The university has also benefitted people both in the Negev and worldwide through community involvement and research in community health, archaeology, desert agriculture, and other fields touching the quality of life in arid climates. This city is the capital of the Negev, the great southern desert which comprises over sixty percent of Israel's land. Each semester starts with a mandatory Ulpan, an intensive Hebrew program. Fall students may choose to live and work for two weeks at nearby Kibbutz Ketura. During the semester, students take five courses per semester and receive fifteen credits.
Courses span a variety of disciplines.
Some of the topics discussed include the local resettling of nomadic Bedouin tribes, the absorption of immigrants, health and welfare provisions, kibbutz life, Israeli politics, and other areas of concern to Israel and Beer-Sheva in particular. Especially notable are courses in desert ecology and in Bedouin culture and society. Students may also pursue pre-medical studies. The program accomodates only eighty students per year, which makes it particularly flexible. Students are encouraged to arrange internships, independent studies, and community projects.