REGISTRAR's OFFICE

Middle East Technical University Directive For Minor
Programs

PART 1

Aim, Scope, Basis, and De2nitions of Terms

Aim

ARTICLE   1   –   (1)   The   aim   of   a   minor   program   is   to   allow   academically   successful
undergraduate   students   in   a   major   program   to   become   knowledgeable   in   a   different
subject they are interested in within the scope of another undergraduate program.

(2) The aim of this directive is to regulate the principles governing the minor programs
conducted at Middle East Technical University.

Scope

ARTICLE 2 – (1) This directive incorporates the provisions concerning student admissions
and registration to the minor programs conducted at Middle East Technical University and
the implementation of these programs.

Basis

ARTICLE   3   –   (1)   This   Directive   has   been   prepared   based   on   the   Regulation   on   the
Principles of Transferring Between Associate and Undergraduate Programs, Double Major,
Minor and Credit Transfer Between Institutions in Higher Education Institutions published
in the OMcial Gazette dated 24/4/2010 and numbered 27561.

De2nitions of Terms 

ARTICLE 4 – (1) Wherever in this directive, the below terms appear, they shall be taken to
refer to the following:

a) Major program: The undergraduate program in which students are enrolled at METU by
placement via the Student Selection and Placement Examination or an equivalent exam or
by admission through transfer from within or outside the university,     

b) Minor program: The minor program in which academically successful undergraduate
students are additionally enrolled at METU  

c) The concerned faculty board: Middle East Technical University Faculty Boards

d)   The   concerned   administrative   board:   Middle   East   Technical   University   Faculty
Administrative Boards,

e) RO: Middle East Technical University Registrar’s OMce 

f) President: President of Middle East Technical University

g) Senate: Middle East Technical University Senate

h) University/METU: Middle East Technical University

ı)   Regulation:   Middle   East   Technical   University   Academic   Rules   and   Regulations
Governing Undergraduate Studies

Principles Concerning the Conduct Education in Minor Programs

PART 2

Minor Programs

ARTICLE 5 – (1) A minor is a program independent of the major program the student is
enrolled in.

(2)   A   minor   program   is   designed   by   the   concerned   academic   unit   and   offered   by
recommendation of the concerned faculty board, and the decision of the Senate.

(3) A minor program consists of a minimum of 6 courses, with no less than a total of 18
credits. 

(4) There may be identical or equivalent courses in the minor program and the major
program which the student is enrolled in.

(5) Students in a minor program are required to take a minimum of 4 courses, with no less
than a total of 12 credits. These courses must not be the same as or equivalent to the
ones taken in the student’s major program. 

(6)   The   provisions   for   program   implementation,   curricular   amendments   and   student
adjustments in major programs are also valid for minor programs.

(7) In addition to a major program, a student may concurrently attend only one double
major program and a minor program different from the double major program.

Quotas  

ARTICLE       6   –   (1)   Quotas   are   set   by   the   concerned   administrative   board   upon   the
recommendation of the related department, and they are announced by the RO.

(2) Quotas are set on a yearly basis. However, their distribution between semesters may
be rearranged according to applications.

Application to the program and related provisions

ARTICLE   7   –   (1)   The   criteria   for   application   to   minor   programs   and   the   required
documents are announced by the RO.

(2)   Applications   must   be   made   to   the   RO   by   the   deadline   indicated   in   the   academic
calendar.

 
(3)   A   student   may   concurrently   apply   to   more   than   one   double   major   and/or   minor
program by making an order of preference.

(4) Students must meet the following requirements so that their application to the minor
program might be valid:

a) Students must have earned the letter grade DD or higher in all the credit courses and
the letter grade S in the non-credit courses they took in their major program until the
semester they are applying and their Cumulative Grade Point Average must be at least
2.50.

b)   Students   must   be   earliest   at   the   beginning   of   their   third   semester,   latest   at   the
beginning of  their  sixth semester  as  of the  date   that  they  crst   enrolled in  their  major
program.

c)  Application and evaluation criteria additional to those described herein may be set by
the concerned administrative board by recommendation of the concerned department and
will be indicated in the announcement.

(5) In applications, withdrawn courses (courses with the letter grade “W”) are considered
not taken.

(6) Courses taken during Summer School and their grades are disregarded in applications
for the Fall semester following Summer School.

Preliminary evaluation

ARTICLE   8   –   (1)   Applications   are   subject   to   a   preliminary   evaluation   by   the   RO   in
accordance with the provisions herein. Applications of candidates who have not met the
requirements are not evaluated.

Evaluation of applications, admission to the program and counting courses

ARTICLE 9 – (1) The applications of the candidates who meet the required conditions are
transferred by the RO to the faculty concerned.

(2) Among candidates who have made applications for a transfer, a double major and/or
minor program in the same semester, the double major and/or minor application will not
be evaluated if the student’s transfer application has been approved.

(3)   Applications   are   rendered   as   “accepted”   or   “rejected”   in   the   evaluation   stage   by
recommendation   of   the   department   offering   the   minor   program   and   approval   of   the
concerned administrative board.

(4) The courses which were taken by the student in the major and/or minor program may
be   counted   toward   the   double   major   program   by   recommendation   of   the   department
offering the double major program and approval of the concerned administrative board.
The following procedures are involved in counting courses:

a) An adjustment form is made out.

b) Of the courses that were taken or those that were exempted from in the major and/or
double major program, the ones to be counted toward the minor program are indicated on

the adjustment form.

c) The courses counted toward the minor program are included in the calculation of the
student’s Grade Point Average in that program.

The announcement of the application results 

ARTICLE   10   –   (1)   The   results   of   the   preliminary   and   cnal   evaluations   concerning   the
applications are announced by the RO.

Registration 

ARTICLE   11   –   (1)   Students   may   register   for   only   one   of   the   double   major   or   minor
programs   they   are   accepted,   according   to   the   order   of   preference   they   set   up   during
application.

(2) Students must register for the minor program as of the crst semester in which they are
accepted. If they do not, they are dismissed from the minor program by the Registrar's
OMce.

(3) Students are to follow the registration and advisor approval procedures separately for
the major and minor programs.

(4) Enrollment and course counting procedures for the common courses taken are to be
followed separately in both major and double major programs.

Prerequisite courses

ARTICLE 12 - (1) Students in a minor program must meet the prerequisites of the courses
in that program.   

(2) Unless the prerequisite courses have been taken in the major program, they are taken
in NI status in the minor program and are indicated in the transcript for that program.    

Course load

ARTICLE 13 - (1) For students enrolled in minor programs, the maximum course load and
the   criteria   regarding   increasing   course   loads   in   both   major   and   minor   programs   are
determined   in   accordance   with   the   regulation   entitled   Middle   East   Technical   University
Academic Rules and Regulations Governing Undergraduate Studies.

(2) In major and minor programs, the total number of credit courses which students can
enroll in per semester is determined as follows: 

a) A student whose major program Cumulative Grade Point Average is 2.50 and higher is
entitled to the maximum course load of the major program, plus four courses. 

b) A student whose major program Cumulative Grade Point Average is 2.00 – 2.49 in is
entitled to the maximum course load of the major program, plus three courses.

c) The common courses in the major and minor programs are counted as a single course
in calculating the course load.

Withdrawal from courses 

ARTICLE 14 – (1) Students can withdraw from courses according to the rules indicated
below:   

a) Students can withdraw from only one course in each of the major and minor programs
in a semester.

b) Withdrawal from a common course in the major and minor programs applies to both
programs. Common courses are considered a single course.

c) In minor and major programs, course withdrawals are not allowed if the total number of
credit courses enrolled in falls below 3.

Provisions for academic success and graduation

ARTICLE 15 – (1) Provisions for academic success and graduation in minor programs are
determined in accordance with the related articles of the regulation entitled Middle East
Technical University Academic Rules and Regulations Governing Undergraduate Studies.

(2) In order for a student to continue their minor program, their GPA in the major program
must be at least 1.00 out of 4.00. If students fail to meet this requirement, they will be
dismissed from the minor program.

(3) Students in minor programs are put in order of merit only in their major programs.

(4) Students in minor programs are awarded a major diploma at the end of the semester
when they complete the major degree program.

(5) Students who qualify for graduation from a minor program are not awarded a minor
program certiccate until they qualify for graduation from their major degree program.

(6) Students who qualify for graduation from a major degree program but who have not
completed their minor program are given a maximum period of two semesters to do so
with   the   decision   of   the   concerned   administrative   board.   Students   who   cannot
successfully complete the course load of the minor program at the end of this period are
dismissed from the program.

(7)   Students   continue   to   pay   the   tuition   fee   for   the   double   major   program   during   this
additional period, taking their enrollment date to the major program into account. If they
enroll   in   a   Master’s   Degree   program,   they   must   also   pay   the   tuition   fee   for   graduate
studies. The faculty administrative board of the academic unit offering the minor program
is authorized to make decisions concerning such students.   

(8) The student’s success in and graduation from a major program is in no way affected
by the minor program. 

(9) A separate grade report and transcript are made out for the minor program. All the
courses in the minor program are indicated on the related transcript.

(10) The courses which are counted for both programs are indicated on the transcripts of
each program.

(11) A student who completes a minor program is not entitled to the rights and privileges
exercised by graduates of the major or associate degree programs.  

Temporary or permanent withdrawal from the program

ARTICLE 16 - (1) A student may voluntarily withdraw from a minor program.

(2)  Students enrolled in double major or minor programs may apply to other double major
or minor programs provided they meet the application criteria, and they may transfer to
another program on the condition that they leave the previous program.

(3) A student enrolled in a minor program may not transfer laterally to the major program
of the department offering the minor program without meeting the provisions concerning
the   major   program   in   “The   Rules   and   Regulations   for   the   Student   Transfer   Between
Associate Degree and Bachelor’s Degree Programs, Double Major and Minor Programs and
Course   Credit   Transfers   Between   Institutions   of   Higher   Education”   and   “Middle   East
Technical   University   Directive   for   Lateral   Transfers   to   Associate   Degree   and   Bachelor’s
Degree Programs”. 

(4)  A student who has been granted a leave of absence from his/her major program is
automatically   considered   on   leave   in   the   minor   program   as   well.   However,   among
students who have graduated from a major program but are attending a minor program,
the two programs are handled independently in the leave procedures for those enrolled in
a graduate program.

(5) Students may be granted a leave of absence for the semester by recommendation of
the   department   offering   the   minor   program   and   approval   of   the   concerned   Faculty
Administrative Board in cases where they cannot take courses due to academic reasons
such as a course not being offered in the minor program or overlapping courses.

(6)  Students who are not registered for two consecutive semesters without being granted
a leave of absence are no longer entitled to attend a minor program and are dismissed
from the minor program. Such students may reapply to the minor program provided if they
qualify for application.

(7)     Students   whose   Cumulative   Grade   Point   Average   falls   below   2.00   in   their   major
program are deemed on leave from the minor program until they raise their Cumulative
Grade Point Average above 2.00.

(8)  Students who leave a minor program are not required to repeat the courses they failed
in that program.

(9) The minor program of a student who is subject to an adjustment due to the maximum
period   of   study   in   the   major   program   is   also   evaluated   within   the   framework   of
adjustments.

PART 3

Miscellaneous and Final Issues

Coordination in minor programs

ARTICLE 17 – (1) The Chairpersons of the departments offering the program appoints a
minor program coordinator from among the faculty members.

(2) The duties of the coordinator are indicated below:

a) Acting as an academic advisor for the students enrolled in the minor program, 

b) Keeping in touch and cooperating with the students’ academic advisors in their major
programs in order to enable the minor program to serve its purpose.

Northern Cyprus Campus

ARTICLE 18 – (1) The principles and procedures concerning the implementation of this
directive   in   the   double   major   programs   conducted   in   Northern   Cyprus   Campus   are
determined by the University Senate.

Articles Governing the Transition Period

TEMPORARY ARTICLE 1 - The limitation to the maximum period for applications to a
program as indicated in Article 7, clause 4-b herein, is applicable for students applying for
a minor program as of the 2  semester of the 2014-2015 academic year.

nd

Validity

ARTICLE 19 – (1) This directive was approved by the University Senate on 26/10/2023
and   has   come   into   effect   as   of   the   beginning   of   the   2023-2024   academic   year   fall
semester.

Implementation

ARTICLE 20 – (1) This directive is implemented by the President.

Explanation

(1) Clause 2 of article 15 of the directive was amended by the decision of the University
Senate dated 26/10/2023.

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