Graduate Program

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 to make a reservation.

The online application system is open for the Spring 2025 Semester.

Regular Application Deadline: 04 November 2024

Regular Application Interviews: 20-22 November 2024

General Requirements

Minimum BS graduation CGPA is:
- 2.50/4.00 (for MS program applicants and for PhD program applicants who have an MS degree with thesis)
- 3.00/4.00 (for PhD program applicants who do not have an MS degree with thesis)
  Students who are admitted with degrees from programs other than Physics may be asked to take one year of undergraduate courses to compensate for deficiencies in their backgrounds.
ALES is required from resident Turkish citizens who are applying for the graduate programs. Those applicants who are not Turkish citizens, and Turkish citizens who have completed their undergrad degrees without enrolling in a Turkish University may provide GRE General Test scores instead of ALES. All other applicants must provide ALES to apply the graduate school.
- Minimum ALES score is:
  - 55 Quantitative (for MS program applicants)
  - 55 Quantitative (for PhD program applicants who have an MS degree with thesis)
  - 80 Quantitative (for PhD program applicants who do not have an MS degree with thesis)
- Minimum GRE General Test score is:
  - 153 Quantitative (for MS program applicants)
  - 157 Quantitative (for PhD program applicants)
    (GRE ETS CODE:0620)
English proficiency: TOEFL IBT (at least 87, TOEFL ETS CODE:0620), IELTS (at least 6.5 average and 5.5 from each section) or Bilkent English Proficiency Exam (at least C). If you submit IELTS or Bilkent English Proficiency Exam results and you are applying for a PhD program, you also need to satisfy the foreign language requirement as imposed by the Inter-Universities Board (ÜAK) of Turkey. In that case, a minimum of 55 from YDS, e- YDS, YOKDIL, or its equivalents as listed by the Board, in a language other than the mother tongue must be submitted.
Proof of Degree (i.e. Diploma): Yes (If already obtained).
Statement of Purpose: Yes
Letter of Recommendation: 2

Application Procedure

Click here to apply online!

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.