Lauder School of Government,
Diplomacy and Strategy
B.A. in Government
Prof. Alex Mintz
Dean
Deputy Dean – Dr. Boaz Ganor
Raphael Recanati International School Academic Director –
Prof. Galia Golan
Head of Student Administration – Ms. Carine Katz
Executive Administrator – Ms. Hila Ziv
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A great deal of effort has been expended in preparing this Handbook, in order to
ensure that its contents are complete and accurate. However, changes and
alterations to the information are possible, and such changes, that will be
published during the course of the year via various means, such as, the handbook
on the IDC Herzliya website, will and obligate the entire student body.
The IDC Herzliya Academic Authorities are at liberty to cancel, alter or add
studies subjects and / or specialization programs, and to generate changes in the
times of lectures or in the instructor, at its discretion. These changes apply to all
IDC Herzliya students, including students of the Raphael Recanati International
School, unless specified otherwise.
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Introduction to the Program
The international program in the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and
Strategy offers specializations in the areas of International Affairs, Conflict
Resolution, Counter-Terrorism and Homaland Security, Middle East, and
business administration (subject to certain qualifications).
A total of 124 hours (credits) are required to complete the B.A. degree. Studies
are organized as follows:

The first year consists of required courses plus the option of no more than
two electives from other IDC Schools or General Electives

The second year consists of required courses plus the option of no more
than two electives

The third year consists of clusters (specializations: International Affairs,
Conflict Resolution, Middle East, Counter-terrorism and Homaland
Security, Business Administration)
- Each cluster consists of 5 courses and one seminar.
- Students must take at least one cluster plus another seminar.

The remaining credits may be taken as follows:
- Government electives courses, which include courses from other
clusters.
- Electives outside the School of Government – up to a total of 8 credits
which can be divided as follows:
- General Electives – a minimum of 4 credits required.
- Interdisciplinary Courses.
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English Requirements for Government Students
Communication Skills in English (one or two years), will be required of all
students who are non-native English speakers and/or who did not study in high
schools or academic institutions in which studies were conducted in English.
Such students must take a placement test at the beginning of the academic year.
At the end of one year, placement or exemption will be determined for the
second year.
Students who take Communication Skills in English will be granted credits for
the hours studied, but they shall not be entitled to take electives in the first year.
Internship Program
A selected number of third year students may participate in a one-semester
internship chosen from a list of organizations (NGO's) or institutions. The
internship will involve a minimum of eight hours per week plus three meetings
with an academic supervisor and submission of an academic paper relevant to the
internship experience. The students will receive 2 credits as a general elective.
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Program of Studies
Government – First Year
Course
Code
Course Name
Lecture
Hours
4050
Academic Research and
Writing #
Dr. Orly Idan
1*
1**
2
Paper
7
Microeconomics
2 Groups
Prof. Avraham Bertisch
4*
4
Exam
132
Introduction to
Government
Prof. Moshe Maor
3*
4
Exam
273
Introduction to
International Politics
Dr. Korina Kagan
3*
3
Exam
868
History of the Modern Era
and Zionism
Dr. Jonathan Fine
3*
3
Exam
869
History of the Modern
Middle East
2 groups
Ms. Tzameret Levy
3*
3
Exam
870
Globalization and
International Political
Economy
2 Groups
Dr. Yair (Aharon)
MacClanahan
3*
3
Exam
8
Macroeconomics
2 Groups
Prof. Abraham Bertisch
4**
4
Exam
395
Society and Politics in the
Middle East
Dr. Guy Bechor
2**
2
Exam
689
Principles of Statistics
2 Groups
Ms. Romi Magori-cohen
3**
1
4
Exam
4026
Introduction to Political
Theory
2 Groups
Ms. Iris Nahum
3**
1
4
Exam
-5-
Recitation
Hours
1
Total
Hours
(credits)
Final
Course
Assignment
Course
Code
Course Name
Lecture
Hours
4069
International Politics II:
Theory and Praxis of
Security
Dr. Korina Kagan
3**
871
Israeli Politics and Society
Dr. Chaim Weizmann
2 Groups
3**
Recitation
Hours
1
Total Semester Hours
4004
4005
English for Government A
Dr. Isabel Berman
Total
Hours
Final
Course
Assignment
3
Exam
3
Exam
48
3*
3**
3
3
Electives (optional)

General electives courses
or courses from other schools at the IDC 2*
“
“
2**
*
**
#

First Semester Course
Second Semester Course
Four Groups, 7 meetings first semester, 6 meetings second semester
Students who take Communication Skills in English (one or two years) will be
accorded credits for the hours studied but they are not entitled to take electives
first year.
-6-
Exam
Government – Second Year
Lecture
Hours
Recitation
Hours
Course Name
678
Theories in the Study
of Terrorism and
Guerilla Warfare
Dr. Boaz Ganor
2*
2
Exam
799
Europe from 1948 to
the Present
2 Groups
Dr. Yair (Aharon)
MacClanahan
2*
2
Exam
803
International Law
Dr. Daphne
Richemond-Barak
3*
4
Exam
801
American Foreign
Policy, 1945 to the
Present
Prof. Arnon Gutfeld
2*
2
Exam
532
Israeli Diplomacy
and Foreign Policy
Dr. Alon Liel
2*
2
Exam
931
Information
Technology and
Government
Dr. Tal Azran
2*
2
Exam
4025
Conflict Resolution
Mr. Nimrod Rosler
3*
3
Exam
4140
Research Methods
1 Group per semester
Dr. Asaf Matskin
2*
2**
3
Exam
4164
Introduction to
Constitutional Law
Dr. Liav Orgad
2**
2
Exam
381
Economic Diplomacy
2 Groups
Dr. Uri Ullman
3**
3
Exam
802
Media and Society
Dr. Paul Frosh
2**
2
Exam
992
Public Policy in
Democracies
1 Group per semester
Dr. Asaf Matskin
3*
3**
3
Exam
343
Arab-Israeli Conflict
Prof. Galia Golan
3
Exam
1
1
3**
-7-
Total
Hours
(Credits)
Final Course
Assignment
Course
Code
726
Introduction to
Defense and Security
Strategy
2 Groups
Dr. Oded Brosh
3**
3
Exam
4338
Religion, War and
Conflict Resolution
Dr. Assaf Moghadam
2**
2
Exam
Total Semester Hours
492
493
English for
Government B
Dr. Isabel Berman
38
2*
2**
2
2
Electives (optional)
 Government elective courses,
courses from the General Studies Unit
or Interdisciplinary courses
4487
Honors Seminar:
Social Movements#
Dr. Assaf Moghadam
Exam
6
2**
2
Overall grade
point average
of 85 required
*
**
First Semester Course
Second Semester Course
Electives may be chosen from the list above and from all third-year courses,
General Electives, and courses from other schools of the IDC..
#
The second-year Honors Seminar will count as an elective and not as one of the
required seminars.

-8-
Paper
Government – Structure of Third Year
Course
Total Semester
Hours
Students who Choose One Cluster:
Cluster 1
13
*Additional Seminar
3
**Electives
Number needed to
reach 124 total hours
for a BA in
Government
***
Students who Choose Two Clusters:
Cluster 1
13
Cluster 2
13
**Additional Electives
* The additional seminar has to be from a different cluster.
** All courses in all clusters may be taken as electives. Electives may also be taken from
additional Government electives, courses in other IDC schools, and General Electives.
*** The remaining number of hours will depend upon how many electives were taken in first
and second years and whether the course Communication Skills was taken.
-9-
Government – Third Year
International Affairs Cluster
Course
Code
Course Name
Lecture
Hours
Total
Hours
(Credits)
Final Course
Assignment
Choose 5 courses:
4099
Diplomacy and Negotiation
in International Relations
Dr. Lesley Terris
2*
2
Exam
520
Russia: Politics and Foreign
Policy
Dr. Dima Adamsky
2*
2
Exam
4312
Civil Wars/Ethnic Conflict
Dr. Assaf Moghadam
2*
2
Exam
384
Japan as a Political and
Economic Power
Prof. Ehud Harari
2*
2
Exam
4203
Game Theory in
International Relations
Dr. Uri Resnick
2*
2
Exam
4247
Transatlantic Relations in
the 21st Century
Mr. Tommy Steiner
2**
2
Exam
4284
The Politics of PostColonial Africa
Dr. Ella Keren
2**
2
Exam
4345
China: Society and Politics
Dr. Ran Shauli
2**
2
Exam
872
Strategic Intelligence
Dr. Barak Ben-Zur
2**
2
Exam
Choose one seminar:
4209
Seminar: Regional Security
in a Comparative
Perspective: Europe, Asia
and the Middle East
Dr. Korina Kagan
3*
3
Paper
4331
Seminar: Politics of Illicit
Trade
Dr. Asif Efrat
3**
3
Paper
4225
Seminar: The Challenges,
Limitations and
Consequences of Military
Interventions
Dr. Galia Lindenstrauss
3**
3
Paper
Total Hours
*
**
13
First Semester Course
Second Semester Course
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Government – Third Year
Conflict Resolution Cluster
Course
Code
Course Name
Lecture
Hours
Total
Hours
Final Course
Assignment
Choose 5 courses:
529
Negotiation Strategy
Adv. Moty Cristal
2*
2
Exam
4001
Psychological Aspects of
Conflict and Their
Resolution
Dr. Eran Halperin
2*
2
Exam
865
Cultural Perspectives of
Conflict Management
Dr. Deborah Heifetz
2*
2
Exam
876
Peacekeeping Operations
Dr. Chen Kertcher
2**
2
Exam
4056
Human Rights in
Conflicts
Prof. Edy Kaufman
2**
2
Exam
4453
Humanitarian assistance
in war and conflict zones
Prof. Adnan Abdel
Razzek
2**
2
Exam
3**
3
Paper
Choose one seminar:
4002
Seminar: Track-Two and
Citizen Diplomacy
Prof. Edy Kaufman
Total Hours
*
**

13
First Semester Course
Second semester course
Intensive course
- 11 -
Government – Third Year
Middle East Cluster
Course
Code

Course Name
Lecture
Hours
Total
Hours
(credits)
Final Course
Assignment
Choose 5 courses:
880
Women in the Middle East
Dr. Ruth Barzilai
Lumbrozo
2*
2
Exam
4113
State and Politics in North
Africa
Dr. Bruce MaddyWeitzman
2*
2
Exam
4454
Politics of the Gulf
Dr. Joshua Teitelbaum
2*
2
Exam
877
Palestinian Society and
Politics
Dr. Bashir Bashir
2**
2
Exam
874
Simulation: Middle East
Crises
Adv. Ofir Falk
2**
2
Exam
4210
State, Military and
Religion in Turkey
Dr. Ruth Barzilai
Lumbrozo
2**
2
Exam
Choose one seminar:
4141
Seminar: Iran: Politics and
Islam
Mr. Meir Javedanfar
3**
3
Paper
4111
Seminar: Israeli Arabs as
a National Minority
Prof. Yitzhak Reiter
3**
3
Paper
Total Hours
*
**

13
First Semester Course
Second Semester Course
It is recommended to take Arabic as an elective.
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Government – Third Year
Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security Cluster
Cours
eCode
Course Name
Lecture
Hours
Total Hours
(Credits)
Final Course
Assignment
Choose 5 courses:
4308
Learning Competition in
Asymmetric Conflicts
Dr. Gil Arieli
2*
2
Exam
4104
Modern Terrorism as a Global
Phenomenon
Dr. Barak Ben-Tzur
2*
2
Exam
4172
Global Islamic Terrorism:
Roots, Development and
Implications
Dr. Yoram Kahati
2*
2
Exam
536
Dilemmas in CounterTerrorism: Regional and Global
Aspects
Dr. Jonathan Fine
2**
2
Exam
4006
State-Sponsored Terrorism
Dr. Shaul Shay
2**
2
Exam
882
Role of the State and Non-State
Actors in Combating Terrorism
Dr. Shaul Shay
2**
2
Exam
993
Advanced Philosophy of
Modern Terrorism and Guerilla
Warfare
Dr. Jonathan Fine
2**
2
Exam
Choose one seminar:
753
Seminar: Israeli
Counter-Terrorism Policy
Dr. Shaul Shay
3*
3
Paper
4009
Seminar: Gender and Terrorism
Dr. Anat Berko and Dr.
Deborah Haifetz
3*
3
Paper
Total Hours
*
**
13
First Semester Course
Second Semester Course
- 13 -
Government – Third Year
Business Administration Cluster#
Course
Code
Course Name
50
43
Final Course
Assignment
Lecture
Hours
Total Hours
(Credits)
Fundamentals Of Accounting
Dr. Ron Lazar
4*
4
Exam
Principles of Marketing
Management
Dr. Ron Berger
4*
4
Exam
Elective course from Business
Administration
2**
2
3**
3
Seminar:
4207
Seminar: Economic Peace
Dr. Uri Ullman
Total Hours
*
**
#
15
First Semester Course
Second Semester Course
Registration limited (math proficiency)
- 14 -
Paper
Government – Third Year
Additional Elective Courses
Course
Code
Course
4175
Final Course
Assignment
Lecture
Hours
Total Hours
(Credits)
Internship Program
Prof. Galia Golan***
2
2
Paper
805
Honors Seminar:
Multiculturalism▲
Prof. Amnon Rubinstien
2*
2
Paper
833
Beginning Arabic
Ms. Aliza Raviv
3
2
Exam
4295
Critical Issues in Israeli
Politics
Prof. David Nachmias
2*
2
Exam
4067
Workshop: Persuasion:
Explaining and Convincing
Dr. Neil Weiner
2*
2
Paper
4213
Green Politics
Dr. Noga Lev Tzion – Nadan
2*
2
Exam
885
Gender and Society
Dr. Ruth Barzilai-Lumbroso
3**
3
Exam
4098
Leaders and Leadership Traditional Models and New
Paradigms
Ms. Jill Reinach
2**
2
Paper
*
**
***
▲
First Semester Course
Second Semester Course
For more information about the course see page 3
For Third yesr students
- 15 -
Exam Schedule
The dates of the examinations can be found on the IDC Herzliya website under
Students
Course Catalog, student regulations and Syllabus Search Exams
A personal examinations schedule is published at the Student’s Information website (My
IDC).
- 16 -
Argov Fellows Program in Leadership & Diplomacy
Building on the legacy of former Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Argov, the Argov
Fellows Program in Leadership and Diplomacy seeks to prepare around 20
exceptional IDC students in their final year of studies in government for future
leadership positions for Israel and the Jewish people. Through a year-long,
challenging interdisciplinary curriculum, the program seeks to help the students
acquire the knowledge, tools, skills and critical thinking abilities necessary for
working towards meeting the many challenges that Israel faces in today’s
complex global environment.
The program, conducted entirely in English, combines academic training and
practical skills. Its unique curriculum includes courses, seminars and "hands on"
workshops taught exclusively to Argov Fellows by leading academic and
professional experts. The students participate in study tours to Europe, the United
States and within Israel. Throughout the year, the students meet exceptional
individuals who have obtained leadership positions in a wide range of fields and
benefit from in-depth discussions with them regarding their values, career paths,
and defining moments.
The program concludes with the public presentation of capstone group projects
in which the fellows propose their solutions to pressing problems that Israel
faces. Argov Alumni have carried on to eminent fellowship programs such as
Koret, Fulbright and Legacy Heritage, graduate programs at Yale, Georgetown
University, Oxford, and the London School of Economics and employment
positions in public, private, and non-profit sectors
- 17 -
Program of Studies
Course
Code
Course Name
Lecture
Hours
4016
Argov Seminar
Dr. Alisa Rubin Peled
2*
2**
4
Capstone Policy
Project
5337
Seminar : From Green Research
to Green Business-Crossing the
Divide *
Dr. Isaac Berzin
3*
3
Class Work
4103
Public Sector Reforms:
A Comparative Perspective
Prof. Moshe Maor
2*
2
Exam
4221
Advanced Techniques in Written
Expression: Academic and
Professional Applications
Adv. Neil Weiner
1*
1
Class Work
4015
Topical Issues in the EU
Dr. Yair Maccalahan
1*
1
Exam
4238
Current Challenges facing Israeli
Society
Dr. Alisa Rubin Peled
2*
1
Class Work
873
Leadership in Practice: Rhetoric,
Public Speaking, and Debate
Ms. Sara Averick and Ms. Jill
Reinach
2*
2
Paper and Class
Work
4490
Research Methods
Dr. Anat Itay
2*
2
Seminar Paper
4298
Foundations of Liberal 
Democracy
Prof. Peter Berkowitz
3*
3
Paper
4154
The Strategic Thought of Leaders:
From Peloponnesian War to the
Present
TBA
2*
2
Final Paper
4316
Judaism as a Civilization: An
Introduction for Leaders
TBA
1*
1
Final Paper
4463
Seminar : National Security
Decision Making
Prof. Uzi Arad
3**
3
Seminar Paper
- 18 -
Recitation
Hours
Total
Hours
Prerequisites
4239
Israeli Public Diplomacy and the
Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
Ms. Miri Eisin
2**
2
Class Work
4301
The Arab Sector in Israel 
Dr. Dalia Fadila
1**
1
Final Paper
4302
Current Issues in International
Law
Dr. Daphne Richemond Barak
1**
1
Final Paper
158
Simulation Games and
Negotiation Processes
Dr. Chanan Goldchmidt
2**
2
Simulation
4019
Media Skills Workshop
Headline Media
2**
2
Class Work
4300
International Political Economy
Dr. Alisa Rubin Peled
2+1**
3
Exam
827
Honors Seminar
Dr. Lesley Terris
3**
3
Paper
4100
Study-tour to Europe & U.S.
Dr. Alisa Rubin Peled
3
3
Paper
Total Semester Hours
*
**

Overall
grade point
average 88
40
First Semester Course
Second Semester Course
Intensive course
- 19 -