CÄ°VÄ°L ENGÄ°NEERÄ°NG PROGRAMME
Third Cycle Programmes
(Doctorate Degree/Doctor of Fine Arts)

D.1. General Information about Program

Hacettepe University Civil Engineering Doctoral Program started providing education in 2018. The Civil Engineering Master's Program is conducted under the supervision of the Hacettepe University Graduate School of Science and Engineering. The language of instruction is 100% English. The program offers doctoral education in five different subfields of Civil Engineering: Structural Engineering, Construction Materials Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, and Hydraulic Engineering.

Admission to the program and the education process are carried out according to the principles and procedures determined by the Hacettepe University Graduate School of Science and Engineering, and the Hacettepe University Graduate Education-Teaching and Examination Regulation. The program must be completed within a maximum of twelve semesters.

D.2 Qualification Awarded

Doctorate

D.3. Level of Qualification

QF-EHEA: 3
EQF-LLL: 8

D.4. Provisions for Registration

The quotas for admitting students to the doctoral program, required documents for application, examination procedures, dates, and other conditions are determined and applied in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Hacettepe University Postgraduate Education-Teaching and Examination Regulation. The Civil Engineering Doctoral Program will accept students who have obtained a 4-year Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from domestic universities or have graduated from programs recognized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) as equivalent to a Civil Engineering undergraduate program from foreign universities, with a minimum overall GPA of 2.50/4.00 or higher. Candidates for the doctoral program are required to score 70 or above in the English Proficiency Exam (YDS) and 60 or above in the Academic Postgraduate Education Exam (ALES). Information regarding valid exam types for application is available on the  Hacettepe University Graduate School of Science and Engineering website

D.5. Qualification Requirements and Regulations

The doctoral program consists of courses, qualification exam, thesis proposal, thesis work, and thesis defense examinations, conducted in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Hacettepe University Graduate Education-Teaching and Examination Regulation. To graduate from the program, a total of 240 ECTS credits must be completed, including 120 credits of coursework and 120 credits of thesis work according to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). To qualify for graduation, apart from Doctoral Qualifying Exam Preparation, Special Topics, and Seminar courses, a minimum of seven courses must be taken, totaling no less than 21 national credits and 90 ECTS credits.

Further detailed information regarding graduation requirements is provided in the relevant articles of the H.U. Graduate Education-Teaching and Examination Regulation.

D.6. Specific Arrangements for Recognition of Prior Learning

???????Students who have completed at least one semester of study in a graduate program at the university or other higher education institutions and who meet the success level determined by the academic board affiliated with the program they wish to apply for can apply for lateral transfer to the graduate program. Lateral transfer assessment and course adaptations are carried out in accordance with the principles specified in the Hacettepe University Postgraduate Education-Teaching and Examination Regulation.

Individuals who are graduates or current students of a higher education institution and wish to enhance their knowledge and practical skills in a specific area may be accepted as special students upon the approval of the department chairperson and the institute board of directors, attending designated courses. These students are required to comply with all the conditions of the courses they attend and fulfill all course requirements, just like registered students. Special students are not entitled to the student rights enjoyed by registered students.

D.7. Goals and Objectives

Civil Engineering is a fundamental engineering discipline closely concerned with the healthy, efficient, and sustainable utilization of existing resources and facilities due to the nature of the problems it addresses. Within this scope, Civil Engineering is responsible not only for the construction of all kinds of structures that humanity needs and that enhance the quality of life but also for adapting emerging and evolving technologies to its core disciplines such as geotechnics, structures, transportation, hydraulics, and construction materials. It should be able to question the validity of existing theoretical knowledge and generate new knowledge. Furthermore, collaborating with different engineering disciplines and other fields of science in joint projects and research, though not directly within the scope of Civil Engineering, will contribute to science through the proposed doctoral program to be opened by our university.

With the Hacettepe University Civil Engineering Doctoral Program:

• Following current issues in the sub-disciplines of Civil Engineering and producing new knowledge for the literature
• Competing with and establishing collaborations with similar departments in our country and worldwide
• Participating in projects developed within the framework of Industry-University Collaboration supported in our country and implementing theoretical knowledge into practice
• Training researchers and scientists needed by our country is aimed.

It is envisioned that the language of instruction will be 100% English. Thus, graduates will be able to comfortably review and use international publications for literature research. Students will be trained to actively participate in international scientific conferences, seminars, and projects. Additionally, they will be able to write English articles that are indexed by various databases.

D.12. Occupational Profiles of Graduates with Examples

Students enrolled in our program can take various courses and specialize in their preferred sub-discipline (Structural Engineering, Construction Materials Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, and Hydraulic Engineering) within five different subfields. Upon graduation, program students will possess the qualifications to actively participate in prestigious projects undertaken by construction, energy, infrastructure, and information technology companies both domestically and internationally. Program graduates have opportunities for employment in a wide range of fields, including infrastructure, construction, urban planning, energy, environment, forestry, and transportation, in both public and private sector organizations.

D.13. Access to Further Studies

D.14. Profile of the Programme

The program includes mandatory and elective courses, as well as internal and external elective courses, as outlined in the requirements and regulations for the degree earned. Students admitted to the doctoral program must successfully complete a minimum of 120 credits of coursework and 120 credits of thesis work according to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), conduct a seminar study, pass the doctoral qualification exam, and complete a doctoral thesis to meet graduation requirements.

The student must agree with a faculty member who works on the topic of interest by the end of the first semester at the latest to determine their thesis supervisor. Supervisor assignments are made no later than the end of the first semester along with program admissions. The student's courses and academic progress are monitored by the thesis supervisor.

After successfully completing the semester, the student is required to pass the doctoral qualification exam. Upon passing this exam, the student must present their doctoral thesis proposal before a jury within six months. If accepted, they may commence their thesis work under the supervision of their thesis advisor. The student completes their thesis work within the timeframe defined by the relevant regulations and defends it before a jury. Upon passing all courses, meeting necessary conditions, and having their thesis deemed satisfactory by the thesis defense jury, the student is awarded a doctoral degree.

The rights and responsibilities of the student, as well as the details of the graduate education process, are provided in the Hacettepe University Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Postgraduate Education-Teaching and Examination Regulation.

D.15. Examination Regulations, Assessment and Grading

The assessment methods applied for each course are defined in the Course Teaching Plan prepared by the relevant instructor(s) and included in the course information package. Examinations and course grades are governed by the relevant articles of the Hacettepe University Graduate Education-Teaching and Examination Regulation.

D.16. Graduation Requirements

To graduate from the doctoral program, students must have successfully completed a minimum of seven courses, one seminar course, thesis proposal, and thesis work, totaling at least 240 ECTS credits, excluding Doctoral Qualifying Exam Preparation courses, with no fewer than 21 national credits and 90 ECTS credits. Additionally, they must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.00, pass the doctoral qualification exam, complete their thesis work, and successfully defend it both in writing and orally.

D.17. Education Type

1. Full Time Education

D.18. Programme Director

Prof.Dr. Berna Unutmaz, Head of the Department

e-mail: berna.unutmaz@hacettepe.edu.tr

Tel: +90 312 297 73 28

Adress: Hacettepe University, Department of Civil Engineering, Beytepe, Ankara