Master and PhD Education in Geography: Turkish Perspectives

Transcription

1 Master and PhD Education in Geography: Turkish Perspectives Nuri YAVAN and Erdem BEKAROĞLU Ankara University Department of Geography Academic Competencies Workshop Ankara University, Faculty of Letters, April, 2012, Ankara, Turkey

2 Presentation Outline Context: the impact of globalization and the Bologna Process The characteristics and organizations of graduate geography programs in Turkey Recent changes and developments in graduate geography education in Turkey Data and Methods Comparing the Turkish case versus leading universities in geography Geography master s and PhD programs in Turkey The leading universities geography graduate programs in the world Main Findings Implications

3 Context: the impact of globalization and the Bologna Process World is changing Recently globalization, Europeanization or Bologna process and neoliberalizm have affected graduate education. The impact of these processes is not always negative, but has positive outcomes as well. Internationalization of the graduate education is the main objective. Both challenges and opportunities for student and universities (e.g. increased international orientation, increased mobility of staff and student, so on ). Turkey is changing in 2001, Turkey officially joined the Bologna process. Bologna Process are aiming at the reform of higher education in Europe. Some progress has been made the implementation of the Bologna Process in Turkey. But,still the awareness of the Bologna process in Turkish Higher Education is not sufficiently mature and common.

4 Faculties and departments of universities related to geographic education: Turkish system

5 List of Graduate Programs, Number of Faculty and Staff in Geography Department and Teacher Training Department in Turkish Universities No University Year of Establish ment City Geography Department MA/MS- GIS MA/MS PhD Faculty Staff Total number of people 1 İstanbul University 1915 İstanbul Faculty of Letters Ankara University 1935 Ankara Faculty of Letters Ege University 1979 İzmır Faculty Of Letters Atatürk University 1974 Erzurum Faculty of Arts And Sciences Fırat University 1978 Elazığ Faculty of Arts And Sciences Onsekiz Mart University 1992 Çanakkale Faculty of Arts And Sciences Balıkesır University 1992 Balıkesır Faculty of Arts And Sciences Yüzüncü Yıl University 1992 Van Faculty of Arts And Sciences Harran University 1992 Şanlıurfa Faculty of Arts And Sciences Sütçü İmam University 1992 Maraş Faculty of Arts And Sciences Süleyman Demırel University 1992 Isparta Faculty of Arts And Sciences Fatih University 1996 İstanbul Faculty of Arts And Sciences Afyon Kocatepe University 1996 Afyon Faculty of Arts And Sciences Ondokuz Mayıs University 2000 Samsun Faculty of Arts And Sciences Marmara University 2001 İstanbul Faculty of Arts And Sciences Sakarya University 2001 Adapazarı Faculty of Arts And Sciences Uşak University 2002 Uşak Faculty of Arts And Sciences Giresun University 2007 Giresun Faculty of Arts And Sciences Mustafa Kemal University 2009 Hatay Faculty of Arts And Sciences Ahi Evran University 2009 Kırşehir Faculty of Arts And Sciences Bilecik University 2009 Bilecik Faculty of Arts And Sciences Çankırı Karatekin University 2009 Çankırı Faculty of Arts And Sciences Karabük University 2009 Karabük Faculty of Arts And Sciences Kilis 7 Aralık University 2009 Kilis Faculty of Arts And Sciences Geography Teacher No University Training Department Kazım Karabekir Teacher 1 Atatürk University 1982 Erzurum Training Faculty Gazi University 1982 Ankara Gazi Teacher Training Faculty Dokuz Eylül University 1982 Izmır Buca Teacher Training Faculty Selçuk University 1982 Konya Selçuk Teacher Training Faculty Dicle University 1985 Dıyarbakır Teacher Training Faculty Onsekiz Mart University 1994 Çanakkale Teacher Training Faculty Marmara University 1994 Istanbul Atatürk Teacher Training Faculty Karadeniz Teknik University 1982 Trabzon Fatih Teacher Training Faculty

6 Number of Department Graduate Programs Number of Faculty and Staff in Geography Department PhD Offering Geography Departments and their number of faculty

7 Number of graduate student: new admissions Number of student receiving a graduate degree

8 The organizations of graduate geography programs in Turkey Graduate Program Admission Requirements Graduation Entrance Exam Foreign Language MA/MS (Thesis) BA/BS CGPA=2.0/2.5 GRE > 600, GMAT >550 (or ALES > 55) KPDS and ÜDS > 50, TOEFL-IBT > 60 (or IELTS > 4) MA/MS (Non-thesis) BA/BS CGPA=2.0/2.5 GRE > 600, GMAT >550 (or ALES > 55) KPDS and ÜDS > 50, TOEFL-IBT > 60 (or IELTS > 4) PhD BA/BS CGPA=3.0 GRE > 650, GMAT >600 (or ALES > 60) KPDS and ÜDS > 60, TOEFL-IBT > 70 (or IELTS > 5) PhD on BA/BS BA/BS CGPA=3.0 GRE > 700, GMAT >650 (or ALES > 70) KPDS and ÜDS > 70, TOEFL-IBT > 80 (or IELTS > 6) Graduate Program Duration (year) Minimum Course & Credit Requirements Other Requirements MA/MS (Thesis) course having 21 credit + seminar Thesis proposal and thesis MA/MS (Non-thesis) courses having minimum 30 credit Term project PhD course having 21 credit + seminar Proficiency examination, dissertation proposal, paper based on PhD and dissertation Proficiency examination, dissertation proposal, paper based on PhD and PhD on BA/BS course having 42 credit + 2 seminar dissertation

9 The characteristics of graduate geography programs in Turkey Characteristics of Graduate Education Practice in Turkey De Jure De Facto Handbook/Guidebook/Brochure No Information On Website Very Rarely Title of Course Occasionally Description of Course Very Rarely Only 3 departments Course Syllabus Very Rarely Only 2 departments Reference Letter No Statement of Purpose No Taking Course from Other Department Very Rarely Almost Impossible Compulsory Course Never Elective Course Always Special Area Course (Individual Study) Very Unimportant Formality English Course No Freedom to Choose Advisor Very Rarely Almost Impossible Changing Advisor Very Rarely Almost Impossible Dissertation Supervisory Committee Unimportant Not Effective, Formality Comprehensive Exam Little Importance Not Public and Open Defending Dissertation Proposal Very Poor Not Public and Open Dissertation Defense Moderately Important Not Open to Audience Selection of Thesis Jury Members Poor Not Expert and Relevant Departmental Award Mobility Financial Support for Thesis/Study Assistantship Never Never Very Rarely Barely Acceptable Monitoring and Quality Assurance System No Not At All

10 Method: Quantitative approach to graduate education How we can quantitatively assess the structure of the graduate education in TR universities? Step 1 Making a data pool: We only sampled universities that present both master and doctorate degree opportunities. 7 universities get into this category. They are geography departments at universities in: Step 2 Assessment criteria: Graduate courses in these universities have been classified by taking into account two different aspects. i. First, the courses have been categorized according to the discipline s major subjects: Ankara Istanbul Izmir Balikesir Canakkale Elazig Erzurum Physical geography (PG), Human geography (HG), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Physical-Human geography (PG-HG). ii. Second, the courses have been categorized according to whether they are: theoretical or method or application courses. Step 3 Statistics & Illustration: Data processed by taking account above assessment criteria described and plotted.

11 Method: Quantitative approach to graduate education How we can compare the current status of graduate education in TR universities with? Step 1 Sample selection: We preferred to sample 7 leading universities in the World. QS World University Rankings (by subject of geography and area studies) used. Through the ranked list, only universities having geography departments are sampled from top to down. British universities are excluded. They are: Step 2 Assessment criteria: Graduate courses in these universities have been classified by taking into account two different aspects. i. First, the courses have been categorized according to the discipline s major subjects: ii. Second, the courses have been categorized according to whether they are: Step 3 Statistics & Illustration: Data processed by taking account above assessment criteria described and plotted. Berkeley USA (2) UCLA USA (5) NUS - Singapore (10) Toronto Canada (16) Seoul S. Korea (29) CUHK China (34) Washington USA (42) Physical geography (PG), Human geography (HG), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Physical-Human geography (PG-HG). theoretical or method or application courses. Step 4 Comparison: Obtained and processed data have been compared to the structure of graduate education in TR universities.

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19 In Leading World University: Conclusions Research methods is so important and common. Thought, philosophy and approach based courses are very significant Both are core courses and in many case mandatory In Turkish University: Too many courses are available. Number of course in PH-HG-GIS are 3 fold greater than LU Research methods courses are very few Turkish professor teach 7 fold higher than LU. This is only quantitative approaches to the graduate programs If you approaches the case in qualitatively, the situation is getting even worse. 19

20 Thank you for your attention and interest 20

21 Turkish case

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