Faculty of Architecture
Faculty of Architecture
TR
N 39° 53' 50.46'', E 39° 53' 50.46''
http://www.archweb.metu.edu.tr
As distinct from other schools for higher education in Turkey fashioned after European models, METU established in 1956 as the Middle East Institute of Technology, has an academic system akin to those of the Anglo-American universities in United States. Supported by UN through UNESCO its primary mission had been the training of professionals required for urbanism, housing, construction and planning in developing countries. Conceived as an international university to be in pace with the changing and growing world of knowledge, the language of instruction is English ever since. Learning to reach sources worldwide, to evaluate critically what has been reached and to be creative and innovative have been permanent motives.
Together with Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Administrative Sciences, and the recent Educational Sciences, Architecture is one of the five faculties of the University. Along with the Department of Architecture, it comprises the departments of City and Regional Planning and Industrial Design. Department of Architecture, which is one of the two initial departments of the University in 1956, from the very first years on has been the most preferred and prestigious school of architecture in Turkey.
Undergraduate admissions were initially through an examination which was given by the University. Later, examinations for admission became centralized and were transferred to the Council of Higher Education, on behalf of all universities, to qualify applicants. Each year about seventy students who rank among those in the uppermost scale enroll at the Department. The total number of undergraduate students is 369; currently there are 195 Master's and 97 Ph.D. students. About 15% of the students enrolled at the department are international.
Numerous visiting professors have run design studios and given lecture courses for one or more academic years including those in the very beginning who acted as founding fathers. Godfrey, Perkins, Cox, Sevely, Amano, Jordan, Sprechelsen, Kaikonnen, Janeba, Corbelletti, Vidor, May, Stonyer, Westphal, Abel, Polonyi, Highlands and many others can be mentioned. Rasmussen, Fathy, Oliver, Rapoport, Broadbent, De Carlo, Smithsons are other significant names who have given much in relatively short but memorable visits. There has been a noticeable increase observed in student and staff exchange programs and joint work with other institutions in the recent years. Summer and winter schools provide an opportunity for joint work. There have been joint ventures with universities abroad (e.g. Columbia University, Rensellaer Polytechnic, University of Quebec) in the past of the department.
Middle East Technical University (METU) Campus is located on the Ankara-Eskisehir highway and has been forested entirely through the efforts of the university employees and students since the early 1960s. All faculties and departments of the university are in the same campus area, except for the "Graduate School of Marine Sciences". Dormitories and many social, educational, and technical facilities are within walking distance of the faculties.
661 students (369 Bachelor, 195 Master, 97 PhD), 15% of foreign students.
74 staff members (42 full-time and approx. 32 visiting lecturers and critics).
Extensive university facilities within the campus including; the main library with 400.000 volumes in collection, three sports halls, closed and open swimming pools, and university's culture and convention center. There are approximately 140 student groups within the university. (for detailed information please see METU website.
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Bookshop
CAD - Lab
Cafeteria
Conference auditorium
Copycenter
Documentation center CEDAT (catalogues, data files, CD-Romes, video-discs)
Exhibition hall,
Extensivemodelling workshop
Laser Cutter
Library
Photographic Studio
Plot centre
Printing facilities
Stationery
Structures Lab
Theatre Hall
There are 18 modern dormitories within the university campus
1856 TRY (Undergraduate), 1150 TRY (Graduate) (values by 2011)
July (Undergraduate), May (Graduate)
The undergraduate program is based on a four-year study leading to the Bachelor’s degree with emphasis on architectural design studios. Two undergraduate minor programs are also offered: Minor Program in Conservation for undergraduate students of city-planning, and Minor Program in Architectural Culture for students from all departments of METU.
Bachelor, Master of Architecture, Master of Science, Master of Arts, Ph.D, 2 years, Graduate,
The graduate programs at METU Department of Architecture that lead to Master of Architecture (M.Arch), Master of Science in Building Science (M.Sc), Master of Science in Restoration (M.Sc), Master of Science in Computational Design and Fabrication Technologies (M.Sc), and Master of Arts in History of Architecture (M.A) degrees, are two-year programs and admission is selective, based upon intellectual development and demonstration of creative promise.
The Department of Architecture offers a wide and interdisciplinary spectrum fro advanced research and study with four PhD programs: “Architecture”, “Building Science”, “Restoration”, and “History of Architecture”.
Since its establishment in 1960, the graduate education at Faculty of Architecture places special emphasis on the relevance of scientific research and technology to the complex problems of society. Such problems require an interdisciplinary approach to design and the wider context in which it is developed. With this awareness, METU graduate programs in architecture have attained international prominence and commensurable academic standards in selected subjects for specialized knowledge through research and design.
The Graduate Programs at the M.E.T.U. Department of Architecture that leads to Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Science in Building Science (MSc), Master of Science in Restoration (MSc), Master of Science in Computational Design and Fabrication Technologies (MSc), and Master of Arts in History of Architecture (MA) degrees, are two year programs and admission is selective, based upon intellectual development and demonstration of creative promise. The Department enrolls an average of 100 students a year in an array of fields ranging from architectural theory to building science workshops. The rapidly developing aspect of the Graduate Programs is their collaboration with the other departments, centers and institutes of the University. The new dual degree and joint degree protocols signed with international universities allow students to make research and take courses abroad. One of the most enduring of those collaborations is the Computational Design Degree, a joint program between the schools of architecture at METU and at TUDelft.
Being part of a great campus located in a 45-hectare forest, including two museums, archeological sites and a lake, and the unique architecture that provides space for education and research have determined much of what is exceptional about the Programs. The main library at the METU Campus with its comprehensive collections and international network links is the major resource for graduate study. Graduate students also share in the cultural and social activities and recreational facilities at METU. The graduate programs in Architecture combine research with practical work in workshops laboratories and archives. All these facilities are directly in the educational program besides undertaking research projects from governmental and private institutions and individuals. Since 1962, the metal, wood, and printing workshops and the photography laboratory not only serve to the purposes of related courses, but also help the documentation of students works and extend the collections of the visual archives. The computer workshop was established in 1980 and updated every year to include the digital design studio and the digital workshop. In addition to these the Photogrammetry Center, the Materials and Conservation Laboratory for Restoration, the Environmental Simulation Lab, the Visual Archive and Documentation Center and the METU Faculty of Architecture Research Design and Planning Center (MATPUM) provide services to the graduate programs. Graduate committee formed by the selected members of each graduate program provides guidance not only in pragmatic issues but also seeks for the possibility of extending the boundaries of the intellectual development of the graduate students.
The METU Faculty Journal, which was first published in 1975, has become one of the most prestigious architectural research sources in Turkey.
The department of architecture offers a wide and interdisciplinary spectrum for advanced research and study with four PhD programs: “Architecture”, “Building Science”, “Restoration” and “History of Architecture”. The common aim of the doctoral programs is to develop the fundamentals of knowledge production in terms of theory, method and criticism and to equip students with the skills of making independent research, analytical thinking, critical evaluation and interpretation for producing original and qualitative work.
Having a dynamic and updated scholarly context that embraces contemporary research tracks and methods in national and international perspectives is in the agenda of each program. The programs offer a variety of courses and that embraces contemporary research tracks and methods in national and international perspectives is in the agenda of each program. The programs offer a variety of courses and seminars which are designed to provide the core knowledge for developing progressive and novel research methods and themes. The curricular context in this respect can be exploited to focus on disciplinary and more specific knowledge or to formulate interdisciplinary research agendas. The thesis research, as such, can be designed to dwell on theory, application or both. A thesis proposal can be formulated also as a project supported by academic or non-academic institutions. The students are also encouraged to develop their studies by taking courses and participating to the curricular activities relevant to their thesis research from other departments and institutions. A ‘proficiency exam’ which is taken after the completion of the coursework prepares the ground for the students and the programs to evaluate the level of the accumulated disciplinary knowledge and research background necessary for developing the academic skills in producing independent and original work The ‘thesis examination juries’ done in each semester following the proficiency exam aims to contribute to the progression of the thesis work in this respect.
The PhD programs in the department of architecture provide a vivid scholarly and social medium for both faculty members and students and welcome doctoral candidates from Turkey and abroad to join to this academic family and milieu.