Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies
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Microbiology and Water Quality

The M.Sc. program in Microbiology and Water Quality is a two-year program.

The chairperson of the teaching committee is: Prof. Roy Bernstein.

Academic Program for students who began from November 2024

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

Subject

Credits

Courses within the track of study ​​

A. Mandatory Course (2 credits) 

B. Core courses (10 credits)

C. Departmental and student seminars (1 credit)

D. Mandatory Core Courses Within the Track of Study (7 credits) 

E. Elective courses (8 credits)

F. General courses (2 credits)

30

Thesis Writing

12

Total

42

This course should be taken in the 2nd or 3rd semester of your degree.

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-0153 Dr. Scott Hansen and Dr. Christopher J. Arnush

Writing a Scientific Paper

 2

Students are required to complete all courses from the list below*.

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-0003

Prof. Oded Nir

Chemistry of Water

3
001-2-0016

Prof. Roy Bernstein

Physicochemical Technologies for Water Treatment

2
001-2-5024

Prof. Ofer Dahan

Groundwater Hydrology

2
001-2-5059

Prof. Osnat Gillor

Water Microbiology+

3

+Nonmicrobiologists may take the course:

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-5159

Prof. Osnat ​Gillor

Introduction to Microbiologists

1

Students who previously completed courses that were similar/equivalent to certain courses listed above are required to complete the remainder of the required core course credits by enrolling in courses either from the list of Mandatory Core Courses (C) or from the list of Elective Courses (D) or from a combination of both (with the approval of the student's supervisor and the chairperson of the teaching committee).

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

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-5555 Please check the university course file

Departmental Seminar

0

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

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-9995 Please check the university course file

Student Seminar (first year)

0.5

001-2-9996

Student Seminar (second year)

0.5

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

Course # Subject Credits
001-2-9991

Thesis Writing A

6
001-2-9992

Thesis Writing B

6

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

Course # Subject Credits
001-2-1000 Thesis Writing – Continuation 0

Students are required to complete at least 7 credits*.

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-0004 Prof. Noam Weisbrod ​Vadose Zone Hydrology 2.5
001-2-5005 Prof. Amit Gross, Prof. Zeev Ronen

Laboratory Methods for Environmental Studies

 3
​001-2-5011 Prof. Zeev Ronen ​Environmental Microbiology 3
001-2-5060 Prof. Moshe Herzberg

Biological Processes in Wastewater Treatment

2
001-2-5062 Prof. Edo Bar-Zeev ​Microbial Sociology: From a Single Bacterium to Biofilm and Biofouling 3
001-2-5069 Prof. Amit Gross

​Water & the Environment: Current Challenges and Solutions

* Mandatory Core Courses can be also selected as Elective Courses (on top of the required 7 credits).​

This is a partial list. The student is allowed to select other courses that are related to the area of his/her research with the approval of the chairperson of the teaching committee.

Students are required to complete at least 8 credits.

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-0009 Prof. Avraham Be'er

Physics of Bacterial Communities

3
001-2-0015

Prof. Roy Bernstein

Membrane Preparation and Characterization

001-2-0017

Prof. Roni Kasher

Polymer Science and Polymeric Membranes

2
001-2-0021

Dr. Christopher Arnush

Biomimetic Innovation Approaches

001-2-0022

Dr. Anat Bernstein

Stable Isotope Application in Contaminant Hydrology

001-2-0027 ​Prof. Shai Arnon ​Flow and water quality in streams: Theory and practice 2
001-2-2015

Prof. Dina Zilberg and Prof. Amit Gross

Introduction to Desert Aquaculture

3
001-2-3086

Prof. Hadas Hawlena

​Microbial Ecology from the Ecologist Point of View

3
001-2-5006 ​Dr. Tuvia Turkeltaub ​Flow and Contaminant Transport modelling in the unsaturated zone 3
001-2-5010 Prof. Zeev Ronen

Groundwater Microbiology

2
001-2-5012 Prof. Zeev Ronen

Biodegradation Process of Synthetic Organic Compound in Water Soil

2
001-2-5028 Prof. Moshe Herzberg Microbial Biofilms in Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes (prerequisite: Introduction to Microbiology) 2
001-2-5029

Prof. Noam Weisbrod

Rural Water Development 

2
001-2-5034 ​Prof. Yoram Oren ​Environmental Oriented Electrochemistry 2
001-2-5036 ​Prof. Avner Ronen ​Environmental micropollutants & emerging contaminants 2
001-2-5038 Prof. Amit Gross

Water Sanitation

3
001-2-5063

Prof. Edo Bar-Zeev

Lab-course: New Methods in Biofilm Characterization

3
001-2-5065

Prof. Shai Arnon

Transport Processes in Streams: Theory and Practice​

001-2-5066

Dr. Scott K. Hansen

Introduction to Scientific Computing with Python

3
001-2-5067

Dr. Scott K. Hansen

Introduction to Contaminant Hydrology 3
001-2-5068

Prof. Oded Nir

Aqueous Chemistry Modeling with PHREEQC

2
001-2-5070

Dr. Scott K. Hansen

Practical Data Science and Machine Learning

001-2-5071 ​Prof. Gideon Oron Management and Optimization of Natural Resources and Water Systems 2
001-2-5074 ​Dr. Elad Levintal ​​Envirotech - do it yourself sensors for environmental research 3

001-2-5075 Fall

001-2-5076 Spring

Dr. Elad Levintal Do-it-yourself sensors for environmental research - advanced course 3

001-2-5077

Prof. Gideon Oron Advanced Management and Optimization of Water Systems and Wastewater Reclamation 2
001-2-5129

Prof. Noam Weisbrod

Rural Water Development (field trip) – Prerequisite: Course # 001-2-5029

2

Students can complete up to 3 credits.

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-1200 ​Prof. Simon Barak & Dr. Buzi Raviv

​BGU Radio Academy – Podcast production course

2
001-2-3001 ​Prof. Ariel Novoplansky ​Evolutionary Ecology of Phenotypic Plasticity 3
001-2-3021 ​Prof. Itamar Giladi ​Biostatistics 3
001-2-4028 ​Prof. Arnon Karnieli ​Remote Sensing for Agriculture, Rangelands, and Forestry (no prerequisites required) 3
001-2-4029

Prof. Yosef Ashkenazi

Introduction to Statistics and Probability

 3
001-2-4031 ​Prof. Isaak Rubinstein ​Topics in Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics and Electrodiffusion - A 2
001-2-4033 ​Prof. Isaak Rubinstein ​Topics in Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics and Electrodiffusion - B 2
001-2-4047 ​Prof. Iris Visoli-Fisher ​Surface Science for the Environment 3
001-2-4049 ​Dr. Arik Yochelis ​Nonlinear Dynamical Aspects of Electrochemical  Systems 3
001-2-5040 Dr. Eli Zaady Soil Microbial Ecology 2
001-2-6002 ​Dr. Aviva Peeters ​Theory and Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (limited to 15 students) 3

Academic Program for students who began up until April 2024

Subject

Credits

Courses within the track of study ​​

A. Mandatory Course (2 credits) 

B. Core courses (10 credits)

C. Departmental and student seminars (1 credit)

D. Mandatory Core Courses Within the Track of Study (7 credits) 

E. Elective courses (8 credits)

F. General courses (2 credits)

30

Thesis Writing

12

Total

42

This course should be taken in the 2nd or 3rd semester of your degree.

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-0153 Dr. Scott Hansen and Dr. Christopher J. Arnush

Writing a Scientific Paper

 2

Students are required to complete all courses from the list below*.

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-0003

Prof. Oded Nir

Chemistry of Water

3
001-2-0016

Prof. Roy Bernstein

Physicochemical Technologies for Water Treatment

2
001-2-5024

Prof. Ofer Dahan

Groundwater Hydrology

2
001-2-5059

Prof. Osnat Gillor

Water Microbiology+

3

+Nonmicrobiologists may take the course:

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-5159

Prof. Osnat ​Gillor

Introduction to Microbiologists

1

Students who previously completed courses that were similar/equivalent to certain courses listed above are required to complete the remainder of the required core course credits by enrolling in courses either from the list of Mandatory Core Courses (C) or from the list of Elective Courses (D) or from a combination of both (with the approval of the student's supervisor and the chairperson of the teaching committee).

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

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-5555 Please check the university course file

Departmental Seminar

0

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

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-9995 Please check the university course file

Student Seminar (first year)

0.5

001-2-9996

Student Seminar (second year)

0.5

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

Course # Subject Credits
001-2-9991

Thesis Writing A

6
001-2-9992

Thesis Writing B

6

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

Course # Subject Credits
001-2-1000 Thesis Writing – Continuation 0

Students are required to complete at least 7 credits*.

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-0004 Prof. Noam Weisbrod ​Vadose Zone Hydrology 2.5
001-2-5005 Prof. Amit Gross, Prof. Zeev Ronen

Laboratory Methods for Environmental Studies

 3
​001-2-5011 Prof. Zeev Ronen ​Environmental Microbiology 3
001-2-5060 Prof. Moshe Herzberg

Biological Processes in Wastewater Treatment

2
001-2-5062 Prof. Edo Bar-Zeev ​Microbial Sociology: From a Single Bacterium to Biofilm and Biofouling 3

* Mandatory Core Courses can be also selected as Elective Courses (on top of the required 7 credits).​

This is a partial list. The student is allowed to select other courses that are related to the area of his/her research with the approval of the supervisor.

Students are required to complete at least 8 credits.

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-0009 Prof. Avraham Be'er

Physics of Bacterial Communities

3
001-2-0010 Prof. Jack Gilron

Principles for Synthesis of Hybrid Processes for Water Treatment

2
001-2-0012

Prof. Daniel Ronen

Selected Issues Related to Groundwater Hydrology: Quality & Quantity 2
001-2-0015

Prof. Roy Bernstein

Membrane Preparation and Characterization

001-2-0017

Prof. Roni Kasher

Polymer Science and Polymeric Membranes

2
001-2-0021

Dr. Christopher Arnush

Biomimetic Innovation Approaches

001-2-0022

Dr. Anat Bernstein

Stable Isotope Application in Contaminant Hydrology

001-2-0027 ​Prof. Shai Arnon ​Flow and water quality in streams: Theory and practice 2
001-2-0030 Dr. Anat Bernstein and Prof. Amit Gross Lab Methods in Soil Science 3
001-2-2015

Prof. Dina Zilberg and Prof. Amit Gross

Introduction to Desert Aquaculture

3
001-2-3021

Prof. Itamar Giladi

Biostatistics

3
001-2-4028 Prof. Arnon Karnieli Remote Sensing for Agriculture, Rangelands, and Forestry (no prerequisites required) 3
001-2-4031 Prof. Isaak Rubinstein Topics in Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics and Electrodiffusion - A 2
001-2-4033 Prof. Isaak Rubinstein Topics in Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics and Electrodiffusion - B 2
001-2-4047 Prof. Iris Visoli-Fisher

Surface Science for the Environment

3
001-2-4049 Dr. Arik Yochelis

Nonlinear Dynamical Aspects of Electrochemical  Systems

3
001-2-5010 Prof. Zeev Ronen

Groundwater Microbiology

2
001-2-5012 Prof. Zeev Ronen

Biodegradation Process of Synthetic Organic Compound in Water Soil

2
001-2-5026 Prof. Ali Nejidat

Nitrogen Transformations and Environmental Quality

2
001-2-5028 Prof. Moshe Herzberg Microbial Biofilms in Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes (prerequisite: Introduction to Microbiology) 2
001-2-5029

Prof. Noam Weisbrod

Rural Water Development 

2
001-2-5034 ​Prof. Yoram Oren ​Environmental Oriented Electrochemistry 2
001-2-5037 ​Dr. Michal Sela-Adler ​Organic Micropollutant Identification and Quantification in the Lab 1
001-2-5038 Prof. Amit Gross

Water Sanitation

3
001-2-5040

Dr. Eli Zaady

Soil Microbial Ecology 2
001-2-5041 Dr. Menachem Sklartz

Practical Bioinformatics for Environmental Studies

3
001-2-5042 Prof. Roni Kasher

Amino Acids and Peptides: Chemistry and Biology

2
001-2-5044 Prof. Arnon Shai

Biogeochemical Processes in Surface Water Systems

3
001-2-5063

Prof. Edo Bar-Zeev

Lab-course: New Methods in Biofilm Characterization

3
001-2-5065

Prof. Shai Arnon

Transport Processes in Streams: Theory and Practice​

001-2-5066

Dr. Scott K. Hansen

Introduction to Scientific Computing with Python

3
001-2-5067

Dr. Scott K. Hansen

Introduction to Contaminant Hydrology 3
001-2-5068

Prof. Oded Nir

Aqueous Chemistry Modeling with PHREEQC

2
001-2-5069 ​Prof. Amit Gross ​Water & the Environment: Current Challenges and Solutions 3
001-2-5070

Dr. Scott K. Hansen

Practical Data Science and Machine Learning

001-2-5074 ​Dr. Elad Levintal ​​Envirotech - do it yourself sensors for environmental research 3

001-2-5075 Fall

001-2-5076 Spring

Dr. Elad Levintal Do-it-yourself sensors for environmental research - advanced course 3

001-2-5077

Prof. Gideon Oron Advanced Management and Optimization of Water Systems and Wastewater Reclamation 2
001-2-5129

Prof. Noam Weisbrod

Rural Water Development (field trip) – Prerequisite: Course # 001-2-5029

2
001-2-6002 Dr. Aviva Peeters Theory and Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (limited to 15 students) 3

Students are required to complete 2-3 credits.

Course # Lecturer Subject Credits
001-2-1200 ​Prof. Simon Barak & Dr. Buzi Raviv

​BGU Radio Academy – Podcast production course

2
001-2-4029

Prof. Yosef Ashkenazi

Introduction to Statistics and Probability

 3
001-2-6012

Dr. Moshe Schwartz

Guided Reading in Water Politics in Arid Regions

2