Ph.D. Tracks

updated: 03.06.2026

Further Information:

Information about studying towards a PhD - "Research Students Regulations" (Hebrew)

Admissions requirements & study framework

Guidelines for submitting a thesis

Guidelines for submitting a thesis composed of articles

Mandatory Safety Courses

Ph.D. Studies at the School of Physics and Astronomy

Senior Research Students Coordinator:

Phone: +972-3-6408209 lenor@tauex.tau.ac.il

Ph.D. Programs

Applicants may be admitted to one of two tracks:

Regular Ph.D. Track
Direct Ph.D. Track

Admission Requirements for Ph.D. Studies

Definitions

Doctor – Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Research Student Stage A – A student admitted to Ph.D. studies whose research proposal has not yet been approved
Research Student Stage B – A student whose research proposal has been approved
School’s Committee – The Research Students Committee of the School of Physics and Astronomy

General Rule:

School’s regulations may impose stricter requirements than University Regulations, but not more lenient ones. In the event of a discrepancy, university regulations prevail.

Admission Requirements – Regular Track

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

M.Sc. degree in Physics with a minimum grade of 80
A grade of at least 85 on the master's thesis
A grade of at least 80 on the final master’s exam
Agreement of a faculty member to serve as supervisor, subject to the Ph.D. committee approval

Additional notes:

The Admissions Office will evaluate international degrees and may require an interview
Applicants from other institutions (Israel or abroad) whose curriculum differs from TAU may be required to complete additional coursework
Applicants changing research fields may also be required to complete relevant courses
Applicants who do not meet the above requirements may apply to be admitted as conditional doctoral candidates for a period not exceeding 12 months. The requirements applicable to such candidates will be determined individually by the school’s Ph.D. committee and approved by the university committee. In cases of exceptional academic or research achievements, the school’s Ph.D. committee may consider deviations from the grade requirements specified in Sections 1 and 2, subject to approval by the university Ph.D. committee.”

After admission, students are exempt from part of the "additional expenses" of the tuition (students' benefits) by contacting the Tuition Department, Tel: 03-6405555

Admission Requirements – Direct Track (from M.Sc.)

Outstanding M.Sc. physics students at TAU’s School of Physics and Astronomy can be admitted to the direct Ph.D. program if they fulfill the current conditions:

Bachelor’s degree in Physics with a minimum grade of 85
Core courses (Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics, Quantum Physics, and Advanced Classical Physics) completed with an average grade of 85 across all three.
Completion of at least 18 semester hours by the end of the 3rd semester with a minimum average grade of 85
Agreement of a faculty member to serve as supervisor, subject to the Ph.D. committee approval

Upon meeting all requirements, the student will be admitted to the Stage A Direct Ph.D. Program. Student, pending approval of the school’s Ph.D. committee.

Registration documents

B.Sc./ M.Sc. or equivalent diploma or certificate of graduation, signed by the granting institution (certified copy).
Certified copies of the transcript of the B.Sc. and M.Sc. coursework.
Advisorship certificate from a TAU faculty member who is authorized and willing to serve as an advisor to the Ph.D. student, as well as to commit funds for a fellowship.
Curriculum Vitae
Passport photo

Candidates with diplomas/grades from abroad will have them assessed by the Registrations Office. Based on the office's assessment, the school’s Ph.D. committee will decide whether an interview is required. Candidates will need to comply with admission requirements determined by the school’s Ph.D. committee. The committee is entitled to require students with an M.Sc. degree from a university (in Israel or abroad) whose M.Sc. program is different from the TAU program to complete relevant courses as a condition of admission to the Ph.D. program.

Course of Study in the Regular Doctoral Track

Within 1.5 years of admission as a Stage A research student, the student must submit a research proposal approved by the supervisor.
The student must be examined on the research proposal in a designated examination. The examining committee will include the supervisor(s) and three faculty members qualified to supervise research students. In the research proposal examination, the student’s general knowledge in physics will be assessed, and the scope and feasibility of the research plan will be evaluated. Guidelines for writing a research proposal are attached here as an appendix. Guidelines for Writing a Research Proposal
The supervisory committee will submit its recommendation to the school’s Ph.D. committee for decision.
Upon approval by the Ph.D. school and the university's committees, the student will be admitted as a Stage B research student.
One and a half years after the transition to Stage B, the student must submit a progress report to the school’s committee. If the student has published a paper as first author during this period, the paper may serve as a substitute for the progress report.
The school’s committee will appoint a supervisory committee that will meet with and monitor the students' progress during Stage B. Meetings will take place at intervals of less than 1.5 years. A summary of each meeting and the committee’s recommendations will be submitted to the school’s committee, which will forward them to the supervisor(s)and the student. A full description of the procedure and the relevant forms can be found below.

Course of Study in the Direct Doctoral Track (from the Master’s Degree):

By the time the research proposal is submitted, the student must complete the coursework requirements for the master's degree.
The total course credit requirement within the direct doctoral track will be equal to the combined course requirements for both the Master’s and Doctoral degrees.
The student must submit the research proposal and be examined on it by the beginning of the fifth semester of their master's studies. Guidelines for writing a research proposal are attached as an appendix. Guidelines for Writing a Research Proposal
All other procedures for the course of study are identical to those in the regular doctoral track.
Passing the research proposal examination will exempt the student from the Master’s seminar requirement and will serve as the condition for advancement to Stage B of the research. The examining committee will submit its recommendation to the Ph.D. school’s committee for a decision. Upon approval by the school’s and the university's committees, the student will be admitted as a Stage B research student.
The student will be awarded a master's degree without a thesis, within the direct doctoral track, upon completion of all master's degree requirements and approval of the research proposal.

Returning to the Master’s Program

Students may return to the M.Sc. track at any stage and submit a thesis in accordance with the regulations.

Student Requirements During Doctoral Studies: Course Load and Supervision

During their studies, students must participate in advanced courses offered by the school, totaling at least 8 semester hours.

Of these 8 semester hours, the students must participate in a research seminar and give a presentation on their research topic. In addition, students must take a scientific writing course in English (this course is not included in the 8-hour count).
The student must complete the required course load within one year following approval of the research proposal, apart from the research seminar.
The student must act in accordance with the supervision arrangements as determined by the supervisor.

Submission of the Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation will be submitted for evaluation to the Ph.D. school’s committee for research students after completion of all other degree requirements. Guidelines for submitting a thesis
The dissertation shall be submitted in English. The school’s committee may approve writing in Hebrew upon submission of a reasoned request by the student, recommended by the supervisor, at least six months before the submission date. The dissertation must include a summary (abstract) and a title page in Hebrew.
The student may, with the supervisor's approval, publish parts of the research during the course of the study, provided that it is stated that the publication is part of research being conducted at the University. The dissertation must include a list of publications resulting from the research.
Approval may be requested from the Ph.D. school’s committee to submit the dissertation in the form of a collection of articles, subject to University regulations. Guidelines for submitting a thesis composed of articles.
Such a request must be made in advance. A dissertation composed of articles must be written entirely in the same language.
Upon completion of the dissertation, the student shall submit a PDF file of the dissertation, including a Hebrew abstract, as well as a separate copy of the abstract, a curriculum vitae, and a list of publications. The last three documents shall be submitted in English as separate files.

Evaluation of the Doctoral Dissertation

The evaluation procedures for a dissertation composed of articles shall be identical to those for a doctoral dissertation written in the standard format.
The supervisor(s) must submit the following documents to the Ph.D. school’s committee:
- A detailed evaluation including the main findings of the work, the student’s original contribution, and a statement addressing whether the work was carried out in accordance with the approved research proposal, or a description of the circumstances that led to any deviation.
- An accompanying letter detailing the contribution of the student to each of the articles resulting from the research, if such have been published. At the supervisor's discretion, articles that have been submitted but not accepted yet for publication may also be included. This letter will be forwarded to the reviewers along with the dissertation.
- A list of recommended reviewers, all holding the rank of Senior Lecturer or higher (or equivalent) in recognized academic institutions authorized to grant doctoral degrees. The appointment of a reviewer at the rank of Assistant Professor will be subject to the university committee's guidelines. The university committee may approve exceptions upon justification from the school’s committee, provided the reviewers have experience supervising research students. Reviewers who maintain research collaborations with the supervisor(s)or the student must not be proposed. (Restrictions on appointing reviewers are detailed in Section 80 of the university regulations for research students.)
The school’s committee shall appoint at least two experts in the field of research who will serve, together with the supervisor, as dissertation reviewers and oral examiners. At least one of these experts must be affiliated with another academic institution authorized to grant a Ph.D.
Additionally, the school’s committee shall appoint an anonymous reviewer who will evaluate the written dissertation, in addition to the named reviewers, but will not participate in the oral examination. The identity of the anonymous reviewer will be known only to the Ph.D. school’s committee and subsequently to the university committee for research students. Appointment of an anonymous reviewer is not required if the student has published:
- At least one paper in a Q1 journal as first author or equal-contributing first author, or
- At least two papers in Q2 journals as first author or equal contributor, or
- At least one paper in a conference with an acceptance rate of 30% or less, as first author or equal contributor.
The dissertation will be sent to all reviewers for evaluation and for submission of written reports within two months. The evaluations shall include a summary of the work and a recommendation as to whether it should be accepted as is, accepted with minor revisions (subject to the supervisor's approval), accepted after major revisions requiring re-evaluation, rewritten, or rejected. Each recommendation must be accompanied by justification and, where applicable, details of required revisions. Reviewers must also specify topics they wish the student to address during the oral examination. The reports will be provided to the supervisor(s)and the student no later than three working days before the oral examination. The oral examination will not be delayed if only minor revisions are requested, which may be completed after the examination.
The school’s committee secretariat shall schedule the date of the oral examination with the participation of the non-anonymous reviewers. The date will be set in advance, after obtaining the reviewers’ agreement to serve and before sending them the dissertation. Scheduling will form part of the reviewers’ commitment to adhere to the evaluation timeline. The examination will take place only after all reports are received and shared with all reviewers (with the anonymous reviewer’s identity withheld). The secretariat will send reminders to ensure timely submission. Failure to meet deadlines, leading to postponement, may constitute a breach of commitment, and the committee may consider replacing the reviewer.
After receiving all evaluations, if any reviewer recommends rejecting the dissertation, the Ph.D. school’s committee will recommend to the university committee the appointment of an additional special reviewer, in accordance with Section 81 of the university regulations. The student and supervisor(s) will be informed and given sufficient time to respond or revise the dissertation. The updated materials—including evaluations, response letters, and the committee’s recommendation—will be sent to the additional reviewer. The examination date will be postponed as necessary.
As a rule, the examination will take place in person, with the student, supervisor(s), and non-anonymous reviewers participating. However, the Ph.D. school’s committee may approve remote participation for some or all participants.
The oral examination shall last between one and two hours. The student will present the main findings and respond to examiners' questions. At the conclusion, the examiners must submit a “Defense Summary Form,” indicating whether there is any impediment to approving the degree, or any other comments they deem appropriate.
If, after the examination, it becomes clear that a reviewer is unfit to serve and additional reviewers are required to approve the degree, the newly appointed reviewer(s) will remain anonymous.
The school’s committee will review the evaluations and the oral examination summary and submit its recommendation to the university committee regarding whether to award the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.
These evaluation procedures apply to all research students in the school who submit their doctoral dissertations for evaluation from October 18, 2026, onward. With the school committee's approval, the new procedures may also be applied to students who choose to do so before this date.

Supervisory Committee Procedure for Ph.D. Students

The Ph.D. Supervisory Committee is intended to guide the student and propose effective ways to advance the research throughout the doctoral period. By default, the Supervisory Committee and the research proposal committee will consist of the same members.

Committee Composition:

Chair: A faculty member of the School of Physics and Astronomy at Tel Aviv University, at the rank of Senior Lecturer or higher (tenure track), with expertise in the research field.
Additional Members: Faculty members at the rank of Senior Lecturer or higher (tenure track), with expertise in the research field.
For Research Proposal Meetings: At least one committee member must be external, i.e., not a member of the senior academic faculty of Tel Aviv University.
Observer(s): The student’s doctoral supervisor(s).
At all meetings, the number of committee members (including the chair) must exceed the number of supervisors.

Requests by the students and their supervisor(s) to deviate from these guidelines must be submitted for approval to the School’s Ph.D. committee. For example, committee members may be replaced, or the interval between meetings may be extended. subject to such approval.

Appointment of Committee Members:

Before submission of the research proposal, the supervisor(s) will recommend relevant faculty members in the field, via the Graduate Studies Office, for approval by the Ph.D. school’s committee. The school’s committee may propose alternative or additional members as needed.
Subsequently, the Graduate Studies Office will contact the nominees to obtain their consent and will issue an official appointment letter along with the relevant documents. After the committee is formed, an official notice will be sent to the student and supervisor(s) listing the appointed members. Members of the supervisory committee will not serve as reviewers of the doctoral dissertation.

Scheduling Committee Meetings:

Responsibility for coordinating meetings with all supervisory committee members, according to the schedule detailed below, lies with the student and supervisor(s). Once a meeting date is set, the Graduate Studies Office must be notified. Before the meeting, the student must complete Part A of the meeting form (attached below) and send it to the office and the committee chair.

Committee Meetings:

It is recommended that the students prepare a presentation of up to 30 minutes to serve as the basis for discussion. The presentation should include a summary of the research topic, an update on progress since the previous meeting (including any deviations from the original research plan), and future research directions. The student may, but is not required to, send the presentation or other supporting materials to committee members in advance to facilitate a productive discussion. A copy of the presentation must be attached to the supervisory committee report.

The committee will convene at least three times during the doctoral studies:

Research Proposal Approval – no later than two months after submission of the research proposal and appointment of the committee.
Interim Progress Report – no later than one and a half years after submission of the research proposal.
Final Progress Report and Approval to Write the Thesis – no later than one and a half years after the interim meeting.

Meetings may be held in person or via video conference. No written report from the student is required for the interim and final progress reviews. Additional meetings may be scheduled at the committee’s request.

Failure to hold a meeting at the scheduled time, without appropriate written justification from the student and supervisor(s) and without approval of the Ph.D. school’s committee, may result in termination of the student’s scholarship and/or discontinuation of doctoral studies.

At the research proposal meeting, the supervisor(s) will introduce the student and participate in the entire session. At all other meetings, the student will present progress reports without the supervisor(s) present during the first part. Toward the end of the meeting, the supervisor(s) will join to discuss issues requiring clarification, without the student present.

Committee Recommendations:

The supervisory committee will prepare a summary report (PDF, Word) including recommendations at the end of each meeting and submit it to the Graduate Studies Office. The school’s committee will review the report to ensure the doctorate's proper progress. The recommendations will also be provided to the student and supervisor(s) and should be considered and implemented in the continuation of the research.

For the avoidance of doubt, the reports and evaluations issued by the supervisory committee are recommendations only. The decision regarding the direction and progression of the doctoral research rests solely with the supervisor(s). As a rule, the student and supervisor(s) will act in accordance with the committee’s recommendations. In case of significant deviation, a brief written justification must be submitted for review by the Ph.D. school’s committee.

The sole exception is that approval of the research proposal by the committee is a requirement for advancement to Stage B. Following the first meeting, a recommendation to approve the proposal will be forwarded to the university committee. A student whose proposal is approved by the university committee will be admitted as a Stage B research student.

Academic Writing Course in English for Physics Students

The course carries 4 semester hours and is mandatory for Ph.D. students in Stage A of their research.
The course is an additional requirement for advancement to Stage B of the doctoral program.
Students are advised to enroll in the course at the first opportunity it is offered after admission (the course is offered once per academic year).

To register for the “Academic Writing in English” course, please contact the Senior Research Students Coordinator, Ms. Lenor Roytman, at lenor@tauex.tau.ac.il or 03-6408209.

Faculty Safety Program for Graduate Students

The faculty safety program for graduate students includes an online safety course and a first aid course.

All Faculty Students

All master’s and Ph.D. students in the faculty are required to complete a first aid course only once during their degree, in their first year of study.

First Aid Course – (Course No. 0300.5001), available as an online module on Moodle.
Registration for the course is done through the bidding system.

Theoretical Research Students

Students engaged in theoretical research are required to complete an annual online safety course on electrical hazards and fire safety.

Safety and Electricity Course (Course No. 0300.5000) – registration is done through the bidding system.
The course is conducted via the Moodle platform.

Laboratory Research Students and/or Laboratory Instructors

Students engaged in laboratory research and/or teaching in laboratories are required to complete the online safety course each year. The training will cover the following topics: electrical hazards and fire safety, handling gas cylinders, and working with hazardous materials.

Safety and Electricity Course (Course No. 0300.5000) – registration is done through the bidding system.
The course is conducted via the Moodle platform.

Students working with lasers and radiation will receive additional training.

Important Notice

A passing grade must be obtained in the online safety course.
A passing grade must be obtained in the First Aid course.

Teaching Certificate in Physics

Ph.D. students may pursue a teaching certificate during Stage B.

For details, contact: Chen Levi – chenlevi@tauex.tau.ac.il

Student benefits and useful information:

Student card:
After tuition has been paid, a student card will be sent to the student's address as listed in the student records. For more information and additional student services please refer to the Dean of Students website.
Opening an email account:
The University allocates a username and an initial password to each student for identification in online services.
School scholarships and Teaching Assistant positions:
For information regarding eligibility for a Teaching Assistantship and for a scholarship as well as the required forms, please see the Scholarships and Teaching Assistant positions for PhD webpage.
Excellence awards:
At the beginning of each semester, students are encouraged to submit their CV and list of publications to the Ph.D. secretary, for consideration for research awards.
Funding scholarships for travel to conferences:
The University will help fund travel expenses and attendance at conferences, workshops and summer schools in Israel and abroad. Each Ph.D. student may take part in at least one of these activities. Financial support can be up to $1000 (one thousand US dollars).

Scholarship students who have "Kishrei Mada" funds in the University are eligible to use these funds to complement the funds mentioned above, if needed, up to a total of $1500 per trip. Scholarship recipients who make use of their "Kishrei Mada" funding for complementing these funds will not be eligible for additional funding for these expenses.

Scholarship students who do not redeem the rights granted to them in section 13 in the course of their PhD studies, may redeem them for post-doctoral purposes within 12 months of the final approval of their Ph.D. thesis.

For more information please contact Yakira Navaty, the Teaching & Scholarship Coordinator, Tel: 03-6408310 or via email: yakiran@tauex.tau.ac.il.