Interdisciplinary Occupational Health and Safety

To graduate from the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Doctoral Program at KTO Karatay University, students must successfully complete the academic and thesis processes defined in the graduate education regulations. Graduation requirements include:

1. Coursework and Seminar Completion:
   • Students must successfully complete the required and elective courses, as well as seminars. For students entering with a thesis-based master’s degree, the doctoral program comprises at least 21 credits and a minimum of 60 ECTS per semester. The total program, including courses, seminars, qualifying exams, thesis proposal, and thesis research, is planned as at least 240 ECTS.
   • Successful completion of courses and seminars depends on registration for the relevant semester and maintaining the required cumulative grade point average.
2. Qualifying Exam:
   • Students must take the qualifying exam by the end of the fifth semester.
   • The qualifying exam consists of two stages: written and oral. Students must score at least 75 in each stage, as evaluated by the examination jury.
3. Thesis Proposal and Monitoring:
   • Students who pass the qualifying exam must submit their thesis proposal within six months.
   • The Thesis Monitoring Committee evaluates the thesis work each semester. If a student fails consecutively twice or intermittently three times, their enrollment in the program is terminated.
4. Thesis Research and Defense:
   • The doctoral thesis must contribute to science by presenting a novel finding, developing a new method, or applying a known method to a new field.
   • The thesis must be prepared according to the Senate-approved writing guidelines and defended orally before the jury.
   • Passing the thesis defense requires a majority decision by the jury. Any required corrections must be completed within the specified timeframe.
5. Doctoral Diploma:
   • Students who successfully defend their thesis must submit at least three bound copies to the Institute to receive their doctoral diploma.
   • The diploma is issued with the program name approved by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). The graduation date is considered the date of submission of the jury-signed thesis copy.

Students who fulfill all these requirements are awarded the title Doctor of Occupational Health and Safety (Ph.D.) and can pursue careers with advanced academic or professional competencies.