MA/LL.M. Milestones
For master’s programs with thesis, the thesis advisor must be appointed latest by the end of the first semester following the registration date.
- For non-thesis master’s programs, the maximum allowed duration is three semesters.
- For master’s with thesis, the maximum allowed duration for successful completion of credit courses and the seminar course is four semesters.
- Students who have completed their program requirements successfully and who have completed work on their thesis shall preset the thesis to their advisor. The thesis advisor shall decide that the thesis is ready to be defended.
- Thesis proposal forms shall be submitted to the Graduate School until the end of the second semester.
- The master’s thesis jury is appointed upon the suggestion of the thesis advisor and program coordinator with the approval of the Grad. School one month before the defense.
- The thesis jury shall be made up of three or five faculty members, one being the thesis advisor of the student, and at least one being from outside the University. If the jury is made up of three people, the second thesis advisor cannot be a jury member.
- The oral defense of the thesis shall take place earliest within one week and latest within one month after the jury is appointed.
- The defense of the thesis shall consist of the presentation of the thesis by the student and shall be followed by a question-and-answer session; and shall be open to relevant audiences.
- Following the defense of the thesis, by majority vote the jury shall decide to accept or to reject the thesis or to require revisions.
- The student with the thesis to be revised shall complete the required revisions within three months and shall defend the thesis once again in front of the same jury, on condition that the maximum duration is not exceeded.
- Students whose thesis has been rejected shall be dismissed from the University.
- Within one month, students whose thesis has been accepted shall submit to the graduate school bound and electronic copies of their thesis which conform to rules in terms of format.
- Students who submit their thesis to the graduate school, who have completed their program requirements in full, whose grade point average is 3.00 or higher, and who do not have any outstanding debts to the University shall be awarded a master’s with thesis diploma. The graduation date of the student shall be the date on which the defense of the accepted thesis was made.
*It is the students’ responsibility to follow up these time-lines and submit necessary documents (forms are available below)
**All the dates on the forms must be in full. Please do not leave the date part blank.
***All the signatures (digital signatures are accepted) must be completed.
We kindly remind you that these are YÖK regulations and we are subject to these procedures and deadlines, which cannot be amended/extended or alternated.
For graduation process after your defense, please click here for the details.