PhD PROGRAMS FAQ
- What is the content of the PhD program?
PhD program consists of at least seven courses, seminar, proficiency exam, thesis proposal and thesis study. At least one course related to research techniques and research and publication ethics must be taken during graduate studies. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 14 (3))
- Can I take courses from other higher education institutions during the PhD?
Maximum two courses can be selected from the courses offered in other higher education institutions with the recommendation of the department head and approval of the board of directors of the graduate school. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 14 (4))
- Can I take courses from the undergraduate program during my PhD?
Undergraduate courses are not included in the course load and PhD program credits. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 14 (5))
- Are there any compulsory courses?
The student has to take and pass the compulsory courses of the program and other compulsory courses such as “Research Methods and Ethics”.
- 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))
- Can I take courses from other programs?
Students may take at most two courses from other postgraduate programs of Yaşar University. The courses in the compulsory courses pool of the program are excluded from this number. The students can take the courses, without any limit, in the master’s program (thesis and non-thesis) of the same name with their PhD program, provided that the relevant prerequisites are met.
- What is the maximum duration of the PhD program?
Excluding the period spent in scientific preparation program and regardless of whether the student registers for each semester or not, the PhD program is eight semesters, starting from the semester in which the student is enrolled to the program. The maximum period for PhD is twelve semesters. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 16 (1))
- When should the courses be completed?
The maximum period to successfully complete the credit courses is four semesters. Students who fail to successfully complete their credit courses within this period or who fail to achieve at least a cumulative grade point average (3.00 / 4.00) from the University are dismissed. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 16 (2))
- When should the thesis advisor be appointed? How is the thesis advisor appointment process?
The department proposes a thesis advisor among Yaşar University staff and a thesis title to be determined by the advisor and the student, for each student. The thesis advisor and thesis proposal are finalized by the decision of the board of directors of graduate school. The thesis advisor is appointed by the end of the first semester at the latest. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 17 (1))
- Can a co-advisor be appointed?
In case the thesis work requires more than one thesis advisor, a co-advisor with at least a PhD degree and from inside or outside the university staff may be appointed. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 17 (2))
- When should I take the qualifying exam? Is the qualifying exam done every semester?
A qualifying exam must be taken by the end of the fifth semester at the latest. Qualifying exams are held twice (in each semester) a year. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 18 (1))
- Can I take the qualifying exam before completing the course successfully?I
In order to take the qualifying exam, all the courses including the seminar must have been successfully completed. In order to take the qualifying exam, all the courses including the seminar must have been successfully completed. PhD students in Applied Sciences who will take the proficiency exam in the following semester or semester after completing the seminar and lessons should be enrolled in the course “XXXX 5691 Guided Research” in the following semester.
- What is the content of the qualifying exam?
The qualifying exam consists of two parts, written and oral exams.
- Who organizes the qualifying exams?
The qualifying exams are organized and conducted the PhD qualifying committee made up of five persons. The committee is proposed by the department and approved by the board of directors of graduate school. The committee establishes exam juries in order to prepare, conduct and evaluate exams in different fields. The exam jury consists of five faculty members, including the advisor, of which at least two are from outside Yaşar University. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 18 (3))
- By which method is the decision taken in the qualifying exam?
Students are required to get at least 60 out of 100 from each of the written exam and oral exam in order to be considered successful in the qualifying exam. Students who are successful in the written exam are taken to the oral exam. The total success grade of the qualifying exam is calculated by taking the equal-weighted average of the written and oral exams (50% each). The department may conduct the written exam in more than one session. For the student to be successful in the qualifying exam, the average of written and oral exams must be at least 70 (70/100) points. The PhD qualifying committee decides of the student’s grade whether it is a success S or a fail U by the absolute majority. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 18 (4))
- What happens if I fail the qualifying exam?
The student who fails the qualifying exam is taken to the exam again in the next semester from the part/parts that she/he failed. The student who fails in this exam is dismissed from the PhD program. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 18 (3))
- What is the thesis monitoring committee? When should it be formed? Who does it consist of?
For the student who is successful in the qualifying exam, a thesis monitoring committee is formed within a month with the proposal of the department and the approval of the board of directors of graduate school. The thesis monitoring committee consists of three faculty members. Apart from the thesis advisor, the committee includes one member from within and one member outside the department. If the second thesis advisor is appointed, the second thesis advisor can attend the committee meetings if she/he wishes. In the periods following the establishment of the thesis monitoring committee, the committee members can be changed with the proposal of the department and the approval of the board of directors of graduate school. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 19)
- What is the thesis proposal?
The student, who successfully completes the qualifying exam, orally defends the thesis proposal in front of the thesis monitoring committee. The proposal, which covers the purpose, method and study plan of the research to be done. The student distributes a written report on the thesis proposal to the committee members at least fifteen days before the oral defense.(YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 20 (1))
- In which method does the thesis monitoring committee make the decision regarding the thesis proposal?
The thesis monitoring committee decides whether the thesis proposal submitted by the student is accepted, corrected or rejected by absolute majority. If correction is needed, one month is given for correction. At the end of this period, the decision made with absolute majority in the direction of acceptance or rejection is notified to the graduate school by the department within three work days following the end of the defense. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 20 (2))
- My thesis proposal is rejected. Can I identify a new thesis topic and / or thesis advisor?
The student whose thesis proposal is rejected has the right to choose a new advisor and / or thesis topic. In this case, a new thesis monitoring committee is appointed. The student who wants to continue the program with the same advisor is admitted to the thesis proposal defense within three months. The student who changes the subject and the advisor of the thesis is admitted to the thesis proposal defense within six months. The student whose proposal is rejected in this defense is dismissed from the program with the decision of the board of directors of graduate school. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 20 (3))
- My thesis proposal was accepted. When should I do the first thesis monitoring committee meeting?
For the student whose thesis proposal is accepted, the thesis monitoring committee meets twice a year, once between January-June and July-December. The student submits a written thesis progress report to the committee members at least one month before the meeting date. In this report, the summary of the work done so far and the work plan to be carried out in the next period must be indicated. The student’s thesis progress is determined as successful or unsuccessful by the committee. The student who fails twice in a row or three times intermittently by the Committee is dismissed from the program by the decision of the board of directors.
(YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 20 (4))
- When can I defend my thesis at the earliest?
At least three thesis monitoring committee reports must be submitted for the student’s thesis to be finalized. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 21 (3))
- What are the publication conditions I need to meet in order to defend my dissertation?
A) NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES PHD PROGRAMS
- In order to defend PhD thesis, the following publication conditions must be fulfilled. (Senate decision 345, dated 14.11.2017, Article 14-Appendix 13.)
- At least one article has been accepted to be published in peer-reviewed journals in ULAKBIM, SCOPUS, SSCI, SCI-Exp, A&HCI and other field indexes or Yaşar University journals or
International or national book or book chapter has been accepted for publication. - As a condition independent of the first condition and also to be met, at least one article has been accepted for publication in the refereed journals indexed in the SSCI, SCI-Exp, A&HCI indexes or the first referee evaluation has not been completed without a rejection decision.
Note: A) The publications which are submitted to satisfy publication conditions for Master’s study can not be submitted for PhD graduation.
B) Publication obligations are valid for the students registered at 2019-2020 Fall Semester or later.
B) SOCIAL SCIENCES PHD AND PROFICIENCY IN ART PROGRAMS
Social Sciences Institute, dated 14.11.2017 , decision 13.Publication requirements are valid for the students registered at 2019-2020 Fall Semester or later.
- At least one article has been published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals indexed in SSCI, SCI, A&HCI, SCOPUS or ULAKBİM field indexes.
or - Having at least one article published or accepted for publication as an international or national book or book/gift section
or - Publishing of a Web of Science indexed conference in the proceedings book.
International Book: Books published by publishing houses which are ranked in A, B, C and C classes in the SENSE Ranking of Academic Publishers.
National Book: As defined in the Associate Professorship application conditions by Inter-University Board; refers to a book which is published by a publishing house, whose at least one book is cataloged in any higher education institution library in Turkey and which has been operating for at least five years and which has gone through editing/referee processes.
Book Chapter: Refers to book chapter which is defined in the table of contents page and which appears in international/national books.
- How is thesis defense jury appointed?
The PhD thesis jury is appointed with the recommendation of the advisor and the head of the department and the approval of the board of directors of graduate school. The jury consists of five faculty members. Three of the members are the members of the thesis monitoring At least two of the jury members should be from outside the University. The board of directors of graduate school decides whether the thesis advisor has the right to vote. If the advisor does not have the right to vote, the jury consists of six jury members. The second thesis advisor can take part in the jury without the right to vote. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 21 (4))
- By which method are the decisions taken in the thesis defense?
The thesis jury makes its decision about the thesis with absolute majority.
- I got correction in the thesis defense. When should I defend my thesis again?
The student, who has been graded as correction about her/ his thesis, makes the necessary corrections within six months at the latest and defends her/his thesis to the same jury. The student who fails in this defense is dismissed from the program with the decision of the board of directors of graduate school.
- I failed the thesis defense. What should I do?
The student, whose thesis is evaluated to be unsuccessful by the jury, is dismissed 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 programs. For fulfilling these requirements, an additional period of one semester is provided to the student.
(YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 21 (6))
- I am successful in thesis defense. What should I do for graduation?
After completing the thesis, the student delivers the desired number of copies of the thesis to his advisor. The advisor sends the copies of the thesis to the graduate school through the head of the department with the opinion that the thesis has been written in terms of compliance with the spelling rules. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 22 (1))
The student who submits at least three copies of the PhD thesis to the institute within one month from the date of thesis defense is deemed to be eligible for a PhD degree. The board of directors of graduate school may extend the delivery period by a maximum of one month upon application.
Students who do not meet these conditions cannot obtain their diploma until they fulfill the conditions, cannot use their student rights and are dismissed from the program if their maximum period expires. (YU Graduate Programs Procedures and Principles Article 22 (2))
- 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))