Medicine

Criteria Applicable for the Acceptance of the Students to the Master's Program:

a) Bachelor's Diploma and Exams:

1) The students should have scored at least 55 standard points in the applicable score type of the program applied for, in Academic Graduate Education Entrance Exam (ALES) held by Assessment, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM), and should hold a bachelor’s diploma.* International GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) and GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) scores are also acceptable as replacements for ALES scores. However, such scores should meet the minimum score levels announced by the Council of Higher Education as equivalents of ALES scores. These score levels can be increased through a decision of the Board of Directors of the Graduate School of Health Sciences.

* The following 3 groups of students are given priority in terms of applications for the Molecular Medicine Master's Program:

Group I: Graduates of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Veterinary Faculties related to Health Sciences.

Group II: Graduates of Biology, Molecular Biology and Genetics and Chemistry departments at the Faculty of Sciences.

Group III: Graduates of Biomedical Engineering, Food Engineering, Medical Engineering and Bioengineering departments at the Faculty of Engineering.

Furthermore, the program also accepts students who hold degrees from other disciplines, which allows transition to the Molecular Medicine Master's Program. The graduates of which departments are admissible to the program will be specified at the beginning of each semester, with the approval of the faculty members of the department, the proposal of the department chair, and the decision of the Board of Directors of the Graduate School of Health Sciences.

2) The students will be required to have received a score of at least 50 over a scale of 100 in the Inter-University Foreign Language Exam (UDS) or Government Personnel Foreign Language Proficiency Exam (KPDS), or the foreign language proficiency exam applied by the university; or an an equivalent score on internationally recognized TOEFL and IELTS exams, and to submit the score certificate at the time of submitting application. Candidates with no foreign language are expected to attend and pass the one year foreign language preparation program.

b) Interviews

During the admissions process, the prospective students are evaluated through an interview. The interviews are conducted by juries. The interview juries are composed of at least three original and two substitute members proposed by the department chair from among faculty members, and approved through a decision by the board of directors of the graduate school. The procedures will be executed by the department chair and the Director of the Graduate School of Health Sciences.

c) Evaluation

A candidate who applied for the program and who was interviewed should get at least

an overall score of 55 for admission into the program. The performance of the candidate is established on the basis of her overall score. The overall score is calculated by adding 25% of the candidate’s ALES score, 50% of the GPA for the bachelor’s degree on a scale of 100, and 25% of the Foreign Language Proficiency Score (or the equivalent scores applied by the university for international foreign language proficiency exams such as TOEFL or IELTS). Candidates who received 55 or higher overall scores on a scale of 100 will then be ranked by the interview jury, on the basis of the overall score. The board of directors of the Graduate School of Health Sciences then decides on the principal and substitute candidates admitted into the program on the basis of the quota of the program and the overall scores the candidates got.

The admission of students on full or partial scholarship, or with tuition shall be based on the principles specified in TOBB ETÜ Graduate Studies and Exams Regulation and Graduate Scholarship Students Directive.

The must and elective courses to be taken, and the minimum credit count required for a master's degree

In the master's programs with dissertation, students should successfully complete the course load of at least 21 (twenty one) credits, as well as a seminar, and should defend their thesis successfully. The seminar and dissertation studies are no-credit courses and evaluated as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

The graduate courses offered within the framework of the Molecular Medicine Master's Program are listed below. The specific courses to be offered in a given semester will be determined through the proposal of the Department Committee, and the Decision of the Graduate School of Health Sciences, at the beginning of each semester. The students can either take the courses stipulated in the curriculum, or other undergraduate or graduate courses offered by the relevant departments of the university or other universities, with the approval of the Molecular Medicine Department, in order to meet their credit requirements. The number of courses which can be taken from outside the university will be set by the Graduate School of Health Sciences.

The students registered in the Master's Program are required to take enough courses to meet the 21 credits requirement. The students must meet this credit requirement within the time frame stipulated in the relevant regulation and directive, by taking required must and elective courses.

Upon completing the course load, the students will be required to write a dissertation under the supervision of the advisor to be assigned board of directors of the Graduate School of Health Sciences upon the proposal of the Department. The students who complete the program are awarded “Molecular Medicine Master's Degree” diplomas.

The decision on which students are to be directed to which courses are to be offered as must courses and electives rests with the Molecular Medicine Department.

Courses offered within the framework of the master’s program:

MLT 501 General Biochemistry I (3-0-3)

In this course, the structures and functions of the basic structural components of macromolecules and their structures, properties and functions in the body will be explained as theoretical courses.

MLT 502 General Biochemistry II (3-0-3)

In this course, bioenergetics, basics of metabolism, changes in the body of biomolecules, synthesis, degradation and regulation of metabolic pathways in cellular conditions will be explained as theoretical courses.

MLT 503 Principles of Instrumental Analysis (2-0-2)

The principles of methods used in researches at molecular level and methods based on instrumental analysis will be explained theoretically and practically.

MLT 504 Research Methods in Biochemistry I (1-4-3)

Within the scope of the course, the principles of application of commonly used methods at the molecular level in the field of biochemistry will be explained by theoretical and practical courses.

MLT 505 Basics of Research (3-1-3)

The steps of the scientific method and basic statistics will be taught by giving practical examples.

MLT 506 Cell Biology (3-0-3)

The structure of the cell, the importance of intracellular membrane systems and the functions of different organelles, will be comparatively studied.

MLT 507 Biology of Inheritance (3-0-3)

Mendelian genetics and importance of Mendelian rules in human genetics, family tree symbols and family tree studies, inheritance models, cases deviating from Mendel's rules, the concepts of population genetics, incidence and prevalence and non-Mendelian genetics will be studied in detail.

MLT 508 Molecular Genetics I (3-0-3)

In this course; basic concepts of molecular biology, cell biology and molecular genetics will be explained. Methods used in this field will be taught.

MLT 509 Basic Molecular Techniques (3-0-3)

General laboratory rules, basic sterilization types, usage of laboratory devices, matrix systems and molecular imaging techniques will be explained. In parallel, basic molecular genetic analyses will be taught to reinforce theory with practical applications.

MLT 510 Molecular Genetics in Clinical Diagnostics(2-0-2)

In this course, the usage areas of molecular genetic techniques will be explained on the basis of diseases.The definition of diseases at gene level, the role of molecular techniques in preventive medicine, prognosis and guiding treatment will be the main subjects. These topics will be discussed in terms of diseases and information about routine molecular methods will be given.

MLT 511 Introduction to Clinical Microbiology (2-2-3)

In this course, the characteristics of infectious bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, the ability to make diseases, the pathogenesis of infection, and the epidemiology of infections will be examined. Course content includes infectious diseases, agents and diagnostic methods. The theoretical information given will be reinforced by practical applications. Pathogen microorganism, host relationship and pathogenesis of disease will be explained.

MLT 512 Introduction to Molecular Microbiology (2-2-3)

The aim of this course is to give general information about molecular techniques used in clinical diagnostic microbiology. Based on this information, theoretical and practical information about the place of molecular methods in clinical microbiological practice will be given.

MLT 513 Research Ethics in Molecular Medicine (3-0-3)

Medical applications made possible by genetic and molecular biology bring along ethical arguments.This course will provide information about the scope and content of ethically important and controversial issues of molecular biology, genetics and stem cell studies.Ethical issues and ethical dilemmas of clinical and laboratory applications such as genetic and stem cell research, genetic screening tests, genetic counseling, and gene therapy on human subjects will be studied taking into account the social, cultural and historical contexts.Recognizing the ethical problems in these areas, the discussions of the dilemmas and the production of solutions to these problems will be studied.

MLT 514 Seminars in Molecular Medicine (1-0-1)

In this course, Turkish scientists with international contributions on the basis of genetics, molecular genetics, biotechnology and related diseases will provide seminars. The contributions of scientists with international publications on the definition of diseases at gene level, the role of molecular diagnostic methods in preventive medicine, their role in guiding treatment, determining their use in prognosis and treatment will be shared with the students.

MLT 590 Seminar I

MLT 599 MSc Dissertation

Admission requirements

a) Diplomas and Exams:

The students should have scored at least 55 standard points in the applicable score type of the program applied for, in Academic Graduate Education Entrance Exam (ALES) held by Assessment, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM), and should hold a master’s diploma.* International GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) and GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) scores are also acceptable as replacements for ALES scores. However, such scores should meet the minimum score levels announced by the Council of Higher Education as equivalents of ALES scores. These score levels can be increased through a decision of the Board of Directors of the Graduate School of Health Sciences.

* The following 2 groups of students are given priority in terms of applications for the Molecular Medicine Doctorate Program:

1st Group: Graduates of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Veterinary Faculties related to Health Sciences.

2nd Group: Graduates of Molecular Medicine, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Medical Biology, Microbiology, Biomedical Engineering, Food Engineering, Medical Engineering and Bioengineering departments’ Master Degree with dissertation.

Furthermore, the program also accepts students who hold degrees from other disciplines, which allows transition to the Molecular Medicine Ph.D. Program. The graduates of which departments are admissible to the program will be specified at the beginning of each semester, with the approval of the faculty members of the department, the proposal of the department chair, and the decision of the Board of Directors of the Graduate School of Health Sciences.

The students will be required to have received a score of at least 50 over a scale of 100 in the Inter-University Foreign Language Exam (UDS) or Government Personnel Foreign Language Proficiency Exam (KPDS), or the foreign language proficiency exam applied by the university; or an an equivalent score on internationally recognized TOEFL and IELTS exams, and to submit the score certificate at the time of submitting application. To apply the program with scholarship candidates should score at least 75 from the stated foreign language exams.  

The applicants should meet the requirements specified in the following table.

The applicants who will apply on the basis of the bachelor’s degree should have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 (65) over a maximum of 4 (100) and the applicants who will apply on the basis of the master’s degree should have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3 (76.66) over a maximum of 4 (100). To apply the program with scholarship candidates should score at least 85 from ALES. International GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) and GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) scores are also acceptable as replacements for ALES scores. However, such scores should meet the minimum score levels announced by the Council of Higher Education as equivalents of ALES scores. These score levels can be increased through a decision of the Board of Directors of the Graduate School of Health Sciences.

b) Interviews

During the admissions process, the prospective students are evaluated through an interview. The interviews are conducted by juries. The interview juries are composed of at least three original and two substitute members proposed by the department chair from among faculty members, and approved through a decision by the board of directors of the graduate school. The procedures will be executed by the department chair and the Director of the Graduate School of Health Sciences.

c) Evaluation

A candidate who applied for the program and who was interviewed will be assigned a total score through the assessment process. The performance of the candidate is established on the basis of her overall score. The procedure for the assignment of the total score will be executed by the department chair and the Director of the Graduate School of Health Sciences. The board of directors of the Graduate School of Health Sciences then decides on the principal and substitute candidates admitted into the program on the basis of the quota of the program and the overall scores the candidates got.

d) Special Student

The admission of students on full or partial scholarship, or with tuition shall be based on the principles specified in TOBB ETÜ Graduate Studies and Exams Regulation and Graduate Scholarship Students Directive.

The must and elective courses to be taken, and the minimum credit count required for a Ph.D.:

The Ph.D. program requires the writing of a thesis. To get a Ph.D., the students who applied on the basis of a master’s degree should successfully complete at least 21 (twenty-one) credits worth of courses, and should defend the thesis successfully. The dissertation studies are no-credit courses and evaluated as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. The students registered in the Ph.D. program must meet this credit requirement within the time frame stipulated in the relevant regulation and directive, by taking required must and elective courses.

The graduate courses offered within the framework of the Molecular Medicine Ph.D. Program are listed below. The specific courses to be offered in a given semester will be determined by the Graduate School of Health Sciences. The students can either take the courses stipulated in the curriculum, or other undergraduate or graduate courses offered by the relevant departments of the university or other universities, with the approval of the Molecular Medicine Department, in order to meet their credit requirements. The number of courses which can be taken from outside the university will be set by the Graduate School of Health Sciences.

Upon completing the course load, the students will be required to write a dissertation under the supervision of the advisor to be assigned board of directors of the Graduate School of Health Sciences upon the proposal of the Department. The students who complete the program are awarded “Molecular Medicine Ph.D.” diplomas.

The decision on which students are to be directed to the Scientific Preparation Program, and which courses are to be offered as must courses and electives rests with the Molecular Medicine Department.

Table 1. Codes, titles, credits (T-P-C) and obligation status of courses (Obligatory/Elective):

MLT 601 Protein Biochemistry (3-0-3)

Structures of proteins, purification, structural analysis methods, post-translational modifications, stability, repair and structure-function relations of proteins will be explained as theoretical courses.

MLT 602 Signal Transduction Mechanisms (3-0-3)

The molecular mechanisms by which the signal is transmitted to the cells via the messenger molecules (hormones, neurotransmitters, biologically active peptides, etc.) that reach from outside to the cells and how these pathways are controlled will be explained as theoretical courses.

MLT 603 Research Methods in Biochemistry II (1-4-3)

Within the scope of the course, the principles of application of commonly used methods at the molecular level in the field of biochemistry will be explained by theoretical and practical courses.

MLT 604 Reactive Radicals in Biological Systems (2-0-2)

In this course, general properties of radicals, radical species produced in the body, reaction of radicals with biological molecules, defense mechanisms of the body towards radical species, the consequences of radical reactions, and the link between radical reactions and disease states will be explained and discussed.

MLT 605 Biochemistry of Metabolic Diseases(3-0-3)

The causes of hereditary metabolic diseases and their mechanisms (etiopathogenesis) will be explained.

MLT 606 Seminar II (1-0-0)

MLT 607 Genetic Control Mechanisms (3-0-3)

The purpose and importance of genetic control in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, transcriptional and translational mechanisms involved in gene expression will be discussed with their differences in bacteria and eukaryotes. RNA-mediated control mechanisms, especially in eukaryotes, will be examined in detail. Control mechanisms will be associated with the biological basis of diseases.

MLT 608 Genome Analysis Methods (2-2-3)

The purpose, method and application difficulties of PCR applications will be explained in detail. Through the discussion of primary design rules, PCR technique intended for the scientific question will be studied. The application areas, principles and limitations of RFLP and sequence analysis techniques that are used for analysis of PCR products after DNA amplification will be explained. The use of cloning methods, their properties and appropriate preference will be discussed. Real time PCR technique will be explained and detailed information related to probe design and quantitative expression analysis will be given. The principles of use of protein analysis methods and principles will be explained and the application priority of techniques will be discussed in order to solve a problem in the field of genomics.

MLT 609 Advanced Cell Biology (3-0-3)

Signal transmission; basics of signal transduction mechanisms in cell growth, differentiation, stimulus response processes, cell cycle and control mechanisms; mitosis, meiosis, cyclin and cyclin dependent kinases will be explained through control article level. Mechanisms of protein degradation; The structures and functions of ubiquitination and proteasome complexes will be studied. The subjects of cell death, necrosis and apoptosis will be covered with literature presentations.

MLT 610 Molecular Biology of Cancer (3-0-3)

General characteristics of transformed cancer cell and model systems used in cancer studies will be explained. Molecules involved in the control of cell cycle and their functions in carcinogenesis will be studied with examples of genes involved in tumor development and progression. Oncogene, protooncogene concepts and mechanisms causing activation or inactivation will be given through literature related to cancer genetics. Disorders of DNA repair and mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis will be explained. The cancer cell microenvironment and targeted treatment issues in cancer will be covered in detail. The characteristics of biomarkers, its importance for diagnosis and treatment of cancer will be given with current information.

MLT 611 Biological Basis of Stem Cell Therapy (3-0-3)

Definition of stem cells, embryonic stem cells, their production, surface markers and genes, concept of totipotent cells, differentiation of stem cells, in vitro conditions and necessary factors, definition of stem cells in adult tissues, examples of use of stem cells in the field of regenerative medicine, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's samples, bone marrow stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells transplantation and plasticity concept will be covered.

MLT 612 Molecular Genetics II (3-0-3)

Chemical and physical properties of DNA, packaging, replication, correction of errors in DNA and recombination mechanisms in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells will be explained in detail. The subjects that come to the agenda after the human genome project, use of new technologies and their contribution to innovations in molecular medicine will be covered within the scope of the course.

MLT 613 Use of Molecular Microbiology in Diagnosis of Disease (3-0-3)

In this course, the use of molecular microbiology in the diagnosis of disease; identification of virulence, pathogenicity genes from disease diagnosis using these methods in cases caused by different microorganisms; A comprehensive knowledge of routine molecular methods of all processes from detection of resistant microorganisms to determination of resistance genes will be explained.

MLT 614 Molecular  Pathology and Tumor Biology(3-0-3)

In pathology applications, classification according to molecular phenotypes of tumors provides prognostic and predictive significant gains. The use of targeted and immunological therapies in tumor therapies leads to a rapidly increasing and inevitable need for molecular genetic-molecular pathological diagnosis. Molecular pathology applications focus on neoplasia in molecular medicine applications.

MLT 699 PhD Dissertation