METU GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AMNESTY IMPLEMENTATION PRINCIPLES
(For Students Resuming Their Studies under Provisional Article 85 Added to Law No. 2547 by Law No. 7592)
September 2026
1. GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO WERE DISMISSED DURING THE SCIENTIFIC PREPARATION PROGRAM
A. Students who were dismissed during the Scientific Preparation Program shall be placed into the semester in which they will resume their studies, as determined according to the date of their amnesty application, together with the newly prepared Scientific Preparation Program Registration Forms to be issued by the relevant Department.
B. Students in the Scientific Preparation Program may not transfer previously completed courses; they may not have courses previously taken in the Scientific Preparation Program counted toward their current program and must take all courses that the relevant Department requires them to take or retake within the scope of the Scientific Preparation Program.
2. GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO WERE DISMISSED DURING THE COURSEWORK STAGE
- For students who were dismissed during the coursework stage, only courses meeting all of the following conditions may be counted:
- The course must have been completed with a passing grade in the past (at least CC for Master's with Thesis / Non-Thesis Master's programs, and at least CB for PhD / Integrated PhD programs) and must not have previously been counted toward another program.
- Provided that they were not taken during undergraduate studies, a maximum of two 3XX- or 4XX-level courses may be counted toward the course load of Master's with Thesis students, and a maximum of three such courses may be counted toward the course load of Non-Thesis Master's students.
- 3XX- and 4XX-level courses may not be counted toward the course load of PhD and Integrated PhD students.
- Thesis courses may not be counted in the placement process.
- The number of semesters deducted from the maximum period of study shall be determined according to the number of credited courses counted:
- For Master's and PhD programs, 1 semester shall be deducted for 3-5 courses, and 2 semesters for 6-8 courses;
- For Non-Thesis Master's programs, no semester shall be deducted for 1-5 courses, while 1 semester shall be deducted for 6 or more courses.
- For Integrated PhD programs, 1 semester shall be deducted if 6-11 courses are counted, and 2 semesters if 12 or more courses are counted. No semester shall be deducted for non-credit courses.
- Students placed into the coursework stage who did not previously take, or did not successfully complete, the “ethics” and “seminar” courses in the program from which they were dismissed are required to take these courses after placement in accordance with the current regulations.
3. STUDENTS DISMISSED AT THE TERM PROJECT STAGE OF NON-THESIS MASTER'S PROGRAMS
Non-Thesis Master's students who have successfully completed all course requirements other than the Term Project shall be placed into their 3rd semester and must complete the term project within that semester.
4. STUDENTS DISMISSED AT THE PhD QUALIFYING EXAMINATION STAGE
A. Students who were dismissed for any reason during the PhD Qualifying Examination stage shall be granted 2 examination rights. Students who will take the qualifying examination shall be placed into the “5th semester” for PhD programs and the “7th semester” for Integrated PhD programs.
- Students registering in the Fall semester of the 2026-2027 academic year shall be granted 2 PhD Qualifying Examination rights, in November 2026 and May 2027, and shall be placed accordingly.
- Students registering in the Spring semester of the 2026-2027 academic year shall be granted 2 PhD Qualifying Examination rights, in May 2027 and November 2027, and shall be placed accordingly.
B. Students who were deemed successful in the PhD Qualifying Examination on the condition that they take additional course(s), but were dismissed because they could not successfully complete the required course(s), shall be given the right to take and pass such course(s) (or their equivalent(s) in the current curriculum). These students shall be placed into the “6th semester” for PhD programs and the “8th semester” for Integrated PhD programs. A new Thesis Monitoring Committee shall be appointed for these students in accordance with the relevant provisions of the METU Graduate Education Regulations.
5. STUDENTS DISMISSED AFTER SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THE PhD QUALIFYING EXAMINATION
The PhD Qualifying Examination results of PhD and Integrated PhD students who successfully completed the examination before dismissal shall remain valid. Students who passed the qualifying examination shall be placed into the “6th semester” for PhD programs and the “8th semester” for Integrated PhD programs. A new Thesis Monitoring Committee shall be appointed for these students in accordance with the relevant provisions of the METU Graduate Education Regulations.
6. STUDENTS DISMISSED AT THE PhD THESIS PROPOSAL DEFENSE STAGE
Students who were dismissed for any reason at the PhD Thesis Proposal Defense stage shall be placed in accordance with the periods and principles set out in the METU Amnesty Implementation Principles (https://oidb.metu.edu.tr/en/metu-announcements/announcement-about-act-7…), starting from the semester in which they register under the amnesty, in order to take the PhD Thesis Proposal Defense.
Within this scope, students who were dismissed at the PhD Thesis Proposal Defense stage and benefit from the amnesty shall be given a total of 7 semesters, starting from the semester in which they register under the amnesty, for the thesis proposal defense and thesis preparation. A student who fails the Thesis Proposal Defense in the first semester after registration shall be granted one additional right in the following semester; if the student succeeds on the second attempt, the thesis defense is expected to be completed within the remaining 5 semesters.
Based on these principles, PhD students who will take the Thesis Proposal Defense shall be placed into their “6th semester,” while Integrated PhD students shall be placed into their “8th semester.” A new Thesis Monitoring Committee shall be appointed for these students in accordance with the relevant provisions of the METU Graduate Education Regulations.
7. GRADUATE STUDENTS DISMISSED DURING THE THESIS STAGE
A. Master's students who completed their course requirements and were dismissed during the thesis stage for a reason other than exceeding the maximum period of study shall be placed no later than their “5th semester.” However, if a student completed the course requirements and was dismissed during the thesis stage within the first 4 semesters, the student shall be placed into the semester immediately following the semester in which they left the program.
B. Master's students who completed their course requirements and were dismissed during the thesis stage because they exceeded the maximum period of study shall be granted “2 semesters” to take the thesis defense and shall be placed into their “5th semester.”
C. PhD students who successfully completed the PhD Thesis Proposal Defense and were dismissed for a reason other than exceeding the maximum period of study shall be placed into their “7th semester” to continue their thesis work; Integrated PhD students in the same situation shall be placed into their “9th semester.” A new Thesis Monitoring Committee shall be appointed for these students in accordance with the relevant provisions of the METU Graduate Education Regulations.
D. PhD and Integrated PhD students who completed their course requirements, successfully passed the PhD Qualifying Examination, and had their Thesis Proposal Defense accepted, but were dismissed during the thesis stage because they exceeded the maximum period of study, shall be granted “6 semesters” to take the thesis defense. PhD students shall be placed into their “7th semester,” and Integrated PhD students shall be placed into their “9th semester.” A new Thesis Monitoring Committee shall be appointed for these students in accordance with the relevant provisions of the METU Graduate Education Regulations.
8. THESIS ADVISOR ASSIGNMENT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS WHOSE PLACEMENT HAS BEEN APPROVED
A. Master's with Thesis students whose placement into the 2nd semester or a later semester has been approved by the Graduate School Executive Board shall be assigned a thesis advisor from among full-time faculty members employed by the University before the interactive registration and advisor approval dates specified in the Academic Calendar. Beginning with the interactive registration and advisor approval period of the semester into which they are placed, these students must register every semester for the thesis and thesis study courses of the thesis advisor assigned to them.
B. PhD and Integrated PhD students whose placement into the 3rd semester or a later semester has been approved by the Graduate School Executive Board shall be assigned a thesis advisor from among full-time faculty members employed by the University before the interactive registration and advisor approval dates specified in the Academic Calendar. Beginning with the interactive registration and advisor approval period of the semester into which they are placed, these students must register every semester for the thesis and thesis study courses of the thesis advisor assigned to them.
9. LEAVE OF ABSENCE REQUESTS IN THE FIRST SEMESTER BY STUDENTS REGISTERED UNDER THE AMNESTY
Graduate students who regain the right to register under the amnesty shall not be granted a leave of absence (registration suspension) during the first semester in which they register. Leave of absence applications submitted by such students shall be returned to the relevant Department without being processed.
10. PUBLICATION REQUIREMENT FOR TAKING THE PhD THESIS DEFENSE
Among PhD and Integrated PhD students who register under the amnesty, those who will take the PhD Qualifying Examination after their placement procedures are completed (students placed into the Scientific Preparation, coursework, or PhD Qualifying Examination stages) are required to fulfill the publication requirement specified in the Senate decision announced at https://oidb.metu.edu.tr/index.php/en/metu-announcements/senate-decisio… in order to take the PhD thesis defense.
11. GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL STATUS (ÖYP, ARTICLE 35, YÖK 100/2000, ETC.)
Provisional Article 85 of Law No. 7592 covers student rights only. Research assistant positions, scholarships, or administrative statuses that previously ended together with student status do not create any entitlement under this Law.
Note: This English version has been prepared for informational purposes. In case of any ambiguity in interpretation, please contact the METU Graduate School of Social Sciences. In the event of any discrepancy or conflict between the Turkish and English versions, the Turkish version shall prevail.