Frequently Asked Questions
Can you provide information about the Department of Materials Science and Technologies and its profession?
First of all, it is useful to define what material is. Material refers to the substances in nature that have been transformed into a form useful for human purposes. Materials Science is the branch of science that investigates the relationship between the structures and properties of materials, attempting to solve cause and effect relationships. It uses the knowledge obtained to transform materials into products, and plans and organizes the processes of transformation into products, while Materials Engineering is the science that produces materials in industrial scale and quantity.
Our department, the Department of Materials Science and Technologies, has a curriculum that is more prominently designed for material research and the investigation of production processes. Although our graduates receive education primarily for fields such as research laboratories, research centers, and process planning, they can also easily work in the areas where the materials engineering branch is involved.
Could you briefly introduce your department?
The Turkish-German University's Department of Materials Science and Technologies was established in 2016 and began accepting students in the same year. As of the end of the 2020-21 academic year, it has produced its first graduates. It has partnered with the Materials Science Program at Darmstadt Technical University in Germany, and academics from this department actively contribute to our education. This department also offers the opportunity for a double diploma education.
Is education in your department entirely in German?
Education in our department is conducted 100% in the German language.
Are there any German professors in your department?
Our university has foreign faculty members, mostly from Germany, and these faculty members also contribute to our department's courses. In addition, guest faculty members from our partner, Darmstadt Technical University, periodically come and give lectures. During the pandemic period, these lectures were conducted through distance education, but guest faculty members will continue to come to classes in the normal education process.
What is the reason for your department not having an engineering department?
Our department is organized in a structure similar to the Materials Science Department of Darmstadt Technical University in Germany. Among its main objectives is the creation of trained manpower and infrastructure that will participate in research on materials and promote Turkey-Germany collaboration in material development. Therefore, it has been structured under the name of the Department of Materials Science and Technologies with a research and development-oriented approach, different from other university departments.
What title will I have when I graduate?
Our graduates receive a "Bachelor's Degree in Materials Science and Technologies." Apart from legal definitions, in practice, this title does not differ from the title of an engineer in the work environment.
If I enroll in your department, can I switch to engineering departments in the future?
Our department, like engineering departments, admits students based on their numerical scores. Therefore, our students can transfer to engineering departments through the transfer process in the future. Similarly, students from engineering departments can also transfer to our department in the same way. Normal transfer procedures between technical departments are followed in these transfers.
Where does your department rank compared to similar departments nationwide?
In the 2021 entrance exam score ranking, our department ranked 4th among similar departments such as Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Departments. However, this ranking is expected to rise even further in the next few years, as indicated by the trend of the last four years.
After graduating from your department or while studying, do I have the chance to go to Germany?
Graduates of our department can apply to German companies after graduation and have the opportunity to find job opportunities and go to Germany. This process proceeds for everyone through normal procedures.
How are the opportunities to go abroad with Erasmus or similar programs while studying?
Students in our department, like students from other universities, can go to different countries periodically through the student exchange program (Erasmus). Germany is at the forefront among these countries. Similarly, our students can find internship opportunities in German companies and go to Germany for internships during vacation periods. In addition, our department also offers our students the opportunity to obtain a double diploma by studying for two semesters at our partner university, Darmstadt Technical University.
What is a Double Diploma?
A double diploma is the process of being graduated from jointly conducted programs by two or more departments from different universities (generally in different countries), and the issuance of a diploma indicating this situation. The process of conducting this joint program can vary in different methods. Our department's double diploma application is in the form of a joint program between our department and the Materials Science Program of our partner university, Darmstadt Technical University. Our students who meet the prerequisites by having their individual curricula compatible with each other's can study three-fourths of our department's curriculum and one-fourth at Darmstadt Technical University to obtain a double diploma, which is a joint diploma of both departments. The recognition of such a diploma in both countries is higher than other diplomas.
Can all students benefit from the Double Diploma right?
To qualify for a double diploma, there are some mandatory conditions (such as a certain grade point average, a sufficient level of German language proficiency certificate, etc.), and students who meet these conditions are granted this right.
In what areas do your graduates find jobs / work?
Our graduates can work in the machinery manufacturing industry, plastic industry, and in the R&D laboratories and departments of enterprises. Our graduates are especially preferred by companies with international trade and collaborations.
Is it difficult to access the campus?
Our campus is located near the Beykoz District Center, 8 km away from the Kavacık junction on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, after reaching the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (2nd Bosphorus Bridge). After reaching Kavacık, it can be accessed by various public transportation vehicles. You can find detailed information about accessing our campus on our university's main page. Additionally, transportation is also possible to our campus using student shuttles from Kavacık during the academic periods.
Are there student accommodation places (such as dormitories) close to your campus area?
There is a student apartment within our campus. You can find detailed information at https://sks.tau.edu.tr/barinma-hizmetleri. In addition, in the Beykoz district, in Anadolu Hisarı, the Anadolu Hisarı KYK Girls' Student Dormitory serves as a state dormitory. Apart from this, there are private dormitories in the Beykoz district.
You can find the opportunities offered to students on our university's main webpage and find answers to questions that concern the university in general.
If you cannot find the answers to your questions on our page, you can contact us at mbt.tanitim@tau.edu.tr.
