Graduate School | Department of Turkish and Social Sciences Education | Master of Arts (MA) in Social Studies Teacher Education

Last Updated: 21/09/2026

The aim of the program is to enable students to become experts in this field by providing them with knowledge, skills and values at the graduate level related to Social Studies education. Efforts are made to improve their undergraduate education at the graduate level. In this context, education and research-oriented courses are given in accordance with the interdisciplinary structure of Social Studies. The educational environments of the program within the Institute of Educational Sciences at Anadolu University Yunus Emre Campus are generally located in the Faculty of Education building. The study and research fields of the lecturers vary in accordance with the structure of the collective education course such as Social Studies. These include citizenship education, values education, environmental education, global education, technology in Social Studies education, History and Geography education.

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;
The testing and evaluation procedures of the Master of Arts (MA) program are designed as both process and product oriented. While the product oriented evaluation comprises mid-term and final exams, the process oriented evaluation comprises the reports and presentations of the assignments and project reports. The percentages of the evaluations may vary for each course. A midterm and a final exam at least have to be administered for each course. The success of the students is evaluated with regard to the performance during the term and the final grades.For each course in the program, at least one midterm exam and one final exam are given to the students. Exams of some courses are based on process assessment and some courses are based on outcome assessment. Therefore, in the courses involving outcome assessment, multiple choice and essay exams are given. Homework, take home exams and/or practice exams are given in the courses involving process assessment. Achievement of the student is determined according to the assessment of all the exams together given in the course. Although it is suggested that grading is done according to following criteria by the lecturer of the course, lecturer is flexible during grading process. Lecturer can take account of all the students’ achievement level during grading.Grading system:Grade in letterGrade in numberAA4.0AB3.7BA3.3BB3.0BC2.7CB2.3CC2.0CD1.7DC1.3DD1.0FF0.0

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 are required to complete 52,5 ECTS hours of study. This includes7 courses, 1 seminar, 1 Ethics course and 1 Expertise Field Study course as well as a 30 ECTS thesis. Students are required to register for thesis study in every semester from the beginning of 3rd semester.

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

Graduates of the program can work as experts or academics in the education sector. In addition, those who work as teachers can continue their work with the title of "expert teacher".

Graduate students can apply to doctoral programs in many fields, especially in Social Studies. It is among the first programs to start undergraduate and graduate education in the field of Social Studies throughout Turkey. Even at the undergraduate level, Turkey's first accredited program in this field is located within Anadolu University. It can be said that this creates an important infrastructure for postgraduate education. A significant portion of graduate program graduates continue their academic careers in research assistant positions at various universities. Thus, the program contributes to Turkey's need for young academics.

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. NAZLI GÖKÇE
PROF. DR. ERDOĞAN KAYA
PROF. DR. ARİFE FİGEN ERSOY
ECTS Department Coordinator
ASSOC. PROF. DR. SERCAN BURSA