MSc credit points, courses and rotations requirements

As of the academic year 2024-2025, there is only one track in the Physics MSc program and below are the updated academic requirements:

Credit points (CPs) accumulation (Total of 52 CPs):

• 40 CPs from courses and other assignments. At least 28 CPs should be taken in the first year, out of which at least 19 CPs should be taken in the first semester (including the 4 CPs of the experimental projects course).
• 12 CPs for the MSc thesis.

Obligatory orientation courses (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Obligatory Courses

 (16 CPs)

• Quantum Mechanics I - must be taken in the first year (6 CPs)
• Statistical Physics (6 CPs)
• Experimental projects - must be taken in the first year (4 CPs)
• Student Seminar - must be taken in the second year (0 CPs)

Note: As of academic year 2024-2025 Quantum Mechanics II is not a mandatory course.

Optional Rotation (3 CPs per semester-long rotation)

Rotations are a great way to interact with groups/labs of interest and make sure that they are a good match for your research interests.

Students are required to find a host group and agree with the group head on doing a rotation, and then obtain the approval of the physics board of studies.

The expected workload is equivalent to one day a week throughout the semester (though can be distributed throughout the week or concentrated into parts of the semester, if preferable, as agreed upon with the head of the host group).

The grade for a rotation is pass/fail.

External courses

Upon approval of the Board of Studies, students may receive credit for advanced courses taken at other institutions and may receive an exemption from mandatory Ms.C. courses.

Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference.

Excluding a course from the personal Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfil their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

WSoS courses offered by other faculties at Weizmann

• Physics elective courses may be taken either in the faculty of physics or in other faculties (eligible courses are defined on the WSoS website as “Physical Sciences”).
• Students may take up to 8 CP in non-physics courses.
• Passing the 8 CP limit will be considered by the BOS on a case-by-case basis.

For students who started their studies prior to the 2024-2025 academic year

Credit points (CPs) accumulation

• 40 CPs from courses and other assignments. At least 28 CPs in the first year and the balance in the second year.

• 12 CPs for the MSc thesis.

Obligatory orientation courses (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Obligatory Courses

Physics track (22 CPs)

• Quantum Mechanics I - must be taken in the first year (6 CPs)
• Quantum Mechanics II - must be taken in the first year (6 CPs)
• Statistical Physics (6 CPs)
• Experimental projects - must be taken in the first year (4 CPs)
• Student Seminar - must be taken in the second year (0 CPs)

Applied Physics track (16 CPs)

• Quantum Mechanics I - must be taken in the first year (6 CPs)
• Statistical Physics - must be taken in the first year (6 CPs)
• Experimental projects - must be taken in the first year (4 CPs)
• Student Seminar - must be taken in the second year (0 CPs)

Biological Physics track (16 CPs)

• Quantum Mechanics I - must be taken in the first year (6 CPs)
• Statistical Physics - must be taken in the first year (6 CPs)
• Experimental projects - must be taken in the first year (4 CPs)
• Student Seminar - must be taken in the second year (0 CPs)

Optional Rotation (3 CPs per rotation)

It is encouraged in the Applied Physics track and the Biological Physics track to take a rotation during the first, second or both semesters. Students must consult with the Board of Studies concerning the placement.

Elective Courses

Total credit points must be 40. It can be accumulated from courses offered by the Board of Studies in Physical Sciences or from other faculties.
 

External courses
Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference.

Excluding a course from the personal Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfil their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

WSoS courses offered by other faculties

• Physics elective courses may be taken either in the faculty of physics or in other faculties (eligible courses are defined on the WSoS website as “Physical Sciences”).
• Students may take up to 8 CP in non-physics courses.
• Passing the 8 CP limit will be considered by the BOS on a case-by-case basis.

Credit points (CPs) accumulation

• 24 CPs from courses and other assignments. At least 16 CPs in the first year and the balance in the second year.
• 12 CPs for the MSc thesis.
• Students may earn credit points from courses offered by other Boards of Studies ONLY if the courses are categorized as shared courses and appear in the choice list under Chemistry. Earning credit points from a non-shared course will be allowed ONLY after obtaining approval from the Board of Studies in Chemistry in advance.

Obligatory orientation courses (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Rotations (0 CPs)

• Students must do three rotations in three different Research Groups.
• Two rotations must be done in the Faculty of Chemistry.
• Up to two rotations are allowed in the same department.
• Each Research Group may host up to three rotation students per year and only one student per rotation.
• Exemptions must be approved by the Board of Studies.

Obligatory Courses / presentations (1 CPs)

• Research Presentations - must be taken by first year MSc students (0.5 CPs).
• Public Presentation of the thesis - Second year MSc students must present their thesis in front of an audience, either immediately before or after their MSc defense exam ( 0.5 CPs).

Obligatory Courses for students with Physics and Engineering (excluding Chemical Engineering ) background (2 CPs)

• General chemistry
   

 Core Courses (9 CPs)

• The Board of Studies in Chemical Sciences offers every year several core courses.
• MSc students must take at least three core courses (within the four semesters of their studies).
• Students should consult the online course schedule about core courses that are offered by their Board of Studies, including the availability of these courses.

Elective Courses (14 CPs)
Elective credit points must be accumulated from courses offered by the Board of Studies in Chemical Sciences and courses offered by other Boards of Studies - provided they have a prior approval by the Board of Studies in Chemical Sciences.

External courses
Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference.

You may consult the following - 

Online courses on climate change and sustainability 

Excluding a course from the personal Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfil their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

WSoS courses offered by other faculties

Chemistry students may take one of the following three philosophy courses (offered by the Life Science faculty):

• History and Philosophy, Intelligence and Computing
• Philosophy of science
• Philosophy of Science - from Theory to Practice

Credit points (CPs) accumulation

• 24 CPs from courses and other assignments. At least 12 (and no more than 20) CPs in the first year and the balance in the second year.
• 12 CPs for the MSc thesis.

Obligatory orientations (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Rotations

• Students must do three rotations in three different Research Groups during their first academic year.
• Each Research Group may host up to four rotation students per year.
• Previous work or summer programs are not considered to be rotations.

Obligatory courses (6 CPs)

• Introduction to Statistics - must be taken in the first year (4 CPs).
• Scientific Writing - For second-year students. (1 CPs).
• ExCLS Cluster Seminar (1CP) 
• Students should consult, at the beginning of the academic year, with the head of the track about the list of obligatory courses, if such exists.

Elective courses

• Many elective courses are offered by the Board of Studies once every two years.
• Students may select elective courses from all courses offered within the Life Sciences program, or other courses approved by the Board of Studies in Life Sciences.
• Students should mind the following restrictions:  Up to 8 CPs from approved external courses. Up to 3 CPs from laboratory courses; Up to 0.5 CP from a lecture given in conference or in a departmental seminar.

Important!

Any deviation from the guidelines outlined above must be approved by the Board of Studies in Life Sciences. Requests may be submitted through the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator.

External courses
Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference.

You may consult the following list of external courses that are offered by the Faculty of Agriculture (HUJI) or Coursera.

Excluding a course from the personal Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfiil their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Carrying surplus credit points from your MSc studies to your PhD studies at WSoS
Upon starting your PhD studies at WSoS, you may approach your WSoS coordinator and ask that the number of credit points be reduced from 12 to 10 provided that you:

• Continued from MSc to Ph.D. without a break (or with a gap of no more than one year)
• Accumulated at least two extra credit points in your MSc studies (e.g., 26 instead of 24)

For students in the Ph.D. direct track, the Graduate School automatically considers all their M.Sc. courses, grades, and credit points as part of their Ph.D. transcript. In this case, the total number of credit points they must complete to receive a PhD is 30.

Credit points

• 24 CPs from courses and other assignments. At least 12 (and no more than 20) CPs in the first year and the balance in the second year.
• 12 CPs for the MSc thesis.

Obligatory orientations (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Rotations

• Students must do three rotations in three different Research Groups.
• Previous work or summer programs are not considered to be rotations.
• Each Research Group may host up to four rotation students per year.
• At least two of your three rotations must be conducted in labs related to Brain Research, in any department at the Weizmann Institute. A list of Research Groups that are affiliated with this track will be sent to all first-year MSc students prior to the beginning of the first semester.

Obligatory courses (7 CPs)

• Introduction to Statistics. This course must be taken in the first year (4 CPs)
• Scientific Writing. - For second-year students. (1 CPs).
• Methods in Neuroscience -Theory and Practical (2 CPs)

​​​​​​​Core courses (7.5 CPs)

• Students must take three core courses
• If a core course carries more than 2.5 CPs then the balance is counted toward elective CPs.
• Students in this field of study must take at least three of the following core courses (they are offered every other year):
• Introduction to Neuroscience: Cellular and Synaptic Physiology
• Introduction to Neuroscience: Behavioral Neuroscience
• Introduction to Neuroscience: Molecular Neuroscience - Genes to Behavior
• Introduction to Neuroscience: Systems Neuroscience
• Data analysis and models in neuroscience

Complementary courses
Beyond the above-mentioned courses, each student is required for complementary courses from the list below. The complementary courses are determined by the director of the track for each student according to his/her specific background (e.g., students with no background in Biology are required to take the course "An overview of molecular biology"; students with no background in Math will either take the "Mathematics for biologists" or the "Differential equations for Chemists"). Complementary courses are regarded as elective courses (see below).

• Introduction to MATLAB and data analysis
• Mathematics for biologists or Differential equations for Chemists
• An overview of molecular biology - adapted for young in biology
• Neuroanatomy and Neuroanatomy lab

Elective courses (9.5 CPs)

• Many elective courses are offered by the Board of Studies once every two years.
• Students may select elective courses from all courses offered under Life Sciences - Brain Sciences program, or other courses approved by the Board of Studies in Life Sciences.
• Students should mind the following restrictions: Up to 5 CPs from approved external courses. Up to 3 CPs from laboratory courses; Up to 0.5 CP from a lecture given in conference or in a departmental seminar.

Important!
Any deviation from the guidelines outlined above must be approved by the Board of Studies in Life Sciences. Requests may be submitted through the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator.

External courses
Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference.

You may consult the following list of external courses offered by the Faculty of Agriculture (HUJI) or Coursera.

Excluding a course from the personal Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfill their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Carrying surplus credit points from your MSc studies to your PhD studies at WSoS
Upon starting your PhD studies at WSoS, you may approach your WSoS coordinator and ask that the number of credit points be reduced from 12 to 10 provided that you:

• Continued from MSc to Ph.D. without a break (or with a gap of no more than one year)
• Accumulated at least two extra credit points in your MSc studies (e.g., 26 instead of 24)

IFor students in the Ph.D. direct track, the Graduate School automatically considers all their M.Sc. courses, grades, and credit points as part of their Ph.D. transcript. In this case, the total number of credit points they must complete to receive a PhD is 30.

Credit points (CPs) accumulation

• 24 CPs from courses and other assignments. At least 12 (and no more than 20) CPs in the first year and the balance in the second year.
• 12 CPs for the MSc thesis.

Obligatory orientation courses (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Rotations

• Students must do three rotations in three different Research Groups.
• Each Research Group may host up to four rotation students per year and only one student per rotation.

Obligatory courses

• Introduction to Statistics. This course must be taken in the first year (4 CPs)
• Scientific Writing - For second-year students (1 CPs).
• Students should consult, at the beginning of the academic year, with the head of the track about the list obligatory courses in neuroscience.

Elective courses

• Many elective courses are offered Board of Studies once every two years.
• Students may select elective courses from all courses offered within the Life Sciences program, or other courses approved by the Board of Studies in Life Sciences.
• Students should mind the following restrictions:  Up to 8 CPs from approved external courses. Up to 3 CPs from laboratory courses; Up to 0.5 CP from a lecture given in conference or in a departmental seminar.

Important!
Any deviation from the guidelines outlined above must be approved by the Board of Studies in Life Sciences. Requests may be submitted through the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator.

External courses
Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference

You may consult the following list of external courses offered by the Faculty of Agriculture (HUJI) or Coursera.

Excluding a course from the personal Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfill their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Carrying surplus credit points from your MSc studies to your PhD studies at WSoS
Upon starting your PhD studies at WSoS, you may approach your WSoS coordinator and ask that the number of credit points be reduced from 12 to 10 provided that you:

• Continued from MSc to Ph.D. without a break (or with a gap of no more than one year)
• Accumulated at least two extra credit points in your MSc studies (e.g., 26 instead of 24)

For students in the Ph.D. direct track, the Graduate School automatically considers all their M.Sc. courses, grades, and credit points as part of their Ph.D. transcript. In this case, the total number of credit points they must complete to receive a PhD is 30.

Credit points (CPs) accumulation

• 24 CPs from courses and other assignments. At least 12 (and no more than 20) CPs in the first year and the balance in the second year.
• 12 CPs for the MSc thesis.

Obligatory orientation courses (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Rotations

• Students must do three rotations in three different Research Groups
• Each Research Group may host up to four rotation students per year and only one student per rotation.

Obligatory courses

• Introduction to Statistics - must be taken in the first year (4 CPs)
• Scientific Writing - For second-year students (1 CPs).

Core courses

• Students must take the following core courses:
  • • An Overview of Molecular Cell Biology- adapted for young in biology
    • Computational Systems Biology Seminar - Year 1
    • Principles and practice of large scale data analysis using R
    • Projects in data science
    • Basic programming skills (Python)
    • Computational Systems Biology Seminar - Year 2
    • Basic programming skills (Python)
    • Introduction to Machine Learning and Statistics
• Students should consult at the beginning of the academic year with the Head of the track about updates to the list of obligatory courses relevant to this track.

Elective courses (8 CPs)

• Most elective courses are offered by the Board of Studies once every two years.
• Students may select elective courses from all courses offered within the Life Sciences program, or other courses approved by the Board of Studies in Life Sciences.
• Students should mind the following restrictions:  Up to 5 CPs from approved external courses. Up to 3 CPs from laboratory courses; Up to 0.5 CP from a lecture given in conference or in a departmental seminar.

Important!
Any deviation from the guidelines outlined above must be approved by the Board of Studies in Life Sciences. Requests may be submitted through the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator.
External courses Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference. Requests may be submitted through the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator.

You may consult the following list of external courses offered by the Faculty of Agriculture (HUJI) or Coursera.

Excluding a course from the personal Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfill their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Carrying surplus credit points from your MSc studies to your PhD studies at WSoS
Upon starting your PhD studies at WSoS, you may approach your WSoS coordinator and ask that the number of credit points be reduced from 12 to 10 provided that you:

• Continued from MSc to Ph.D. without a break (or with a gap of no more than one year)
• Accumulated at least two extra credit points in your MSc studies (e.g., 26 instead of 24)

For students in the Ph.D. direct track, the Graduate School automatically considers all their M.Sc. courses, grades, and credit points as part of their Ph.D. transcript. In this case, the total number of credit points they must complete to receive a PhD is 30.

Important note
Students in this track are not awarded a degree in Archeological Science, but rather a Master's degree either in Chemical Sciences or in Life Sciences. Therefore, as far as obligatory and core courses are concerned, students must pay attention to the notes herein and be consistent in following the requirements corresponding to either Chemical Sciences or Life Sciences.

Credit points
Students must accumulate 24 credit points (CPs)
At least 16 in the first year, and the balance in the second year.

Obligatory orientation courses (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Rotations

Students must do three rotations in three different Research Groups in the first year.

• One of the rotations can be substituted by a 2-week participation in an archeological excavation.

Obligatory Courses / Presentations (9 CPs)

• Field school in micro-archaeology (4 CPs)
• Introduction to Statistics - must be taken in the first year (4 CPs).
• Scientific Writing - For second-year students. (1 CPs).

Core Courses (7.5 CPs)
Students should take at least three core courses during their two-year studies. All three courses must be offered either by the Board of Studies in Chemical Sciences or by the Board of Studies of the Life Sciences. Students should consult the online course schedule about core courses that are offered by the relevant Board of Studies, including the availability of these courses.

Prescribed Courses
The Board of Studies is likely to prescribe to students (on an individual basis) basic courses in either basic sciences or archeology/anthropology (the number of credit points for each such course will be determined in advance by the Board of Studies).

Elective Courses (0-8.5 CPs)

• Guided reading in archeological science (2 CPs)
• Weekly archeological seminar (1 CPs)
• Methodology courses - e.g. electron microscopy (1 CPs)
• Archeological Excavation - In addition to substituting a rotation with a participation in an archeological excavation, student may participate in another 2 or 3-week excavation and submit a 5-page report on the findings (2 CPs).
• Conference Presentations (0.5 CPs).
• Other elective courses offered by the Boards of Studies in Chemical Sciences, or the Board of Studies in the Life Sciences.

External courses
Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference.

Excluding a course from the personal GPA
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfill their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Carrying surplus credit points from your MSc studies to your PhD studies at WSoS

Upon starting your PhD studies at WSoS, you may approach your WSoS coordinator and ask that the number of credit points be reduced from 12 to 10 provided that you:

• Continued from MSc to Ph.D. without a break (or with a gap of no more than one year)
• Accumulated at least two extra credit points in your MSc studies (e.g., 26 instead of 24)
• For students in the Ph.D. direct track, the Graduate School automatically considers all their M.Sc. courses, grades, and credit points as part of their Ph.D. transcript. In this case, the total number of credit points they must complete to receive a PhD is 30.

Math and CS BoS policy - please follow the link - Mathemetics and Computer Science Board of Studies website

Credit points (CPs) accumulation

• 30 CPs from courses and other assignments. At least 18 CPs in the first year and the balance in the second year.
• 12 CPs for the MSc thesis.
   

At least 14 CPs must be accumulated from courses offered by the Board of Studies in Math & CS. The rest may be accumulated from other sources (see details and restrictions below). Any deviation must be approved in advance by the Board of Studies.

Obligatory orientation courses (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Obligatory Courses (1 CPs)

• First year students' seminar (1 CPs)

Mathematical and Computational Projects (0-6 CPs)

• First-year students may obtain up to 4 CPs for projects.
• Up to 4 CPs for projects done during the first year and up to 2 CPs from a project done in the summer preceding their first year as MSc students.
• Each project must involve eight hours per week for twelve weeks
• Each project may carry a maximum of 2 CPs.
• A student may not do two projects under the supervision of the same scientist.
• All projects must be approved in advance by the Board of Studies.
• Only first year students may accumulate credit points from projects.

Individual Guided Reading Courses

• Individual Guided Reading Courses must be taught by a PI in the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science.
• Each such course may carry a maximum of 2 CPs.
• If taken for CPs, the course (and its scope) must be approved in advance by the Board of Studies.

Enrichment Courses (0-4 CPs)

• Students may obtain up to four credit points for participation in the enrichment courses.
• Awarding the credit points is subject to the recommendation of course instructors and approval by the Board of Studies.
• Each enrichment course may carry up to two credit points.

Elective Course (22-30 CPs)

• Students should accumulate the rest of the credit points from courses offered by the Board of Studies in Mathematics and Computer Science.
• Any deviation must be approved in advance by the Board of Studies.

Rotations
None.

External courses
Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference.

Excluding a course from the personal Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfil their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Credit points

• 30 CPs from courses and other assignments. At least 18 CPs in the first year and the balance in the second year.
• 12 CPs for the MSc thesis.

Obligatory orientation courses (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Obligatory Courses (1 CPs)

• First year students' seminar (1 CPs)

Obligatory Mathematical and Computational Project (2-4 CPs)

• First-year students must obtain at least 2 and not more than 4 CPs from projects.
• Srudents may obtain 2 CPs from a project done in the summer preceding the start of their first year as MSc students.
• A project must involve eight hours per week for twelve weeks
• A project may carry a maximum of 2 CPs.
• A student may not do two projects under the supervision of the same scientist.
• All projects must be approved in advance by the Board of Studies.

Core Courses (up to 9 CPs)
Students must take at least 3 of the courses listed below:

• Host-microorganism interactions in physiology and disease
• Contemporary Systems Biology
• Cell Biology by the Numbers
• Introduction to statistical inference and learning
• Convex Optimization
• Basic Topics 1
• Introduction to Statistical Learning Theory
• Topics in Machine Learning
• The RNA world
• Random walks and algorithms
• Protein Structure and Function 1
• Transcriptional Control of Gene Expression

Elective Course (18-20 CPs)

• Students should accumulate the rest of the credit points from courses offered by the Board of Studies in Mathematics and Computer Science.
• Any deviation must be approved in advance by the Board of Studies.

Rotations

None.

External courses
Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference

Excluding a course from the personal Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfil their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Credit points (CPs) accumulation

• 26 CPs from courses and other assignments. At least 14 CPs in the first year and the balance in the second year.
• 12 CPs for the MSc thesis.

Obligatory orientation courses (0 CPs)
All WSoS students must take the following orientation courses during the first semester of their studies:

• Safety
• Ethics
• Prevention of sexual harassment

Obligatory Courses (10 CPs)

• Introduction to Science Education (or Introduction to Mathematics Education); (2 CPs)
• Introduction to the Methodology of Science Education Research (2 CPs)
• Either quantitative or qualitative research methods (2 CPs)
• Cognition, Learning and Instruction (2 CPs)
• Thesis Seminar and Departmental Seminar (2 CPs)

Elective Course (16 CPs)

• Each student should construct an individual list of courses in consultation with the advisor and the Chair of the Board of Studies
• Six CPs must be accumulated from elective courses in Science Teaching.
• Ten CPs must be accumulated from elective courses in Science

External courses
Please note that approved external courses will not be recorded in your WSoS grade transcript. This is also true for intensive courses offered to participants at international conferences. If you wish to provide proof to a third party of your participation in external courses, you must request a transcript from the external institution, and keep it for future reference

Excluding a course from the personal Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students can exclude from their GPA one (non-obligatory) course provided they have enough credit points to fulfil their academic requirements without it. Applications must be submitted in writing to the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator. Applicants must state the code and title of the course they wish to exclude. Note that an excluded course will carry zero credit points and not be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.

Excluding a repeated course from the GPA
Students who repeat the same course (even if it’s obligatory) can exclude its early occurrence from their GPA. To activate the process, the student must send the WSoS Courses and Exams Coordinator the codes and titles of both course occurrences they wish to exclude. Note that the earlier occurrence of the course will carry zero credit points and will NOT be part of the GPA calculation; however, it will remain in the academic record and show in the transcript.