Students who come to Uhaifa International’s Study Abroad Program for a semester or year will have an experience they will never forget! Our numerous courses and special track programs can fulfill students’ wide ranging academic interests. Courses in the Study Abroad Program are taught in English by faculty from a variety of departments from within the University of Haifa. All courses are academically accredited in accordance with the standards and criteria of North American and European universities. While studying abroad here in Haifa, you will be able to explore the city’s beauty, its cultural life, and diversity, all of which are represented on campus.
Our extensive schedule of social activities includes a variety of trips and tours all over Israel: from the beautiful Galilee and Golan Heights to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and all the way down to the Dead Sea and Masada. You will gain in-depth familiarity not only with the history of Israel through the ages, but with the face of the contemporary country as well.
Our devoted administrative and Student Activity Coordinators are always available to help you with practical and personal matters, and to guide you to cultural activities on and off campus. While you are here with us, we are your family, your home away from home, 24/7.
The disciplines in which we offer courses include the following:
Anthropology
Arabic Language and Culture
Communications
Contemporary Israeli
English Language and Literature*
Economics and Business Management*
Hebrew Language
History
Holocaust Studies
Law*
Literature
Maritime Civilizations*
Middle Eastern Studies
Peace and Conflict Studies (Honors Program Available)
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology (Track Program Available)
Religious and Jewish Studies
Sociology
*Disciplines marked with an asterisk function on the departmental schedule of each department and not based on the International School calendar.
Please Note: All syllabi on the website are subject to minor changes prior to the beginning of the semester. The syllabus supplied at the start of each class will be the most up-to-date version.
The courses listed in the course catalog below are subject to cancellation due to insufficient enrollment.
* Courses marked with an asterisk are courses offered in English in other university departments. They work accordingly to a different schedule than the Study Abroad courses. Students must receive permission prior to the start of the semester to register for them.
Anthropology
Contemporary Arab Thought and Culture (Fall)
Intercultural Encounters: Through an Anthropological Lens (Spring)
The Palestinian-Arab Citizens of Israel: Politics, Society, and Culture (Spring)
Women in the Arab World (Spring)
Archeology
The Department of Maritime Civilizations (Spring)
Art
Fine Arts* (offering courses in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, print-making and lithography – portfolio required)
Contemporary Israel and Middle East Studies
Arab Israeli Relations (Spring)
Contemporary Arab Thought and Culture (Fall)
Parallel Narratives: Israel and Palestine Stories (Spring)
Political Economy of the Middle East (Spring)
Terrorism and Response (Fall)
The Palestinian-Arab Citizens of Israel: Politics, Society, and Culture (Spring)
Women in the Arab World: Beyond Stereotypes (Spring)
English Language and Literature
2023-2024 Department of English Course List
History
Arab Israeli Relations (Spring)
Contemporary Arab Thought and Culture (Fall)
Political Economy of the Middle East (Spring)
Terrorism and Response (Fall)
The Palestinian-Arab Citizens of Israel: Politics, Society, and Culture(Spring)
Women in the Arab World: Beyond Stereotypes (Spring)
Holocaust
Artistic Responses to Fascism (MA course)
Literature of the Shoah (Fall)
Language
Arabic Language Courses- Spoken Levantine Arabic:
Spoken Arabic Semester Course: Beginners 1 (Fall and Spring)
Spoken Arabic Semester Course: Beginners 2 (Spring)
Hebrew Language Courses
Hebrew Language Aleph: Beginners
Hebrew Language Bet: Lower Intermediate
Hebrew Language Gimel: Upper Intermediate
Hebrew Language Dalet: Lower Advanced
*Please Note: Course levels change each session depending on the participating students.
Law
Literature
Faith, Reason and Dogma in Jewish Philosophy (Spring)
Kabbalah versus Rationalism in Jewish Thought (Fall)
Literature of the Shoah (Fall)
Parallel Narratives: Israel and Palestine Stories (Spring)
Maritime Civilizations
The Department of Maritime Civilizations (Spring)
Peace and Conflict Studies
Arab Israeli Relations (Spring)
Terrorism and Response (Fall)
Philosophy
Faith, Reason and Dogma in Jewish Philosophy (Spring)
Kabbalah versus Rationalism in Jewish Thought (Fall)
Political Science
Arab Israeli Relations (Spring)
Contemporary Arab Thought and Culture (Fall)
Political Economy of the Middle East (Spring)
Terrorism and Response (Fall)
The Palestinian-Arab Citizens of Israel: Politics, Society, and Culture (Spring)
Women in the Arab World: Beyond Stereotypes (Spring)
Psychology
Mentored Research in a Psychological Science Laboratory (Fall and Spring)
Understanding Intergroup Conflicts: A Social Psychological Perspective (Fall)
Religious Studies
Faith, Reason and Dogma in Jewish Philosophy (Spring)
Kabbalah versus Rationalism in Jewish Thought (Fall)
Sociology
Contemporary Arab Thought and Culture (Fall)
The Palestinian-Arab Citizens of Israel: Politics, Society, and Culture (Spring)
Supplementary Forms:
If your transcripts are not from a college or university in the United States you must:
The normal course load for a student studying in the Study Abroad Program of UHaifa International is 15 credits per semester, though 12 credits is the minimum and 18 credits is the maximum. Students who drop below the 12 credit minimum will lose access to campus facilities such as dormitories and libraries, and scholarships may be revoked.
All of the courses in the Study Abroad Program of UHaifa International (with the exception of elementary language courses) are upper level undergraduate courses even if they contain introductory subjects. They require a research paper or mid-term examination and a final examination or paper. Students are permitted to audit courses, but audited courses will not count towards the required minimum number of credits students must take.
Credit Equivalence
Withdrawal from a Course: You may withdraw from a course within the first week of the fall or spring semester or within the first three days of a summer or an intensive course. The course will be erased from your registration and transcript. After final registration, no withdrawals are permitted, and all registered courses will appear on your transcript.
Incomplete Coursework, Late Submissions, Finals: Students who have not completed all required assignments by the end of the designated grading period following the end of the semester, will receive a number grade which reflects the course work done up until that point. The grade of “Incomplete” is not given in the Study Abroad program of UHaifa International. Late assignments will only be accepted with advance permission from the instructor and may result in a lower grade.
Students are not permitted to leave the program before the end of the semester/course. Final exams are given during the last week of the semester. Final exams in all language courses (Hebrew and Arabic) take place on the second to last day of the semester. Exams will not be given on any other day. Please keep this in mind when booking plane tickets.
Final papers/ seminar papers will be due after the semester has ended. Final papers are due two weeks after the end of the semester and seminar papers are due one month after the end of the semester. Exact dates of final paper submissions will be given during orientation and should be on course syllabi.
For full-time students studying in the fall or spring semester only, if you have extenuating circumstances and must leave the program early, you must submit the Multiple Petition Form to the International School within the first two weeks of the semester. The form will be reviewed by the Academic Adviser of the Study Abroad program. If approved, and if necessary, arrangements will be made for you to take your final exams at your home university with a proctor.
Syllabi for all courses in the Study Abroad Program of UHaifa International are published on our website. Students should consult with an academic advisor at their home university prior to coming to the University of Haifa to ensure that the courses they intend to select satisfy their particular degree requirements. Students are encouraged to seek approval from their home university for more courses then they will actually take while in Haifa, so that they have some flexibility when they need to submit their final course registration. The Study Abroad Program of UHaifa International School will assist all students who may have any questions about the suitability of their courses.
The following is the grading system in the Study Abroad Program of UHaifa International:
A+ = 97-100
A = 93-96
A- = 90-92
B+ = 87-89
B = 83-86
B- = 80-82
C+ = 77-79
C = 73-76
C- = 70-72
D+ = 67-69
D = 63-66
D- = 60-62
F = Below 60
There is no pass/fail option in the Study Abroad Program of UHaifa International.
Before the start of the semester, students will submit their preliminary course registration using an online registration form. This will be sent to students by email as their semester of study approaches. The first week of the semester is a “shopping period.” During this period students may attend as many courses as they wish, not only those that appear on the pre-registration form. After one full week of study, students will fill out and submit their Final Registration Form. After this, students may not add or drop courses, they may not change a course’s status from for credit to Audit , or from seminar to elective.
Our staff will be available to help students plan their course schedule. During orientation and throughout the shopping period, students will be able to make appointments for academic advising with Dr. Miryam Sivan, the academic advisor.
Students who are proficient in Hebrew may also register for courses in other departments of the University of Haifa. The Study Abroad staff will assist in registration for these courses. Students who select courses in other departments should note that the semester schedule of the University begins and ends later than the Study Abroad calendar. If you intend to take courses offered through other departments, you must be available to stay on campus for the duration of the course and possibly into the exam period.
Students who wish to take courses in other University departments, have one week of studies in the regular university to make a final decision about whether to register or not for a particular course. This week is usually one or two weeks later than the Study Abroad semester’s start. After that there is adding or dropping of them either, nor a change of status from for credit to Audit, or from seminar to elective.
Your official University of Haifa transcript is issued by the International School approximately one month after the end of the semester. While in Haifa, you will receive an email with a link to the Transcript Request Form. Here you will indicate the address or addresses to which you would like your transcripts to be sent. Before leaving the University, please make sure that you have indicated the precise address and mailing instructions. This will avoid unnecessary delays in the receipt of your transcript by your home university. You may also request that a copy of this transcript be sent to your home address.
Transcripts will not be issued unless all tuition, dormitory, activities, and gym fees as well as library fines have been paid and you have vacated your dormitory room in good order.
It is possible to order transcripts at a later date. There is a fee for these additional transcripts.
