Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Rules
Qualifying (Comprehensive) Exams at the Graduate School of Social Sciences
The students who are accepted to the Graduate School of Social Sciences Ph.D. Programs with an Master's degree, must complete all of their course work, including the GR courses and seminars, at the end of their 4th term the latest. The students who are accepted with a Bachelor's degree, must complete all of their course work, including the GR courses and seminars, at the end of their 6th term the latest.
The students who completed their course work gain the right to take the Ph.D. qualifying exam. The Ph.D. students with an Master's degree can take the qualifying exam at the end of the 5th term the latest. The Ph.D. students with a Bachelor's degree can take the qualifying exam at the end of the 7th term the latest.
You can check the Qualifying exam areas and rules of our Ph.D. programs through the following menu:
Economics Ph.D. students are required to take the following exams:
- Macroeconomics
- Microeconomics
Gender Studies Ph.D. students take a single written exam. Please check the details of the exam through the Gender Studies Ph.D. program website.
History Ph.D. students choose 3 (three) exam areas among the following:
- The Middle Ages in Europe
- The Early Modern Era
- From the Age of Revolution
- Modern Balkan History, 1800 to the Present
- Central Asian and Turkic History
- Ottoman History, 1300-1600
- Ottoman History, 17th and 18th centuries
- Ottoman-Turkish History, 1800-1918
- Recent Turkish History, 1918 to the Present
- Cultural History
Political Science Ph.D. students choose 2 (two) exam areas among the following:
- Comparative Politics
- International Relations
- Political Theory
- Turkish Politics
Please check the details of the exam through the Political Science Graduate Handbook at the Political Science program website.
Two-stage: Written exam, followed by an oral exam.
Written exam: The students write a review paper. The topic is decided in consultation with the advisor at the beginning of the exam semester.
Word limit: 10.000 words.
Oral exam: Held three weeks after the paper is submitted to the committee members.
Format: 15-minute presentation followed by committee questions.