Columbia University Launches Dual Degree Program with Tel Aviv University

Columbia University today announced that it will launch the Dual Degree Program between Tel Aviv University and Columbia University.

The Program, which will welcome its inaugural class in the fall of 2020, transcends traditional study abroad opportunities by providing the chance to pursue a rigorous undergraduate liberal arts education spanning two continents. Upon completion of the four-year program, graduates earn two bachelor’s degrees, one from each institution.

The Program joins the Columbia University School of General Studies’s (GS) current portfolio of highly-regarded international undergraduate dual and joint degree programs with Sciences Po, Trinity College Dublin, City University of Hong Kong, and List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Created in 1954, the Joint Program with JTS was the first program of its kind to be established at GS.

“I am especially excited about our partnership with Tel Aviv University, which is consistently ranked among the best academic institutions worldwide. By giving students the opportunity to study full time at a top-tier university in the Middle East before bringing them to study in the Ivy League, they will not only benefit from being immersed in a wide range of cultures and experiences, but will also make an immense contribution to the Columbia undergraduate classroom,” said Lisa Rosen-Metsch, Dean of the School of General Studies.

Students spend years one and two at Tel Aviv University (TAU), Israel’s largest and most comprehensive higher education institution, studying within one of eight academic programs, after which they matriculate at Columbia to complete a major and the University’s core curriculum in years three and four. Dedicated Dual Degree Program advisors from both TAU and Columbia are assigned to students as soon as they enroll, providing guidance and support on academics and student life.

This multidisciplinary educational experience, focused in the humanities and social sciences, provides students with a strong liberal arts education while empowering them to succeed in an increasingly complex and fast-changing world.

"This is the first time that an Israeli university partners with a leading American university such as Columbia University in a joint undergraduate program of this kind," said Prof. Raanan Rein, Vice President of Tel Aviv University. "This program represents a milestone in Tel Aviv University’s globalization strategy. We are confident that similar programs would offer students multiple perspectives on contemporary issues and current challenges we all face."

The Program extends upon the deep connection between the School of General Studies and Israel, which is home to more than 1,100 Columbia alumni, including a strong GS community. There are currently 54 students from Israel enrolled at GS in New York City.