ACADEMIC REGULATIONS This section of the Handbook gives a summary of the academic regulations that apply to the master programmes at Ýstanbul Bilgi University. It is not meant to be exhaustive and students are expected to familiarise themselves and comply with the Ýstanbul Bilgi University by-laws regarding graduate studies, which are published in detail on the University web site. For the rules and regulations concerning the PhD studies, please refer to the by-laws. It is important to read these regulations fully and carefully and be aware of your rights and responsibilities. MASTER PROGRAMMES REQUIRING A THESIS The Social Sciences Institute offers ten master programmes requiring a thesis: • MA in Cultural Studies • MSc in Economics • MA in European Studies in association with Leiden University • MA in Film and Television • MSc in Financial Economics • MA in International Relations • LL.M. (in Human Rights Law) • LL.M. (in Law of Economy) • MA in Visual Communication Design • MA in Music Maximum Period of Matriculation The maximum period of matriculation for students registered in master programmes requiring a thesis is four semesters. This period may, following a decision of the Social Sciences Institute’s Executive Committee, be extended by a maximum of two semesters only if the student has successfully completed all requirements except the thesis. A student who has not successfully completed his/her thesis by the end of the sixth semester loses his/her student status at the Institute. The time spent at the English Preparatory Programme is not included in the calculation of the maximum period of matriculation. Credits to be completed In master programmes requiring a thesis, the minimum credit requirement is 21, not including the thesis. At least one non-credit seminar is mandatory. MASTER PROGRAMMES REQUIRING A PROJECT The Social Sciences Institute offers nine master programmes requiring a project: • BÝLGÝ MBA • e-MBA • e-MBA (in Turkish) • MA in European Studies in association with Leiden University • MA in Film and Television • MSc in Financial Economics • LL.M. (in Human Rights Law) • LL.M. (in Law of Economy) • MA in Visual Communication Design Maximum Period of Matriculation The maximum period of matriculation for students registered in master programmes requiring a project is six semesters. The time spent at the English Preparatory Programme is not included in the calculation of the maximum period of matriculation. Credits to be completed In master programmes requiring a project, the minimum credit requirement is 30, not including the project. THE ENGLISH PREPARATORY PROGRAMME The English Preparatory Programme is designed for students who do not fulfill the English language proficiency requirements and provides them with an opportunity to acquire the language skills that are necessary to fully participate in graduate programmes. After taking a placement test, students are placed in classes appropriate to their level of English and are expected to improve their language skills to achieve the required minimum score on TOEFL, IELTS or the BÝLGÝ Institutional Exemption Test (BIET). GRADES The course instructor assigns a grade of between 0 and 100 for each course taken by a student and this grade is known as the ‘raw score’. The instructor determines the letter value of the raw score. The overall Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated according to the numerical values of the letter grades provided below: Letter Numerical Definition Grade Value A 4.00 Excellent A- 3.70 Excellent B+ 3.30 Good B 3.00 Good B- 2.70 Average C+ 2.30 Pass on probation F 0 Fail Courses which are not included in the calculation of the GPA but which are included in the calculation of credits completed are given the letter "P" for pass and "F" for fail. ANNOUNCEMENT OF GRADES The instructor notifies the Registrar of the letter equivalent of the numerical score within 7 days following the end of the final examination period, and this grade is announced by the Student Affairs Office. Only arithmetic or other such errors may constitute grounds for appealing an announced grade. Such appeals must be filed with the Student Affairs Office by the student no later than 3 days after the date the grades were announced. REPEATING A COURSE A student who has received an "F" grade in a compulsory course must repeat the course when it is first offered again. If good cause is demonstrated and approved by the Social Sciences Institute Executive Board, and after obtaining a favourable recommendation from the student’s adviser, permission may be granted to the student to take another course in its place. A student who has received an "F" grade in an elective course may either repeat the course when offered again or take a different one. The grade for a course which has been repeated or which was taken in place of a failed course replaces the previous "F" grade, which, nevertheless, remains on the academic records and transcript reports. A student who receives an "F" grade for a repeated course loses his/her student status at the Institute. GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) A student’s academic performance is determined at the end of each semester by computing an average of the grades he/she has received up to that point. This average is called Grade Point Average (GPA). The GPA is calculated by multiplying the numerical value (NV) of the letter grade of a course with the number of credits (C) of courses taken in a semester (NV x C) and dividing the sum of NV x C by the sum of the credits (C) for all courses taken. PROGRESSION RULES AND PROBATION FOR PROGRAMMES REQUIRING A THESIS Students whose GPA falls below 2.80 are placed on probation for the following semester. Students who are on probation are expected to increase their GPA to 2.80 or above by the end of the semester. A student with a GPA below 2.80 at the end of the second or third semester may, where necessary, in order to increase the GPA, repeat courses in which C+ grades were received. The new grade for the course replaces the previous grade. A student who has completed all the requirements except the thesis must have attained a minimum GPA of 2.80 by the end of the fourth semester. Students who do not satisfy this requirement may not continue with their thesis and lose their student status at the Institute. PROGRESSION RULES AND PROBATION FOR PROGRAMMES REQUIRING A PROJECT Students whose GPA falls below 2.80 are placed on probation for the following semester. Students who are on probation are expected to increase their GPA to 2.80 or above by the end of the semester. A student with a GPA below 2.80 may, where necessary, in order to increase the GPA, repeat courses in which C+ grades were received. The new grade for the course replaces the previous grade. In order to graduate a student must have successfully completed all the courses of the programme and have attained a minimum GPA of 2.80 by the end of the sixth semester. RULES CONCERNING THE THESIS AND PROJECT COURSES For rules concerning registration for the thesis and project courses, assessment and the assignment of thesis/project advisers students should refer to the Ýstanbul Bilgi University by-laws regarding graduate studies. COURSE REGISTRATION Before the start of each semester, students in all graduate programmes must register for their courses. Students who are registered in a programme requiring a project and who do not wish to register for the project course must still renew their registration in that particular semester. In such cases renewal of registration must be done from the online course registration pages before the start of each semester on the dates indicated in the Academic Calendar. Short course descriptions for all courses can be found in the pages of this Handbook. During course registration, student advisers assist students in their choice of electives. The course schedule is subject to the approval of the adviser. Students may change elective courses within the Add/Drop period as indicated in the Academic Calendar and with the approval of their adviser. Students may withdraw from a course within the time period provided by the Academic Calendar. Students are not permitted to withdraw from the courses they are repeating because of an "F" grade. Satisfaction of all financial responsibilities towards the University is a condition of course registration. Students who have not registered for courses and who have presented documentation of extenuating circumstances, may, until the end of the Add/Drop period, file a petition with the Student Affairs Office. Students whose extenuating circumstances have been accepted by the Rector may register for courses in the week following the Add/Drop period. Students whose extenuating circumstances have not been accepted are not permitted to register. The student status of those students who have not registered for courses during one semester or whose extenuating circumstances have not been accepted terminates automatically. The student shall be notified in writing of such a situation. THE STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM Students have access to the Student Information System via the Internet. Registration and course registration are undertaken on-line and students have the opportunity to obtain information about their weekly course schedules, grades and personal examination schedules from the Student Page on the Internet. EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES Students may submit information to the Student Affairs Office concerning personal circumstances which they believe may have affected their performance in the programme of study or in any assessment. They must fill out an extenuating circumstances form (ECF), which can be obtained from the Student Affairs Office, and attach valid documentary evidence of the circumstances described in the ECF. The ECF form and documentary evidence must be submitted to the Student Affairs Office on the date of the end of the extenuating circumstance, or for extenuating circumstances based on health-related reasons within three days from the end of the medical report. Students are strongly advised to carefully examine the regulations concerning extenuating circumstances and the submission of medical reports in the Ýstanbul Bilgi University by-laws regarding graduate studies, which are published on the University web site. WITHDRAWAL FROM A PROGRAMME A student may withdraw from the programme in which he/she is registered by filing a petition with the Student Affairs Office. Once a student has withdrawn from a programme, he/she loses his/her student status and may not be reinstated later. However, a student who has withdrawn from a programme, and who has not registered with any other institution of high learning, may retract the petition for withdrawal within sixty days of the initial application date. The University Executive Board decides whether or not to grant reinstatement. OFFICIAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE Students, on condition of providing documentation showing good cause, are entitled to suspend their registration for a total of four semesters during the entire period of instruction including the period spent at the English Preparatory Programme. Registration may be suspended for a minimum of one semester and a maximum of two consecutive semesters at a time. The University Executive Board determines extenuating circumstances periods due to serious and chronic illnesses. Semesters that are suspended are not taken into consideration in calculating the maximum period of matriculation and for the purposes of review of progression. A student requesting the suspension of his/her registration must file a written petition including documentation related to the extenuating circumstances with the Student Affairs Office and pay the tuition fee for the following semester in advance. INTERNAL TRANSFER Students in graduate programmes who wish to change their programme must file a request with the Student Affairs Office in accordance with the dates indicated in the Academic Calendar in this Handbook. Applications are considered on the basis of the rules concerning internal transfer set by the University for the year the application is made. Acceptance also depends on the availability of places. For detailed information, students should refer to the Ýstanbul Bilgi University by-laws regarding graduate studies, which are published on the University web site. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND DISCIPLINARY POLICIES Students are expected to familiarise themselves and comply with the rules of conduct, academic regulations, and established practices of the University. Infraction of the code of conduct or academic integrity will result in disciplinary action against the student and may lead to expulsion from the University.