click here to e-mail Boston University International Programs

  Israel

Term: Fall, Spring 
Dates: August-January, January-June

Description: The Haifa Language/Liberal Arts and Internship Program offers a semester in the bustling and cosmopolitan Mediterranean port of Haifa, Israel. The program combines language study on a kibbutz with coursework at the University of Haifa. Upon successful completion of the program, students earn between 16 and 20 Boston University credits. The Haifa Language and Liberal Arts Program offer a semester in the vibrant and cosmopolitan Mediterranean port of Haifa, Israel. The program combines language study on a kibbutz with course work at the University of Haifa and excursions in and outside of Israel. Upon successful completion of the program, students earn between 16 and 20 Boston University credits.

Highlights: The First Week
The semester begins with a week-long orientation to Israeli society in Jerusalem. Students participate in guided lecture tours of the Jewish and non-Jewish neighborhoods, tours of museums and cultural centers and archaeological seminars.

Weeks 2 to 7
Kibbutz-University Program at Kibbutz Ramot Menashe Students study in an elementary or intermediate Hebrew language course at Kibbutz Ramot Menashe while participating in the daily work life of the community alongside the kibbutz residents. Each student has an adopted kibbutz family with whom she or he can visit regularly. There is an organized program of lectures on contemporary Israeli politics, history and culture, in addition to a full program of hiking trips, tours, nightlife and other social activities.

Weeks 8 to 22
After the Kibbutz-University Program, students enroll in the University of Haifa's Department of Overseas Studies. Generally, each student takes four courses (usually 3 credit hours each) a semester, including a course in Hebrew or Arabic language (6 and 4 credits, respectively), a course related to the culture or history of Israel and the Middle East and courses in the student's area of interest in the general liberal arts curriculum. Students may also enroll in the Department of English, and art majors may enroll in the Department of Fine Arts. Students who are proficient in Hebrew may enroll directly in courses offered in other departments in the university.

Internships Available
Students are also able to participate in internships under the supervision of the Department of Overseas Studies and an on-site supervisor for academic credit. Students interested in an internship must send a special application that includes a statement of expectations and experience to the director of the internship program at the University of Haifa. This will be provided once you are accepted into the program.

Placements vary according to students' interests, backgrounds, and language abilities. Internships have been offered in such fields as medical services, archaeology, business, computer technologies, education, international trade, public relations, social work, conflict resolution, and women's studies. Past placements have included the Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Haifa and Galilee Research Center, Reuben and Edith Hecht Museum, Institute for the Study of Psychological Stress, Mount Carmel International Training Center and the Arab-Jewish Center. Course number and title depends on the field of specialization in which students complete their internships. Up to 4 Boston University credits are awarded for an internship.

University of Haifa
The University of Haifa, founded in 1963, is one of Israel's leading universities. Situated atop Mount Carmel in the beautiful city of Haifa, the university offers spectacular views of Carmel National Park and the Mediterranean coast. It boasts one of the finest English libraries in the country, a new Residence Hall Village, an internationally known museum of archaeology, and it is the future location of the IBM Research Center for the Middle East. Thirteen thousand students study in B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. programs. The university population is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse in Israel, with Jewish, Druze, Cherkessian, Bedouin, Muslim and Christian Arab students studying together in a harmonious academic community. Administration

The Department of Overseas Studies
Boston University's Haifa Program is administered by the Department of Overseas Studies at the University of Haifa. The department provides academic and social programs for international students to ease their integration into the university community and to acquaint them with the peoples and cultures of Israel. The department is small, offers a wide variety of courses and provides tutorials and guidance counseling.

Subject Areas: Arabic, Archaeology, Art/Fine Arts, International Relations, Internship Programs, Jewish Studies, Liberal Arts, Political Science/Politics, Religious Studies and Social Sciences

Cost in US$: Inquire for more info.

Cost Includes: Costs include tuition, housing, board stipend, field trips and round-trip group airfare from designated U.S. cities.

Experience Required: no