Come and meet us!
All interested candidates are encouraged to visit our Department and talk to our Faculty members on any Friday afternoon. You can also visit our laboratories and ask questions about our department. Just send an e-mail to bilphys@fen.bilkent.edu.tr to make a reservation.
The online application system is active for the Fall 2024-2025 Semester.
Early Application Deadline:
18 March 2024
Early Application Interviews:
02-03 April 2024
Regular Application Deadline:
04 June 2024
Regular Application Interviews:
1-3 July 2024
Application Procedure
ALES
ALES is required from resident Turkish citizens who are applying for the MS programs. Turkish citizens who are residents of foreign countries and those applicants who are not Turkish citizens may provide GRE scores instead of ALES. Applicants for PhD programs may provide either ALES or GRE scores. ALES scores are valid for 3 years.
GRE
Turkish citizens who are residents of foreign countries and those applicants who are not Turkish citizens may provide GRE scores instead of ALES. Applicants for PhD programs may provide either ALES or GRE scores. GRE scores are valid for 5 years.
General Requirements
- CGPA: 2.50/4.00
Above CGPA requirements are for PhD program applicants who already have a MS degree with thesis and for MS program applicants. Those who do not have a MS degree with thesis and want to apply to a PhD program should have at least 3.00 CGPA during their BS studies.
Students who are admitted with degrees from programs other than Physics may take one year of undergraduate courses to compensate for deficiencies in their backgrounds.
- ALES: For M.Sc. application 55, for Ph.D. application 80
OR - GRE General Test: For M.Sc. application minimum quantitative total of 153. For Ph.D. application minimum quantitative total of 157.
- English proficiency: TOEFL IBT(at least 87), IELTS (at least 6.5 average and 5.5 from each section) or Bilkent COPE (at least C). In addition, foreign language requirements as imposed by Inter-universities Board (ÜAK) of Turkey (minimum of 55 from YDS or its equivalents as listed by the Board, in a language other than the mother tongue) must be satisfied by Turkish citizen PhD applicants.
- Proof of Degree (i.e. Diploma): Yes (If already obtained).
- Statement of Purpose: Yes
- Letter of Recommendation: 2 (PDF | WORD)
For more detailed information please visit Graduate School of Engineering and Science on our institute’s website.
Click here for up to date regulations and application procedures.
You can find the Curriculum for Graduate Programs here.
A more extensive catalog is also available here.
Tuition Fee and Financial Assistance
- Financial Asistance in the form of research and teaching asistantships and tuition waivers are available.
- No application fee is charged for applications to graduate programs.
Master of Science
Admission: All Applicants are required to have a B.S. degree in physics, or in a related field of science or engineering. Students with a B.S. degree in areas other than physics may be requested to take several undergraduate courses in the field to acquire the necessary background. Evaluation of applicants is based on their ALES (Akademik Personel ve Lisansüstü Eğitimi Giriş Sınavı – Academic Personnel and Postgraduate Education Entrance Examination) scores, past academic records, reference letters and an interview. Applicants who are not Turkish citizens and Turkish citizen applicants who are residents of another country may take GRE instead of ALES. All non-native speakers of English are required to submit a proof of satisfactory knowledge of English.
Degree Requirements: In addition to at least 21 credit units of course work, the M.S. degree candidate must prepare and successfully defend a thesis. Expected duration to complete the M.S. program is four semesters; the maximum duration is six semesters.
Doctor of Philosophy
Admission: All applicants are required to have a M.S. degree with thesis in physics, or in a related field of science or engineering. Evaluation of applicants is based on their ALES (Akademik Personel ve Lisansüstü Eğitimi Giriş Sınavı – Academic Personnel and Postgraduate Education Entrance Examination) scores, past academic records, reference letters and an interview. Applicants who are not Turkish citizens and Turkish citizen applicants who are residents of another country may take GRE instead of ALES. All non-native speakers of English are required to submit a proof of satisfactory knowledge of English.
Degree Requirements: 21 credit units of course work beyond the M.S. level is required. Ph.D. candidates must pass a qualifying exam and then must prepare a thesis work proposal. Preparing and defending a dissertation based on original research is the essence of the program. A paper based on the candidate’s thesis must be accepted or published in a reputable journal before the dissertation can be defended. The expected duration to complete the Ph.D. program is eight semesters. The maximum duration is 12 semesters.
About Bilkent
Bilkent University is a contemporary center of excellence in higher education and research, beautifully located at the fringe of Ankara, in the Anatolian heartland of the Republic of Turkey. Faculty members received their Ph.D.s mostly from prominent universities in North America, Europe and home. Research and publication standarts are very high, and there are many international cooperations. Research facilities, such as specialized books, electronic and printed journals and achive, a fully computerized library seach system, etc., are excellent and up-to-date. Bilkent University follows the US academic model, and the language of all education and research is English. The potential candidates are encouraged to examine the university homepage pointed above.
The Department of Physics aims to be a center of excellence in research and education. The undergraduate classes are typically limited by 20 students/class. The national students are selected from those who are willing to go into natural sciences based on a competitive national entrance exam. All Turkish and international students in the Department of Physics in particular and in the Faculty of Science in general are offered university scholarships based on the credentials of the successful applicants.