Graduate School | Department of Painting | Master of Arts (MA) Degree

Last Updated: 21/09/2026

Master of Arts Degree Programme of the Painting Department was established in 1992 within the Institute of Social Sciences. The programme continued its education and training at the Graduate School of Fine Arts from 2008 to 2023. Since 2023 it has been continuing its activities within the Graduate School. The duration of master’s education and training; It is 2 years, including 1 academic year course stage and 1 academic year thesis preparation stage. The aim of the Master of Arts Degree programme is to train creative, innovative and expert artists with academic knowledge and experience in the field of fine arts in line with contemporary and current knowledge. The expert artist candidates studying in the master’s programme, in addition to the works they produce in accordance with the understanding of contemporary art, contribute to the field of art and design culture with their research and scientific activities at the theoretical level. Students who graduate from the program can work as independent artists, and can work as academicians and expert researchers in their fields.

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.
Turkish and foreign candidate students who provide the graduate application conditions determined by Anadolu University Graduate School of Fine Arts and succeed in the exam are accepted to the program.

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;
Evaluation method and percentages are determined by the lecturer. For every lesson at least one midterm and a written final examination must be done. According to characteristics of course, in practice the test can be performed discretion of the instructor. Final evaluation is done by the general success level of the students and a alphabet note is given

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.
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.
After receiving adequate language test scores,specialaptitude test,portfolio,andscience exam will accept topainting departmentof the studentswho duration of painting department's master program is maximum 3 years.Painting departmentofthe master programa maximum of 5students are admittedeachyear.Takethe necessarycoursesto graduatestudentsandthesisdefenseare required to.

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).

From the Department of Painting, Master's Program with Thesis can work as independent artists, could do research in the field, and after receiving pedagogical courses they can work as teachers. They can meet the need for decorative painting or work as designers in various private studios. Further, provided that they meet the required criteria, they can pursue an academic career and be employed in higher education institutions.

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.
Graduated students can apply to doctorate and proficiency in arts programmes in academic fields that require a graduation from the master of arts programme of the Painting Department


ASSOC. PROF. GÜLÇİN KARACA
ASSOC. PROF. MURAT ATEŞLİ
PROF. RIDVAN COŞKUN