Overview
This program is on hold for outbound participation beginning September 2023 and until further notice. Applications will be closed for 2024-2025 programs and beyond.
Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design is located in Jerusalem, Israel. Jerusalem is the modern capital of Israel and is considered the political, historical, and religious center of the country. Although Hebrew and Arabic are the dominant languages in Jerusalem, the city has a diverse and cosmopolitan character. Archaeologists attest that the city has been continuously inhabited for 5000 years. Jerusalem’s Old City is still readily visible today and contains Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim quarters dating back to the medieval period. The Old City’s walls were built on even older foundations and various gates open to some of the most famous places in the Middle East including the Dome of the Rock, the Al-Aqṣā Mosque, and an Ottoman Citadel.
Academics
Find classes here: Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design courses
The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design was the first art school to be founded in Israel and is also the oldest institution of higher education in the country. The tradition of receiving foreign students dates back to 1907. Bezalel is a public school and has 2,500 students. In 2022 Bezalel is slated to move from the Mount Scopus campus of Hebrew University of Jerusalem to its own site in the Russian Compound neighborhood of Jerusalem. This is a prime location about ten minutes by car from the ancient city gates.
Students choose courses from the 3rd year of the curriculum. The language of instruction is primarily in Hebrew, but there are some classes available in English. No previous knowledge of Hebrew is required and there is an intensive Hebrew class available before the start of the semester.
Available Majors: fine arts, photography, visual communication, animation and video, fashion and jewelry, ceramics and glass design, industrial design, architecture, visual and material culture.The Animation and Cinematography degree program is the Israel’s most comprehensive program. The Department of Photography is the most prominent and prestigious photography department in the region.
Housing
Students must arrange their own housing, but the international education office at Bezalel provides some assistance.
Dates
The university is on a semester calendar, but only Spring semester is possible for Willamette students. Spring semester is February through the end of June.
Cost
Students pay Willamette tuition and can use their usual funding. Additional scholarships for study abroad are available for this program.