The following questions and answers have been prepared in accordance with the YÖK (Council of Higher Education) Graduate Education Regulations and AGÜ Graduate Education and Examination Regulations. For more detailed and additional information, please refer to the Regulations.
What is the Master's Thesis Defense Exam?
In the master’s with thesis program, the student writes the results of their research in accordance with the thesis writing guidelines determined by the Senate and defends their thesis orally before a jury.
What needs to be done to take the Master’s Thesis Defense Exam?
Before the thesis defense, and in the case of a revised thesis, after completing the corrections, the student submits their thesis to their advisor. The advisor submits the thesis to the department head along with their approval that it is ready for defense, using Form YL 4, along with an unbound copy of the thesis. This form must also include a plagiarism software report and the proposed thesis jury members and suggested defense date. The form must be signed by both the student and the advisor.
Who forms the Master’s Thesis Defense Jury?
The thesis jury is appointed by the Institute Executive Board upon the recommendation of the thesis advisor and the relevant department head. The jury consists of three or five faculty members, including the advisor, and at least one member must be from outside the student’s university. If the jury consists of three members, a second thesis advisor cannot be included. The student is responsible for delivering an unbound copy of the thesis and assignment letters to the jury members.
How is the Master’s Thesis Defense Exam conducted?
The jury meets within one month of receiving the thesis and conducts the defense. The thesis defense includes a presentation of the thesis followed by a Q&A session. The exam is conducted face-to-face in an open setting, allowing attendance by faculty members, graduate students, and experts in the field.
How is the result of the Master's Thesis Defense Exam announced?
Following the exam, the jury decides by absolute majority to accept, reject, or require revisions to the thesis. Form-5 is completed in detail by the jury members and the department head and submitted to the Institute along with other graduation documents. A student whose thesis is rejected is dismissed from the university. A student required to revise the thesis must defend the revised version before the same jury within a maximum of three months. If this process extends into a new semester, even if the student has already defended the thesis, they are required to enroll in the new semester and register for the thesis and specialization courses (597/599). A student whose revised thesis is still not accepted is dismissed from the university.
