Program Provider: The Rothberg International School (RIS) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ).

Program Site: Hebrew University's Mount Scopus campus.

Duration: Full academic year or spring semester. The academic year runs from September to June. The spring semester runs from January to June.

Eligibility: Minimum 3.0 GPA and two semesters of college-level Hebrew (or the equivalent).

Description: At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, approximately 24,000 students of all races and religions study on one of the university's four campuses. The Mt. Scopus campus is home to the Rothberg International School (RIS) as well as the Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Law, Jerusalem School of Business Administration, Bearwald School of Social Work, and the Mandel Institute of Jewish Studies. RIS welcomes over 1,200 study abroad students each year to pursue coursework while discovering the Israeli people, geography, culture, and politics.

Academics: All students attend an intensive three-week Hebrew language course, or Ulpan, prior to the beginning of the semester. Those with very advanced Hebrew are exempt. Year-long students attend the Ulpan in September, prior to the start of the fall semester in October.  Spring semester students attend the Ulpan from late January through mid-February, prior to the start of the spring semester in late February.

During the fall or spring semester, students must take Semester Hebrew (unless they place out with a very high level of Hebrew or they are in the Spring in Jerusalem program).  In addition to semester Hebrew, USC students are required to take a minimum of one regular HUJ course (taught in either English or Hebrew), and they take the remainder of their courses at RIS.  In regular HUJ courses there is likely to be a mix of Israeli and international students. In RIS courses, which are all taught in English, the students will be international students from around the world. RIS courses and HUJ courses operate on a slightly different academic calendar. USC students must plan on staying in Jerusalem until late June, as that is when the regular HUJ exam period ends (and USC students must take at least one HUJ course).

RIS offers courses in the interdisciplinary areas of Judaic, Israeli, and Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies.  Specific academic disciplines offerd in those areas include archaeology, history, international relations, law, literature, philosophy, political science, and religion.  RIS also offers courses in neuroscience and psychology. Examples of such courses are Trauma and Resilience, Military Psychology, and Psychology of Migration. In addition, students can take Arabic (several levels are available) and introductory Yiddish at RIS.

Spring in Jerusalem: The Spring in Jerusalem program is an honors program for students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students with a lower GPA are considered on a case-by-case basis. Students take at least two courses from a special list of advanced HUJ courses offered in English in areas such as environmental studies, urban and regional studies, brain research, behavior and genetics, Islamic and Middle East Studies, history of the Jewish people, and the study of rationalilty. Students take the balance of their courses at RIS. Students on this program are not required to take Semester Hebrew.

Course load and Credit: Students may earn between 16 and 18 USC units for the spring semester (inclusive of the Ulpan) and between 31 and 33 units for the year (inclusive of the Ulpan). NOTE: Ulpan credit and Semester Hebrew credits do not correspond to USC units on a one-to-one basis. More information on how many courses students take and how many USC units they can earn per course is available at the USC Dornsife Office of Overseas Studies.

Accommodations: Students are housed in the Scopus Student Village located next to campus. Each student is allocated a single room in a suite containing five bedrooms, a living room, dining area, kitchen, and bathroom. There is no meal plan available. 

Activities and Other Program Features: The RIS Office of Student Activities organizes a wide array of extracurricular programs including a Galilee/Golan weekend, a Sea-to-Sea hike, a trip to Eilat, meditation workshops, yoga and belly dancing classes and much more. Students may also join sports clubs on campus. Numerous volunteer opportunities are available; in past years students have worked as nurse's aides in a hospital, 'big brothers' to disadvantaged children, English tutors, and medics in Magen David Adom stations. Internship opportunities are also available in a wide variety of institutions.

Estimated Semester Cost:
Tuition...........................$10,850
Additional Expenses*........$9,342
Total.............................$20,192

Cost Updated: 12/12/11
Text Updated: 4/12/12

*Additional expenses include estimated costs for airfare, room and board, books and supplies, health insurance, and personal expenses (which can vary greatly from student to student). USC financial aid, scholarships, and tuition remission may be applied to program costs. Please visit the Office of Overseas Studies for more detailed cost information.