Student Information Guide

Introductionhigh-quality education that trains expert,

Dear Students,

We are delighted to welcome you at the beginning of a new academic year. As the Institute of Health Sciences at Lokman Hekim University, we are committed to providing the best education to train expert and pioneering academic staff in the health sector.

Scientists' knowledge of scientific methods includes the ability to perform the procedures required by these methods. Health science is constantly changing and evolving with the aim of protecting and improving health and increasing knowledge about diseases. The fundamental source of this change is high-quality scientific research. High-quality research is the most reliable source of information on health and treatments, and well-trained researchers play a key role in generating it.

As an institution that upholds the unity of education and research, our university aims to deliver high-quality research and education. As the Lokman Hekim University Institute of Health Sciences, we continue our educational activities with 6 non-thesis master's programs, 27 thesis-based master's programs, and 13 doctoral programs.

In the 21st century, basic science and applied research have become fundamental functions of universities, alongside education and training. Knowledge and knowledgeable human resources are also among the most important inputs of the economy. In this context, the qualities required in the human resources needed by the information society are to follow information related to one's field using technology and foreign languages, to produce new knowledge, and to continuously update oneself.

Lokman Hekim University Institute of Health Sciences was established to be influential in education and research and to strengthen its position in the country and the world. The diversity and high quality of our graduate programs are our primary goals. We wish success to all students who want to take steps towards becoming scientists and who join the Lokman Hekim University family.

Prof. Dr. Belgin AKIN

Director of the Institute of Health Sciences

Applications

Application System

Applications are made online, and all processes are carried out via the email address you registered with the system during the online registration process. Therefore, to ensure that you receive all informational messages without any issues, we recommend checking your Spam, Junk, and POP folders during the entire period from the application process to the end of the registration process. It is important that you upload your documents to the system completely and without any omissions.

Click here for the Institute Application System.Click here.

Graduate Education Application Dates

Applications are announced on our institute's website before the start dates of the fall and spring semesters of each academic year. Applications are made on the specified dates, and the results are also announced on the same page. In addition, the application dates are also specified in the academic calendar for each academic year. Click here for the Academic Calendar.

Graduate Education Program Application Criteria

You can find the application criteria for each of the master's (thesis/non-thesis) and doctoral programs in the main departments affiliated with our institute on our institute's website >> “Announcements” section. The main department application criteria are updated each semester. Application dates generally begin in May for the Fall Semester and December for the Spring Semester.

Documents Required During Application

You can access the documents to be uploaded to the system during the application process here. In addition, if additional documents are required, our Institute may request them. These documents must be uploaded to the system.

Application Process to Lokman Hekim University Institute of Health Sciences

Applications are accepted online. Applicants can apply to a maximum of “two different programs” at the same time.

Applicants whose applications are accepted are evaluated in an interview/entrance exam. Based on this evaluation, main and reserve lists are created and announced on the website.

Exams Accepted for Applications

For applications, the conversion score obtained from the ALES or GRE/GMAT exams, which have been deemed equivalent by YÖK, is valid; for foreign language scores, the score obtained from one of the YDS/e-YDS/YÖKDİL/TIPDİL exams or another exam deemed equivalent by YÖK is valid. Conversions for these languages will be made according to the YÖK equivalence table.

YDS/YÖKDİL/TIPDİL and ALES scores are valid for 5 years from the date of the exam announcement.

Ranking Criteria in Prospective Student Evaluation

In non-thesis master's programs, the ranking of prospective students is determined by calculating 40% of the undergraduate GPA and 60% of the foreign language score and scientific evaluation score (Interview/Entrance Exam Result).

In thesis-based master's programs, the ranking of prospective students is determined by calculating 50% of the ALES score, 10% of the foreign language score*, 10% of the undergraduate GPA**, and 30% of the foreign language score and scientific evaluation score (Interview/Entrance Exam Result).

For doctoral programs, the ranking of prospective students is determined by calculating 50% of the ALES score, 10% of the foreign language score, 10% of the undergraduate GPA, and 30% of the foreign language score and scientific evaluation score (Interview/Entrance Exam Result).

* For programs that do not require a foreign language score, 20% of the graduation grade point average is calculated.

* In applications and score calculations, the grade point average is used according to a 100-point system, and the YÖK conversion table is used as a basis.

Process for Prospective Students on the Main and Reserve Lists

Prospective students on the main list who do not pay their fees and complete their online registration within the specified time period lose their right to become students. These candidates are replaced by candidates on the reserve list, who are announced and accepted in order.

It is the responsibility of the candidates to follow the announcements and news related to this subject. Candidates who are eligible to register must pay their fees within the specified period. No notification will be made to candidates who are announced as main/alternate and do not pay their fees within the specified period; the entire process must be followed by the candidate student on our Institute's page.

Process for Prospective Students Who Have Earned the Right to Register for Two Programs

If you are accepted to one of the programs you applied for as an alternate and you wish to choose the program you were accepted to as an alternate, you must first apply to our Institute with a written request to cancel your registration for the program you registered for as a primary candidate. Your registration will be canceled by a Board of Directors decision, even if it is at your own request.

Board of Directors meetings are generally held once a week. Therefore, it is crucial to make your decision as soon as possible after the results are announced and apply to our Institute, considering the registration deadlines.

Application Requirements for Graduate Programs Based on the Bachelor's/Master's Program Graduated From

The “accepted fields of graduation” for master's and doctoral programs are listed each semester on our Institute's website>> “Announcements” section.

Transfer Application Process

Transfers between programs can be made once. The files of students who transfer are transferred to the new program, and their connection to the old program is terminated. The recognition of previously acquired qualifications and the adaptation procedures for students transferring between programs are carried out in accordance with Articles 18-19 of the Lokman Hekim University Graduate Education, Teaching, and Examination Regulations, as decided by the Institute Management Board.

Enrollment in Multiple Graduate Programs at the Same Time

In accordance with Article (35/6) of the Graduate Education and Training Regulations of the Council of Higher Education, students cannot enroll in and continue in more than one graduate program at the same time (except for non-thesis programs).

Student User Accounts

Email Procedures

Student user accounts are automatically created after registration is finalized. You can log in to your email via GMAIL. Please remember to add the @lhu.edu.tr extension to the end of your username. The system will ask you to change your password when you first log in to your email address. If you cannot log in with your password, you can change your password by visiting https://sifre.lokmanhekim.edu.tr. If you experience any problems with your email password, you can send an email to “bilgi.islem@lokmanhekim.edu.tr” with your student number, first name, and last name. (In cases such as password reset or inability to access your email address, you can call in person with your IT ID card.)

Your email address: ogrencino@lhu.edu.tr

Your password: LhuIDNUMBER (Lhu1111111111111)

(After logging in with your username and password, you must change your password.)

OBS (Student Information System)

Your username: Your student number. To check your student number, click here.

Your password: You can find out your password by using the “Reset Password” button to send a temporary password to your Lokman Hekim email address.

Click here to log in to the Student Information System for course registration.

You can also log in to the Student Information System using your e-Government credentials via the e-Government login option.

If you encounter any problems, you can send an email to “ogrenciisleri@lokmanhekim.edu.tr”.

KEYPS (Corporate Education Management and Planning Systems) Login

KEYPS is the distance learning management system used at our university. In graduate education, online courses, group work, assignments, surveys, course material uploads, etc. are also conducted through KEYPS when necessary.

KEYPS logins will become active after course registrations are completed. Click here to log in to the KEYPS system.

Click on “Forgot my password” and enter the email address provided to you (öğrencino@lhu.edu.tr) on the page that opens, then click “Send”.

You can reset your password and set a new one using the link sent to your email.

On-Campus Internet Access Wireless Network Name: LHUNET

Wireless Network Password: lhunet22

The login page will open automatically immediately after you log in. If it does not open, go to www.lokmanhekim.edu.tr in your browser and the login page will appear.

If you encounter any problems, you can send an email to “bilgi.islem@lokmanhekim.edu.tr”.

Course Registration and Advisor Approvals

Points to Consider in Course Registration

Course registration is done online via OBS. After selecting courses from the system according to the semester you are in, you must click the “Check” and then “Confirm” buttons. Students who do not do this will be considered unregistered for that semester.

Advisor approvals refer to the advisor faculty member approving the registration of the selected courses. The student's course registration is complete after it is approved by the advisor. Otherwise, the student is not considered to have taken the course.

Information regarding course registration procedures and dates is specified in the academic calendar published on the website.

Advisor Assignment

For newly enrolled students, the advisor is initially the Department Chair. Therefore, course registrations for initial enrollments are approved by the Department Chairs. Advisor assignment procedures must be completed by the end of the first semester for master's students and by the end of the second semester for doctoral students. Detailed information can be found in the “ADVISOR ASSIGNMENT AND THESIS TOPIC DETERMINATION” section of this guide.

Master's/Doctoral Thesis Work Courses

Graduate students who have been assigned an advisor and have completed the course period and moved on to the thesis period can make this registration. When registering, please ensure that the relevant course selections are opened in the name of the advisor. Students in the thesis phase take the Master's Thesis Work/Doctoral Thesis Work course. Detailed information about the course and thesis periods can be found in the “MASTER'S” and “DOCTORAL” sections of this guide.

Click here for the course registration guide. Click here.

Click here for the course registration video.

Equivalency Procedures and Credit Transfer

Equivalency and Credit Transfers (Course Credit Transfer)

Equivalency and credit transfers are made at the beginning of the semester within the date range announced on the Institute's website.

To do this, the Horizontal Transfer/Exemption and Equivalency Form must be completed. Equivalency and credit transfer must be done according to the current curriculum. Click here for Lokman Hekim University Course Information Packages. Exemption procedures are carried out if the course content matches the content package of the course taken at your university. Students submit the content packages of the courses they wish to be exempted from and the Horizontal Transfer/Exemption and Equivalency Form to the Department. Courses decided to be exempted by the Department are recorded on the Horizontal Transfer/Exemption and Equivalency Form and forwarded to the Institute with the Department Academic Council Decision.

Military Service Procedures

Freezing Registration for Military Service

Registration can be frozen for military service within the normal period. To do so, an application must be submitted by the last day of the add/drop week. Detailed information regarding freezing registration can be found in the “FREEZING REGISTRATION” section of this guide.

Leave During Military Service

A request for leave during the period of paid military service may be submitted. During this period, the student is considered on leave, and if they miss an exam, they are entitled to a make-up exam. For this, a petition must be written, clearly stating the dates of military service and which exams the student wishes to take as a make-up exam. A dispatch certificate or a document proving that paid military service will be performed must be attached to the petition. All these documents are sent to the Institute, and the student is considered on leave and can perform their military service without freezing their registration.

Registration Freeze and Registration Cancellation

Registration Freeze Procedures

A registration freeze request can be made until the last day of the add/drop week, provided that the financial obligations have been fulfilled. The process begins after the student submits the Registration Freeze Petition, signed by the relevant coordinators, to the Department. Registration freeze procedures are carried out in accordance with Article 55/2 of the Lokman Hekim University Graduate Education, Teaching, and Examination Regulations. The registration freeze request is finalized by the Institute Management Board Decision. A student can freeze their registration a maximum of two times during their study period.

Registration Cancellation Procedures

Registration cancellation requests are initiated after the Registration Cancellation Petition is signed and submitted to the relevant coordinators and the Department. Any refunds or debts arising from registration cancellation may vary depending on the semester and the time of registration cancellation. After deciding to withdraw, detailed information regarding fee refunds can be obtained from “maliisler@lokmanhekim.edu.tr”.

Advisor Assignment and Advisor Change

Advisor Assignment

Advisor assignments for master's students must be made by the end of the first semester at the latest, and advisor assignments for doctoral students must be made by the end of the second semester at the latest. Advisor assignments are planned by the relevant Department based on the total advisor load of the faculty members and prepared according to the student's thesis topic and field of study. They are then submitted to the Institute with the Academic Council Decision. The thesis advisors appointed by the Management Board are also responsible for approving the student's course registrations.

Advisor Change

If a change of advisor is requested by the advisor or the student, the Advisor Change Form must be completed by the advisor/student and submitted to the Department via our Institute's website >> Education/Teaching >> Forms and Petitions section. The request for a change of advisor, deemed appropriate by the Department Academic Council Decision, is evaluated and decided upon by the Institute Management Board.

Foreign Students

Application Procedures for Foreign Students

Foreign students can apply through the Institute Application System on the dates specified in the academic calendar. For detailed information, click here.

For tuition fees, please click here.

Assessment and Evaluation

Course Grades

To be considered successful in a course, a passing grade must be obtained. AA, BA, BB, and S are passing grades. CC is a conditional passing grade in master's programs, and CB is a conditional passing grade in doctoral programs. DC, DD, FD, FF, NA, and U are failing grades in master's programs; CC, DC, DD, FD, FF, NA, and U are failing grades in doctoral programs.

Examination Format

At least one midterm exam and one final exam are held for each course during a semester. The instructor may evaluate assignments, projects, laboratory work, and similar activities as midterm and/or final exams. When determining the final grade for a course, all exam results, mid-semester work, and attendance and participation in classes are taken into account. The format, weighting, and grading of exams are determined by the instructor and announced to students at the beginning of the semester.

Fees

Tuition Fees

For tuition fees, please click here.

Students can make payments to the bank account specified by the Lokman Hekim University Financial Affairs Directorate or via the interactive payment method indicated in the student admission announcements for each semester. Installment plans, amounts, and discount rates are determined by the Board of Trustees Decision for each semester and announced accordingly.

Registration Freeze or Semester Extension Fees

In the event of an extension of the normal study period, the Institute will send an informational email to students extending their semester and make an announcement on our Institute's website. Students can make payments to the bank account specified by the Lokman Hekim University Financial Affairs Directorate or using the interactive payment method specified in the announcement.

Non-Thesis Master's Degree

Non-Thesis Master's Degree Program Duration

The non-thesis master's degree program consists of at least ten courses, including a semester project, totaling at least 90 ECTS and 30 national credits, with a maximum duration of three semesters. Students who fail to submit their semester project by the end of this period will have their affiliation with the university terminated. Students determine their project topic with their project advisor by the beginning of the third semester at the latest and submit the Project Proposal Form, which can be found on our Institute's website >> Education/Teaching >> Forms and Petitions, to their advisor. Project topics deemed appropriate by the advisor are submitted to the Department and forwarded to the Institute with the Academic Council's decision.

Project Advisor in Thesis-Free Master's Degree

In the first semester of enrollment, the Department Chair selects and approves courses, and a faculty member is appointed as the project advisor by the end of the first semester.

Students who earn a total of at least 90 ECTS credits are considered to have fulfilled the graduation requirements and begin the process of presenting their project. The procedures for students who successfully present their projects are outlined in the “THESES, TERM PROJECTS, AND GRADUATION PROCEDURES” section of this guide.

Master's Degree with Thesis

Master's Degree with Thesis Education Period

The master's degree with thesis education consists of two main parts: the course period and the thesis period. The duration of study is four semesters; a maximum of two extensions can be taken. The student must complete the course period within four semesters at the latest and move on to the thesis period. The student must spend at least two semesters in the thesis period. Students who fail to complete the minimum 60 ECTS credits required within four semesters, including compulsory/elective courses and seminars, will have their affiliation with the university terminated.

Thesis-Based Master's Degree Advisor Assignment

An advisor is assigned by the end of the first semester at the latest. The advisor is proposed to the Institute by the Institute's Main Department Academic Board Decision, taking into account the student's request, in accordance with the Advisory Guidelines, and is finalized by the Institute Management Board. After the advisor is assigned, the student's course approval procedures are carried out by the advisor.

Course Period and Thesis Period in Thesis-Based Master's Programs

The thesis-based master's program consists of a total of at least 120 ECTS credits. During the course period, the student must take at least eight courses, including all compulsory courses and a seminar course, with a minimum of 60 ECTS and 21 national credits.

Master's students' thesis proposals are determined with their advisor by the end of the second semester and submitted to the Institute with the advisor's signature on the Thesis Proposal Form, which can be found on our Institute's website >> Education/Teaching >> Forms and Petitions section, along with the Department Academic Council Decision. In cases where the thesis work requires an Ethics Committee decision, the Board of Directors may decide that “the study is appropriate after the Ethics Committee decision has been obtained.” In this case, after submitting the thesis proposal, the student must apply to the Ethics Committee and submit the Ethics Committee Decision obtained, at the latest, by the date they will digitally submit their thesis to the Institute for defense.

For detailed information about the Ethics Committee during the thesis process, click here.

Students who have completed the course period move on to the thesis period and begin taking the “Master's Thesis Work” course, which they continue to take until graduation. During the thesis period, students must take Master's Thesis Work courses totaling 60 ECTS credits. Students whose time is extended because they cannot complete their thesis must still take the Master's Thesis course.

Students who have earned a total of at least 120 ECTS credits are considered to have fulfilled the graduation requirement and begin the process of defending their thesis. The procedures for students who successfully defend their thesis are outlined in the “THESES AND TERM PROJECTS WITH GRADUATION PROCEDURES” section of this guide.

Students whose thesis is deemed insufficient may be given a maximum of three months to make corrections by the jury. The documents of students who are given a correction period are sent to the Institute by the Department within three business days. At the end of three months, the student is re-examined before the same jury. If the student is still found to be inadequate at the end of this period, their relationship with the university is terminated.

Doctorate

Duration of Doctoral Education

Doctoral education consists of three main parts: the course period, the qualification period, and the thesis period. The duration of study is eight semesters, consisting of three semesters of coursework, one semester of doctoral qualification work, and four semesters of thesis work. A maximum of four semesters of extension may be granted during the thesis period. Students who fail to complete the minimum 90 ECTS credits required within four semesters of compulsory/elective courses and seminars will have their affiliation with the university terminated. Additionally, students who fail to complete the course period and take the qualification exam by the end of the fifth semester will also have their affiliation with the university terminated.

Appointment of Advisor in Doctorate

An advisor is appointed by the end of the second semester at the latest. The advisor is proposed to the Institute by the Institute Main Department Academic Board Decision, taking into account the student's request, in accordance with the Advisory Guidelines, and is finalized by the Institute Management Board. After the advisor is appointed, the student's course approval procedures are carried out by the advisor.

Course Period in Doctorate

The doctoral program consists of a total of at least 240 ECTS credits. During the course period, the student must take at least eight courses, including all compulsory courses and a course and seminar course covering Research Methods and Ethics, with a minimum of 90 ECTS and 21 national credits. Students who meet this requirement are eligible to take the Qualifying Exam.

Doctoral Qualifying Period

Doctoral Qualifying Exams are held twice a year, at the end of the fall and spring semesters, on the dates specified in the academic calendar for each semester.

Students may take courses while taking the “Doctoral Qualifying Exam Preparation” course during the doctoral qualifying period. To take courses during this period, the student must apply to the Institute with a written request stating the reason and the advisor's approval. Courses may be taken during the doctoral qualification period with the decision of the Board of Directors.

Students who will take the doctoral qualification exam must register for the “Preparation for the Doctoral Qualification Exam” course in their fourth semester. Students who do not register for the course will be placed on inactive status and will not be allowed to take the exam. Students who register for the course but do not take the exam will fail the qualification exam. A student may take the exam for a maximum of two consecutive semesters.

Students who are unable to take the qualification course in the fourth semester must register for the “Preparation for Doctoral Qualification Exam” course in the fifth semester at the latest and take the qualification exam. Students who do not take the exam in the fifth semester and students who fail twice will have their relationship with the university terminated.

Click here for the Doctoral Qualification Exam Documents.Click here.

Thesis Period in Doctorate

Students who pass the qualification exam proceed to the thesis period and begin taking the “Doctoral Thesis Work” course, which they take until graduation. Students must spend at least four semesters in the thesis period.

If the student passes the Qualification Exam, the Thesis Monitoring Committee is submitted to the Institute within one month with the advisor and the Department Academic Council Decision, and the Committee is established with the Institute Management Board Decision.

Students who pass the Qualifying Exam defend their thesis proposal, which covers the purpose, methodology, and future work plan of their thesis to be completed within six months, orally before the thesis monitoring committee. They distribute a written report on the thesis proposal to the committee members at least one month before the oral defense.

The thesis monitoring committee decides whether to accept or reject the thesis proposal submitted by the student by a simple majority. This decision is submitted to the Institute by the Department Chair within three working days following the thesis proposal, along with the documents (“Thesis Proposal Form”, “Thesis Proposal Evaluation Record” and "Personal Thesis Proposal Evaluation Form ") are submitted to the Institute by the Department. Students whose thesis proposals are successful should check their record on the Student Information System (OBS).

The thesis monitoring committee meets twice a year (January–June and July–December) and submits its report on the student's thesis. Reports deemed appropriate by the thesis monitoring committee are forwarded to the Institute by the Department within three business days.

Students who do not take the thesis proposal defense exam within six months, or who take it and fail, or who do not submit the forms to the Institute on time, will have their term extended. Subsequent procedures are carried out in accordance with Article 21 of the Higher Education Institution Graduate Education and Training Regulations.

In cases where the thesis work requires an Ethics Committee Decision, the Board of Directors may decide that “the work is appropriate after the Ethics Committee decision has been obtained.” In this case, the student must apply to the Ethics Committee after the thesis proposal and submit the Ethics Committee Decision they receive to the Institute digitally by the date they submit their thesis for defense at the latest.

Doctoral Thesis Defense

To be eligible for the doctoral thesis defense, the student must have successfully completed all courses in the program, passed the qualifying exam, and published or received acceptance confirmation for at least one research article related to the thesis, where the student is the first author and the thesis advisor is a faculty member, in peer-reviewed journals indexed in international or national databases during the doctoral program. Students who meet these requirements may begin the process of defending their thesis.

The jury for the doctoral thesis defense consists of five members with voting rights, including the thesis monitoring committee members, at least two of whom must be faculty members from another higher education institution. If the advisor does not have voting rights, the jury consists of six faculty members. The Institute Management Board decides whether the advisor has voting rights. In addition, two alternate members are appointed, one from within the university and the other from another higher education institution. For doctoral theses with a second advisor, the second advisor may also participate in the examination without voting rights. The procedures for students who successfully defend their thesis are specified in the “THESES AND TERM PROJECTS WITH GRADUATION PROCEDURES” section of this guide.

Students whose theses are deemed insufficient may be given a maximum of six months to make corrections by the jury. The documents of students who are given a correction period are sent to the Institute by the Department within three business days. At the end of six months, the student is re-examined before the same jury. If the student is still deemed insufficient at the end of this period, their relationship with the university is terminated.

Theses, Term Projects, and Graduation Procedures

Thesis Writing Guide

For detailed information on the thesis writing guide, click here.

Doctorate/Master's Thesis Defense Process

Students who will take the master's thesis defense must submit their thesis, written according to the Lokman Hekim University Thesis Writing Guide, to their advisor at least 30 days in advance. The advisor decides whether the thesis is defensible or may request corrections. The advisor submits the defendable thesis to the Department Chair with the jury recommendation and signed plagiarism report. The Department Chair submits the “Master's Thesis,” “Advisor-Signed Plagiarism Report,” and the "Doctoral/ Master's Thesis Defense Exam Jury Appointment Proposal Form" from the Institute's website >> /Teaching >> Forms and Petitions section.

The master's thesis jury is appointed with the recommendation of the thesis advisor and the relevant Institute Department Chair and the approval of the Institute Management Board. The jury consists of three or five faculty members, one of whom is the student's thesis advisor and at least one of whom is from outside the university. If the jury consists of three members, the second thesis advisor cannot be a jury member.

Students who will take the Doctoral Thesis Defense must have at least three Thesis Monitoring Committee Reports (for January–June and July–December) Thesis Proposal Defense minutes and, during the doctoral program, at least one research article published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals indexed internationally or nationally, where the student is the first author and the thesis advisor is listed as a co-author (LHU Graduate Education, Teaching, and Examination Regulations). TİK decides whether the published or accepted research article is related to the thesis and submits it to the Department Chair to be forwarded to the Institute in the form of a report. Submits the thesis, written according to the Lokman Hekim University Thesis Writing Guide, to the advisor at least 30 days in advance. The advisor decides whether the thesis is defendable or may request corrections. The advisor submits the defendable thesis to the Department Chair with the jury proposal and signed plagiarism report.

The doctoral thesis jury is appointed with the recommendation of the advisor and the Department Chair and the approval of the Institute Board of Directors. The jury consists of five faculty members, including the advisor, three of whom are members of the student's thesis monitoring committee and at least two of whom are from outside the University. The Institute Management Board decides whether the advisor has voting rights. If the advisor does not have voting rights, the jury consists of six faculty members. In addition, the second thesis advisor may sit on the jury without voting rights. The Department Chair submits the “Doctoral Thesis,” the “Plagiarism Report Signed by the Advisor,” and the “Doctoral/Master's Thesis Defense Examination Jury Appointment Proposal Form” from the Institute's website >> Education/Teaching >> Forms and Petitions section to the Institute at least 30 days before the exam date.

Required Documents for the Thesis Defense Process

Doctoral and Master's students who will participate in the Thesis Defense must submit the “Doctoral/Master's Thesis Defense Exam Record,” “Personal Thesis Evaluation Form” (signed separately for each jury member), and “Audience List” to the Institute via their advisor within 3 business days of the exam date.

In order for a student to be eligible for the doctoral thesis defense exam, they must be the first author of a published article related to their thesis topic. The author order and total number of authors in this article, which also includes the advisor, are not taken into consideration.

If the title is changed during the master's and doctoral thesis defense examination, this must be stated in the “Doctoral/Master's Thesis Defense Examination Record” under the reason section. If the work has an Ethics Committee Decision, the ethics committee process is initiated for the title change.

Thesis Submission Process

The following documents must be completed within one month after the thesis defense examination date:

2 Printed Theses (one to be submitted to the board of directors)

1 Thesis Data Entry Form

1 CD (WORD and PDF versions of the thesis)

After the thesis defense, the thesis is prepared according to the Thesis Writing Guide for submission to the Institute, taking into account any corrections deemed necessary by the jury members. It is important to check the acceptance approval page in the thesis before it is signed by the jury members to prevent any difficulties that may arise during the subsequent revision process. The WORD and PDF versions of the thesis are sent to “sbe@lokmanhekim.edu.tr” for evaluation in terms of format. The thesis is checked by Institute staff. The checking process continues until there are no errors in the thesis and it is deemed acceptable by the staff. One printed copy of the thesis, in its acceptable form, is submitted to the Institute. The thesis must include the wet-signed approval form, any ethics committee approvals, institutional permissions, survey scales used, the similarity ratio of the thesis after revisions, and the author's curriculum vitae. Two printed copies of the thesis, evaluated and approved by the Management Board, are submitted to the Institute.

The PDF and WORD files of the final version of the thesis, which has been approved for binding, must be provided on a CD. The file name on the CD must be saved with the reference number taken from the thesis data entry form (Figure 2). The CD must not contain any information such as signatures, personal data, mobile phone numbers, or e-mail addresses, which are covered by the Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK). The digital version of the thesis to be saved on the CD must be prepared by removing data mostly covered by the KVKK, such as ethics committee and institutional permission, without altering the number of pages of the thesis. The student is directly responsible for the processes that will occur within the scope of the KVKK. You can check the thesis uploaded after graduation using Figure 3.

Students who successfully pass their thesis defense exam must log in to the Thesis Automation System at “https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/” and fill out and sign the “Thesis Data Entry Form.” (Figure– 1, Figure– 2, and Figure– 3) The ORCID membership must be completed on the Thesis Data Entry Form. It is not necessary to wait for graduation to fill out the thesis data entry form. Students can fill it out once their thesis topic has been finalized.

Figure – 1 Login to the National Thesis Center

Figure – 2 Reference Number Generated After the Thesis Metadata Entry Form is Saved

Figure – 3 Thesis Check After Graduation

Note: The email address used for ORCID membership must be the same as the email address defined in e-Government and transferred to the Thesis Automation System. Otherwise, the ORCID number may not appear in the system.

Similarity Report to be Obtained After Thesis Defense (Advisor)

The Turnitin program is used for similarity scanning, and the similarity rate must not exceed 20%. The Turnitin scan is first performed by the thesis advisor. If the thesis advisor is not registered in the Turnitin system and is performing the scan for the first time, they must request a password via email from kutuphane@lokmanhekim.edu.tr, which belongs to our university library. The thesis advisor can use the same password for all subsequent Turnitin operations. When performing the Turnitin scan, the official title of the thesis must be entered in the “Assignment Title” section of the system (as it appears on the thesis defense exam record). Since the assignment title will appear on the cover page of the report generated by the system, the thesis title must be exactly the same as the thesis title in the student information system (this will be checked by the Institute). If there will be a correction to the thesis title, this should be indicated on the thesis exam record. The scanning options offered by the system are default settings and it is recommended that they are not changed. The thesis file must be uploaded to the system in PDF file format. The system may take some time to generate the similarity report, depending on the file size. If the file size exceeds 40 MB, large images, figures, maps, etc. in the file must be removed to reduce the file size. Upon completion of the scan, the report generated by the system (in the current view format) is downloaded as a PDF file, and the first page of the report (containing the thesis title and author information) and the last page containing the similarity percentage are printed and signed by the thesis advisor. The similarity ratio is determined in accordance with the decision of the Lokman Hekim University Senate dated July 28, 2021, No. 2021/96. (Only the part consisting of the Cover Page, Introduction, Main Sections, and Conclusion Section is filtered (excluding the Bibliography, excluding/including quotations; excluding text sections with less than 5 words of overlap).

For a detailed instructional video, click here.

Term Project for Master's Degree without Thesis

The student presents the term project prepared in accordance with the Thesis Writing Guide to a three-member jury appointed by the advisor from within the Department. The jury may accept the term project or request corrections. For accepted term projects, the Department submits the signed “Term Project Evaluation Form” from our Institute's website >> Education/Teaching >> Forms and Petitions to the Institute within three business days of the presentation date. The project is checked by Institute officials. The checking process continues until there are no errors in the project and it is deemed appropriate by the officials. One printed copy of the project, deemed appropriate, is submitted to the Institute. Two printed copies of the project, evaluated and deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors, are submitted to the Institute.

Reasons for Withdrawal

The student has received a penalty of expulsion in accordance with the provisions of the Higher Education Institutions Student Discipline Regulations published in the Official Gazette dated 8/18/2012 and numbered 28388.

The student's failure to successfully complete the compulsory and elective courses in the teaching plan at the end of four semesters or to meet the success conditions/criteria determined by the institute's board of directors and approved by the Senate within this period,

The student's failure in the thesis work within the maximum time limits or failure to attend the thesis defense,

Failing the doctoral thesis proposal or doctoral qualifying exam twice,

Failing the thesis monitoring committee twice consecutively or three times intermittently in doctoral programs,

Receiving a rejection decision in the thesis defense or having a thesis that has been given a revision decision rejected,

Failure to successfully complete the course load of 10 compulsory and elective courses, 30 national credits, and a semester project, totaling 90 ECTS, within three semesters in thesis-free master's programs,

Failure of a student who has successfully defended their thesis to submit a copy of their thesis to the institute within the maximum duration of the program. In such cases, the student's affiliation with the institute is terminated. Additionally:

Foreign students admitted to the Turkish program must submit a Turkish Proficiency Certificate (B1). The period specified for foreign students admitted to the program to submit this certificate is a maximum of two semesters. This period cannot be extended, and students who do not submit their certificate by the end of this period will have their affiliation with the institute terminated. The period spent in this program cannot be included in the education and training period of the relevant graduate program.

Foreign students entering the graduate program must submit their equivalency certificate. If a student applies for equivalence upon entering the program but fails to submit the equivalence certificate within one semester or obtains an equivalence certificate that is not related to the program, the student's affiliation with the institute will be terminated, and the tuition fee for the semester they have completed will be deducted. (Higher Education Recognition and Equivalence Handbook, p. 35)

Regulations and Guidelines

For the Lokman Hekim University Graduate Education, Teaching, and Examination Regulations and other regulations and guidelines, click here.

For the Higher Education Institutions Graduate Education and Teaching Regulation, click here.

For the Lokman Hekim University Thesis Writing Guide, click here.

For the Higher Education Recognition and Equivalency Handbook, click here.

Student Information Guide

To download the Student Information Guide document, click here.