TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Note From the Dean of Students 5 Koç University 6 Academic & Administrative Information 14 Turkey & ‹stanbul 44 Leisure & Cultural Activities 60 Exchange Programs 72 Practical Information 78 WELCOME! HOfiGELD‹N‹Z! Welcome to Koç University! We are excited to have you here as a new member of our community. Being a Koç University student gives you access to valuable opportunities that nurture your academic, personal and professional development. Along the way, we hope that you embrace our culture and develop new friendships as well. We have created this handbook to help you become familiar with Koç University and ‹stanbul. We strongly suggest that you read this carefully, because you will find that many of the answers to your questions are in this handbook. Koç University promises to work with you to make your time here at Koç and in Turkey a fulfilling experience. Dr. Bilgen Bilgin Dean of Students KOÇ UNIVERSITY KOÇ UNIVERSITY History Outstanding Features Liberal Arts Education 8 History In 1993, the Vehbi Koç Foundation established Koç (“Coach”) University as a non-profit private university in ‹stanbul, Turkey committed to the pursuit of excellence in both teaching and research. Koç University (“KU”) opened with 191 undergraduate and 42 graduate students. By the fall of 2005, that number had grown to 3312. With the addition of new undergraduate and graduate programs, the enrollment reached 4,000 students in 2009. The mission of Koç University is to be a center of excellence, one that strives to: • Provide a world-class education to its students; • Create new knowledge via the research of its faculty; • Apply the acquired knowledge for the benefit of society; and • Equip its students with the highest sense of ethics, social responsibility and good citizenship. ABOUT KOÇ UNIVERSITY 9 International Prestige The first and only university in Turkey accredited by the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) The first Turkish university to appear in the Financial Times ranking of top international universities Selected as the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) Institute’s first program partner in Turkey and one of only 24 CFA program partners in Europe The Executive MBA Program recognized as one of Europe’s top 20 programs in the ranking of Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper Adopted the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), as determined by a group of scholars at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in July 2007 10 Key Figures 4,400 Students 400 Faculty 6,320 Alumni 12 Doctoral Degree Programs 18 Masters Degree Programs 22 Undergraduate Degree Programs Over 140 Student Exchange Partners 93 Laboratories 2,334 student dormitory capacity 60% of students receiving the equivalent of 40% full scholarship ABOUT KOÇ UNIVERSITY 11 Outstanding Features • Home to both an internationally renowned faculty working to contribute to the universal body of science and Turkey’s most talented and accomplished students • Guided by a “creative teaching and participatory learning” philosophy, wherein KU exposes students to alternative and innovative pedagogical paradigms that foster creativity and teamwork • First university in Turkey to be endowed with its own fund • Low student-faculty ratio provides an exemplary learning environment • Among the top three Turkish institutions for five consecutive years in faculty publication rate, illustrating the high-caliber research and academic activities at KU • Numerous faculty members selected to the Turkish Academy of Sciences, the most prestigious academic collective in Turkey • Lively campus with ongoing social and cultual activities, including dance festivals, theater weeks, and a Spring Celebration! 12 ABOUT KOÇ UNIVERSITY 13 Liberal Arts Education Liberal Arts Philosophy As a Liberal Arts institution, KU strives to equip its students with exposure to a variety of academic disciplines while concurrently ensuring students’ specialization in their respective fields. To that end, in addition to specialized courses directly pertaining to their areas of study, students from every department must complete a set of courses in mathematics, physical and social sciences, humanities, literature, philosophy, computing, communications, history, and Turkish. To individualize each student's education, a wide choice of electives are offered, both within and outside of his/her chosen concentration. Research KU places tremendous value on research and requires that faculty, as well as students from several disciplines, actively engage in research activities throughout the year. Whether KU is innovating for an international corporation or excavating a new archeological site, research is a defining element of the institution. Students at the undergraduate and graduate levels have easy access to applied research opportunities. Low Student-Faculty Ratio Faculty advisors assist students with course selection and other academic matters. To facilitate close interaction between students and faculty, the overall student/faculty ratio of the university has been established at an average of ten to one. English Instruction Since the medium of instruction at Koç University is English, students who are not proficient in the English language are required to enroll in the language program offered by the Koç University English Language Center (ELC). Upon successful completion of the program, they are admitted to the Freshman class. Undergraduate students can also select a second foreign language of their choice. At present, available options are French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian and Arabic. ACADEMIC & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION INFORMATION ACADEMIC & ADMINISTRATIVE Academic Calendar Undergraduate & Graduate Programs Academic Terminology & Know-How Mentors & Academic Advisors Registration Information Technical Services Residence Permit Opening A Bank Account Accommodation Campus life Off-Campus Facilities 16 Academic Calendar Fall 2011 September 10 - 11 Arrival of Exchange Students September 12 - 18 Exchange Student Orientation September 19 First Day of Classes September 21 - 23 Add-Drop October 28 - 29 Cumhuriyet Bayramı; Anniversary of the Founding of the Turkish Republic* November 6 - 9 Kurban Bayramı* November 18 Deadline - Withdrawal from a Course without an “F” December 30 Last Day of Classes January 1 New Year’s Day* January 4 - 14 Final Examinations January 15 Check out date from the dormitory Spring 2012 January 28 - 29 Arrival of Exchange Students January 30 - February 5 Exchange Student Orientation February 6 First Day of Classes February 8 - 10 Add-Drop March 30 Deadline - Withdrawal from a Course without an “F” April 9 - 13 Spring Break April 23 National Sovereignty & Children’s Day* May 1 Labor and Solidarity Day* May 18 Last day of Classes May 19 Youth & Sports Day* May 23 - June 2 Final Examinations June 4 Check out date from the dormitory *National holidays ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION 17 18 Undergraduate & Graduate Programs Undergraduate Programs Graduate School of Sciences And Engineering College of Sciences (CS) (GSSE) Dean: Alphan Sennuro¤lu Director: Tekin Dereli Chemistry Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Mathematics Degrees in Engineering Molecular Biology & Genetics Chemical and Biological Engineering Physics Computational Sciences and Engineering Computer Engineering College of Social Sciences and Electrical & Electronics Engineering Humanities (CSSH) Industrial Engineering and Dean: Sami Gülgöz Operations Management Archaeology & History of Art Materials Science and Engineering English Language and Mechanical Engineering Comparative Literature Master of Science (M.Sc.) History Degrees in Engineering Philosophy Chemical and Biological Engineering Sociology Computational Sciences and Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering Psychology Industrial Engineering Media and Visual Arts Materials Science and Engineering College of Administrative Sciences and Mechanical Engineering Economics (CASE) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Dean: Bar›fl Tan Degrees in Sciences Business Administration Computational Sciences and Engineering Economics Materials Science and Engineering International Relations Mathematics Physics College of Law (CL) Master of Science (M.Sc.) Dean: Tankut Centel Degrees in Sciences Law Computational Sciences and Engineering College of Engineering (CE) Materials Science & Engineering Dean: Murat Tekalp Mathematics Chemical and Biological Engineering Physics Computer Engineering Graduate School of Social Sciences And Electrical & Electronics Engineering Humanities (GSSS) Industrial Engineering Director: Zeynep Aycan Mechanical Engineering Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degrees Political Sciences & International Relations School of Medicine (SOM) Psychology Dean: fievket Ruacan Medical Education Master of Arts (M.A.) Degrees Anatolian Civilizations and School of Nursing (SON) Cultural Heritage Management Dean: Elizabeth Herdman Comparative Study in History and Society Nursing Economics International Relations Psychology ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION 19 20 Academic Terminology & Know-How Even-though exchange students are with us for only one or two semesters, KU embraces these students as their own and provides them with all the resources and opportunities available to regular KU students. This, of course, also means that KU exchange students are subject to the same rules and regulations as our regular students. Course Load, ECTS & KU Credits Withdrawal Course load indicates how many credits If you find a course different or more you study