PHYSIOLOGY
Third Cycle Programmes
(Doctorate Degree/Doctor of Fine Arts)

D.1. General Information about Program

The Department of Physiology at Hacettepe University was first established under the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences in 1963. Then, it started to provide undergraduate education in the same faculty for second-year students in 1964. Currently, theoretical and practical physiology education is given to Turkish and English groups of medical faculty, dentistry faculty, faculty of health sciences, faculty of pharmacy, and vocational school of health services at the undergraduate level. Our department was in charge of physiology education at Gulhane Military Academy of Medicine for 16 years, and Hacettepe University supported the establishment of its Department of Physiology. The education language is English in the English group of medical faculty, while the rest of the schools? language is Turkish.

Since its establishment, the Department of Physiology has been offering postgraduate (medical specialty, Master of Science, and doctorate) education programs in the field of physiology. As one of the first physiology departments in Turkey, it provided scientists who contributed to the establishment of several universities. Major research subjects of our department are molecular physiology, neurophysiology, electrophysiology, hemorheology, mechanisms of stress and obesity, smooth muscle physiology, mitochondrial physiology, and sensory physiology.  We have an operation room for animal experiments, laboratories for molecular physiology, hemorheology, neurophysiology, respiratory-circulatory physiology, and isolated organ research, and one laboratory for student experiments.

The Physiology Doctorate Program is offered under the regulation and association of the Institute of Health Sciences at Hacettepe University and within the framework of the relevant regulation. The Doctorate Program aims to graduate fellows who have certain knowledge and laboratory skills on at least one research subject of physiology, are equipped with educational skills to transfer their knowledge and skills to emerging scientists, can independently plan and carry out research, present the data obtained for the benefit of science and humanity, and have certain ethical and social values as global scientists in their field. A thesis study is prepared by the student of the doctorate program besides lectures, seminars, and application studies. The duration of education is 4 years.

The language of the Physiology Doctorate Program is Turkish. However, programs with different languages can be opened at the suggestion of the Institute of Health Sciences, and by the decision of the University Senate. Even though, the language of the thesis is the same as the program, a different language can be chosen by the decision of the management of institution. For the doctorate program carried out in our department, it is necessary to be successful in the Faculty of Medicine Term 2 Physiology course committees, to complete 240 ECTS credits, to prepare a doctorate thesis, and to defend the thesis successfully.

The education program includes theoretical courses along with laboratory practice. The compulsory and elective courses are given by the faculty members of the Department. The elective courses may also be chosen from other programs within other institutes of Hacettepe University. The practical laboratory courses are carried out in our research laboratories.

The graduates of the Physiology Doctorate Program can also take academic positions in the Physiology departments of all universities. They can manage health projects in the government and private sectors. In addition, they can continue their research activities at universities in foreign countries, like some of our past graduates.

D.2 Qualification Awarded

Doctorate

D.3. Level of Qualification

QF-EHEA: 3
EQF-LLL: 8

D.4. Provisions for Registration

You must graduate from the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine or an undergraduate program of the Faculty of Medicine.

Selected committee lectures of the second year of medical faculty must be taken and passed (If a candidate is not taken committee lectures of the second year of medical faculty, this requirement must be satisfied by the scientific preparation program under the regulation of the rules of postgraduate education and exam of Hacettepe University). 

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

D.5. Qualification Requirements and Regulations

To graduate from the Physiology Doctorate Program, students who are accepted to the program with a master's degree must have at least 21 credits, including the compulsory courses for the program, to fulfill at least 8 semesters of education, research, and application activities. In the European Credit Transfer System, at least 120 credits of course load and 120 credits of thesis work must be completed. Undergraduate graduates other than those from the Faculty of Medicine who start directly with doctorate education must be successful in the physiology courses (if they have not taken them during their graduate education) in the Faculty of Medicine Term II course committees. At least 50% of the 90 ECTS portion of 120 ECTS credits must be earned from internal and external elective courses, and the remaining 30 ECTS must be completed as preparation for the proficiency exam. According to the provisions of the University's Graduate Education and Examination Regulations, those who complete the courses and provide at least a 3.00 general academic average are entitled to take the proficiency exam. The student who is successful in the proficiency exam and whose thesis proposal is accepted prepares his/her doctoral thesis under the supervision of the thesis monitoring committee. The students have to write the results in accordance with the thesis writing rules, present the thesis in front of the jury, and defend it orally. The rules of postgraduate education at Hacettepe University are valid at every step of the program. 

D.6. Specific Arrangements for Recognition of Prior Learning

The appropriate rules of postgraduate education and exam of Hacettepe University are applied 

D.7. Goals and Objectives

The doctorate program in physiology aims to graduate philosophy doctors who have certain knowledge and skills in physiology, have reached a certain level at a specific research subject of literature as well as a certain level of skills in the same subject at the international level, have teaching abilities to be able to pass their knowledge and skills to their trainee scientists, are capable of planning, conducting, and presenting an independent scientific study for the sake of science and humanity, can produce new knowledge, and have the ethical and social values of universal scientists. The doctorate program contains lectures, a proficiency exam, a thesis proposal, a thesis study, and an exam of dissertation thesis. The duration of education is 8 half semesters (4 years). The first four half years are lecture sections, and the next four half years are thesis sections.

D.12. Occupational Profiles of Graduates with Examples

The graduates of the Doctorate in Physiology can be in academic positions in the Physiology departments of universities. They can work at research institutions and universities. They can participate in projects related to public health.

D.13. Access to Further Studies

D.14. Profile of the Programme

The doctorate program in physiology contains lectures, a proficiency exam, a thesis proposal, and thesis study, and a thesis defense. The ratio of elective lectures is 50%. Elective lectures are taken either from the physiology department or other departments. A mandatory credit is 21. According to the European Credit Transfer System, students are responsible for compulsory and elective courses, not less than 120 credits, and thesis work courses, not less than 120 credits. Program lectures are theoretical and practical for each semester. Elective lectures start after the first semester. The duration of education is 8 semesters (4 years). The first four half semesters are lecture sections and the next four semesters are thesis sections. The student carries out the lecture period under the advisement of a faculty member and conducts the thesis period under the advisement of at least a faculty member. Attendance is mandatory for theoretical and practical lectures.

D.15. Examination Regulations, Assessment and Grading

The assessment and evaluation methods for each lecture are defined by the Lecture Teaching Plan information package that is prepared by the faculty members giving those lectures. The appropriate rules of postgraduate education and exams of Hacettepe University are applied for exams and passing grades of lectures 

D.16. Graduation Requirements

To graduate, a student should meet all the requirements of the Doctorate Program in Physiology and related items of Hacettepe University Post-Graduate Education and Examination Regulations.

http://www.saglikbilimleri.hacettepe.edu.tr/tr/menu/kanun_ve_yonetmelikler-219

D.17. Education Type

1. Full Time Education

D.18. Programme Director

Prof. Dr. AyÅŸen ERDEM

Head of Physiology Department

Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine

Sıhhiye, Ankara

Phone: +90 312 305 15 67

Fax: +90 312 305 21 86

E-mail: aerdem@hacettepe.edu.tr