Graduate School

Dear Student,

Welcome to the Doctoral Program.

Throughout your studies, you may receive support from the Program Chair for all academic processes and procedures. Communication can be maintained by sending messages via the OIS (Student Information System).

For the procedures required during your enrollment, as well as the necessary forms and detailed information, please visit the website of the Graduate School. In addition, we strongly recommend that you carefully review the Graduate Education and Instruction Regulations.

Course Schedule
Course schedules are announced at the beginning of each semester under the “Announcements” section on the Graduate School website.

Course Registration Process
Within the course registration dates specified in the academic calendar, you are required to select your courses via OIS and submit them for advisor approval. Course selections that are not submitted for approval are considered invalid in accordance with the regulations. The course registration process is completed once the advisor approval is granted.

Your OIS username and password are provided in the SMS sent to you.

Program Duration
The duration of the doctoral program is eight semesters, regardless of whether the student registers in each semester, and the maximum completion period is twelve semesters. Students are required to complete the courses included in the curriculum in a minimum of two semesters and a maximum of four semesters. Within this period, you must complete your coursework and prepare your dissertation.

Qualifying Examination
Students are entitled to take the qualifying examination a maximum of two times and, in accordance with the regulations, must take the qualifying examination no later than the end of the fifth semester.

The qualifying examination consists of two stages: written and oral. Students who are successful in the written examination are eligible to take the oral examination.

Students who fail the qualifying examination may retake it in the following semester. Students who fail the examination for a second time will be dismissed from the doctoral program.

Thesis Writing Guidelines
The guidelines can be accessed from the page titled “Thesis – Project Writing Rules” on the main page of the Graduate School website.

Thesis Monitoring Committees
For students who successfully pass the qualifying examination, a Thesis Monitoring Committee is established within one month upon the recommendation of the Department Chair. In addition, within a maximum of six months, the student is required to orally defend a thesis proposal before the committee, outlining the aim, methodology, and research plan of the proposed study.

Following the defense of the thesis proposal, the Thesis Proposal Report must be submitted to the Graduate School by the advisor.

For students whose thesis proposals are accepted, the Thesis Monitoring Committee convenes at least twice a year—once between January–June and once between July–December. A minimum of three Thesis Monitoring Committee reports must be submitted for the completion of the doctoral dissertation.

Following each committee meeting, the Thesis Monitoring Activity Report and the Thesis Monitoring Evaluation Report must be submitted to the Graduate School by the advisor.

Procedures Prior to the Dissertation Defense

• Prior to the dissertation defense, the student must complete the dissertation and submit it to the advisor. The advisor must submit the dissertation to the Graduate School together with a written opinion stating that the dissertation is eligible for defense.
• The advisor must submit the Request Petition for the Formation of the Doctoral Dissertation Jury to the Graduate School.

Procedures Following the Dissertation Defense

• Within three (3) days following the dissertation defense, the Doctoral Dissertation Defense Report and the Dissertation Approval Form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the advisor.
• Upon completion of the defense, the jury convenes in closed session and decides by absolute majority to accept, reject, or request revision of the dissertation. Students whose dissertations are accepted are deemed successful.
• Students whose dissertations are rejected are dismissed from the higher education institution.

Graduation Process
At the graduation stage, you are required to submit the following documents to the Graduate
School Secretariat. The Secretariat can be contacted via enstitusekreterligi@okan.edu.tr.

• Dissertation Approval Certificate
• Three hardbound (cardboard-bound) copies of the dissertation
• Three CDs containing the dissertation in PDF format
• Three copies of the Dissertation Data Entry Form
• A national or international publication (including conference proceedings)
• Declaration of Generative Artificial Intelligence Use
• Plagiarism Report

Once the required documents are submitted, the graduation procedures will commence.

Graduation Ceremony
A graduation ceremony is held at the date specified in the academic calendar at the end of each academic year. To participate in the ceremony, you are required to complete the participation form published on the university website.

We wish you a successful and productive academic journey.

Welcome to Istanbul Okan University.

Sincerely,
Graduate School