Birzeit University was the first higher education institute to develop a graduate program in Palestine by offering a Master's Degree in Education in 1976. The first graduating class in this program was in 1980, where six students were proud bearers of an MA from Birzeit University. The program was however put on hold in 1983 due to the constant closures imposed on the University.

It was after the closure was lifted that the University reintroduced the Graduate Program in Education during the 1992/1993 academic year. This move prompted the University to further develop its graduate programs which now offer Master's degrees and post-graduate diplomas in Arab and Islamic History; Business Administration; Clinical Laboratory Science; Community and Public Health; Contemporary Arab Studies; Democracy and Human Rights; Economics; Education; Gender, Law, and Development; International Studies; Law and Sociology. In addition, the University offers two High Diplomas in Primary Healthcare (Supervision and Training); and Gender, Law and Development. Today, 125 faculty members teach the 656 students enrolled in the various programs within the Faculty.

Housed in the Sheikh Rashid Bin Said Al Maktoum Building, the Faculty of Graduate Studies provides administrative and logistical support for the different Master's Programs, which are developed by the various faculties, Institutes and Centers at the University.

In association with the various academic departments and community service institutes and centers at the University, the Faculty has conducted research in the areas of Water Studies, International Studies, Gender Studies, Public Health, Arab and Islamic History, Democracy, Education and Economics. The Faculty also conducts two annual conferences in the fields of International Studies and Arab Studies in addition to a range of symposiums and workshops in Public Health, Democracy and Human Rights, and Gender, Law and Development. The faculty offers consultancies in the areas of Water Engineering, Public Health, Law and Medical Technology.

Amongst the proposed new degrees and programs that the University is aiming to develop is: Ecology and Environment; Computational Sciences; Water Studies from a science background; and Applied Statistics. The commencement date of these programs will be announced at a later stage.

Birzeit University coordinates with the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education to develop its graduate programs, which in turn licenses all the programs offered at the University. Birzeit University constantly strives to provide the appropriate infrastructure needed to develop the programs such as human resources, libraries and the latest technologies.

The Faculty and its programs are funded by the European Union, the Ford Foundation, the British Council and the Swiss Government.

Faculty of Graduate Studies: Admission and Graduation Requirements
1. The minimum requirement is a baccalaureate degree from either Birzeit University or any other accredited university.
2. Two recommendation letters either from two faculty members from where the applicant acquired the BA; or from two staff members who oversaw the work of the applicant, or one of each.
3. The applicant may go through an interview process with the program directors.
4. The program council, in coordination with the Ministry for Higher Education at Birzeit University might set its own requirements for admissions, which may include proficiency in a foreign language and work experience.
Graduation Requirements:
1. The completion of 36 credit hours, 6 credits of which go toward the defense paper.
2. The student must successfully be able to defend, argue and discuss the defense paper.
3. The student must pass the final examination in his/her program
4. The completion of the last 9-credit hours or defense at Birzeit University.
5. The minimum grade point average is 75%.
6. The completion of any other requirements by the program.

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Staff

Name	Title
Dr. George Giacaman	The Dean Of Graduate Studies Faculty
Dr. Raesd al Sa'ed	Head of the Water Engineering Program
Dr. Tamer Essawi	Head of the Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Dr. Raja Bahlul	Head of MA in Democracy & Human Rights
Dr. Roger Heacock	Head of the International Studies Department
Dr. Rema Hammami	Head of the Women, Gender, Law & Development Program
Dr. Fathiywh Nasru	Head of the Master's in Education Program
Dr. Ghassan Faramand	Head of the Law Program
Dr. Majdi Malki	Head of the Sociology Program
Dr. Muhsan Yousef	Head of the Contemporary Arabic Studies Program
Dr. Mohammad Nassir	Head of the Business Administration Program
Dr. Yousef Daoud	Head of the Economics Program
Dr. Hammad Hussein	Head of the MA Program in Arab Islamic History
Dr. Rita Giacaman	Head of MA Program in Public and Social Health