| Master of Arts (MA) Degree | About the Programme

Last Updated: 21/09/2026

The main purpose of International Relations Masters Programme is to enable students in the international relations and related fields to gain the ability to access, evaluate and interprete information by conducting scientific research. For this purpose, the students are offered a rich variety of courses that can improve themselves according their own interests.For this reason in order to gain current knowledge in the field of international relations, in the first term of the programme ULI501 International Relations Theories and ULI503 International Organizations and Organizations have been compulsory. In the second term, ULI502 Turkey in Global Politics and ULI504 International Law and Politics have been compulsory courses. In addition, students are required to take SOB501 Seminar on Research Methods in Social Sciences and ETK503 Ethics of Science courses to gain the essentail skills to conduct a scientifis research. In addition to these courses, students are allowed to choose elective courses from a rich variety of courses that include different fields and regions they want to specialize in. Thesis writing processes of students who successfully complete their courses and seminars are managed under the supervision of the faculty members based on their fields of expertise.

Finally, it is aimed to adress students who continue their postgraduate studies in the International Relations Programme to do a phd in line with their interests and abilities.

Admission to graduate programmes is governed by the relevant legislation on graduate education, the Anadolu University Regulation on Graduate Education and Examinations, and the admission requirements announced by the relevant Graduate School. Depending on the programme, admission decisions may take into account the Academic Personnel and Graduate Education Entrance Examination (ALES) score, foreign language proficiency, undergraduate or graduate grade point average, written scientific assessment examination, interview, portfolio, and/or other programme-specific selection criteria.
Candidates who are offered admission must complete their registration within the deadlines announced by the relevant Graduate School and submit all required documentation. Admission through horizontal transfer is carried out in accordance with the Anadolu University Regulation on Graduate Education and Examinations and the procedures established by the relevant Graduate School. The application and admission procedures for international applicants are conducted in accordance with the admission requirements and supporting documentation approved by the Senate of Anadolu University.

Recognition of prior learning is carried out in accordance with the relevant higher education legislation, the University's regulations governing education, examinations and assessment, and the institutional principles for exemption and credit transfer. Students may apply, within the specified deadlines, for exemption and credit transfer based on courses successfully completed at another higher education institution or on equivalent prior learning. Applications are evaluated by the relevant board or commission with due consideration of course content, credit/ECTS values, grades obtained, and their compatibility with the curriculum and learning outcomes of the relevant programme.

All students enrolled at Anadolu University are assigned a faculty academic advisor to provide guidance and support throughout their studies. Academic advisors offer counselling from the beginning of the student's academic programme until graduation, assisting students with academic, administrative, and other matters related to university life. In particular, advisors provide guidance during course registration and course selection processes, monitor students' academic progress, and support them in making informed decisions regarding their educational pathways.
For further information, please refer to the Academic Advising Directive of Anadolu University.

The programme is delivered in face-to-face / blended mode. Students are enrolled on the programme as (full-time / part-time) students. Teaching and learning activities are conducted in accordance with the programme curriculum, including the semester structure, scheduled class hours, practical components, and, where applicable, online learning environments.

A variety of assessment methods such as mid-term(s), assignment(s), exercise(s), project(s), practice(s), and a final exam are implemented in the programme. Assessment methods may include classical test(s), multiple-choice test(s), homework(s), performance evaluation(s), and product evaluation(s). In order to graduate from the programme, cumulative GPA must be minimum 2.00. A course grade is constituted by evaluating the above stated elements and given by using letters. Letter grades and their associated coefficients are as follows;

Grade	Coefficient
AA	4,0
AB	3,7
BA	3,3
BB	3,0
BC	2,7
CB	2,3
CC	2,0
CD	1,7
DC	1,3
DD	1,0
FF	0,0

A student is required to successfully complete a minimum of 7 courses, not less than 52,5 ECTS credits, take the required seminar and the Field Specialization courses and write and defend a Master’s Thesis, have a minimum GPA of 2.50/4.00 and no letter grades lower than CC, YT and no YZ, DZ grades.

To be awarded a Master's Degree with Thesis, students must successfully complete at least seven courses, a seminar course, specialisation courses, and a master's thesis, corresponding to a minimum of 120 ECTS credits. To qualify for graduation, students must obtain a grade of Satisfactory (YT) or CC or above in all courses, achieve a minimum CGPA of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale, successfully defend their thesis before an examination committee, publish at least one article in a peer-reviewed journal or one paper in a peer-reviewed conference related to their field of study, and satisfy all other graduation requirements prescribed by the programme.

Students who successfully fulfil all programme requirements are awarded a Master's Degree Diploma in Master of Arts (MA) Degree.. Graduates obtain a Level 7 (Master's Degree) qualification within the Turkish Qualifications Framework (TQF).

It is planned that students who specialize in the field of International Relations will be trained to work as experts, managers, researchers and similiar positions in the both official and civil institutions. This programme will also contribute to the training of the future academic staff of the related departments at Anadolu University and also at other universities in the nearby regions (such as Kutahya Dumlupınar University, Afyon Kocatepe University, Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University).

Graduates of Master's Degree programmes with a thesis are eligible to apply for Doctoral (PhD) or Proficiency in Arts programmes in accordance with the relevant legislation governing graduate education.


PROF. DR. ABDULLAH YILMAZ