EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF GRADUATE
STUDIES AND RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT, OPERATIONS AND WORKING PRINCIPLES BY-LAW
(By-law
Under Article 7)
With the approval of the Senate, Eastern
Mediterranean University Rector’s Office prepared the following regulations in
accordance with Article 7 of the “By-law for the Establishment, Operations and
Working Principles of the Institute of Graduate Studies and Research”.
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I. GENERAL
PROVISIONS |
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Brief Name
VYK 27.09.2017 17-18/1(b)-38
EK 28 VYK 09.12.2020 20-21/8(a)-6 VYK 14.01.2021 20-21/13-2, VYK 10.10.2024 24-25/2-11 |
1. |
Eastern
Mediterranean University Regulations for Graduate Programs, Registration and
Admission. |
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Scope
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2. |
These Regulations determine the
conditions under which students can apply and be admitted to graduate
programs. |
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Definitions
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3. |
In these regulations, |
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(a) Institute: refers to the Institute of Graduate
Studies and Research, (b) ALES: refers to Academic Personnel and Graduate
Education Entrance Exam, (c) GMAT: refers to the Graduate Management
Admission Test, (d) GRE: refers to the Graduate Record Examination, (e) TOEFL: refers to the Test of English as a
Foreign Language, (f) TÖMER: refers to the Turkish and Foreign
Languages Research and Application Centre. |
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II. MAIN PROVISIONS |
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Announcement of the Student Admissions
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4. |
(1) |
Every semester, master’s and PhD
programs admitting new students as well as conditions for application,
application deadline, required documents and all other relevant issues are
announced by the Institute. |
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(2) |
Graduate program quotas are calculated
with a consideration of the number of faculty members who can undertake
duties in graduate programs and the number of students per current faculty
members. This calculation is carried out in a way allowing a maximum of 14
students per thesis advisor for master's and doctorate programs with thesis,
and maximum 16 students for master's programs without thesis, excluding
master’s and doctorate programs with thesis. However, this quota can be
increased up to 50% for graduate programs carried out within the framework of
university-industry cooperation. |
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Applications to Postgraduate Programs
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5. |
(1) |
(a) |
In order to be eligible to apply for a master’s
program, candidates must have graduated from an undergraduate program and are
expected to meet the admission requirements of the applied program. |
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(b) |
Citizens of the Turkish Republic
applying for master’s programs with thesis requirement must possess a minimum
score of 55 from ALES or an equivalent score from other exams like GMAT or
GRE as specified by the Senate. However, ALES requirement is not sought in
the master’s program applications of graduates of doctorate / proficiency in
art / specialty in medicine / specialty in dentistry / specialty in
veterinary medicine / specialty in pharmacy programs. |
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(c) |
ALES is not required for master’s
programs without thesis requirement. |
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(2) |
(a) |
Applicants for PhD programs must possess
a master’s or bachelor’s degree. |
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(b) |
Citizens of the Turkish Republic
applying for PhD programs must possess a master’s diploma with thesis
(excluding candidates who registered for a non-thesis master’s program prior
to 06.02.2013 and holding a master’s diploma without a thesis) and a minimum
score of 55 from ALES or an equivalent score from exams like GMAT or GRE as
specified by the Senate. However, ALES requirement is not sought in the
doctorate program applications of graduates of doctorate / proficiency in art
/ specialty in medicine / specialty in dentistry / specialty in veterinary
medicine / specialty in pharmacy programs. |
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(c) |
Admission of non-Turkish citizens
holding a master’s diploma without thesis will be determined by the relevant
Department Board. |
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(d) |
Graduates of faculty of medicine,
dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy, and candidates who possess a
bachelor’s degree after having completed a program consisting of a minimum of
ten semesters (excluding semesters spent in preparatory studies) or those
candidates who have gained expertise in a laboratory field in line with the
principles specified by the Ministry of Health are eligible to apply for a
PhD program. |
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(e) |
Candidates applying with an
undergraduate diploma must possess a graduation average of minimum 3.00 out
of 4.00 or an equivalent score. Citizens of the Turkish Republic are expected
to possess a score of minimum 80 from ALES or an equivalent score from exams
like GMAT or GRE as specified by the Senate. |
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(3) |
A document considered valid at the start
of the graduate program application period of the relevant semester is also
found suitable for the registration procedures. |
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(4) |
Candidates who are/may be in the process
of graduation can apply for graduate programs. |
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(5) |
Students already registered in a
graduate program at another university can apply to be transferred
horizontally to one of the graduate programs of the Eastern Mediterranean
University. |
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(6) |
Applicants are expected to submit their
applications and supporting
documents to the Registrar’s Office within the specified period. |
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Admissions to Graduate Programs
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6. |
(1) |
Graduate Study Committees in every
department/program evaluate applications taking into consideration previously
set criteria and principles. Based on the submitted documents, the committees
decide whether the applications will be accepted or rejected without an exam,
or with a written and/or spoken exam and/or an interview and inform the
Institute, accordingly. The admissions of the candidates are finalized by the
approval of the Institute Directorate. The Registrar’s Office informs
candidates whose applications have been approved. |
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(2) |
(a) |
In the evaluation of applications for
horizontal transfers, a candidate’s current program and the applied program
should be equivalent, and the applicants should have successfully completed
at least one semester in their current programs. |
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(b) |
Regarding students gaining exemption to
the graduate programs through horizontal transfer, any exemptions to be granted
and the period within which the student is expected to complete the program
are determined by Graduate Study Committee in line with Article 10 of these
regulations. The Institute Directorate is notified, accordingly. |
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(c) |
Those who have been admitted to graduate
programs in Eastern Mediterranean University through horizontal transfers are
expected to study in Eastern Mediterranean University for the minimum study
period specified in Articles 7(1) and 13 of the “Regulations for Graduate
Studies and Examinations”. |
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(3) |
(a) |
Candidates who have been admitted into
the English medium master’s and all PhD programs should obtain the minimum
score from internationally recognized proficiency exams such as TOEFL or
submit a document with a score from an equivalent English language test
specified by the Institute Council. |
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(b) |
Validity of any English language test
certificated is determined by the Institute Directorate in consultation with
Foreign Languages and English Preparatory School. |
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(c) |
Applicants who do not possess documents
to be exempted from the English Preparatory program take the English Language
Test administered by the Foreign Languages and English Preparatory School.
Those who obtain the minimum grade (or above) specified by the Institute
Council are eligible to start their graduate studies. |
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(d) |
Applicants not meeting the English
language requirements can start their studies at graduate programs on the
condition that they sit for the English Language Test administered by the
Foreign Languages and English Preparatory School and register for the English
Support Program corresponding with their level of English. |
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(e) |
Graduates of any English-medium
master’s program at Eastern Mediterranean University are not required to take
an English language exam if they are accepted into another English-medium
master’s or doctoral program, provided they apply within three years of
completing their master’s degree. |
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(f) |
Applicants re-admitted to graduate programs
are not required to take an English language exam if they have been enrolled
in a graduate program at Eastern Mediterranean University within the past three years from their application date, as long
as they can verify that they meet the minimum score set for the semester of
re-admission. |
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(g) |
No English language test requirement is
sought for applicants who are citizens of countries whose official language
is English, and, at the same time, who have obtained their undergraduate or
master’s degrees from an English-medium institution of higher education. |
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(h) |
Applicants
from non-English-speaking countries who completed their master’s degree at an
English-medium institution in a country where English is the official
language are exempt from providing additional proof of English proficiency if
they apply within three years of
graduating. |
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(i) |
No English language test requirement is
sought for applicants who are citizens of countries whose official language
is not English but who have obtained their undergraduate degrees from an
English-medium institution of higher education in a country whose official
language is English. |
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(4) |
(a) |
Applicants whose official language is
not Turkish but applied for Turkish-medium graduate programs are expected to
have obtained the minimum score from TÖMER exam or other equivalent Turkish
language exams approved by the Institute Council or to submit an equivalent
document certifying their Turkish language proficiency level. |
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(b) |
Validity of any Turkish language test
certificated is determined by the Foreign Languages and English Preparatory
School. |
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(c) |
Applicants failing to submit a valid
Turkish language test document sit for the Turkish Language Exam administered
by the Foreign Languages and English Preparatory School. Applicants who have
obtained the minimum score specified by the Institute Council gain the right
to start their studies in graduate programs. |
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(d) |
Applicants failing to fulfil the Turkish
language requirements may start their graduate studies on the condition that
they register for the Turkish Support Program corresponding with their level
determined by the Foreign Languages and English Preparatory School in line
with their score obtained from the Turkish Language Exam. |
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(e) |
Graduates
of any Turkish-medium master’s program at Eastern Mediterranean University
who are admitted to another Turkish-medium master’s or doctoral program are
not required to take the Turkish language exam, provided they apply within three years of their
graduation. |
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(f) |
Graduates
of any Turkish-medium master’s program at Eastern Mediterranean University
who are admitted to another Turkish-medium master’s or doctoral program are
not required to take the Turkish language exam, provided they apply within three years of their
graduation. |
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(g) |
Applicants
from non-Turkish-speaking countries who completed their master’s degree at an
Turkish-medium institution in a country where Turkish is the official
language are exempt from providing additional proof of Turkish proficiency if
they apply within three years
of graduating. |
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(h) |
No Turkish language test requirement is
sought for applicants who are citizens of countries whose official language
is not Turkish but who obtained their undergraduate degrees from a
Turkish-medium institution of higher education in a country with Turkish as
an official language. |
Registration
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7. |
(1) |
Preliminary registration of students admitted
to the graduate programs is carried out by the Registrar’s Office. During
registration, original diplomas, transcripts and language proficiency
certificates must be submitted. |
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(2) |
Course and thesis registrations of
graduate students are carried out by their respective academic unit at the beginning of each
semester. |
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(3) |
Students can concurrently study in more
than one non-thesis master’s program. Students studying in a master’s program
with thesis or a PhD program are not eligible to register for another
graduate program. |
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Opening New Graduate Programs
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8. |
If the number of applicants
provisionally registered for a newly opened graduate program in any semester
is less than 5, the program may not admit any students based on the
recommendation of the department/program head and the approval of the
Institute Director. |
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Student Status
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9. |
Graduate students are admitted to the
program may have the following status: |
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(1) |
A student satisfying all conditions for
admission in a graduate program is given the right to register for the
applied program. However, students who have undergraduate or master’s degrees
in fields other than the graduate program for which they are applying, or who
are considered by the department to be inadequate with regards to scientific
proficiency can be accepted on the condition that they successfully complete
the scientific preparation program. Such students are called “Conditional
Students”. Transfer of such students to the normal program takes place upon
the completion of the Scientific Preparation Program. |
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(2) |
(a) |
Students enrolled in a master's or
doctorate program in other institutions of higher education can be admitted
under the title of a “special student” with the approval of the Directorate /
Chair of the Institute where they are enrolled in Eastern Mediterranean
University’s graduate courses. The exemption procedures of the students who
have been admitted to and successfully completed graduate courses under the
private student status are carried out by the Institute Directorate / Chair
at which they are registered. Special students are the graduates or students
of an institution of higher education who are granted permission to attend
some courses under the conditions specified by departments/programs and
approved by the Institute Directorate. Such students are not issued a
diploma, or a title and special student status cannot be longer than 2
semesters. Students who take courses with “special student” status cannot
benefit from student rights. In the admission of special students, there is
no entrance exam or a requirement for a specific grade level. Like other
students, special students are required to fulfil their obligations towards
university and meet the conditions specified for the courses they follow. |
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(b) |
In the event of a student gaining the right for
registration at a graduate program at the Eastern Mediterranean University,
the exemption procedure may be carried out for the courses taken by the
student in special student status from another institution of higher
education in line with Article 10 (1) – (3) of the present regulation and
subject to the recommendation of the graduate studies committee and the
approval of the Institute Directorate. |
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(3) |
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(4) |
Status of students who have successfully
passed the PhD Qualifying Exam and whose thesis proposals have been approved
is specified as “Doctoral Candidate”. |
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(5) |
After having completed all program conditions
except for the publication requirement and submitted the thesis to the
Institute, a doctoral candidate is given the ‘Awaiting Publication” status. Students with this statues are considered
as the registered students of the university, but they do not have any
financial obligations for the semesters they have spent with this status. |
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Course Exemptions
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10. |
(1) |
Applications for exemptions are submitted
to the relevant Department Chair’s office with the exemption documents until
the end of the semester in which the student initially registered for a
program course. Requests for exemptions or withdrawing the submitted
applications for exemptions during the upcoming semesters/years are not
accepted. |
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(2) |
(a) |
For students who have registered to
graduate programs in Eastern Mediterranean University, courses successfully
completed at a graduate program at another institution and courses taken from
graduate programs as an undergraduate student can be taken into consideration
and be exempted, on the condition that these courses have not been assessed
towards a diploma and that their equivalences can be proven. Such courses are
transferred to the student’s transcript in accordance with a corresponding
letter grade applied by Eastern Mediterranean University and are also
included in the Cumulative Grade Point Average calculation. |
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(b) |
Previously taken courses that are
exempted by the registered program should have “B” as the minimum grade and
should be taken within five academic years preceding the semester of the
graduate program registration in Eastern Mediterranean University. Exemptions
for courses that are taken more than five years ago prior to the application
are granted by Faculty Board upon the recommendation of the Department Board. |
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(c) |
Total credits of exempted courses
transferred to the registered program can only be equivalent to half of the
credits necessary to complete the program. Out of the previously taken credit
courses that are transferred to the new program, a semester is deducted from the student’s
total study period for every three exempted credit courses, on the condition
that the total period of study is not less than the minimum study period
specified in Regulations for Graduate Studies and Examinations. |
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(3) |
Exemptions for courses which are taken
at a certificate program are not given. |
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(4) |
(a) |
If students who left a graduate program
at Eastern Mediterranean University for a reason other than a disciplinary
penalty gain admission by re-applying to the University or by transferring
between different programs, courses with a minimum “C” grade in postgraduate
programs and “B” grade in PhD programs which were taken during the last five
academic years (counting backwards from the date of application) can be
exempted upon the approval of the Graduate Studies Commission. Exemptions for
courses that are taken five or more years prior to the application are
granted by Faculty Board upon the recommendation of the Department Board. |
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(b) |
However, graduate students are required
to re-register for the seminar course and thesis study in thesis programs and
semester project in non-thesis programs. Similarly, PhD students are required
to re-register for the PhD Qualification Exam and thesis study. |
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(5) |
(a) |
The minimum study period for students
who get exemption for certain courses is the minimum study period specified
in Articles 7(1) and 13 of the Regulations for Graduate Studies and
Examinations together with the period of study in the previous program. |
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(b) |
The remaining period of study after the
course exemption procedure is recalculated by deducting one semester for
every three credit courses. However, one extra semester is assigned to
students in non-thesis master’s programs, who have completed the required
period of study defined in Article 13 of the Regulation for Graduate Studies
and Examinations due to the exemption process to complete the requirements of
the program after exemption. |
Transfers between Programs
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11. |
(1) |
Students registered to a graduate
program in Eastern Mediterranean University can apply for transfers between programs.
Students, who wish to transfer from a non-thesis master’s program to a
master’s program with thesis, must satisfy the application requirements of
the master’s program with thesis, successfully complete minimum 3 courses in
the non-thesis program and finally obtain minimum a Cumulative Grade Point
Average of 3.00 out of 4.00. Such conditions are not sought for students
wishing to transfer from a thesis program to non-thesis program. |
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(2) |
Regarding students who transfer between
thesis and non-thesis programs with identical titles within the University,
all credit courses already taken in the previous program, including the
failed ones, appearing on the student transcript are transferred to the new
program, regardless of the obtained grades. |
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(3) |
An extra semester is granted to students
who transfer from a thesis program to a non-thesis program in order to fulfil
the requirements of the non-thesis program as specified in Article 13 of the
Regulations for Graduate Studies and Examinations. |
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Scientific Preparation Program |
12. |
Out of the students who have gained admission to
master’s and PhD programs as specified in article 9(1), those who have
obtained their undergraduate or master’s degrees in fields different from the
applied master’s or PhD programs or those who have gained their undergraduate
or master’s degrees in institutions of higher education other than Eastern
Mediterranean University may be subject to the Scientific Preparation
Program. |
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III. MISCELLANEAOUS
PROVISIONS |
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13. |
In the event that documents submitted by students
registering for any of the Graduate programs are discovered to be fake, these
students will immediately be dismissed from the Institute, regardless of the
stage they are in their studies. If such students have already left the University
any certificate/diploma or similar documents will be declared void and legal
action will be pursued. |
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IV. TEMPORARY
ARTICLES AND FINAL PROVISIONS |
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Temporary Provision
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1. |
After these regulations take effect, students
registered for the program before the Fall Semester of the 2017-18 Academic
Year may benefit from the new rights stated in these regulations, on the
condition that they apply to relevant Department Chair’s Office until 9
October 2017. Otherwise, they will be subject to the provisions of the former
regulations. |
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Temporary Provision
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2. |
Article 4(2) of the present regulation takes effect
as of the 2020-21 Academic Year. |
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Temporary Provision
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3. |
In the event of the students admitted to a graduate
program with a special student status before the 2020-21 Academic Year
gaining the right to enrol in a graduate program, the credits gained from
successfully completed graduate courses with a special student status may be
accepted by the student’s current program in line with Article 10(4)(a)-(b)
and upon the recommendation of the Graduate Study Committee and the approval
of the Institute Directorate, on the condition that the number of credits
gained from graduate courses taken with a special student status have not
exceeded half of the credits of the currently followed program. |
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Coming into Force
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14. |
These regulations come into force
following their approval by the Eastern Mediterranean University Board of
Trustees. |
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Topics not Covered
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15. |
Relevant provisions of the regulations
and by-laws of Eastern Mediterranean University are valid and applicable for
matters not explicitly covered in these regulations. Issues not at all
covered by the existing regulations or by-laws are subject to the decision of
the Institute Council. |
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Execution
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16. |
These regulations are executed by the
Rector of the Eastern Mediterranean University. |
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