Dean of the Division for Designated Programs, Prof. Noa Vilchinsky

From preparatory courses to BA and MA degrees designed to accommodate full-time professionals, to specialized programs catering to students in the security forces and ultra-orthodox women, we provide a comprehensive array of educational opportunities. Our academic clusters, such as product management, alongside professional certificate programs and external studies like the esteemed Brookdale Program, exemplify our dedication to fostering academic excellence, practical skill development, and knowledge dissemination.

The division comprises five distinct units, each dedicated to serving a unique student population: The pre-academic preparatory unit serves as a vital gateway to higher education for hundreds of students aspiring to pursue various study tracks within the university. Within this unit we proudly offer the YOEL program, which provides support and guidance to students from the Ethiopian community in Israel.

The Division for Designated Programs is also responsible for multidisciplinary undergraduate students who balance their studies with full-time employment commitments. This includes tailored B.A. degrees, as well as the Bar-Ilan University School of Hi-Tech and Cyber Security. Also included are the security forces unit, offering specialized programs tailored to the unique requirements of members serving in security forces, the ultra-orthodox campus unit and the Brookdale program, providing enrichment studies for seniors.

Since 2023, Prof. Noa Vilchinsky of the Bar-Ilan University Department of Psychology has served as the Head of the Division for Designated Programs. With expertise as a rehabilitation psychologist, Prof. Vilchinsky is internationally recognized for her pioneering research in areas including chronic diseases, family caregiving, rehabilitation and recovery, post-traumatic stress, and multiculturalism in contexts related to rehabilitation, coping and crisis. In 2004, Prof. Vilchinsky founded the laboratory for psycho-cardiology research, where students perform complex research in several hospitals in Israel, including Sheba, Meir, Hadassah, Rambam and Rabin Medical Centers.

Prof. Vilchinsky’s research was published in leading journals and was supported by many research funds, including the European Union Research Fund (ERC-ITN) and the Israel Science Foundation (ISF). Prof. Vilchinsky won awards for her academic work, including the Vice Rector's Award for Outstanding Lecturer, an award by the Wolfson Medical Center and the Bar-Ilan UnBox Venture for a technology development optimizing the patient’s journey in the hospital, and in 2021, she received the Fellowship Award by the European Association for Health Psychology.

Prof. Vilchinsky holds many national and international positions. She is a member of the National Council for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases, served as a member of the Executive Committee of the National Institute for Rehabilitation and Treatment, and for the past three years has served as the secretary of the European Health Psychology Society. At Bar-Ilan University, Prof. Vilchinsky served, among other, as the head of the Rehabilitation Psychology track, as the head of undergraduate studies in psychology, as a member of the university’s Ethics Committee, and as the founder and academic head of the undergraduate program in psychology for ultra-Orthodox women.