outside the Department, on a range of topics in sociology and anthropology. Discussions are also held on current sociological and anthropological issues. The Department expects graduate students to take an active role in these seminars, and views this as an important component in building their professional identity, in remaining current in the field, and in developing their relationships with the community of knowledge in the social sciences.
Students should not register for university courses held during this slot on Wednesdays.
Submission of research proposal
Students in Track A must write a thesis. The thesis is based on individual research conducted under the guidance of a Department faculty member. Its purpose is to develop the student’s research skills and specialization in their chosen field of research, and to contribute to the knowledge base in that area. Finding a research advisor is the responsibility of the student. Students must prepare a research proposal as part of their thesis work. After the proposal has been approved by the advisor, it will be reviewed by another reader from within the Department. It will then be handed over to the School of Graduate Studies for approval.
Research proposals are to be submitted
by the end of the fall semester of the second year of study.
Advisors may, however, recommend an extension, if they feel the student can make good progress on the proposal.
If no contact has been made with the advisor for moving forward on the thesis proposal, and with no research progress, the Department has the right to transition the student to Track B.
Further details on the thesis proposal and thesis submission are published on the Department website under “Guidelines for preparing, submitting and writing a thesis proposal and a thesis.”
Thesis guidelines
See School of Graduate Studies Rules and Regulations in the introductory chapter.
Final exam in research track (Track A)
After thesis approval by the advisor, students are tested orally in their “thesis defense”. The team of examiners includes the advisor, the reviewer of the thesis, and sometimes an additional Department representative. The defense will address the student’s thesis and its contribution to the sociological and/or anthropological research area.
Thesis submission as an academic article
Students may submit their thesis in the format of an academic article, in Hebrew or English. The decision to submit a thesis as an academic article should be initiated by the advisor and not by the student.
Only upon recommendation of the advisor to the student, and subject to professional standards in the domain of the article, may the thesis be submitted in academic article format.
Review of the article is similar to standard thesis review; that is, two internal reviewers, including the research advisor.
In special cases, the article is sent out for additional external review. The advisor must submit reasons for external review in writing to the Chair of the Departmental master’s degree committee for approval, with a copy to the Department head.
Thesis-completion-only track (for holders of non-thesis master’s degrees from other recognized institutions)
Admission criteria
- A minimum master’s degree grade point average of 88, with a minimum grade of 90 in seminar papers.
- Admission to this track is conditional upon written agreement of a Department faculty member to serve as thesis advisor.
- Candidates with a non-research master’s degree who have studied sociology and anthropology from a university or academic college, and who have been admitted to the thesis completion track must take 5 credits of courses (including a 1-credit thesis seminar), per decision of the thesis advisor, the specialization head and the master’s degree Departmental committee Chair.
Program duration – two years.
Additional requirements
The School of Graduate Studies is authorized to require additional courses in accordance with its policy.
In general, instructions in this handbook expand upon University policy and do not diminish from them.
Scholarships
Students may obtain information on academic scholarships from the Scholarship Committee at the beginning of the academic year. Students should follow announcements on the University bulletin boards and website. Information on additional scholarships from outside the University may be found on the bulletin board of the Department and the scholarship committee in the Schleifer building (building #304).
For further details
Contact the Department office at 03-531-8378, via email,
or visit the Department of Sociology and Anthropology website
PhD
Admission process
The PhD admission process in the Department has several steps.
First, applicants meeting School of Graduate Studies admission requirements must establish contact with a potential advisor from the Department whose area of specialization is relevant to the topic they wish to explore. The next step is contingent upon finding a potential advisor willing to guide them.
After agreement with an advisor on the research topic and research question, candidates must present to that potential advisor a short description (up to five pages) of the research idea supported by the professional literature, and the intended research method (“pre-proposal”).
If that advisor views the document favorably, applicants may submit their candidacy to the School of Graduate Studies.
After applying to the School of Graduate Studies, the file is sent to the Departmental PhD Committee, who formulates a recommendation to the School of Graduate Studies. In order to construct a recommendation on the applicant’s sociological and anthropological research capabilities and the specific proposed research, the Committee requires the following documents, beyond the general details and information provided in the application form to the School of Graduate Studies:
- Two letters of recommendation from academic faculty members who could personally attest to the applicant’s research and academic abilities. To guarantee confidentiality, the letters of recommendation must be sent by the referees directly to the Department of Sociology and Anthropology office. The prospective advisor may not serve as a referee.
- The “pre-proposal” described above.
The minimum standard for applying to the PhD program in the Department is eligibility for a thesis-based master’s degree and agreement by a Department faculty member to serve as advisor. Generally, applicants admitted have a minimum master’s degree grade average and thesis grade of 90. Meeting these standards does not guarantee admission to the Department; rather, it is a necessary minimum condition for applying. The decision on admission to doctoral studies is based on many factors, each carrying their own relative weight, including relevant academic background, proposed research project in the pre-proposal document, letters of recommendations, and others.
The School of Graduate Studies does not guarantee admission to all applicants even if they meet minimum requirements and have been recommended for admission by the Department.
Combined track
Master’s degree students who have excelled in their first year of study and have made contact with a faculty member willing to serve as their research advisor should submit their application to the departmental PhD committee.
Students admitted to this track are exempt from their master’s degree thesis and instead submit a PhD research proposal by the end of the second year of master’s degree study.
The admission process to this track consists of several steps: first, submission of an application to the Departmental PhD Dommittee. The application should include transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the “pre-proposal” document (as described above). Second, if the Committee is willing to consider the candidate, they will allow them to perform a transition evaluation task for the PhD (detailed below) during the second year of the master’s degree. The Departmental committee’s recommendation to admit the student to the combined track is contingent upon passing the transition evaluation task. Third, applicants who pass the Departmental transition evaluation task, and meet the School of Graduate Studies combined track admission requirements, may submit their candidacy to the School of Graduate Studies PhD Committee at the end of the second year of study.
Admission to this track is dependent on several conditions, similar to admission to the standard track (see above), including letters of recommendation and a “pre-proposal” document (as detailed above), in addition to passing the transition evaluation task.
Background course completion
The departmental PhD Committee is authorized to admit students on condition that they complete necessary background courses. Missing background courses must be completed in the first year, with a minimum average grade of 85, or a higher grade as determined by the departmental Admissions Committee and/or the School of Graduate Studies. Candidates admitted begin to work with their advisor on their thesis proposal.
Transition evaluation task
In addition to research and academic requirements, applicants admitted to the Department must pass a transition evaluation task, to be submitted by the end of the first semester of their study, or by the end of the fall semester following their year of background course completion, if relevant.
The transition evaluation task is based on analysis of sources from sociology and/or anthropology literature, in accordance with the reading list composed by the advisor per guidelines of the departmental PhD committee.
The advisor and an additional faculty member evaluate the task and issue a grade of pass or fail. Passing the task is a condition for continuing study.
Research and coursework requirements
Research requirements include submitting a research proposal and conducting research as indicated in the introduction to the bulletin. The student attains official status as an enrolled research student in the Department only after the research proposal has been approved by University authorities.
Students must also participate in the PhD seminar in their first year of study, and take additional courses as specified in the introductory chapter of this information handbook.
Dissertation
Students submit their dissertation after completing all coursework requirements within the Department and outside of it. The dissertation is submitted to the departmental PhD Committee, who will forward copies of it to the School of Graduate Studies, after the necessary inspection. The dissertation must undergo review by two reviewers and must obtain the necessary approval per the School of Graduate Studies policy. Only officially enrolled students who were officially registered for at least two years may submit their dissertation.
Doctoral work may be submitted either as a standard dissertation or in the form of a collection of articles, per policy established by the School of Graduate Studies. To submit doctoral work as a collection of articles, students must obtain the written approval of their advisor. The expectation of the Department is that at least two of the three articles in the collection be written in English. Submission in English requires meeting the English writing standards and requirements of the School of Graduate Studies. The collection may not include the same article in two different languages.
Departmental Seminar and Doctoral Forum
The Department holds a seminar for faculty and graduate students. The seminar is an opportunity to become acquainted with sociological and anthropological research in Israel and to engage in an enriching dialogue among researchers that broadens the purview of participants. The seminar is held several times each semester, on Wednesdays, between 12:00-2:00 PM. Seminars host lecturers. from within and outside the Department, on a range of topics in sociology and anthropology. Discussions are also held on current sociological and anthropological issues. The Department expects graduate students to take an active role in these seminars, and views this as an important component in building their professional identity, in remaining current in the field, and in developing their relationships with the community of knowledge in the social sciences.
Do not register for University courses held on Wednesdays during this time slot.
The Doctoral Students' Forum convenes several times in the semester, on Wednesdays between 10:00-12:00 (in other weeks, this slot is dedicated to the doctoral students' workshop sessions, for first-year students only), and offers an arena for receiving feedback on draft doctoral students' articles and papers, professional tools required in the academic world, and responses to the current needs of the participants. Doctoral students are expected to participate actively in the Forum meetings.
Do not register for University courses held on Wednesdays during this time slot.
Students should not register for University courses held during that slot on Wednesdays.
Program duration and continuity of study
Doctoral studies span four years. The School of Graduate Studies may grant an extension for an additional year in cases which are deemed as justified. In such cases, an extension application should be filed using the appropriate School of Graduate Studies form.
Continuity of study must be maintained until degree completion.
Students not studying / not registered / having left for any reason, without advanced approval, are considered as having given up their place in the department. This statement is considered to be advanced notice to such students; no additional notification will be given regarding leaves of absence.
For further details, contact the Department
by phone at 03-531-8378, via email,
or visit the Department of Sociology and Anthropology website
Last Updated Date : 03/04/2024
