Ph.D. in Government — Admissions Process

Important dates:

Registration for the academic year 2026-2027 begins on January 1st, 2026.
The registration deadline is April 30th, 2026.

For more details, please contact the program Admissions Office at phd@runi.ac.il

Admission requirements

Applicants with an excellent academic record, indicating strong research ability, may be admitted to the Ph.D. program in government. Admission may be granted through one of the three tracks outlined below:

Applicants with a Master’s degree in government, political science, or international relations with a Master’s thesis:
Applicants who have completed a research-based Master’s degree with an average grade of at least 85 and a grade of at least 88 for the Master’s thesis are eligible to apply.
Applicants with a Master’s degree in government, political science, or international relations who have written a significant research paper equivalent to a thesis:
Applicants who have completed a Master’s degree with an average grade of at least 88 are eligible to apply, provided they have written a paper that demonstrates – both in quality and scope – a significant research contribution. If the paper was co-authored, the applicant’s name must appear first.
Applicants with a Master’s degree in another field (such as law, economics, or psychology):
Applicants who have completed a Master’s degree with an average grade of no less than 85 and a thesis grade of at least 88 are eligible to apply. Upon acceptance to the program, these students will be required to complete supplementary coursework in government, to be completed with a minimum average grade of 88.

Required documents

Applicants for the PhD in Government must submit scanned documents online to the admissions department, along with the application form, including:
• Curriculum Vitae
• Original copies of academic degree certificates
• Transcripts, including final weighted GPA for the aforementioned degrees
• Recommendation letters from two referees, at least one from academia
• List of academic publications (if applicable)
• Master's thesis or an equivalent research paper

Candidates who have completed a Master's thesis must include it in their application materials and provide an original confirmation of the thesis grade.

Upon confirmation from the admissions department that the application meets threshold requirements, candidates will be required to submit a statement of intent of up to three pages, detailing their motivation for pursuing the PhD, future professional aspirations, areas of interest, and the intended topic for their dissertation. Additionally, candidates will need to obtain the consent of a senior faculty member at the Lauder School of Government, at the rank of senior lecturer or higher, to serve as their PhD advisor.

Upon receiving confirmation from the registration office that the registration documents have been received and the eligibility criteria met, applicants will be required to write a research statement of approximately five pages. This document should detail the applicant’s motivation for pursuing a Ph.D., their future professional aspirations, areas of interest, and intended topic for their doctoral dissertation. The statement should provide a clear overview of the subject of research and the planned research methods. In addition, the consent in principle of a faculty member at the Lauder School of Government, at the rank of senior lecturer or higher, to serve as the student’s research advisor must be secured.

Registration fees

An application fee of 320₪ is required upon submission of the application. Registration fees cover a portion of the processing costs and are non-refundable under any circumstances, even in the event of cancellation of registration by the applicant.

For more details and to apply for the Ph.D. program, please contact: phd@runi.ac.il

Ph.D. in Government - Admissions Process