The Sofaer academic curriculum runs over five 8-week modules, from October to September. The core curriculum – making up roughly half of the credits Sofaer students need to graduate – covers the essential topics of an MBA education including: economics, finance, marketing, management, ethics, and accounting.

Students complete their remaining course requirements via Sofaer’s elective course offerings which provide enrichment in specialized areas, such as entrepreneurial finance, environment and sustainable practices, and business strategy. With advisor approval, students may also take elective courses outside the Sofaer curriculum. including courses in Recanati’s other MBA programs or Tel Aviv University’s other international MA programs.

Course Offerings 2011-2012

* Denotes required course

** Schedule is subject to change.

(# cu) Denotes number of course units per course

Module 1 October 30- December 9, 2011

December 11 – 23 2011  – Review and Exam Period

Module 2 December 25, 2011 – February 3, 2012

February 5-15 2012 – Review and Exam Period

Students enrolled in Conducting Business in India will travel to India from February 16 – 24, 2012.

Module 3 March 4 – April 27, 2012

April 29- May 11 2012 – Review and Exam Period

Module 4 April 27 – June 6, 2011

June 24- July 6 2012 – Review and Exam Period

Module 5 July 15 – August 22, 2012

Graduation Date TBA

A Comprehensive Curriculum

The Sofaer International MBA curriculum is comprised of academic coursework, co-curricular events and excursions, professional development programming, international experiences via a study-trip and exchange options, and extracurricular student activities on and off campus.  The following provides an overview of how these components fit together to comprise Sofaer’s comprehensive curriculum.

Quick links:

Summer Boot Camp

The summmer Boot Camp is designed to prepare Sofaer students for thier academic course load ahead, specifically: Microeconomics, Statistics for Business Management, Financial Accounting, Finance, and Marketing. The Boot Camp consists of three courses and is mandatory for all Sofaer students. Exemptions can only be granted to those who pass a waiver exam.

The 2012/13 Boot Camp will run from September 26 – October 13, 2011. The courses are:

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The Sofaer Academic Curriculum

At the heart of the Sofaer program is our academic curriculum – a five-module program that combines a core curriculum compiled of required courses with a wide variety of elective course options.  The core curriculum  – making up roughly half of the credits Sofaer students need to graduate the program – covers the essential topics of a top-tier MBA education.  Courses include: economics, finance, marketing, management, ethics, and accounting.

The remaining elective courses provide enrichment in specialized areas, such as entrepreneurial finance, emerging global markets, and business strategy. Students can select from a wide range of these electives to diversify their academic portfolio, or they may choose to focus on a specific area of study by taking a cluster of courses covering a certain topic.  Examples of academic concentrations include: sustainability, entrepreneurship, finance, and management.

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Elective Courses outside the Sofaer Curriculum

With advisor approval, students may take certain courses outside the Sofaer curriculum, including courses taught by other Recanati MBA programs as well as courses outside the School of Business.  In addition to the Sofaer International MBA, Tel Aviv University offers more than 10 international MA programs and a variety of English-language exchange programs (example: Buchmann Faculty of Law Berkeley exchange program). Such programs offer Sofaer students the opportunity to diversify their elective course choices within the framework of their MBA degree.

• International MA program 2011-12 Course List

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Professional Development

Parallel to the program’s academic studies and unique to the Sofaer program is the multifaceted professional development curriculum.  This curriculum consists of a 1 credit-bearing workshop, soft-skill development sessions, monthly company visits, guest lectures, interest group activities and many networking opportunities. For more information on the workshop and other career-related events, visit the Professional Development section of our website.

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MBA Cares – Sofaer and Corporate Responsibility

The demand of for-profit companies and non-for-profit organizations to function in a sustainable and accountable way is ever increasing. The mission of Sofaer’s MBA Cares course is to enhance the social conscience of business and management students. Through theoretical foundation and direct project work, MBA Cares provides students the opportunity to learn how companies and organizations are approaching Corporate Social Responsibility, social enterprise, and sustainable operations.

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Sofaer and Sustainability

The Sofaer program is committed to preparing students for the challenges they will face as graduates. We offer a variety of ways to connect with the issues surrounding business management and sustainability – from individual courses to academic concentrations.

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International Trips Abroad

Each year the Sofaer program offers students the opportunity to engage in international business first-hand via a 10-day study-trip abroad.  The class of 2010 and 2011 participated in the “Conducting Business in China” course.  This course combined in class learning (in Israel) with on-the-ground exposure in China to Chinese industry, local and international business leaders, professors, journalists and government officials to provide students with a 360 approach to conducting business in China.

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Third Semester Study Abroad

Sofaer students have the opportunity to spend their 5th module abroad at one of our 60+ academic partnerships around the world.  The exchange option provides students the opportunity to study and professionally network within another geographic location.  Students are encouraged to select schools based on the relevancy of the school’s academic strengths and geographic location to their personal career plan.

Students selecting this option tend to take Sofaer’s summer module off (July-August) and begin their exchange semester in late August / early September.  Depending on the hosting institution’s academic calendar, most Sofaer students studying on exchange graduate in December.  Although the completion of the degree is abroad, Sofaer students participating in the exchange program receive a diploma from Tel Aviv University’s Recanati School of Business.

Learn more about our exchange option with Sofaer’s Admission Director.

Exchange locations for the Sofaer class of 2010 and class of 2011 included:

• Brandeis University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• University of British Colombia, Vancouver, Canada
• Beijing University, Beijing, China
• Melbourne Business School, Melbourne, Australia
• ESADE Business School, Barcelona, Spain
• Duke University, Durham, USA
• Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India
• Emory University, Atlanta, USA
• ESSEC Business School, France
• HEC, Paris, France
• Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
• Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
• National University of Singapore, Singapore
• Bocconi, Milan, Italy
• Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria
• Fundacao Getulios Vargas (FGV), Sao Paulo, Brazil

To learn more about the exchange program visit Recanati’s Exchange webpage or contact Recanati’s Exchange Director Sharon Shaked at ShakedS@tauex.tau.ac.il

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Program Highlights

• 1-year “fast-track” MBA
• Integrated career services designed specifically for our 1-year format
• Academic and professional curriculum complemented by Israel’s unique culture of innovation and entrepreneurship
• Average class: 50 students, 65% international, 50/50 division between women and men
• Includes an international exchange option to one of over 60+ MBA programs worldwide
• International study-trip to either China or India
• AACSB international accreditation

A series that helps equip you for the Israeli job search process and connect you to your professional industry.

Israel has its own approach to the job search. As opposed to head hunters, placement companies, and job fairs most people in Israel find opportunities through personal and professional contacts. Internationals, lacking an extensive contact base in Israel, often find themselves seriously behind in the job-search race before they even get started. This 4-part series is designed to ready you for the Israeli job search process and connect you to professionals in your industry of interest.

NEXT SESSION: Industry Connect

February 14, 2011 5:30pm to 8pm
Location: Lion Hall, Recanati School of Business, Tel Aviv University (campus map)

Register Now!

This session is all about connecting participants to their professional field of interest.  Via round-table discussions with industry professionals participants get the inside scoop of their industry of interest’s internal mode of operation – from what’s available, to how people find opportunities, to what events those-in-the-know attend.

Session Overview

5:30 – 5:55: Registration & Networking

Industry professionals include:

Past Sessions

Session 1, Repackaging Yourself for the Israel Market

Dec 14, 2011 5pm to 8pm

Location: Tel Aviv University, Rosenblatt Hall, School of Electrical Engineering, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv

As any marketing professional can tell you, you must know your audience before attempting to make a sale. Eran Goren, co-Founder of Fidelis Family Office & Gvahim Board Member; Anat-Geifman Broder, Senior Human Resources Consultant and Gvahim Alumni, Karen Beer-Gabel, Ophelie Namiech and Giuseppe Calo, will share with you their knowledge and experience on “Repackaging Yourself for the Israeli Market”.

Session 2, Building and Executing your Job Search Strategy

January 4, 2012 5pm to 8pm
Location: Lion Hall, Recanati School of Business, Tel Aviv University

Like any great business idea, the key to a successful job search lies in the execution. In this session you will learn how to build your own job search strategy, workshop networking the “Israeli way”, and connect with industry insider’s to gain a better perspective on the culture of professional networking in your industry of interest.

Sessions:

Prof. Jonathan Smilansky: “Building and Executing your Job Search Strategy”

Shoshi Gal: “The Ins & Outs of Networking the Israeli Way”

Industry Insiders:

Entrepreneurship, Edoe Cohen, Founder and Executive Director of Omanoot & Pauline Vorms, Program Manager France-Israel and Eurostars at MATIMOP
Finance, Giordana Mosseri, Senior Analyst at KCPS & Co & Eran Pasternak, Co CEO at Pasternak Shoam Investment House
Hi-Tech, Dan Hod, APRM Line Of Business Director at Amdocs and Founder of www.danslist.co.il
Marketing, Erez Bahat, Owner of Gemius Israel
Non-Profit, Michal Rubin, VP Development of Minuf
Public Sector, Jonathan Javor, Foreign Affairs & Parliamentary Advisor to MK Otniel Schneller
General - Professor Jonathan Smilansky, Sofaer International MBA Career Consultant

Session 3, The Ins & Outs of a Successful Job Search: Tools, Tips and Tactics for Getting the Job you Want

January 23, 2011 5pm to 8pm

Location: Lion Hall, Recanati School of Business, Tel Aviv University (campus map)

Sigal Abbatovi, Organizational Psychologist & Social Media Expert and Rachel Berger, Director of Employment for NBN will discuss strategies and tools (both online and conventional tools) for finding the right job and developing your career in Israel.

Session Overview

5:00 – 5:15 – Sign in and networking

5:15 – 5:45 Targeted Social Media for the Job Search: Sigal Abbatovi, Organizational Psychologist, Professional Recruiter, Founder, Endlessknot

5:45 – 6:15 Branding yourself Online: Mike Mintz of My Media Labs and Blogger for LexisNexis, University Lecturer on Online Marketing

6:15 – 7:00 The Twitter Solution – How Twitter Can Help You Find a Job: Mitch Schneider Online Marketing at Better Place Moderator: Rachel Berger, Director of Employment at Nefesh B’Nefesh

7:00 – 8:00 Job Search Workshops: Professional Career Developers will offer expert advice on:

• • Creating your Elevator Pitch
  • Targeted Linkedin Profile
  • The Executive Summary on the Resume
  • Things every Employee Needs to Know – Employee Benefits (Tzvi Szjainbrun, Lawyer, Volunteer)

NEXT SESSION in the Building your Career in Israel, a 4-part series

Industry Connect – Connect with HR representatives and industry professionals via roundtable discussions to get the inside scoop of how to get a job in their industry and what it’s really like to work in that industry.

February 14, 2012
Location: Lion Hall, Recanati School of Business, Tel Aviv University

Register Now!

Session Overview

5:30 – 5:55: Registration & Networking
6:00 – 7:00: Round table discussions*
7:05 – 7:30: Networking

*9 different tables, each focussing on a different industry / topic – Hi-Tech, Marketing, Government, Hospitality, Medical, Banking & Finance, Law, Education, Human Resources & 1 special table offering focused resume & interview tips across the industries. Each table will consist of an industry representative and a moderator who will facilitate constructive conversation between the industry professional and participants. Participants will be allowed to roam between tables if they have more than one preferred industry. Our industry professionals include:

Series Overview

Israel has its own approach to the job search. As opposed to head hunters, placement companies, and job fairs most people in Israel find opportunities through personal and professional contacts. Internationals, lacking an extensive contact base in Israel, often find themselves seriously behind in the job-search race before they even get started. This 4-part series is designed to ready you for the Israeli job search process and connect you to professionals in your industry of interest.

This series is open to the public. You may register for individual sessions or sign up for all 3 remaining Building Your Career in Israel sessions at a reduced rate. The package cost for the remaining 3 sessions is 90 NIS; each individual session is 40 NIS online and at the door.

Did you know?

• Tel Aviv has on average 300 days of sunshine a year.  
• Tel Aviv beaches host more than 8,500,000 people a year
• There are 450 bars and 100 sushi restaurants located in the city
• Tel Aviv museums see more than 1,300,000 visitors a year
• The city has over 40 dog parks
• City residents have over 120km of bicycle routes to explore

Tour The City

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Tour Our Campus

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Hear From Our Students

The Sofaer International MBA – Focused. Dynamic. International.

Located in Tel Aviv, Israel, the Sofaer International MBA is a dynamic one-year international program embedded in a global hub of entrepreneurship and innovation.  The Sofaer International MBA combines a rigorous academic curriculum containing a wide range of elective-course offerings with networking-orientated experiences and professional development activities. Additionally, the Sofaer program offers a semester exchange option with one of over 60 partner-schools worldwide and an international trip to either China or India. This flexible and multi-dimensional structure enables students to tailor a professionally-focused year of study that provides the skills, exposure, and personal contacts needed to take their next professional step with confidence, in Israel or abroad.

• View the Sofaer Brochure
• Meet our faculty
• Sofaer’s What’s Next Series

Israel – A Dynamic Classroom

Producing more start-ups per-capita than China, India, Canada, Japan and the UK and attracting twice as much venture-capital investment as the United States and thirty times more than Europe, Israel is a powerful player in the global economy.

And at the center of all is Tel Aviv. Ranked “Third Best City” by Lonely Planet, “Best Gay City” by American Airlines, and Europe’s main technology hub by the Wall Street Journal, Tel Aviv attracts a vibrant crowd. Urban professionals, start-up entrepreneurs, artists, business travelers, and students mingle together in the city’s museums, night-life hot spots, five-star restaurants, and beaches.

Via academic courses, company tours, mentoring programs, internships, conferences, project work, and lecture series, the Sofaer International MBA offers students the opportunity to engage Israel’s innovative and fast-paced business culture while living in the enticing and vibrant life of Tel Aviv.

Program Duration

The Sofaer International MBA is an 11-month accelerated program. For students who stay in Israel, (Sofaer’s exchange option extends students’ length of study) the program officially runs from October to September. The Sofaer program consists of five 8-week academic modules (6 weeks of courses followed by a review week and exam week).   Sofaer students tend to be in class roughly 25 hours a week with classes generally running Monday through Thursday between the hours of 8am and 6pm. Due to the intensive academic schedule and the group-work orientation of the program, Sofaer students are encouraged not to work during the course of their studies but focus their attention on their course work, career development and group projects.

Before the official start date of the program, the Sofaer International MBA runs a series of prerequisite courses for those without sufficient academic backgrounds in finance, statistics or math/calculus.  Known as the Summer Boot Camp, these courses are mandatory for all Sofaer students except those who pass the Summer Boot Camp waiver exam which is administered online closer to the start date of the program.

• 2012/13 Academic Year:
  • Orientation Week:  October 14, 2012 to September 13, 2012.
  • Module 1 begins: October 21, 2012
• View Sofaer’s academic calendar

Who Studies at Sofaer?

Academic excellence, professional depth, broad life experience, and innovative creativity are distinguishing factors of successful Sofaer International MBA candidates. Diversity is viewed as a fundamental asset to the program, and Sofaer students are as diverse professionally as they are geographically. Additionally, the program strives to maintain a 50/50 ratio of women and men in each class. Most Sofaer students begin their MBA studies after 4 years of work experience. Many speak more than one language and have lived and/or worked in more than one country.

• Connect with our Students
• Learn more via Sofaer’s YouTube page

The Recanati School of Business

Offering more than 11 programs of study, Tel Aviv University’s Recanati School of Business has been preparing its students for leading roles in various sectors of the Israeli and international economy for over 40 years. The only Israeli academic institution to be awarded the international accreditation of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Recanati continues to expand its global reach through international academic degree programs, executive training forums, an annual international case competition for MBA students, and a variety of international study and academic exchange programs. The school’s breadth of activity and reputation for excellence continues to make Recanati School of Business graduates the most sought after by Israeli employers.

Tel Aviv University

Founded in 1956, Tel Aviv University boasts over 29,000 students, 125 departments, 27 schools, 9 faculties, and more than 132 research centers and institutes. Currently the school hosts 800 international students annually in over 12 international programs of study. The university has extensive research contacts with leading academic and scientific institutions abroad, including over 150 cooperation agreements with universities in North and South America, Europe and the Far East. These qualities, combined with the University’s location – in the heart of Israel’s most dynamic and international city – Tel Aviv University is the number one choice for Israeli students. Recent studies have also confirmed that Tel Aviv University is the number one choice for Israeli employers as well.

• View photos of Tel Aviv University’s Campus
• Tel Aviv University video
  
• Tel Aviv University Annual Report

In light of the economic crisis that has hit America and Europe and the social unrest that has brought us the Arab Spring, the Rothschild Tent Protest, and Occupy Wall Street, Sofaer’s 2012 What’s Next event brought Guy Rolnik, Ester Levanon, Mark Gazit, Prof. Dan Ben-David together to debate What’s Next for Capitalism. Together these four thought leaders will question “capitalism” as a philosophy, debate the forces contributing to current economic and social unrest regarding the status quo, and suggest alternative visions of the future.

Sofaer’s annual “What’s Next” event brings together the best and most relevant minds of business today with students and the larger community to discuss issues relevant to all of our futures.  Further information, including video and photos of past What’s Next events, can be accessed below.

Past Events

February 1, 2012

March 22, 2011

Video

Photos

Explored the issues and opportunities facing multinational corporations in today’s shifting economic order with:

• Israel Makov, Chairman of Given Imaging, Chairman of Netafim and forme
• Prof. Ashler Tishler, Dean, Recanati School of Business, Tel Aviv University r President & CEO of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
• Prof. Shlomo Maital, S. Neaman Institute, Technion
• Victor Politis, President & CEO, PRI Project Development
• Doron Ben Sira, CEO Skyvision
• Sharon Kedmi, Director General, Israel Ministry of Industry
• Nurit Berman, Chairwoman, Emda Group
• Dr. Orna Berry, Corporate Vice President & General Manager for Israel COE, EMC Corporation

May 5, 2010

Video

Photos

Start-Up Nation co-author Saul Singer engaged industry leaders in conversation about the future of Israel’s economy, society and international potential.

Panelists:

• Saul Singer, Co-Author, Start-Up Nation; The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle
• Chemi Peres, Managing General Partner & Ci-Founder, Pitango
• Dr. Orna Beery, Venture Partner, Gemini Israel Funds
• Dr. David Furst, President & CEO, LifeSci and Vice Chairman, German Israel Life Sciences Committee (GILSC) Meir Brand, Regional Director, Google Israel, Greece and South Africa
• Tal Keinan, Co-Founder, KCPS and Company

Running parallel to our academic studies is the Professional Development Curriculum, a series of for-credit and extracurricular workshops, site visits, guest lecturers, and networking events. This curriculum helps our students identify their career goals while working to equip them with the skills and contacts needed to take their next professional step with confidence.

Meet Prof. Jonathan Smilansky, Sofaer’s Career Consultant and one of the architects behind Sofaer’s Professional Development Curriculum and a few of Sofaer’s alumni to learn more about what Sofaer provides and where our graduates go post program.

As their year progresses, Sofaer students transition through three complementary phases:

1. Identify: Via personal assessment, group work and career coaching students clarify what professional environment suits them best and identify what industries match their personal needs and professional skill-sets.
2. Equip: Through workshops students develop the soft skills necessary to take advantage of professional opportunities presented. Workshops include: public speaking, pitching, networking, business writing, interviewing, managing online social networks, and personal-brand management.
3. Connect: Students are connected to various industries and professional players, both in Israel and abroad, through conferences, networking events, interest groups, mentoring programs, guest lectures, workshops, and company visits.

To learn more about Sofaer’s career services please contact Professional Development Advisor Sarah Karu at sarahkar@post.tau.ac.il