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Middle East and Islamic Studies

University of HaifaBachelor of Arts (B.A)

No psychometric exam — with a bagrut average of 100 or more

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Admission requirements

You can be admitted through one of these tracks:

Regular track

Admission based on sekhem score

  • Sekhem: 500 or higher (waitlist range – 450–499)
  • English level placement: Basic level or higher, based on the Amirnet exam or the English section of the psychometric exam
  • Hebrew level placement: a score of 105 or higher on the Yaelnet exam or the Hebrew placement test at the University of Haifa (conditional admission in the first year until a score of 120 is achieved) or successful completion of an academic Hebrew course as part of the university mechina

By bagrut, no psychometric exam

Direct admission without a psychometric exam based on the bagrut average

  • Full bagrut certificate with a weighted bagrut average of 100 or higher
  • English level placement: Basic level or higher, based on the Amirnet exam or the English section of the psychometric exam
  • Hebrew level placement: a score of 105 or higher on the Yaelnet exam or the Hebrew placement test at the University of Haifa (conditional admission in the first year until a score of 120 is achieved) or successful completion of an academic Hebrew course as part of the university mechina

Through a preparatory program

Admission through the University of Haifa mechina programs — direct admission to a degree(our wording)

  • Average grade of 85 or higher in the University of Haifa mechina
  • English level placement: Basic level or higher, based on the Amirnet exam or the English section of the psychometric exam
  • Hebrew level placement: a score of 105 or higher on the Yaelnet exam or the Hebrew placement test at the University of Haifa (conditional admission in the first year until a score of 120 is achieved) or successful completion of an academic Hebrew course as part of the university mechina

Regular track

Admission to the 2-year program

  • Sekhem: 500 or higher (waitlist range – 450–499)
  • English level placement: Basic level or higher, based on the Amirnet exam or the English section of the psychometric exam
  • Hebrew level placement: a score of 120 or higher on the Yaelnet exam, a Hebrew placement test at the University of Haifa, or successful completion of an academic Hebrew course as part of the university mechina
  • ∙ Raw psychometric score: 600 or higher
  • ∙ Admissions interview

Special track

Admission through the Ofek track toward a degree — based on a bagrut certificate — without a psychometric exam(our wording)

  • A full bagrut certificate with a weighted bagrut average of 85 or higher
  • English level placement: Basic level or higher, based on the Amirnet exam or the English section of the psychometric exam
  • Hebrew level placement: a score of 105 or higher on the Yaelnet exam or the Hebrew placement test at the University of Haifa (conditional admission in the first year until a score of 120 is achieved) or successful completion of an academic Hebrew course as part of the university mechina
  • Successfully completing 3 courses with a grade of 75 or higher during the first semester of studies
  • Only after completing the pre-academic track will you become a regular student
For adults and those who have studied before4

Admission for applicants who hold a degree from a recognized academic institution

  • Degree average: 80 or higher

Applicants over age 30

  • Direct admission without a psychometric exam based on the bagrut averageApplicants over age 30 – bagrut certificate/University of Haifa mechina with an average of 75 or higher
  • English level placement: Basic level or higher, based on the Amirnet exam or the English section of the psychometric exam
  • Hebrew level placement: a score of 105 or higher on the Yaelnet exam or the Hebrew placement test at the University of Haifa (conditional admission in the first year until a score of 120 is achieved) or successful completion of an academic Hebrew course as part of the university mechina

Applicants over age 42

  • Direct admission without a psychometric exam based on the bagrut averageApplicants over the age of 42 – bagrut certificate / University of Haifa mechina, with no average requirement
  • English level placement: Basic level or higher, based on the Amirnet exam or the English section of the psychometric exam
  • Hebrew level placement: a score of 105 or higher on the Yaelnet exam or the Hebrew placement test at the University of Haifa (conditional admission in the first year until a score of 120 is achieved) or successful completion of an academic Hebrew course as part of the university mechina

Admission through the transfer pathway from The Open University of Israel

  • Admission without a psychometric exam is possible through the Open University of Israel transfer tracks
  • Students must take the following 3 Open University courses (a total of 18 credit points) and earn the required grade in each course.
  • Introduction to the History of the Middle East in Modern Times2 – required grade: 65 or higher
  • The Middle East Between the World Wars2 – required grade: 65 or higher
  • Islam: An Introduction to the History of the Religion3 – required grade: 70 or higher
  • They must also meet the transfer track requirements for an additional department.
  • Students who wish to enter the faculty through the transfer track will be required to take courses at the Open University of Israel totaling 36 credit points (approximately equivalent to 1 academic year in the faculty) and earn the minimum required grade in each course, as determined by the department.
  • Admission to the selected double major track in the faculty is guaranteed to those who meet the above requirements, regardless of the combination of their bagrut subjects or their bagrut grades, and without the need for a psychometric exam.
  • Upon entering the faculty, students will be considered to have completed 1 full academic year.
  • Students seeking admission to the faculty through a transfer track must begin their studies at the faculty no later than 6 years after taking the first course listed in the relevant group at the Open University of Israel, and no later than 1 year after completing the last course in that group.
  • Students admitted to an advanced year in the faculty who do not have an exemption from English as a foreign language must complete the English requirements during their first academic year in the faculty.
  • Applicants whose high school language of instruction was not Hebrew and/or who did not take the psychometric exam in Hebrew must receive a score on the Yael exam (Hebrew proficiency test).

These are minimum requirements: meeting them does not by itself guarantee admission.

The requirements are in the institution's words. Names and labels marked "our wording" are our own, written from the same page.

The Hebrew terms

sekhemסכםwaitlist rangeטווח המתנהlevel placementסיווג רמהBasic levelבסיסיAmirnet examאמירנטpsychometric examפסיכומטריYaelnet examיעל"נטplacement testמבחן סיווג רמהmechinaמכינהdirect admissionקבלה ישירה

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What you study

We will focus on the origins of the 3 monotheistic religions, with an emphasis on Islam and its historical, religious, cultural, and economic complexity around the world.

After the degree

What graduates work as

  • Teaching in elementary schoolmost commonTeaching a range of subjects at the elementary-school level.

Which industries they work in

  • Education21%
  • Computer programming, computer consulting, and other related services14%

Average employment rate: 71% of graduates are employed 3–4 years after completing their studies(average across universities)

Graduates’ salaries similar to average: ₪15,200 average monthly salary 5–6 years after completing their studies(average across universities)

Most graduates go on to a master's degree(average across universities)

Admitted students and graduates

average across universities

  • Program length: 3 years
  • On-time graduation rate: 70% of students
  • Average bagrut score of admitted students: 102 points
  • Average psychometric score: 610 points

Money

How the institution is funded

Budgeted institutions

Tuition2026/27

Annual tuition for a full-time bachelor's degree program in the 2026/27 academic year: ₪12,203.

This field at other institutions

Questions and contact:info.shpieg@gmail.com

An unofficial guide. Every fact comes from a public source — the institutions' sites, the Council for Higher Education, the Labor Ministry's Avodata, the Ministry of Defense — and links to it. Requirements change: check the institution's site before you apply.

How the data was collected

  • The Council for Higher Education register of institutions and programs — 2 Oct 2026
  • Avodata, Ministry of Labor: fields, employment and pay — 2023 data, collected 2 Oct 2026
  • Institutions' sites: admission requirements — checked 2 Oct 2026–5 Oct 2026
  • The Russian, English and French text is machine-translated and reviewed; where they differ, the Hebrew original prevails

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