M.Sc. PROGRAM

Program Content

• 1 Must Course: CE518

• CE518 Research Methods and Ethical Issues in Civil Engineering course is ONLY offered in the Fall Semester. It is recommended NOT to leave this course to the fourth semester.

• 6 Elective Courses

• 1 Seminar Course: CE520

• CE520 Graduate Seminar Course must be taken during the course-taking period. The course requires giving a seminar on the thesis study, including a literature survey and/or modeling works. It is recommended to take the course after the advisor assignment stage.

• Thesis Courses (CE500 + CE8XX) and Jury

• After thesis advisor assignment, students must register for the Thesis Courses (CE500+CE8XX) each semester until graduation.

• Registration Example: M.Sc. Program Explanations

• Rules and regulations

• All course requirements must be completed in the first four semesters.

• Thesis Defense

• The students who will take the Thesis Exam must fill out the Thesis Jury Assignment Form on the dates specified in the Regulations.

• The jury form will include five primary and 2 substitute members, with at least one of the primary members from outside METU (a faculty member from another university), and one of the two substitute members must be from outside METU.

• In addition to the Jury Assignment Form, the Transcript, Curriculum, Thesis Draft, and Originality Report must be submitted.

Ph.D. PROGRAM

Program Content

• Preliminary Exam: It is held within the scope of CE600 course, must be taken in the first semester.

• The preliminary exam is held during the weeks 11–14 in the semester. If a student fails the preliminary exam once, he/she must take the exam again in the following semester. It can be taken at most 2 times.

• Application and Regulations of Ph.D. Preliminary Exam

• 1 Must Course: CE518 

• CE518 Research Methods and Ethical Issues in Civil Engineering course is ONLY offered in the Fall Semester.
• Students who took this course in the Master's Program will be exempt from this course requirement, but instead, they must take another course for 3 credits.
• Students who had their MS degrees in other universities and who want to be exempt from this course should apply to the Department with a petition, demonstrating they took a research methods and ethics course during their MS studies.

• 6 Elective Courses

• 1 Seminar Course: CE620

• Students accepted to a doctoral program with an undergraduate degree must complete courses within 6 semesters, and must also take the CE620 course.

• Students accepted to a doctoral program with a Master's degree must complete courses within 4 semesters, and must also take the CE620 course.

• Thesis Courses (CE600 + CE9XX): Starting from the first semester, each semester, students must register for these courses.

• Registration Example: Ph.D. Program Explanations

• Ph.D. Qualifying Exam: Once the courses are over, the students need to take this exam by the 5th semester at the latest; a maximum of 2 attempts are allowed.

• Ph.D. Qualification Committee

• Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Calendar

• Principles of Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Practice

• Petition - Advisor Opinion

• Jury Proposal Form

• Procedures to be Followed After Ph.D. Qualifying Exam

• One month after the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam, Thesis Monitoring Committee should be assigned. Ph.D. Thesis Monitoring Committee Assignment Form

• Ph.D. Students, whose thesis monitoring committee is assigned, should defend the thesis proposal at the latest within 6 months. Ph.D. Thesis Proposal Defense Official Report Form

• After acceptance of the thesis proposal, the Thesis Monitoring Committee should meet twice a year, including January-June or July-December months (until graduation) for improvements and changes in the thesis. Ph.D. Thesis Monitoring Committee Official Report Form Web Page Related to Doctorate Rules and Regulations

• The students must inform the department about this meeting by means of official records. Grading of CE600 is completed by the department on the basis of these official reports.

• Thesis Defense

• Once the thesis is completed in line with the METU Thesis Manual, the Thesis Jury Assignment Form, available on the METU Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences (FBE) website, must be filled out together with the advisor. Five primary members and two substitute members are selected as jury members, with at least two of the primary members from outside METU.
• Three of the five primary members must be members of the Thesis Monitoring Committee (TİK). One of the two substitute members must be from outside the institution. A co-advisor cannot serve as a jury member but may attend as a listener.

• The completed form, along with the final thesis, must be submitted to the department's student affairs office at least 30 days before the jury date. The approved thesis format (as reviewed by FBE) must be distributed to each jury member at least 30 days before the defense.

• Starting from 1 January 2023, Ph.D. students need to submit at least one (SCI, SCIE) journal article (with their Ph.D. advisor, from their Ph.D. studies) prior to their Thesis Defense.