Information for Students

MASTER’S PROGRAM WITH THESIS

What are the benefits of master’s program with thesis?

Master’s program with thesis enhances a student’s ability to access, compile, interpret and evaluate information using scientific research methods.

How many courses need to be taken for a master’s program with thesis at AGU?

Master's program with thesis consists of at least seven courses, Ethics course (GCC 1001), Seminar course (XXX500), M.Sc. Special Topics course (XXX597) and M.Sc. Thesis course (XXX599), with a total of at least 21 credits. Seminar, Special Topics and Thesis courses are non-credit, and thus they are evaluated as satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U). The program consists of at least eight courses (including Seminar), Ethics course, the Special Topics and Thesis courses, totaling at least 120 ECTS. Students must take at least 60 ECTS in each academic year. After a thesis supervisor is appointed, the student registers for the Special Topics course and Thesis course each semester. Special Topics and Thesis courses can be taken together with the other courses.

Which courses are credit courses in AGU Master's Program with Thesis, and which courses are considered satisfactory/unsatisfactory?

Seminar, Special Topics, and M.Sc. Thesis courses are non-credit, and a student is evaluated as satisfactory or unsatisfactory at the end of the course. The remaining 8 courses have credits and the student must have at least 24 credits in total to graduate.

Is Introduction to Scientific Research Methods and Scientific Publication Ethics (GCC1001) course credited? Is it counted among the 8 courses to be taken? Is this course compulsory?

Yes, this course a credit course, counted among the eight courses, and must be taken in order to graduate from the Master's Degree (valid for all degree programs). This course’s grade is included in the calculation of GPA.

What are the compulsory credited courses to be taken other than Introduction to Scientific Research Methods and Scientific Publication Ethics (GCC-1001)?

There can be compulsory courses for each degree program. The number and content of these courses should be checked with the head of the specific degree program.

In the AGU thesis master’s program, can I take any postgraduate course(s) given by other higher education institutions?

In MSc. programs, maximum of two graduate (2) courses offered in 100% English at another higher education institutions can be taken with the suggestion of the head of the degree program and the approval of the executive board.

Can I choose an undergraduate course in AGU Master's Program with Thesis?

Up to two (2) of the credit courses can be selected from the courses offered in undergraduate programs provided that they were not taken during undergraduate education and the course content is appropriate. These courses can be taken in graduate programs with the approval of the supervisor and the head of the degree program.

What is a course advisor in AGU Thesis Master's Program and for how long does the advisor work?

For students enrolled in graduate programs, starting from the first semester, the head of the relevant degree program appoints a course advisor from the degree program to guide the student in course selections. The student completes only the first semester with this course advisor. Appointment of course advisor does not appear on the EYK agenda and does not require any approval from the Graduate School. From the beginning of the second semester, the student continues to the relevant graduate program with the appointed thesis advisor.

When will the supervisor be appointed? When is the thesis topic determined?

In the masters with thesis program, the secretary of the degree program suggests a thesis supervisor for each student to the Graduate School until the end of the first term. Then, the secretary of the degree program suggests a thesis topic to the Graduate School which is determined by the student and the theis supervisor until the end of the second term. The thesis supervisor and the thesis topic are then approved by the Graduate School Administrative Committee.

When and from whom can the Second Thesis Advisor be selected?

In cases where the qualification of the thesis study requires more than one thesis supervisor, a second supervisor for the thesis may be appointed from the university faculty or outside the university with at least a doctoral degree.

How long is the duration of the AGU Master's Program with Thesis?

The minimum duration of the master's program with thesis, excluding the time spent in scientific preparation class, is four (4) semesters starting from the semester in which the courses related to the program are enrolled, regardless of the enrollment status of the student. The maximum duration of the program is six (6) semesters. Students who fail in their thesis work or fail to defend their thesis within six (6) semesters are dismissed from the higher education institution.

What is the minimum GPA requirement for graduation from AGU Master's Program with Thesis?

The GPA of a student in master’s program with thesis cannot be less than 3.00 in order to graduate. The students who do not meet this criteria can take new courses or repeat courses in the graduate program during the course period.

What is the minimum passing grade for a course for students enrolled in the AGU Master's Program with Thesis?

Students enrolled in the Masters with Thesis program must get the minimum grade of "C+, 2.33" in order to be considered successful from the course.

PHD PROGRAM

What is the purpose of the PhD program?

The doctorate program provides the student with the necessary skills to conduct independent research, to interpret, analyze and reach new syntheses by examining scientific problems and data with a broad and deep perspective.

How many courses and credits does AGU Doctorate Program consist of in one academic semester?

For students with a master's degree with thesis, the PhD program consists of eight (8) courses, ethics course (GCC1001) (if not taken in the master's program), seminar course (XXX600), qualifying exam, thesis proposal, PhD special topics course (XXX697), and thesis study (XXX699), totaling 24 credits and 240 ECTS credits. The student should take at 60 ECTS in one academic year. Among these eight (8) credited courses, the student must take the "Introduction to Scientific Research Methods and Scientific Publication Ethics (GCC-1001)" course during the course period and complete successfully if he/she has not taken this course in a graduate degree program at AGU previously.

For students admitted with bachelor's degree, the PhD program consists of 15 courses, ethics course (GCC1001), seminar course (XXX600), qualifying exam, thesis proposal, PhD special topics course (XXX697), and thesis study (XXX699), totaling 48 credits and 300 ECTS credits. The student should take at 60 ECTS in one academic year. Among these 15 credited courses, the student must take the "Introduction to Scientific Research Methods and Scientific Publication Ethics (GCC-1001)" course during the course period and complete successfully.

The student has to register for the field specialization course and thesis study each semester starting from the semester following the appointment of an advisor. Specialization field course and thesis study can be taken together with other credited courses.

Which courses are credit courses in AGU PhD Program, and which courses are considered satisfactory/unsatisfactory?

Seminar, PhD special topics, and PhD Thesis courses are non-credit, and a student is evaluated as satisfactory or unsatisfactory at the end of the course. The remaining ones are credit courses and the student must have at least 24 credits (for those starting with a master's degree with thesis) or 48 credits (for those starting with a bachelor's degree) in total to graduate.

Is Introduction to Scientific Research Methods and Scientific Publication Ethics (GCC1001) course credited? Is it counted among the courses that must be taken? Is this course compulsory?

Yes, this course a credit course, counted among the eight courses, and must be taken in order to graduate from the PhD Degree (valid for all degree programs) if not taken in a graduate program at AGU before. This course’s grade is included in the calculation of GPA, and counted among the 8/15 courses required. (To be able to enroll to this course, the student's thesis advisor should have been appointed and the thesis title/subject should have been determined).

What are the compulsory credited courses to be taken other than Introduction to Scientific Research Methods and Scientific Publication Ethics (GCC-1001)?

There can be compulsory courses for each degree program. The number and content of these courses should be checked with the head of the specific degree program.

In the AGU thesis master’s program, can I take any postgraduate course(s) given by other higher education institutions?

In PhD programs, maximum of two (2) graduate courses offered in 100% English at another higher education institutions can be taken with the suggestion of the head of the degree program and the approval of the executive board.

Can I take an undergraduate course in AGU Master's Program with Thesis?

Undergraduate courses are not counted in the calculation of the course load and credits of a PhD program.

How long is the time to successfully complete credited courses in AGU PhD Program?

The maximum time for successfully completing the credit courses required for the PhD program is four (4) semesters for those who are accepted with a master's degree with thesis, and six (6) semesters for those who are accepted with a bachelor's degree. Students who cannot successfully complete the credit courses within this period or cannot achieve the minimum GPA stipulated by the higher education institution are dismissed from the higher education institution.

What is a course advisor in AGU Thesis Master's Program and for how long does the advisor work?

For students enrolled in graduate programs, starting from the first semester, the head of the relevant degree program appoints a course advisor from the degree program to guide the student in course selections. The student completes only the first semester with this course advisor. Appointment of course advisor does not appear on the EYK agenda and does not require any approval from the Graduate School. From the beginning of the second semester, the student continues to the relevant graduate program with the appointed thesis advisor.

What is a course advisor in AGU PhD Program and for how long does the course advisor work?

For students enrolled in PhD programs, starting from the first semester, the head of the relevant degree program appoints a course advisor from the degree program to guide the student in course selections. The student can complete the first and second semesters with this course advisor. Appointment of course advisor does not appear on the EYK agenda and does not require any approval from the Graduate School. A thesis supervisor for each student should be appointed in the relevant degree program by the end of the second semester at the latest.

When will the supervisor be appointed in the PhD program? When are the thesis topic and title determined?
In the PhD program, the secretary of the degree program proposes for each student a thesis supervisor and a thesis topic determined by the student and the supervisor to the Graduate School. The thesis supervisor and the thesis topic are then approved by the Graduate School Administrative Committee. It is mandatory that the thesis supervisor is assigned until the end of the second term.

The PhD thesis supervisor should have supervised a master thesis successfully. Also, the PhD thesis supervisor should have taught undergraduate courses for four terms or graduate courses for two terms.

When and from whom can a second supervisor be appointed?

In cases where the qualification of the thesis study requires more than one thesis supervisor, a second supervisor for the thesis may be appointed from the university faculty or outside the university with at least a doctoral degree.

How long is the duration of the AGU PhD program?

The minimum duration of the PhD program, excluding the time spent in scientific preparation class, is eight (8) semesters starting from the semester in which the courses related to the program are enrolled, regardless of the enrollment status of the student. The maximum duration of the program is 12 semesters for these students.

The minimum duration of the PhD program, excluding the time spent in scientific preparation class, is 10 semesters starting from the semester in which the courses related to the program are enrolled, regardless of the enrollment status of the student. The maximum duration of the program is 14 semesters for these students.

Students who completed the credit courses successfully, passed the qualification exam, and got the thesis proposal accepted but failed to finish their thesis work by the maximum time stated above are dismissed from the higher education institution.

What is the minimum GPA requirement for graduation from AGU PhD Program?

The GPA of a student in a PhD program cannot be less than 3.00 in order to graduate. The students who do not meet this criteria can take new courses or repeat courses in the graduate program during the course period.

What is the minimum passing grade for a course for students enrolled in the AGU PhD Program?

Students enrolled in a PhD program must get the minimum grade of "B-, 2.67" in order to be considered successful from the course.