PhD Qualifying Examination

14/01/2021 - 17:34

PhD Qualifying Examinations (comprehensive examinations) are arranged and administered by a Doctoral Comprehensive Board of five faculty members of the Institute who are assigned for a three-year term by recommendation of the chair of the program and approval of the Institute. The Board sets up examination juries in order to prepare exams in varied fields, and administer and evaluate these exams.
An examination jury comprises five members, at least two of whom are from outside the University (METU) and one of whom is the student’s thesis supervisor.
The exam consists of written and oral examinations that will assess the students’ competence in the related fields and their disposition towards research. The exam is conducted in English in its entirety; and it is given twice a year: in May and in November.
Students enrolled in a PhD programme should take the qualification exam until the end of their 5th semester; however, the students enrolled in a PhD Integrated program should take the exam until the end of their 7th semester.
See Middle East Technical University Rules and Regulations Governing Graduate Studies (also available in Turkish) for more information about the regulations of the exam.
Each department / programme at IAM has its specifications and contents of the PhD Qualifying Examination. For more information, specific rules, exam contents, references, and possibly, past exam questions, see the following documents.