MASTER PROGRAM (THESIS) FAQ
- What is the content of the thesis master program?
The thesis master program consists of at least seven courses –provided that the total is not less than 21 local credits– a seminar course and thesis study. Seminar course and thesis do not have local credits and are evaluated as successful or unsuccessful. At least one course including scientific research techniques and research and publication ethics must be taken during graduate studies. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 2 (2))
- Is the seminar course evaluation included in the average?
The seminar course is evaluated as unsuccessful U or successful S and is not included in the cumulative grade points average.
- Can courses be taken from the undergraduate program?
A maximum of two courses that the student will take can be selected from undergraduate courses provided that they are not taken during undergraduate education. In addition, maximum two courses can be selected from the courses offered in other higher education institutions upon the proposal of the department head and the approval of the board of directors of the graduate school. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 2 (3))
- What is the success requirement for the courses?
To be able to pass any course, a postgraduate (MA/doctoral/proficiency in art degree programs) student shall be required to score at least (B-). (YU Regulation on Postgraduate Education Article 24 (2))
- What is the maximum duration of the program?
The duration of the thesis master program is four semesters, starting from the semester in which the student is enrolled to the program, regardless of whether or not s/he has registered for each semester; and the program is completed in a maximum of six semesters. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 4 (1))
- When should my thesis advisor be appointed? How does the appointment process work?
In the thesis master program, for each student, the department proposes a thesis advisor among Yaşar University staff until the end of the first semester; and the thesis subject that the student determines together with the advisor to the graduate school by the end of the second semester at the latest. The thesis advisor and the thesis subject are finalized with the approval of the graduate school board of directors. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 5 (1))
- Who can be a thesis advisor?
The thesis advisor is selected among the faculty members who meet the qualifications determined by the Senate. In the absence of a faculty member with such qualifications, within the framework of principles determined by the University Senate, an advisor from other higher education institutions may be appointed as an advisor by the board of the graduate school. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 5 (2))
- Is it possible to appoint a co-advisor?
In cases the thesis work requires more than one thesis advisor, a co-advisor, who may be an instructor having at least a PhD degree from inside or outside the university staff, may be appointed. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 5 (2))
- Can the title and subject of the thesis be revised?
The thesis title or subject may be revised with the approval of the thesis advisor, the opinion of the head of the department and the decision of the board of directors of the Graduate School. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 5 (3))
- Can the thesis advisor be changed?
Upon the application of the student or thesis advisor, the thesis advisor can be changed with the opinion of the head of the department and the decision of the board of directors of the graduate school. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 5 (3))
- How does the thesis process begin?
The student has to register the thesis course to start the thesis study. Thesis work is carried out under the guidance and supervision of the advisor. At the end of the semester, the advisor gives P (Progress) grade if the student is successful or NP (Non Progress) if unsuccessful. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 5 (4))
- How is the thesis defense jury appointed?
Master thesis jury is appointed with the recommendation of the thesis advisor and the head of the related department and with the approval of the board of directors of the graduate school. The jury consists of three or five faculty members, one of whom is the thesis advisor of the student and at least one of them is from outside the University. If the jury consists of three members, the second thesis advisor cannot be a jury member. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 6 (3))
- What is the defense process of the master thesis?
A student in the thesis master program, writes down the results obtained along the thesis studies in accordance with the styles determined by the Senate and defends his/her thesis orally in front of the jury. The student who fails to complete the courses and seminar does not have the right to take the thesis defense. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 6 (1))
The student completes the thesis before the defense of the master’s thesis, and s/he completes it with the revisions for the thesis evaluated as “to be corrected”, and submits it to his/her advisor. The advisor submits the thesis to the graduate school with the opinion that the thesis is defensible. The graduate school generates the plagiarism software program report and sends it to the advisor and the jury members. In case a plagiarism is detected in the data on the report, together with its justification, the thesis is sent to the board of directors of the graduate school for decision. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 6 (2))
- What are the publication requirements I need to meet in order to take the thesis defense?
The following publication requirements must be met in order to take MSc thesis defense. (Senate decision 345, dated 14.11.2017, Article 14-Appendix 13.)
Submission of at least one manuscript to the refereed journals indexed by ULAKBIM, SCOPUS, SSCI, SCI-Exp, AHCI or other field indexes or Yaşar University journals for publication provided that the manuscript does not receive editorial rejection
or
To be included in the evaluation process by the editor for international or national book or book chapters indexed within A, B, C or D class of SENSE publishers or meeting the publisher criterion sought by the inter-university board of Turkey for the associate professorship
or
At least one paper accepted for publication in the conference/symposium proceedings indexed by Web of Science
Note: Publication requirements are valid for the students registered at 2019-2020 Fall Semester or later.
- How is the thesis defense conducted?
The jury members meet at the latest within one month from the date of submission of the thesis and take the student to the thesis defense. The thesis defense consists of the presentation of the thesis and a question and answer session following it. The thesis defense is held in an open environment for the participation of lecturers, graduate students and field experts (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 6 (5))
- How does the jury decide in the thesis defense?
The thesis jury makes its decision about the thesis with absolute majority. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 6 (6))
- I failed the thesis defense. What should I do?
The student, whose thesis is evaluated to be unsuccessful and is rejected, is dismissed from the program in which s/he is registered by the decision of the board of directors of graduate school. In case the student, whose thesis is rejected, makes a request, s/he is granted a non-thesis master’s degree provided that s/he has fulfilled the course credit load, term project writing and similar requirements of the non-thesis master’s program. For fulfilling these requirements, an additional period of one semester is provided to the student. (YU Graduate Programs Application Principles Article 6 (7-9))
- I received a correction (I) in the thesis defense. When do I have to defend again?
The student, whose thesis decision is made as “correction”, defends the thesis within three months at the latest to the same jury.
In case the student, whose thesis is found unsuccessful again, s/he is awarded a non-thesis master’s degree provided that s/he has fulfilled the course credit load, term project writing and similar requirements of the non-thesis master’s program. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 6 (8-9))
- I was successful in Thesis Defense. What should I do for graduation?
Providing the necessary requirements for graduation determined by the Senate and being successful at the thesis defense, the graduate student who submits at least three copies of the master’s thesis to the graduate school within one month after the date of the thesis defense receives the thesis master’s diploma. The board of directors of the graduate school may extend the deadline for a further one month upon request. The student, who does not fulfill these requirements, cannot get their diploma until they meet the requirements, cannot benefit from student rights and is dismissed if the maximum duration expires. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 7 (1))
- Is there a GPA requirement for graduation?
For students to graduate from any postgraduate degree program, their overall grade point average should be at least 3,00 out of 4,00. (YU Regulation on Postgraduate Education Article 24 (4))