Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies
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Agroinformatics Academic Program

​​​​​The M.Sc. program is a two-year program.

The chairperson of the teaching committee is: Dr. Tarin Paz-Kagan.

Academic Program for students who began from November 2024

Students are required to complete the following courses during the two-year program:​

SubjectCredits
A. Mandatory course: Writing a Scientific Paper2
B. Core courses within the track of study6
C. Departmental and student seminars - mandatory courses1
D1. Bioinformatics – Mandatory course3
D2. Statistics – choose 1 of 4 courses3
D3. Geoinformatics – choose 2 of 6 courses6
D4. Environmental Applications – choose 2 of 4 courses4
E. Electives5
Thesis Writing12
Total42

This course should be taken in the 3rd or 4th semester of your degree.

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-0153Dr. Scott Hansen and Dr. Christopher J. ArnuschWriting a Scientific Paper2

Students are required to take all 6 credits from the core courses:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-5066Dr. Scott K. HansenIntroduction to scientific computing with Python3
001-2-3021Prof. Itamar GiladiBiostatistics3

Students are required to attend 4 Departmental Seminars (one seminar per semester).

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2222Please check the university course file

Departmental Seminar

0

Students are required to present two seminars (one student seminar per year).

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2666Please check the university course file

Student Seminar (first year)

0.5
001-2-2667

Student Seminar (second year)

0.5

In the third and fourth semesters, students must register for Thesis Writing.

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-9991

Thesis Writing A

6
002-2-9992

Thesis Writing B

6

Students who have completed the above Thesis Writing courses and who continue their studies for a fifth semester must register for the following course:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-1000

Thesis Writing – Continuation

0

Students are required to choose 1 of 4 courses:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2046Prof. Aaron FaitAnalysis of biological networks‎3
001-2-4063Dr. Victor YishonskyHands-on Image and Video Analysis without Coding: From Acquisition to Quantification3
001-2-5004Dr. Elad Levintal and Dr. Tuvia TurkeltaubField Methods in Hydrology3
001-2-5005Prof. Amit Gross and Prof. Zeev RonenLaboratory Methods for Environmental Studies3

Students are required to choose 1 of 3 courses:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-4029Prof. Yosef AshkenazyIntroduction to statistics and probability using Python3
​001-2-4054Prof. Golan BelStatistical analysis (prerequisite: basic statistics)​3
001-2-5074Dr. Elad LevintalEnvirotech - do it yourself sensors for environmental research​3

Students are required to choose 2 of 6 courses:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2081Dr. Tarin Paz-Kagan and Tamir Caras
UAVs for environmental and agriculture research
3
001-2-4024Prof. Arnon Karnieli and Dr. Natalya Panov
Satellite Image Processing
3
001-2-5070Dr. Scott K. HansenPractical data science and machine learning​3
001-2-6002Dr. Aviva PeetersTheory and applications of geographic information systems​3
001-2-9301Dr. Tarin Paz-KaganIntroduction to Image Processing and Computer Vision3
377-2-5211Prof. Yitzhak YitzhakySelected topics in image processing3

Students are required to choose 2 of 3 courses:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2039Prof. Naftali Lazarovitch and Prof. Jirka ŠimůnekAdvanced modeling of water flow and contaminant transport in porous media (prerequisite: 001-2-2038)2
​001-2-2043Prof. Shimon RachmilevitchPlant stress indicators: Methods and instrumentation2
001-2-3094Prof. Uri RollMacro ecology​2

Students are required to choose 5 points:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-1103Prof. Hadas HawlenaIntroduction to Dryland Ecology4
001-2-2035Prof. Naftali LazarovitchCrop Irrigation Regimes3
001-2-2038Prof. Naftali LazarovitchSoil Physics3
001-2-2066Prof. Aaron FaitMetabolomics Laboratory2
001-2-2067Prof. Jhonathan EphrathUnderstanding and Modeling of Agricultural Systems - Guided reading2
001-2-2205 Prof. Ido RegevModeling in the Earth Sciences3
001-2-2303​Dr. Gilad GabaiFunctional Genomic Approaches in Plant Breeding2
001-2-3047Prof. Merav SeifanGlobal changes and the biodiversity crisis2
001-2-5075 Fall 001-2-5076 SpringDr. Elad Levintal
Do-it-yourself sensors for environmental research - advanced course
3

Academic Program for students who began up until April 2024

Students are required to complete the following courses during the two-year program:​

SubjectCredits
A. Mandatory course: Writing a Scientific Paper2
B. Core courses within the track of study9
C. Departmental and student seminars - mandatory courses1
D1. Bioinformatics – choose 1 of 3 courses

D2. Statistics – choose 1 of 3 courses

D3. Tools – choose 1 of 5 courses

D4. Environmental Applications – choose 1 of 5 courses
11
E. Electives7
Thesis Writing12
Total42

This course should be taken in the 3rd or 4th semester of your degree.

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-0153Dr. Scott Hansen and Dr. Christopher J. ArnuschWriting a Scientific Paper2

Students are required to take all 9 credits from the core courses:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-4028Prof. Arnon KarnieliRemote sensing for agriculture, rangelands, and forestry3
001-2-5066Dr. Scott K. HansenIntroduction to scientific computing with Python3
*Future Course*Prof. Ilya GelfandThe water-food-energy nexus3

Students are required to attend 4 Departmental Seminars (one seminar per semester).

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2222Please check the university course file

Departmental Seminar

0

Students are required to present two seminars (one student seminar per year).

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2666Please check the university course file

Student Seminar (first year)

0.5
001-2-2667

Student Seminar (second year)

0.5

In the third and fourth semesters, students must register for Thesis Writing.

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-9991

Thesis Writing A

6
002-2-9992

Thesis Writing B

6

Students who have completed the above Thesis Writing courses and who continue their studies for a fifth semester must register for the following course:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-1000

Thesis Writing – Continuation

0

Students are required to choose 1 of 4 courses:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2046Prof. Aaron FaitAnalysis of biological networks‎3
001-2-4063Dr. Victor YishonskyHands-on Image and Video Analysis without Coding: From Acquisition to Quantification3
001-2-5004Dr. Elad Levintal and Dr. Tuvia TurkeltaubField Methods in Hydrology3
001-2-5005Prof. Amit Gross and Prof. Zeev RonenLaboratory Methods for Environmental Studies3

Students are required to choose 1 of 3 courses:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-3021Prof. Itamar GiladiBiostatistics3
001-2-4029Prof. Yosef AshkenazyIntroduction to statistics and probability using Python3
​001-2-4054Prof. Golan BelStatistical analysis (prerequisite: basic statistics)​3

Students are required to choose 1 of 5 courses:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2206Prof. Arnon Karnieli and Dr. Manuel SalvoldiEarth observation space missions ‎for agricultural monitoring (prerequisite: 001-2-4028)3
001-2-4024Prof. Arnon Karnieli and Dr. Natalya PanovSatellite image processing (prerequisite: 001-2-4028)​3
001-2-5070Dr. Scott K. HansenPractical data science and machine learning​3
001-2-6002Dr. Aviva PeetersTheory and applications of geographic information systems3
377-2-5211Prof. Yitzhak YitzhakySelected topics in image processing3

Students are required to choose 1 of 5 courses:

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2039Prof. Naftali Lazarovitch and Prof. Jirka ŠimůnekAdvanced modeling of water flow and contaminant transport in porous media (prerequisite: 001-2-2038)2
​001-2-2043Prof. Shimon RachmilevitchPlant stress indicators: Methods and instrumentation2
001-2-3094Prof. Uri RollMacro ecology​2
001-2-5055Prof. Naftali LazarovitchPlant stress indicators: Methods and instrumentation2

Elective courses for students who are in their second year of studies with the approval of their supervisor and upon approval of the teaching committee.

Course #LecturerSubjectCredits
001-2-2081​Dr. Tarin Paz-Kagan​UAVs for environmental and agriculture research2.5
001-2-2303​Dr. Gilad Gabay​Functional Genomic Approaches in Plant Breeding2
001-2-3047​Prof. Merav Seifan​Global changes and the biodiversity crisis​2
001-2-5075 Fall 001-2-5076Dr. Elad LevintalDo-it-yourself sensors for environmental research - advanced course3
001-2-9301Dr. Tarin Paz-KaganIntroduction to Image Processing and Computer Vision3