Postgraduate education

Educational Regulations for the Master's Degree Program at the Institute of Earth Sciences

-Duration of Study

The duration of study for students in the non-continuous master's degree program is 2 years, according to the resolution of the Institute's Research Council.

Note 1: If a student is unable to defend his thesis within the specified period, one semester will be added to the aforementioned period upon the request of the supervisor and the approval of the Institute's Research Council.

Note 2: According to the educational regulations of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, this period (2.5 years) is the maximum duration of the master's degree program and will not be added under any circumstances.

-Academic leave

A student can take academic leave (counted in the years of study) for a maximum of one semester during the study period with the approval of the Institute.

Note 1: The leave application must be submitted to the relevant Institute's Education Department before the start of registration for the desired academic semester.

Note 2: Requesting academic leave in the first semester of entering the Institute is not permitted.

Note 3: If a student withdraws from studies even for one semester without the consent of the research institute, he/she will be denied from continuing his/her studies.

-Withdrawal from continuing studies

A student can withdraw from continuing his/her studies for any reason. In this case, he/she must submit his/her application for withdrawal to the relevant research institute. If the student does not withdraw his/her application within one month after the date of the application, the research institute will issue a certificate of withdrawal.

Note: A withdrawn or expelled student is obliged to fulfill the obligations he/she has made. In any case, submitting transcripts or receiving permission to retake the entrance exam is subject to the student settling his/her account with the research institute.

Important note: Changing majors in non-continuous master's programs is prohibited. Transfers and relocations are also possible in non-continuous master's programs, according to the regulations of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, with the approval of the home or destination university and the research council of the research institute.

-Guest student

If it is not possible to offer some courses in a field and at a certain time at the research institute, the student can take that course as a guest with the approval of the research council of the research institute at one of the other higher education institutions that is implementing the course. In this case, obtaining the approval of the destination institution is also necessary, and the number of course units of the guest student at an institution should not exceed half of the course units.

Note: The student cannot be a guest in the first semester or the semester in which he/she is taking the thesis unit.

-Course units

1- The total number of course units of the non-continuous master's degree course, including the thesis unit, is 30 units in accordance with the program approved by the Supreme Planning Council.

Note: The student cannot choose more units than the limit foreseen in the approved program of the field. Otherwise, the last additional courses taken will be removed.

2- If, according to the relevant educational group, a number of undergraduate course units are deemed necessary or necessary for the student as deficiency or compensatory courses, he/she is required to take those courses in addition to the prescribed course units in the master's course based on the approved program.

3- A master's course student is allowed to choose between 8 and 12 course units in each academic semester.

4- Students who have taken some master's courses in the undergraduate course cannot take those courses or courses again in the master's course. These students must, by taking into account other courses in the course, bring their total course units to the quorum specified in the approved program.

5- Upon the expiration of the deadline for deletion and replacement, the student's course selection becomes final.

6- Students are not allowed to choose courses in the summer semester.

-Attendance and Absence

1- Student attendance is mandatory in all curricula and other educational and research activities of the course. Student absence in any course should not exceed the total hours of that course, otherwise the student's grade in that course will be considered zero.

Note: If a student's absence in a course exceeds the allowed amount but is deemed justified by the Institute's education, that course will be removed from the student's elective courses. In this case, meeting the quorum of 8 credits in that semester is not required, but that semester will be considered a full semester for the student in terms of the duration of study.

2- Unjustified absence of a student in an exam session will be considered a zero grade in that course.

Note: If a student's absence is deemed justified by the Faculty or the Directorate General of Education, the relevant course will be removed for the student.

3- A student who is absent from a class or exam for a valid reason is required to submit his/her documents to the Faculty of Education within two weeks of the date of absence.

- Course Evaluation

1- The minimum passing grade in each course, including course and compensatory courses in the Master's degree program, is 12.

Note 1: If the student's grade in an elective course is less than 12, he/she may choose another course instead with the approval of the supervisor. The student's failed course grade will be calculated in the semester average and the overall average.

Note 2: The grade of compensatory courses is recorded separately in the student's transcript and is not included in the calculation of the semester average and the student's overall average.

2- The student's overall average grade at the end of the study period must not be less than 14. Otherwise, the student will not be recognized as a graduate of the Master's degree program.

Note: A student whose average grade is less than 14 after completing all the course units, if the maximum permitted period of study has not been completed, can repeat up to 16 units of the courses in which he/she received a grade of less than 14, only in one academic semester, and graduate if he/she makes up for the shortfall in the overall grade. A student who cannot use this opportunity for any reason will be denied from continuing his/her studies and receiving a degree.

3- In cases where the student’s evaluation in a course is postponed to activities that, according to the relevant professor, cannot be carried out during an academic semester, the student’s grade in that course is considered incomplete. In this case, the student’s grade in this course must be converted into a final grade by the relevant professor and recorded in his/her transcript by the end of the next academic semester at the latest.

- Conditional
The student’s average grade in the master’s degree courses in each academic semester must not be less than 14, otherwise the student will be considered conditional.

Note 1: If a student is suspended for two semesters, a decision to expel him/her will be issued and notified to him/her. In this case, the student is required to refer to the Institute for Education to settle the account.

Note 2: In the case of students who have less than 6 course units in an academic semester, if their GPA is less than 14, the grades of the semester will be calculated with the grades of the courses of the next academic semester.

-Thesis

Preparing the thesis is the last part of the master's degree course, during which the student is required to conduct research in a field related to his/her field of study under the supervision of the supervisor. The topic of the thesis is presented by the Institute according to the projects desired by the Institute and the Geological Organization, and according to the student's academic orientation.

-Number of credits

The number of credits for the master's thesis is 6 course units according to the approved educational program.

- Supervisor

The supervisor is appointed from the faculty members of the institute or outside the institute with the recommendation of the research institute, the student, and the agreement of the professor and the approval of the group, with a minimum rank of assistant professor.

Note 1: If the supervisor is selected from outside the research institute, instead of the assistant professor requirement, it is mandatory to have a doctoral degree.

Note 2: In fields where there are not enough assistant professors, the supervisor can be selected from among outstanding instructors with at least ten years of useful teaching and research experience with the approval of the research institute's research council.

- Time to select the thesis topic

The student is required to select the thesis topic and supervisor before the start of the third semester of study and has the opportunity to approve his thesis by the end of the third semester.

-Advisor

The advisor is selected from among the faculty members or relevant experts and researchers upon the recommendation of the supervisor and after the approval of the group.

Note: The student is required to choose a thesis unit in each academic semester until he/she has defended his/her thesis. Otherwise, after a written warning from the education department, an expulsion order will be issued due to dropping out.

- Thesis Evaluation

1- The thesis evaluation is carried out in the defense session by a jury consisting of the supervisor, the advisor, at least one representative of the postgraduate education committee, and two faculty members or experts and researchers from inside or outside the institution.

2- The thesis is evaluated by the jury in five grades and a score is assigned to each grade, and this score, which is entered in the student's final semester report, is calculated in the student's average total grades.

3- If the thesis is deemed unacceptable by the jury, the student can complete his/her thesis within a period that does not exceed the maximum permitted period of study and defend it again at a time determined by the jury. A student who fails to successfully defend his/her thesis within the specified time will be denied from continuing his/her studies and receiving a degree.

4- Before defending his/her thesis, each student must have submitted one article published in a scientific-research journal or two articles presented in a seminar, otherwise the thesis score will be reduced to 19.

Note: A certificate of acceptance of the article for publication is also acceptable.

Important Notes:

1- Students who have an employment relationship (official or contractual) with ministries or government organizations or organizations under the government must submit a letter of agreement to continue their studies from the highest official in charge of the relevant organization or an annual leave order to continue their studies to the Research Institute.

2- Considering that the master's degree program is full-time, the student's presence in all curricula and other educational and research activities of the course is mandatory.

3- The student has the opportunity to submit his thesis to the Research Council of the Research Institute until the end of the third semester of study.

4- The student is required to select a thesis unit in the unit selection form in each academic semester until he has defended his thesis.

5- Those committed to serving education are only allowed to continue their studies if they submit a new commitment.

6- The student is required to settle accounts with various units of the organization and the research institute within a maximum of three months after the defense and to deliver five bound copies of his thesis to the research institute's education department in accordance with the regulations.