Programmes
The English Department at the Hebrew University offers a prestigious international programme for the study of literature in English. Our focus is on the British and American traditions supplemented by insights into South African, Canadian and Irish literatures. We pride ourselves on the high level of our Seminars and on the international reputation of our researchers.
Class discussions foster an enriching intellectual experience conducive to high-quality writing. We approach literary texts from a wide variety of perspectives: formal, thematic, historical.
Students come to the department with a broad range of interests and aspirations; some students view academia as their calling while others complement vocational studies in law, business or psychology with the development of language and writing skills and an education in the humanities, which greatly contribute to their personal and professional development. Many of our students find employment in academia, education, journalism, or translation.
See what our former students are saying
BA
BA Courses
In the first year of studies the emphasis is on introductory courses, training in the analysis of poetry and fiction, and academic writing. In the second year the focus shifts to a historical perspective. Particular attention is given to the genre of the novel, to topics in American culture, and to British literature in the Enlightenment, Romantic and Modernist periods. During the third year students are offered a variety of specialized elective courses, organised around a thematic core (villains, horror, paranoid hermeneutics, the female Bildungsroman), or reflecting the research interests of individual professors.
Over the course of three years, all students will take a total of 62 credit points and submit one seminar paper in the English Department. In their third year, students will take 12 credits of elective seminars (students majoring in Social Science will take 14 credits of elective seminars in the English Department).
**
*
Past programmes: 2015-16 / 2016-17 / 2017-18 / 2018-19 / 2019-20 / 2020-2021 / 2021-2022 / 2022-2023 / 2023-2024
.
New Track: English and Education
The English Department and the School of Education offer a BA degree in English Literature and Education (double major) with a teaching certificate in English. Students who meet the admission requirements will receive a scholarship of 5,000 NIS at the end of their first year and a tuition scholarship of 7,000 NIS in their second year. Participation is limited. For details, contact the English Department office or Department Chair.
MA
MA Courses
The courses offered in our MA programme showcase our faculty’s strengths and latest research interests. While offerings change from year to year, recent programmes have included seminars on the pastoral genre, Irish modernism, posthumanism, eco-criticism, Victorian culture, 9/11 fiction, as well as single-author courses on Milton, Nabokov, Shakespeare and J.M. Coetzee.
Students with an 80 average in undergraduate or supplementary studies in the English Department will be admitted to our Master's programme. Over the course of two years, all students will take three mandatory courses in literary theory (8 credit points, 4 each year) and 28 credits of elective seminars and skill/enrichment courses (a total of 36 credits for the degree, 18 each year). At least one course must cover the period before 1800. If they do not write a thesis, students will write two seminar papers in two of the courses; one of the seminar papers must be submitted before the students begin their second year. The curriculum of the skills/enrichment courses will be determined in consultation with the Graduate Advisor.
Admission to the Research Track: Candidates who wish to be admitted to the research track must have a 90+ grade point average in undergraduate or supplementary studies in the English Department. In addition to the course work detailed above, students in the research track of the Master's programme will be required to submit only one seminar paper (before their second year), take a written integrative exam on a question of general importance in literary criticism, and write a thesis by the end of the second year of their MA studies. They must earn high grades and follow a set schedule in order to stay on the research track.
For more information, please contact the graduate studies advisor, Prof. Galia Benziman (galia.benziman@mail.huji.ac.il)
**
Past programmes: 2015-2016 / 2016-2017 / 2017-2018 / 2018-2019 / 2019-2020 / 2020-2021 / 2021-2022 / 2022-2023 / 2023-2024
PhD
PhD
PhD students are an important part of the Department's intellectual community. They are encouraged to attend staff seminars and take an active role in organising outreach events and graduate symposia (see events page).Scholarships and Prizes
Every year, the English Department offers its BA, MA and Doctoral students a variety of bursaries and prizes, in addition to scholarships for fully funded study trips abroad (England, Ireland, California, Italy). Below is a select list of prizes offered in recent years.
New *Scholarships for BA Students*
The English Department and the School of Education offer a BA degree in English Literature and Education (double major) with a teaching certificate in English. Students who meet the admission requirements will receive a scholarship of 5,000 NIS at the end of their first year and a tuition scholarship of 7,000 NIS in their second year. Participation is limited. For details, contact the English Department office or Department Chair.
The Beckett Prize
The Beckett Prize is a prestigious essay competition for graduate students. The prize consists of a substantial bursary, inclusive of travel costs and registration fees to the Samuel Beckett Summer School at Trinity College Dublin. From the school’s website:
The Samuel Beckett Summer School provides a unique experience for students, scholars and lovers of Beckett’s works. Each year we invite the world’s foremost Beckett scholars to present new lectures and seminars on all aspects of Beckett’s works. The School appeals to a wide range of Beckett enthusiasts by providing the opportunity to experience, savour and study Beckett’s works in the university where he began his intellectual life.
For more information contact Ruben Borg (ruben.borg@mail.huji.ac.il).
***
The Dickens Prize
Two Dickens Prizes are awarded yearly to Graduate students of the English Department. The Prizes allow students to attend “The Dickens Universe,” a week-long summer camp and lecture series at the University of California Santa Cruz. Every year, in August, a different novel by Dickens is studied within the framework of the Project. For enquiries contact Prof. Galia Benziman (galia.benziman@mail.huji.ac.il).
***
The Teitelbaum Prize
The prize is awarded to Graduate students for excellent work completed at undergraduate level. Winners are determined on the basis of their grade average and teacher recommendations.
***
Theodore A. Harris Prizes (for General Excellence & for Excellent Work on the Novel)
The Harris prizes are awarded in memory of Theodore A. Harris, Professor of English literature, by his family, through the British Friends of the Hebrew University. Every year two Harris prizes are awarded: one for general excellence in the second year of undergraduate study, and one for the best essay on the novel.
***
The Joseph Conrad Prize
A substantial scholarship for graduate students who intend to write an MA thesis or a PhD dissertation on Joseph Conrad. The prize (consisting of a monthly stipend) will go to the author of the best essay on Joseph Conrad. For details check the call for applications or contact yael.levin@mail.huji.ac.il
***
The Sheila and Danny Deutsch Annual Prize
The Sheila and Danny Deutsch Annual Prize is awarded to the first-year full-time English Major Student with the best grade average in first-year English Department courses.
***
The Annenberg Foundation Graduate Scholarships
The scholarships, in memory of Emily Budick, are intended for Graduate students whose research will focus on a topic of relevance to American Literature and Culture. There are two types of awards:
- $2,500, for MA students.
- Up to $10,000, for PhD candidates.
For details please contact the secretary of the English Department or the Department Chair.
***
Gisela Gross and Edward Gross Fellowship for Doctoral Research in English Literature
A sizeable one-year scholarship for doctoral students. Eligible candidates must have completed at least one year of research in the doctoral program.
***
Students may also apply for financial aid and scholarships at the following sites:
https://www.universities-colleges.org.il/P32473/
Graduate, PhD and Postdoc scholarships
https://www.universities-colleges.org.il/P32473/?show=4&f=108627
*New* Scholarships for BA Students
The English Department is pleased to announce a number of scholarships for BA students enrolled in the English Literature program (double major with Education). Successful applicants will receive a scholarship of 5,000 NIS at the end of their first year and a tuition scholarship of 7,000 NIS in their second year. For details, contact the English Department office or Department Chair.
.
Seminar Paper: Guidelines
Shakespeare International Summer School
The English Department at the Hebrew University offers its students an opportunity to participate in a new summer course on Shakespeare in Verona, Italy. Hosted by the Skenè Research Centre, Verona, this exciting initiative will approach Shakespeare from a double perspective that integrates source studies and performance studies. This year, the course will be devoted to The Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night.
Upon successful completion of the course (including a test and a final paper), participants will earn two academic credit points. More details here.
For information, contact Dr. Micha Lazarus: micha.lazarus@mail.huji.ac.il
