BÄ°OCHEMÄ°STRY
Third Cycle Programmes
(Doctorate Degree/Doctor of Fine Arts)

D.1. General Information about Program

Biochemistry is an area that continuously advances and produces novel scientific information. It would be exciting to follow up those advances and contribute to the scientific literature.

It is aimed that our graduates can follow and critically evaluate the latest developments in their area; can plan and conduct research independently, can participate in multidisciplinary research, and have ethic concerns.

Post-graduate biochemistry programs are jointly administered by the Biochemistry Departments of Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy. Since 1963, theoretical and practical courses are offered by academic staff actively involved and competent in the area. Expertise areas include protein purification and characterization, enzymology, biochemical genetics and expression analyses, signal transduction, toxicology, drug and biomarker development. Research projects are conducted in specialized laboratories such as cell culture, chromatography and microbiology.

With international collaboration, it is possible to conduct part of the research in the foreign world-class laboratories; and attend international summer schools to extend knowledge and skills. Study outcomes can be published in high impact journals, and may be patented.

Graduates can work in health, education, research, food and environment related fields as academicians or industrial executives.

For further information please refer to:

http://www.biyokimya.hacettepe.edu.tr/hakkinda/tanitim.php and

http://www.eczacilik.hacettepe.edu.tr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47%3Abiyokimya-anabilim-dal&catid=19&Itemid=10

D.2 Qualification Awarded

Doctorate

D.3. Level of Qualification

QF-EHEA: 3
EQF-LLL: 8

D.4. Provisions for Registration

1. Graduates from Medicine, Veterinary Sciences, Pharmacy (5 years of education in Pharmacy), Dentistry Faculties and Master of Science graduates from Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Microbiology, Medical Biology, Chemistry and Biology are admitted to the program. Applications of candidates who have graduated from other than the above programs will be evaluated by the academic board of the Biochemistry Deparment.

2. The applicant must meet the admission criteria of the Hacettepe University Institute of Health Sciences*.

3. The candidates should have average of at least 3 grade points (For the candidates having a master degree mean average academic marks of MSc education, for the gradutes of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy (5 years of education), Dentistry bachelor mean average academic marks are accepted).

4. The applicant must be successful in an oral and a written examination conducted by the Biochemistry Deparment.

5. Graduates from Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics departments of the Faculty of Sciences; Biology and Chemistry Education departments of the Faculty of Education; Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering departments of the Engineering Faculty and Faculty of Pharmacy (4 years of education) can directly apply to the PhD program if they fulfill the criteria below.

a) The academic average should be 3.5 minimum.

b) The applicant must be successful in an oral and a written examination conducted by the Biochemistry Department.

c) The applicant must meet the admission criteria of the Hacettepe University Institute of Health Sciences.

6. Students enrolled in the Master of Science program may be transferred to the PhD program if they fulfill the admission criteria.  

To have ALES (SAY / EA) score type and ALES and Foreign Language base score determined by the Health Sciences Institute Board and approved by the Hacettepe University Senate http://www.saglikbilimleri.hacettepe.edu.tr/en/menu/ales_foreign_language_scores-252

*http://www.healthsci.hacettepe.edu.tr/

D.5. Qualification Requirements and Regulations

The students must meet the requirements of the Hacettepe University Graduate Education and Examination Regulation*. Other requirements are:

A)In order to be accepted to the proficiency examination:

1)Students who have earned the Master of Science degree from a program other than Hacettepe University Institute of Health Sciences Biochemistry Program and graduates from Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Sciences, and Pharmacy (5 year program) and those students who have graduated from a 4 year undergraduate program but have directly been admitted to the PhD program, must take an examination and be successful from the courses BÄ°K603 Basic Biochemistry: Structure and Catalysis, BÄ°K604 Basic Biochemistry: Metabolism and BÄ°K615 Quantitative Problems in Biochemistry at the beginning of their PhD Program. Those not successful or have not taken these examinations, must take these courses at the first semester. If not successful, student can not take the other courses. 2)Compulsory PhD courses must be successfully completed. 3)Biochemistry courses must be successfully completed with at least 24 local credits or 120 ECTS. 4)During the PhD studies, the student should make at least one presentation/seminar a year. 5)During the PhD studies, the student must have worked in at least one laboratory work or project. 6)The student should have made at least one oral/poster presentation in a scientific meeting during the educational course.

B) In order for the student to start the thesis study:

1)The student must be successful in the proficiency examination, 2)The thesis subject must put forward a unique scientific or methodological problem, 3)The student must hypothesize a solution to this problem, 4)The student should have accomplished both theoretical and methodological knowledge and skills about the thesis study and have the capability to use these knowledge and skills, 5)Thesis study should be approved by the appropriate Ethics Commission (if needed), 6)The thesis proposal must be submitted to and approved by the academic boards where the study will be made and if needed preliminary experiments, thesis hypothesis, aim and plan should be prepared, 7)If needed the student should be able to transform the thesis study into a project.

C)Conditions required for the thesis/dissertation:

1)The thesis study should be completed and written according to the Institute of Health Sciences Thesis Guide** and standards. 2)The student should have prepared at least one original research article as the first author in a peer-reviewed international journal, 3)The student should have learned the theoretical basis of methods used in the thesis study and should be able to establish/apply these methods without help, 4)The student should be able to analyze the data obtained through the thesis study and make deductions and interpretations.

Students who have accomplished the above requirements and have successfully defended the thesis acquire the right to earn the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biochemistry.

*http://www.saglikbilimleri.hacettepe.edu.tr/yonetmelik.html

**http://www.saglikbilimleri.hacettepe.edu.tr/images/stories/Sabil/belgeler/aciklama/tez_yazim_yonergesi.pdf

D.6. Specific Arrangements for Recognition of Prior Learning

Students enrolled in the Biochemistry Doctor of Philosophy program may be exempted from the BIK603 Basic Biochemistry: Structure and Catalysis, and, BIK604 Basic Biochemistry: Metabolism courses according to the rules and regulations of the Hacettepe University Institute of Health Sciences. In the case of application, the student is given a written examination and if successful* is exempted from the course with the approval of Institute.

Hacettepe University Graduate Education and Examination Regulation** is the basis for the transfer of credits for the courses taken by the student from other (inland or abroad) higher education institutions or as special student status in the last three years before the enrollment of the student to the institute.

The supplementary courses to be taken by the student during the program are defined by the Departmental Academic Board.

*The condition of being successful requires pass grade or above according to “Hacettepe University Graduate Education and Examination Regulation”.

**http://www.saglikbilimleri.hacettepe.edu.tr/yonetmelik.html

D.7. Goals and Objectives

Doctor of Philosophy program in Biochemistry;

Aims to train Doctor of Philosophy awardees in possession of fundamental theoretical and practical knowledge, and the capability to independently work in advanced research projects and multi-disciplinary studies as well as acting as leaders and having high level teaching skills.

D.12. Occupational Profiles of Graduates with Examples

Graduates find jobs in health, science, food and environment related fields as academicians in universities or at manager positions in the industry.

D.13. Access to Further Studies

D.14. Profile of the Programme

The program is planned to be completed in at least eight semesters. The first three semesters consist of lectures, and students take the compulsory and elective courses together. In this phase, students must successfully complete a minimum of 24 local credits and 90 ECTS credits.

Upon succesfull completion of the courses, students take the course of preparation of proficiency examination (30 ECTS credits and 2 local credits) in the fourth semester.

At least 50% of the elective courses must be chosen from the Biochemistry Program (D.8.Course Structure Diagram with Credits).

Students who succeeded the examination prepare a research work on a determined thesis subject under the guidance of their supervisor in thesis phase. Thesis phase consists of at least four semesters (120 ECTS credits).

The program is structured as a minimum of 24 local and 240 ECTS credits. For those who have been accepted with a bachelor?s degree, the program is comprised of a minimum of 300 ECTS credits.

1 ECTS credit corresponds to 30 hours workload.

Hacettepe University, Institute of Health Sciences: http://www.healthsci.hacettepe.edu.tr/

Hacettepe University Graduate Education and Examination Regulation: http://www.saglikbilimleri.hacettepe.edu.tr/yonetmelik.html

D.15. Examination Regulations, Assessment and Grading

For each course in the program, there are mid-term exams/ homework/ projects and one semester final structured by those who teach the course. Each course?s evaluation criteria is defined in the course information packages (D.8.Course Structure Diagram with Credits). Semester final examinations are done in the time interval defined by the Hacettepe University Institute of Health Sciences* at the beginning of the academic year. . 

Teaching staff evaluate all work, homework, mid-term examinations and semester final examination in a semester and grade the results according to the Institute* defined course pass grading system.

* http://www.healthsci.hacettepe.edu.tr/

D.16. Graduation Requirements

Those who have taken the above defined courses and have been successful by fulfilling the criteria, completed and satisfactorily defended the thesis in front of the thesis committee with the grade average of minimum pass grade of the Institute of Health Sciences are considered to finish the Doctor of Philosophy program.

Hacettepe University, Institute of Health Sciences: http://www.healthsci.hacettepe.edu.tr/

D.17. Education Type

1. Full Time Education

D.18. Programme Director

Prof. Dr. H. Asuman Özkara

Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Medical Biochemistry Department Head

06100 Sıhhiye-Ankara / TÜRKİYE

Phone: (312) 3051652

Fax: (312) 3245885