Bilkent University

The Department of History offers graduate programs in Ottoman, European and American history, leading to Master's and Ph.D. degrees. Emphasis is placed on preparing students to be able to undertake independent research in these particular fields. The graduate program involves a preparatory year designed to give students the background knowledge, skills and language proficiency which will enable them ultimately to make original research with primary source materials. Since profound historical research can only be carried out through the use of primary source materials, it is necessary for students to acquire the relevant linguistic and paleographic skills.

The program is designed to concentrate on the areas of Ottoman History, European History and the History of the United States.

The preparatory year prior to the Master's program provides a background in Western and Turkish history. The first year in the Master's program features specialized courses in Ottoman History, European History, and the History of the United States. Students should by then have acquired a solid knowledge in history so as to be able to raise questions concerning more specific historical themes. During the second year the student begins to write his/her Master's thesis under the supervision of an advisor. During the Master's program the student is expected to submit papers at the end of each semester.

Admission: Graduates from all departments may apply to this program. An undergraduate degree in History is not a prerequisite for entering the M.A. program. All students entering the graduate program in history must take one year of preparatory courses before they begin to take Master's level courses of the department. Therefore, graduates from the Faculties of Management, Engineering or Science, as well as those from Humanities and Social Sciences Faculties who are interested in history are also eligible to apply for admission. Students admitted should have passed the English Language Test (level equivalent to internet based TOEFL 87). (Also refer to the ``Graduate Admissions'' section in the introduction of this catalog for the general graduate admission requirements.)

Degree Requirements:

1. Completion of at least 21 graduate-level credits after a preparatory year.
2. Within the program there are three tracks: Ottoman History, European History, and American History. Elective and Restricted Elective courses appropriate to each track will be designated within the curriculum below.
3. Students of Ottoman History must demonstrate competence in Ottoman Turkish and one modern language other than English or Turkish.
4. Students of European History and the History of the United States must demonstrate competence in one modern language other than English or Turkish.
5. A Master's thesis must be submitted and accepted.
6. A grade point average of at least 3.00 must be maintained for the totality of Master's level work.

To enter the Ph.D. program a candidate is required to have completed an M.A. program in History, and passed the entrance exam for his/her specific major area of the doctoral program. Applicants with M.A. degrees from other programs at Bilkent or other universities are also subject to the same requirements for admission into the doctoral program. (Also refer to the "Graduate Admissions" section in the introduction of this catalog for the general graduate admission requirements.)

Among the degree requirements is a minimum of 21 credit units of graduate level course work beyond the course work completed at the Master's level, to be determined by the advisor and the departmental chair for each doctoral candidate. To meet the course requirements, the candidates may take the graduate level history courses that they have not previously taken and, if necessary, graduate level courses from other departments. For those who have taken graduate courses elsewhere, the department may apply for permission from the director of the graduate school (the Institute) to grant partial or full-credit for such courses. The candidate may also take language courses as recommended by his/her advisor. The candidate is expected to have participated in seminars offered on source materials. Within the program there are three tracks: Ottoman History, European History, and American History. Courses appropriate to each track will be designated within the curriculum below.

Candidates in Ottoman history are required to undergo language examinations in one of the Western languages (French, German, Latin, Ancient Greek, Italian) and in one of the Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Persian) in reading proficiency prior to the comprehensive exams.

After the completion of a minimum of 21 credits of course work, the candidate is eligible to take the written and oral comprehensive exams. The first part of these examinations evaluates the candidate's expertise in the relevant field/period. The second part is tailored to each particular students' research proposal for the dissertation. The candidate must prepare a doctoral dissertation embodying original research and must successfully defend it in a final exam before a committee of the faculty before the end of the fourth year of the doctoral program unless an extension is granted. A paper based on the candidate's thesis must be accepted or published in a reputable journal before the dissertation can be defended. The dissertation has to represent a substantial contribution to the historical knowledge in one of the particular fields of study.