ACADEMIC RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDIES, EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENT
OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT
Article 1
This document defines the rules and regulations of graduate studies at Bahçeşehir University. Graduate education includes master's and doctoral degree programs.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Article 2
a) Admission to master’s programs is based on applicants' academic performance during their undergraduate studies, their Academic Personnel and Graduate Studies Admission Test (ALES), GRE general or GMAT score, level of English language proficiency for programs offered in English, and other criteria required and posted by the relevant administrative committee. For admission into master’s programs, applicants must have a bachelor's degree and a minimum ALES score determined by the relevant department, being no less than 55. The ALES score cannot count for less than 50% of the admission criteria but the exact percentage is also determined by the department.
b) Admission to doctoral programs is based on applicants' academic performance during their undergraduate studies and/or masters program, their ALES or GRE general or GMAT score, level of English language proficiency for programs offered in English, and other criteria required and posted by the relevant department. For admission into doctoral programs, applicants must have a bachelor's or master’s degree, and a minimum ALES score determined by the relevant department administration, being no less than 60 (70 for those applying with a bachelor's degree). The ALES score cannot count for less than 50% of the admission criteria but the exact percentage is also determined by the department. In order for applicants with a bachelor’s degree to be accepted, their cumulative grade point average must be higher than 2.75.
c) The medium of instruction of the programs is determined by the University Senate and announced before the program starts. For programs offered in Turkish, foreign language proficiency may be required. For these programs, applicants' level of English knowledge is evaluated according to the result of the University English Proficiency Examination (EPE); or according to the result of the Interuniversity Council Foreign Language Proficiency Examination (ÜDS); or any other English language proficiency exam specified by the University Senate. For admission into a graduate program offered in English, the minimum acceptable score is determined by the recommendation of the relevant department administration and the approval of the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School. For the EPE or ÜDS, the minimum required score is 65 out of 100. For doctoral studies, the applicant must receive a minimum ÜDS score of 65 out of 100, or an equivalent score from an exam accepted by the Interuniversity Council. Foreign applicants must submit a ÜDS score of a minimum of 65 out
of 100 in either English, French or German, on the condition that their none of these is their native tongue.
d) All application and registration information is posted by the University. All applications for admission to graduate programs must be made directly to the Directorate of the Graduate School. Applicants must submit their ALES exam result report, their foreign language proficiency exam scores (for the programs with a foreign language knowledge requirement), and all other documents specified in the post within the specified deadline.
e) Applicants' undergraduate and/or graduate academic performance, their ALES, GRE general or GMAT score, their level of English proficiency and other requirements are evaluated by the
relevant department administration. Students who meet the aforementioned entry criteria are accepted into graduate programs. The results of the evaluation are announced by the Directorate of the Graduate School.
ADMISSION THROUGH TRANSFER
Article 3
a) A student who is currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University or
another institution and who has successfully completed at least one semester,
upon submitting all required documents before the deadline, may transfer to a
graduate program at any level at the University upon the recommendation of the
department administration and with the approval of the Administrative
Committee of the Graduate School. Acceptance also includes eligibility for
exemption from certain course requirements of the graduate program. Students
who transfer to the University from another university must fulfill the foreign
language requirements as stated in Article 2, clause c. Transfer credit for
students coming from universities where the length of a semester is different from that of Bahçeşehir University is determined by the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School.
b) For master’s students to transfer to a doctoral program, they must submit an application at the end of their second semester and fulfill the requirements specified for each program by the department administration. Minimum requirements for transfer are as follows: a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 in undergraduate studies, the completion of a minimum of 6 courses or 18 credits, and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25 in the master’s program. The GPA minimum requirement does not apply to students whose grade point average in the master’s program is above 3.50.
c) Students who have been admitted to a doctoral program with a bachelor's degree, and who have successfully completed a minimum of 7 courses, can transfer to a master’s program. The status of students whose transfer applications have been accepted will be confirmed by the
recommendation of the relevant department administration and the approval of the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School.
ADMISSION INTO THE ENGLISH PREPARATORY PROGRAM
Article 4
Applicants who are accepted into a master’s program but who have not taken or failed the English Proficiency Exam can enroll in the English Preparatory School.
ADMISSION INTO THE DEFICIENCY PROGRAM
Article 5
a) The purpose of the Deficiency Program is to prepare students for studies in their program of choice once they have gained entrance. A maximum of 18 credits may be acquired through the Deficiency Program. Students who will take part in this program are selected by the relevant
department according to their academic achievements and the type of undergraduate/graduate programs in which they are registered.
b) Master's students who have been admitted into the Deficiency Program take undergraduate or graduate level courses. These courses cannot be substituted for the required courses for the completion of their master's degree.
c) Courses taken by doctoral students in the Deficiency Program cannot be substituted for the required courses for the completion of their doctorate.
d) Students admitted into the Deficiency Program can take additional graduate courses besides those taken within the program on the recommendation of the chairperson of the relevant department and the approval of the Administrative Committee of the Graduate
School.
e) The duration of the Deficiency Program is limited to two semesters. This
period cannot be extended except for when a leave of absence is granted and is
not included within the normal duration of the program.
f) Master's students who have been accepted into the Deficiency Program must
obtain a final grade of C or better, and doctoral students a final grade of B or better, in order to be accepted into the regular graduate program.
ADMISSION OF SPECIAL STUDENTS
Article 6
Students or graduates of higher education institutions who want to learn more
about a specific subject may be allowed to take graduate level courses as special
students with the recommendation of the department and the approval the
Administrative Committee of the Graduate School.
THE ACADEMIC YEAR
Article 7
The academic year for graduate programs is specified in the "Bahçeşehir University Academic Rules and Regulations for Undergraduate Studies, Examinations and Assessment".
ATTENDANCE
Article 8
Students are required to attend all classes, laboratory/practicum sessions and
examinations. Students' attendance is monitored by their instructor.
CREDIT HOURS
Article 9
Credit hours for graduate courses are assigned as follows: 1.0 credit hour for
each hour of lecture a week and 0.5 credit hours for each hour of laboratory
work a week. The Graduate School Council, based on recommendations of the
relevant departments, determines the credit distribution for graduate courses and which courses will be non-credit. The seminar, term project and thesis do not count towards course credits.
EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATION
Article 10
Students are required to take a mid-term examination and/or complete other
projects/assignments during the semester, and are additionally required to
take a final examination and/or complete a final project for course evaluation.
The University determines and announces the time and place of final
examinations. Students are given a final grade by the course instructor. The final
grade is based on the mid-term examination grade, the final examination grade
and/or the evaluation of the final project, and their attendance record. Students
who miss any examination may be given a make-up test provided that the
department determines that there is a valid reason for missing the examination.
COURSE GRADES
Article 11
For each course taken students are graded on a curve by the course teacher. The percentages, letter grades and 4.0 scale equivalents are given below:
PERCENT AND LETTER GRADE TO 4.0 SCALE
90-100 A 4.00
87-89 A- 3.67
84-86 B+ 3.33
80-83 B 3.00
77-79 B- 2.67
74-76 C+ 2.33
70-73 C 2.00
67-69 C- 1.67
64-66 D+ 1.33
60-63 D 1.00
59 and below F 0.00
I: Incomplete, S: Satisfactory Completion, PR: Satisfactory Progress, U: Unsatisfactory, NA: Not Attended, EX: Exempt, W: Withdrawn, NI: Not Included.
An (I) grade is given to students who provide valid documentation of illness or other extenuating circumstances which have prevented them from completing the necessary course work. In such cases, students must complete the missing work and submit it within 15 days of receiving an (I). Otherwise the (I) grade will automatically become an (F). In the case of prolonged illness and similar situations, this period can be extended until course registration for the next semester at the discretion of the relevant department and approval of their administrative committee.
An (S) grade is given to students who successfully complete their thesis, term project and
non-credit courses.
The (PR) grade is given to students who are continuing to work on their thesis and
term project.
A (U) grade is given to students who do not successfully complete their thesis, term project
or non-credit courses.
An (NA) grade is given to students who have failed to regularly attend courses or who have not
fulfilled the course requirements. An (NA) is processed as an (F) in calculating grades.
An (EX) grade is given to students who have transferred to the university from another
higher education institution on the condition that their courses from the other institution meet
equivalence standards set by the relevant administrative committee at the recommendation of the
department chairperson. An (EX) grade is not included in calculating the grade point average but is shown on the transcript.
An (NI) grade is given for courses that are taken on the “condition that they are not included in calculating the Cumulative Grade Point Average”. This grade is indicated on the student's
transcript together with the letter grade received for the relevant course. These courses do not count as credits towards completing a program. Courses for which an (NI) grade is received cannot be repeated. An (NI) status cannot be changed within the same program.
A (W) grade is given if a student withdraws from a course after the add/drop
period within the first 10 weeks of the semester on the recommendation of
her/his advisor and with the permission of the instructor. The following rules
apply to these students:
a) A student is not allowed to withdraw from courses they must repeat, for which they have received a (W) grade previously, and/or for courses which are not included in calculating the Grade Point Average.
b) A student is allowed to withdraw from a maximum of two courses during their graduate program (one course at most in a semester) upon the recommendation of the advisor and with the approval of the instructor. Course grades for the semester become final when they are submitted to the Registrar's Office where the grades are posted.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE
Article 12
Students’ academic standing is determined by calculating their grade point average at the end of each semester. Total credit points for a course are calculated by multiplying the course's credit hours by the final grade. The grade point average (GPA) of any semester is calculated by dividing the semester's total credit points by the number of credit hours taken by the student in that semester. The GPA obtained is given in two decimal points. The cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is based on all the courses taken from the time of admission until the completion of the graduate program, including all the courses taken to meet the minimum course load stipulated by the department. Only the most recent grade obtained for a repeated course is taken into consideration in calculating the cumulative grade point average (CGPA), but all grades are shown on the student's transcript.
COURSE SUBSTITUTION
Article 13
The Administrative Committee of the Graduate School determines the terms of course substitutions and other similar issues related to shortening the duration of graduate programs considering courses taken in the deficiency program, special students, transfer issues, and previous graduate programs. Graduate students can take a maximum of half of their course load as a special student.
DISMISSAL
Article 14
Graduate students are dismissed from their programs for the following reasons:
a) receiving a "U" grade for a master’s or doctoral thesis/dissertation twice in a
row or three times intermittently;
b) the minimum required course load specified by the relevant department not being completed within four semesters for students in a master’s program with thesis or doctoral students with a master’s degree; within six semesters for students in a master’s program without thesis or
doctoral students with an undergraduate degree; and/or if the Cumulative Grade
Point Average (CGPA) achieved at the end of these periods being less than 3.00;
c) a student's thesis or dissertation being rejected by the jury;
d) a student's corrected thesis or dissertation being rejected by the jury;
e) a doctoral student being unsuccessful in the English Proficiency Examination, or in any other
equivalent exam approved by the University Senate, within the period specified in these
regulations;
f) a doctoral student failing the doctoral qualifying examination twice;
g) a doctoral student's dissertation proposal being rejected by the jury twice;
h) a student not completing the program in the specified time period.
REPEATING COURSES
Article 15
Master's students must receive a minimum grade of C and doctoral students a B
in order to pass any course taken. Students must repeat courses they have failed
or they may substitute failed courses with others accepted as equivalent by the
department. Students may repeat a course they have passed or take another
equivalent course to improve their grade and thereby increase their
cumulative grade point average (CGPA).
MASTER'S PROGRAMS
Article 16
a) Master's programs are offered with or without a thesis. The University
Senate will decide which departments will offer these programs and how they
will be conducted.
b) Transfer requests between master's with thesis and master's without thesis
programs are evaluated by the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School
upon the application of the student and the recommendation of the department.
OBJECTIVE AND CONTENT OF THE MASTER'S PROGRAM WITH THESIS
Article 17
The objective of the master's program with thesis is to equip students with the
ability to find, assess and interpret information through scientific research.
PERIOD OF STUDY AND COURSE LOAD FOR THE MASTER'S PROGRAM WITH
THESIS
Article 18
a) The master’s program with thesis is comprised of at least 7 courses, or 21 credits, a seminar course, and a thesis. The maximum period to complete the course work is 4 semesters.
However, with the approval of their advisors, students can take additional courses in subsequent semesters with the status NI.
b) Student’s thesis supervisors are approved by the Administrative Board
of the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the department no later than the
end of the student's second semester. Thesis supervisors are chosen from among
faculty members with PhDs or instructors who are approved by the
Administrative Committee. If the student's thesis subject requires more than one
supervisor, a co-supervisor may be appointed. The Administrative Committee of
the Graduate School determines the terms for the appointment and re-assignment of
supervisors and co-supervisors.
c) It is the thesis supervisor’s responsibility to approve the student’s course registration. Until the thesis supervisor is appointed, the program coordinator fulfills this duty.
d) After the appointment of the supervisor, students must register for the
thesis every semester.
e) The Master's program with thesis must be completed within 4 semesters.
However, as long as all requirements are met as stated in these regulations, students may complete the program in a shorter period of time. Students who complete
the required course work and the seminar, but who do not complete their thesis
before the end of the fourth semester, may be allowed 2 additional semesters to
complete their thesis with the recommendation of the program coordinator and
approval of the Administrative Committee.
f) Students may take undergraduate courses during their master’s program provided they do not repeat the courses they completed during their undergraduate studies. However, only two of these will count towards their master's degree.
g) Upon the recommendation of the program coordinator and with the approval of
the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School, students may take
graduate courses at other universities and have them count towards their program
requirements.
h) If students take more courses than required by the relevant department, the additional courses are not taken into consideration in calculating the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) but appear on their transcripts.
COMPLETING THE MASTER'S THESIS
Article 19
a) Theses completed within the time period specified in Article 20 must meet the
requirements of the University Thesis Writing Guide. The thesis must be written in the medium language and it must be defended before a jury.
b) A student whose thesis has been approved by the thesis supervisor must apply to
the program coordinator to take the thesis examination. The program coordinator, along with a list of the proposed jury members, sends a copy of the thesis to the director of the Graduate School. The deadline for taking the thesis examination is stated in the academic calendar.
c) The master's thesis jury is appointed on the recommendation of the program
coordinator and with the approval of the Administrative Committee of the
Graduate School. The jury is composed of the thesis supervisor and 3 to 5 faculty
members, with one member selected from another department or another
university. If the jury consists of only 3 members, the co-supervisor cannot be a
jury member.
d) Jury members conduct a thesis examination within two weeks of the submission of the thesis. The thesis examination consists of a presentation before an open audience followed by a question and answer period.
e) A majority vote by the jury members determines the outcome of the thesis
examination. The vote can be for "acceptance", "rejection" or "correction". The
program coordinator informs the director of the Graduate School of the jury's
decision within 3 days. If the result is “correction,” the student is given a maximum period
of three months to complete the required work. The student must then
retake the thesis examination with the same jury. Students must register for the
semester during which they will be correcting their thesis.
MASTER'S DEGREE CERTIFICATE
Article 20
a) Students who have completed all the requirements for their master's degree
must submit three bound copies of their thesis to the director of the Graduate
School within one month of taking the thesis examination. If the thesis meets
the specifications of the graduate school, the student will receive their master's
degree certificate.
b) The name of the department appears on the master's degree certificate.
OBJECTIVE AND CONTENT OF THE MASTER'S PROGRAM WITHOUT THESIS
Article 21
The objective of the master's program without thesis is to equip students with a
deeper understanding of the relevant subject and to show them how to apply their existing
knowledge.
PERIOD OF STUDY AND COURSE LOAD FOR THE MASTER'S PROGRAM
WITHOUT THESIS
Article 22
a) A minimum of 10 courses or 30 credits and a term project are required to complete the program. Students must register for the semester during which the term project is to be completed and submit a written report at end of the semester.
b) By the end of the first semester, a supervisor must be appointed for the
student by the program coordinator to advise the student about course selection
and the term project.
c) The program coordinator is responsible for advising students about course
work and registration until an advisor is appointed.
d) The maximum period to complete the master's program without thesis is 6
semesters.
e) Students may take undergraduate courses during their master’s program provided they do not repeat the courses they completed during their undergraduate studies. However, only three of these will count towards their master's degree.
f) Upon the recommendation of the program coordinator and with the approval of
the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School, students may take
graduate courses at other universities and have them count towards their program
requirements.
MASTER'S DEGREE CERTIFICATE
Article 23
a) Students who have successfully completed the course work and semester project
receive their master's degree.
b) The name of the department appears on the master's degree certificate.
OBJECTIVE AND CONTENT OF THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM
Article 24
The objective of the doctoral program is to enable students to interpret and
comment on scientific events with a wider and deeper understanding as well as
determine the necessary steps required to form new syntheses. A doctoral
dissertation must fulfill one of the following requirements.
i. Bring some new aspect to the field
ii. Develop a new scientific method
iii. Apply a known method to a new field.
PERIOD OF STUDY AND COURSE LOAD FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS
Article 25
a) For students who have a master’s degree, a doctoral program consists of a minimum of 7 courses comprising no less than 21 credits in total, a doctoral qualifying examination, a dissertation proposal, and a dissertation. For those who have been accepted with a bachelor's degree, a doctoral program is comprised of a minimum of 42 credits or 14 courses, a doctoral qualifying exam, a dissertation proposal, and a dissertation. The maximum period to complete the course work is 4 semesters for students with a master’s degree, and 6 semesters for students with a bachelor's degree.
b) The thesis supervisor for a doctoral student is appointed with the recommendation of the relevant department’s administration and the approval of the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School no later than the beginning of the student's third semester. If the student's thesis subject requires more than one supervisor, a co-supervisor may be appointed. Supervisors are selected from among fulltime professors or associate professors. The co-supervisor must have a PhD and cannot be an assistant. The Administrative Board of the Graduate School determines the terms for the appointment and re-assignment of supervisors and co-supervisors.
c) It is the thesis supervisor’s responsibility to approve the student’s course registration. Until the thesis supervisor is appointed, the program coordinator fulfills this duty.
d) After the appointment of the supervisor, students must register for the dissertation course every semester.
e) The doctoral program must be completed within 8 semesters by students with a master’s
degree and within 10 semesters by students with a bachelor's degree. However, as long as all requirements are met, students may complete the program in a shorter period of time. Students who have completed the required course work, passed the doctoral qualifying examination, and whose dissertation proposal has been approved, but did not complete their thesis before the end of the eighth semester, may be given a maximum of 4 additional semesters to complete the thesis with the recommendation of the relevant department and approval of the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School.
f) Doctoral students may take undergraduate courses. For students with a master’s degree, these
courses do not count as part of the doctoral course load or credits. Students who have been accepted into the program with a bachelor's degree can have a maximum of two undergraduate courses count towards their doctoral course load or credits.
g) Upon the recommendation of the program coordinator and with the approval of the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School, students may take graduate courses at other universities and have them count towards their program requirements.
h) If students take more courses than required by the relevant department, the additional courses are not taken into consideration in calculating the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) but appear on their transcripts.
DOCTORAL QUALIFYING EXAMINATIONS
Article 26
a) Names of the students who apply to take the doctoral qualifying examination are submitted to the Graduate School by the department administration. Students' results in the English Proficiency Exam, or any other equivalent exam approved by the University Senate, must be provided in order to sit the doctoral qualifying examination. Doctoral students with a master’s degree must take the exam no later no than their fifth semester, those with a bachelor's degree no later than their seventh semester.
b) Doctoral qualifying examinations are held twice a year, in May and November.
c) Doctoral qualifying examinations are prepared and administered by a five-member doctoral
qualifying committee, recommended by the departments and approved by the Administrative Committee of the Graduate School. The committee establishes juries of three to five members, one being the student's dissertation supervisor, to prepare, administer and evaluate exams on different subjects. Jury members must have a doctorate.
d) Doctoral qualifying examinations evaluate students' skills and knowledge in their field of research. It consists of a written and oral section.
e) Upon evaluating the written and oral sections results, the jury decides by a majority vote whether the student passes or fails. The director of the Graduate School is informed of the decision with a report written by the program coordinator within three days of the examination.
f) Students who fail may retake the examination the following semester; if they fail a second time, they are dismissed from the program.
g) The jury may require some passing students to take additional courses on top of their normal course load.
i) Additional course(s)
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