Fizik Doktora Yeterlilik Sınavı
 

Exam Procedure
 

• The exam has two phases, namely, a written exam and an oral exam.
• The purpose of the written part is to measure the breadth of the student’s knowledge in physics. The exam covers five core areas, with two questions offered in each area. The student must answer a total of four questions by choosing exactly one question from each of the three mandatory areas (Fundamental Physics, Quantum Mechanics, and Electrodynamics), and one question from either Classical Mechanics or Statistical Mechanics. The written exam is closed book/notes.
• If a student fails the written exam, s/he has to repeat the written exam in the following semester.
• If a student passes the written exam, s/he can take the oral exam after the written exam. The purpose of the oral exam is to measure the depth of the student’s knowledge in his/her Ph.D. research area. The student has to submit a short (maximum one page) statement describing his/her research field of interest. The student will be expected to answer questions related to his/her research field in front of an oral exam jury.
• The oral exam jury will be formed by five faculty members (2 of the jury members must be from another university) based on the research field of the student. The student’s advisor may participate in the oral exam jury. If a student has 2 advisors, the co-advisor of the student may participate in the jury as the 6th member, but he/she does not have the right to vote.

Success Criteria
 

• Written exam: An overall score of at least 50% is required to pass, with no minimum thresholds for individual sections. Students who fail must retake the entire exam.
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• Oral exam: Each faculty taking part in the oral exam must give either a Pass or a Fail grade. The student passes the oral exam if he/she earns more Passes than Fails.  
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• A failed written or oral exam must be repeated in the following semester. The student passes the Ph.D. qualifier exam when he/she passes both the written and the oral exams. If a student passes the written exam but fails the oral exam, he/she needs to repeat only the oral exam in the following semester.

Faculty responsible for the written exam:
The Physics Ph.D. qualifier exam committee will select the faculty members who will prepare and grade the questions for the written exam.
 
Faculty for the oral exam:
The Physics Ph.D. qualifier exam committee will select the faculty members who will prepare and grade the questions for the oral exam.

Ph.D. Qualification exam dates: 

The written exam for the 2026-2027 Fall semester will be on November 30, 2026
 
The oral exam will be given within one month after that semester’s written exam.

 Exam Application Procedure:

Physics Ph.D. Qualification Exam Committee
 
Prof. Taylan Akdoğan (Chairperson)
Prof. Mehmet Burçin Ünlü
Assoc. Prof. Kaan Güven
Assist. Prof. Parviz Elahi
Assoc. Prof. İlknur Eruçar