MARMARA UNIVERSITY

INSTITUE of MIDDLE EAST and ISLAMIC COUNTRIES (IMIC)

 

WHY STUDY at MARMARA UNIVERSITY and IMIC?

Choosing Marmara University for your postgraduate education means studying at a respected institution that offers quality academic programs, excellent research opportunities, and a dynamic international academic environment. The strategic location in Istanbul and the diverse, inclusive atmosphere further enhance the appeal of studying here. Marmara University is a solid choice if you’re looking for an opportunity to balance academic rigor with a rich cultural and professional experience.

In addition to the University qualification, the Institute of Middle East and Islamic Countries (IMIC) covers almost every aspect of the Middle East with internationally well-known academic staff. It is the oldest academic institution on the Middle East Studies and has five different departments with Master of Arts (MA) and Philosophy of Doctorate (PhD) Degrees.

For more details, please visit us online via the link here: https://oae.marmara.edu.tr/en/history  

 

MA and PhD Programs at the Institute of Middle East and Islamic Countries (IMIC)

Middle Eastern Political History and International Relations,

https://stui-oae.marmara.edu.tr/en/general-information

 

Middle Eastern Sociology and Anthropology,

https://sosa-oae.marmara.edu.tr/en/general-information

 

Middle Eastern Political Economy,

https://ikt-oae.marmara.edu.tr/en

 

Middle Eastern Geography and Geopolitics,

https://cog-oae.marmara.edu.tr/en/general-information

 

Middle Eastern Legal Systems,

https://huksis-oae.marmara.edu.tr/en/program-details

 

2024-2025 Spring Semester MA and PhD Programs Quota

Program Name	Program	Quota
Middle Eastern Political History and International Relations (English)	MA	5 Turkish Citizens, 5 Foreign Nationals
Middle Eastern Political Economy	MA	5 Turkish Citizens, 2 Foreign Nationals
Middle Eastern Sociology and Anthropology	MA	5 Turkish citizens, 3 Foreign Nationals
Middle Eastern Political History and International Relations	MA	5 Turkish Citizens, 2 Foreign Nationals
Middle Eastern Sociology and Anthropology	PhD	5 Turkish citizens, 3 Foreign Nationals
Middle Eastern Political History and International Relations	PhD	3 Turkish Citizens, 2 Foreign Nationals

 

2024-2025 Spring Semester MA and PhD Application Timeline

Spring Semester 2024-2025 applications for graduate studies can be made at https://basvuru.marmara.edu.tr/ between 08.01.2025 and 23.01.2025 (16:30 GMT+3). 

 

The detailed application timeline is below.

Process	Start Date	End Date
Application	08.01.2025	23.01.2025
Application Approval	08.01.2025	24.01.2025
Professional Knowledge Exam and Interview	27.01.2025	29.01.2025
Announcement of Results	31.01.2025	31.01.2025
Final Registration	03.02.2025	05.02.2025
Announcement of Substitute Candidates	07.02.2025	07.02.2025
Collecting Pre-Registration Petitions from Substitute Candidates	10.02.2025	11.02.2025
Announcement of Substitute Candidates Who Gained Final Registration Rights	12.02.2025	12.02.2025
Final Registration of Substitute Candidates	13.02.2025	14.02.2025

 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• Candidates who will apply to MA programs must hold a BA degree.
• Candidates who graduated/will graduate from a university abroad must have a grade point average calculated in their final transcript documents in the 4-point or 100-point system. This calculation is not made by our university.
• Foreign language certificates, such as YDS, are valid for 5 (Five) years from the exam date for equivalent foreign languages.

Minimum Language Scores for MA Programs

GRE	GMAT	YÖKDİL/YDS/E-YDS/ÜDS/KPDS	TÖMER
149	450	For Turkish Program 50  For English Program 70	B2 and Above

 

Minimum Language Scores for PhD Programs

GRE	GMAT	YÖKDİL/YDS/ E-YDS/ÜDS/KPDS	TÖMER
151	465	For Turkish Program 60	B2 and Above

An equivalent score from an international foreign language exam is accepted as considered by the ÖSYM Board of Directors is compulsory.

• Foreign applicants for PhD programs are required to submit a language certificate other than their own language.
• Applicants must attend the Professional Knowledge Exam and interviews to be announced by the relevant department. Otherwise, they will not be taken into consideration in the success evaluation. No excuse is accepted in this context.
• The Rectorate of Marmara University will determine tuition fees for foreign national citizens for MA and PhD programs.
• Those who do not prove that they have a Blue Card will also pay this fee.
• At the meeting of the Executive Board of Higher Education dated 13.09.2017, it was decided that both Turkish citizens and foreign nationals who would like to study at the postgraduate level in Turkiye after their education in a foreign higher education institution which is recognized by IMIC administration do not need to get a Diploma Equivalency Certificate if that foreign higher education is recognized by Council of Higher Education (YÖK).

 

 

Required Documents for Applications

 

Note: Please ensure all documents are approved and signed by relevant institutions.

• Graduation Certificate:

 

Candidates who will apply for MA programs must be graduates of BA programs or students in the last semester of their BA degree, and candidates who will apply for PhD programs must be graduates of MA programs or students in the final semester of their MA degree. Candidates who are not in graduation status should not check the “graduated” box and should not upload documents in this field. Documents taken from the E-Government Portal are valid.

 

(The documents uploaded to the system must be in PDF or JPEG format.)

 

• Transcript Document (Approved-Mandatory):

 

The transcripts of applicants who have not graduated at the time of application must be uploaded for at least 7 (Seven) semesters and calculated as GANO/GPA (General Weighted Grade Point Average) by the applicant’s last institution. Updates are not requested in case of grade change. The average of GANO/GPA at a 4-point or 100-point system must be calculated. Candidates applying for a PhD program must upload their master's transcript. Documents taken from the E-Government Portal are valid.

 

(The documents uploaded to the system must be in PDF or JPEG format.)

 

• Foreign Language Certificates (Approved-Mandatory)

 

• A Photograph (Mandatory):

 

The uploaded photographs must be in a passport photo format that will allow the candidate to be recognized. The student ID cards of the candidates who are entitled to final registration will be sent for printing with the uploaded photos. All uploaded photos other than passport photos will be canceled.

 

(The documents uploaded to the system must be in PDF or JPEG format.)

 

• Equivalency Certificate (For Turkish Citizens):

 

Turkish Citizen applicants who completed their undergraduate education abroad are required to obtain a diploma equivalency certificate from the Head of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). The candidate who applies for the Diploma Equivalency Certificate can make his/her application, but it must be submitted after the document is received during the final registration.

 

(Foreign applicants do not need to apply for equivalence. The documents uploaded to the system must be in PDF or JPEG format.)

 

• For non-Turkish documents (For Applicants Who Have Studied Abroad):

 

In addition to the documents listed above, Turkish citizens and foreign nationals who have studied abroad must apply by preparing the documents (graduation, transcript, and other documents) that they will upload to the system at pre-registration in the language of the program they apply for or with Turkish translation. The documents must be certified and signed by a sworn translator.

 

(The documents uploaded to the system must be in PDF or JPEG format.)

 

• TÖMER Certificate (Compulsory for Turkish Programs-For Foreign Applicants):

 

A TÖMER Certificate of at least B2 Level is required for graduate programs whose language of instruction is Turkish. It is not required from those who have graduated from an undergraduate or graduate program whose language of instruction is Turkish in any higher education institution in Turkiye or abroad. Foreign applicants who do not have a TÖMER certificate are accepted within the quota of international students within the scope of preliminary admission with the condition of learning Turkish if they meet the other application requirements. With the conditional pre-admission to learn Turkish, the candidate undertakes in writing to attend the Turkish course opened within Marmara University for at least one academic year and to get the required score from the Turkish exam conducted by Marmara University. The candidate who does not commit or fulfill his/her commitment loses his/her right to be a student.

 

• School Recognition Certificate (Foreign Applicants):

 

The school recognition certificate will be submitted to our institute during the “Final Registration” period by the applicant between 03.02.2025 and 05.02.2025.

 

Student Admission Evaluation Criteria

	Foreign Applicants  (Percent)
Transcript Grade	10
Professional Assessment Exam (Written Exam)	40
Interview	50
Total	100

 

After all evaluations, foreign applicants must take 65 for MA and 75 for PhD Programs to be considered successful. Written exams and interviews will take place in person at the Institution.

 

Address:

 

Marmara Üniversitesi, Ortadoğu ve İslam Ülkeleri Araştırmaları Enstitüsü, İktisat Fakültesi 4. Kat, Göztepe Kampüsü / Kadıköy / İSTANBUL

 

  

FINAL REGISTRATION PROCESS

Final Registrations will be held between 03-05 February 2025 at the Institute of Middle East and Islamic Countries (IMIC) on the 4th floor of the Faculty of Economics, Marmara University Göztepe Campus.

 

Requested Documents for Final Registration

• Graduation Certificate:

Applicants for the MA programs should submit a BA degree, and those for PhD programs must submit a certified MA degree.

 

• Transcript Document:

Approved transcripts must be submitted at final registration (4-point or 100-point GAN0/GPA average must be calculated).

 

• Foreign Language Certificate (YÖKDİL, YDS, e-YDS or Equivalent):

At least 50 points for MA programs and 60 points or equivalent for PhD programs.

 

• Photograph (2 Pieces)

 

• Certificate of Equivalence:

Foreign applicants applying for MA or PhD programs do not need to apply for equivalency. After the final registration, the certified copy of the documents will be sent to the Higher Education Council Presidency-Equivalency Unit (YÖK) and it will be questioned whether YÖK recognizes it. The registration of the candidate whose school is not recognized will be rejected.

 

• Photocopy of the passport:

The original passport must be shown, and the relevant institute must approve the photocopy. It must be in the language of the program applied for, or a Turkish translation must be made.

 

• TÖMER Certificate (For Foreign National Applicants Who Hold BA Degrees from Abroad):

 

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

• Foreign applicants who graduated from Turkiye must make a pre-application with their ID numbers starting with “99....” to synchronize their previous academic information from YÖKSİS.
• Blue Card holders can only apply from one of their nationalities.
• Applicants whose application has been approved must obtain the current “Certificate for Entrance Exam” from the application system (marmara.edu.tr) 1 (One) day before the “Professional Assessment Exam” (for all written ones and interviews)
• If the documents you need to upload to the system are missing or incorrect, your application will not be approved, and the system will send you an e-mail to correct them. For this reason, it is essential that the contact information you fill into the system is up-to-date and that you constantly check your e-mail addresses.

 

 

 

 

 

During the final registration for successful candidates, registration is made with the originals of all documents:

 

• Foreign National candidates are required to submit the documents requested above in the language of the program they are applying for or Turkish translations and submit them to the relevant institute at the time of final registration.
• The photocopy of the relevant documents can be labeled “as original” by IMIC by showing the original document during the final registration process.
• Candidates who cannot bring the original graduation diploma/certificate will be able to register with a “like original” photocopy approved by their previous academic institution where the original document is issued.
• Applications will be canceled in cases where there is a discrepancy between the pre-registration statements and the documents after final registration.