The TELEM-Glazer-Mudie Program for Graduate Studies in Political Science is a competitive, ambitious, challenging and fully funded academic track that combines master’s and doctoral studies into a distinctive training path for a select group of outstanding students. The program operates within the Department of Political Science at the Hebrew University, and it was built on the understanding that research excellence requires not only intellectual talent but also institutional support, systematic training and a vibrant academic community.
The program’s mission is to cultivate a new generation of political scientists with the depth, skills and confidence to ask original questions, produce cutting-edge research and make meaningful contributions to academic, professional and public life in Israel and beyond. TELEM offers a structured five-year course of study: two years of coursework leading to an M.A. thesis, followed by three years of doctoral work and dissertation writing. It is designed to place students at the forefront of the discipline.
TELEM students receive full tuition coverage, a living stipend, and paid opportunities to work as teaching and research assistants. This financial support reflects the program’s deep commitment to enabling students to devote themselves to research, learning and academic specialization. Students admitted to the program join a close-knit cohort of peers, surrounded by a challenging and supportive academic environment modeled on leading graduate schools in the United States.
Academic training in the TELEM program is both broad and deep. Students take advanced courses in political theory, comparative politics, public policy, political behavior, international relations and Israeli politics, along with intensive training in quantitative and qualitative research methods. They participate in department seminars, professional development workshops and peer study groups (“chavruta”). Beyond formal coursework, students receive close mentoring from program faculty, with support in every area, from writing academic papers to applying for grants, presenting research at conferences and navigating the early stages of a research career.
The program encourages global academic engagement. TELEM students frequently take part in international summer training programs, receive support for presenting their research at academic conferences around the world, and may include international scholars on their dissertation committees. Many spend a semester or more at partner institutions abroad. This global approach is not an add-on but an essential part of the program’s identity: excellent political scientists must be globally informed, grounded in rigorous research methods and intellectually bold. At the same time, TELEM is anchored in the Hebrew University’s mission to serve Israeli society. Students are encouraged to engage with the public and bring academic insights into civic life. TELEM reflects a vision of academia as both intellectually rigorous and socially engaged.
Our students are expected not only to meet the highest standards of academic achievement but also to take an active part in the life of the department and the wider intellectual community. They are trained to become thoughtful researchers, creative teachers and engaged citizens of the academic world. The program challenges them to move from consuming knowledge to creating it, and to take their place in shaping tomorrow’s research agenda.
In short, TELEM is not only a degree but an immersion in the craft and culture of academic research. It is a springboard for the most promising students in political science: a place where talent meets opportunity, ambition meets mentorship, and learning meets purpose.