(KU) KOÇ UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO EXCHANGE INCOMING
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by INCOMING EXCHANGE STUDENTS TO KOÇ UNIVERSITY (KU) Frequently Asked Questions Updated April 2021 for Studies
Transcript of (KU) KOÇ UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO EXCHANGE INCOMING
byINCOMINGEXCHANGE
STUDENTS TO KOÇ UNIVERSITY
(KU)
FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Updated April 2021
for Studies
Table of Contents
Before Your ExchangeWho Can Apply?
Exchange Programs
About Exchange at KU
Nomination & Application Process
After Being Accepted
During Your ExchangeAcademic Life & Courses
Facilities & Services
Useful Documents & Contacts
KU E-mail & Online Tools
Mentorship
Travelling / Living in İstanbul
After Your Exchange
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Students who are enrolled in a partner universityof KU are able to apply for an exchange semesterat KU. In this case, you will be waived from thetuition fee at KU. However, technically youcannot directly apply, you need to be selectedand nominated by your home university duringthe nomination and application period. Pleasecontact the Study Abroad / Exchange ProgramsOffice of your home university for furtherinstructions.
Can I apply for an exchangesemester at KU if my university isnot listed on your website as apartner institution?
If you are a student who would like to studyat KU for a semester or an academic yearbut your home university is not a partnerinstitution with KU, you need to go throughour Registrar’s and Student AffairsDirectorate’s Special Students (TuitionPaying Exchange Students) applicationprocess. Please see the details here.
Before Your Exchange
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Can I apply for an exchangesemester at Koç University?
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Who Can Apply?
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Before Your ExchangeExchange Programs
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Under which exchange program can I apply to KU?
Erasmus+ Study Mobility: the European Study Mobility Program with funding from students' homeuniversity. KU has more than 130 partner universities in 20 European countries.
Global Exchange (GE) Study Mobility: the non-European Study Mobility program without funding. KUhas more than 30 partner countries beyond Europe within the scope of GE.
Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility for Studies (ICM): the Credit Mobility Program with funding,beyond Europe, allowing mobility from other parts of the world.
Summer Exchange at KU: Summer exchange at KU offers a broad range of courses during the Summersemester.
Erasmus+ Internship Program: Erasmus interns are higher education students within the Erasmus+Program Countries, who spend 2–12 months of their study program (or shortly after a program of study)as an intern at a company, organization or institution in another Erasmus+ Program country.
Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility for Traineeship: This program enables students to spend aplacement (traineeship) period between 2 months to 12 months in an enterprise or organization inIstanbul, Turkey; public or private organizations active in the labor market. Students should work as an intern in a business enterprise or organization, which is directly related to their own educational field.
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Before Your Exchange
I’m an Erasmus+ Worldwide(ICM) student, is there anythingextra that I should do?
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Erasmus+ ICM students need to meet somespecific requirements and submit someErasmus+ documents for their mobility to berecognized by the European Commission.For further information, please check ourwebsite’s related page.
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Exchange Programs
5 How many semesters can
I spend at KU as anexchange student?
Most of our incoming exchange studentsspend one semester at KU. However, it isalso possible for you to apply for the wholeacademic year or to extend your exchangeperiod for one more semester if both yourhome university and our Office approve.
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Before Your ExchangeAbout Exchange at KU
What can I study at KU?
Please check here to see the programs offeredby our Colleges and Graduate Schools. Pleasealso note that KU and your home institutionmight have a collaboration agreement for aspecific academic area. Therefore, pleasecheck this information with the Study Abroad/ Exchange Programs Office of your homeuniversity.
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What is the medium of instructionat KU and are there enoughcourses in English for exchangestudents?
Medium of instruction at KU is English in allprograms and study cycles (undergraduate,master and doctoral). So, there won’t be alanguage barrier when you are selecting yourcourses at KU (Please note that there mightbe some Turkish courses in School of Law,such as Turkish Constitutional Law and inSchool of Nursing).
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Are there any info sessions / webinarsorganized to learn more about KU? When we have an open call for nominations and applications for inbound exchangestudents, we organize a few webinars for different time zones about KU and itsservices/facilities. We circulate the webinar announcement among our partneruniversities. So, you can check the webinar dates with your home university’s StudyAbroad / Exchange Programs Office.
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Student applications take place on KUAPP once the nomination process has been completed. As soon asthe nomination is completed on the online system, you are sent an automatic email with applicationlink and log-in credentials. You are expected to fill out and submit your online application form by theend of the application period. It should be noted that applications close at 5:00 pm local time on thelast day of the application period.If you don’t see the nomination confirmation and application instructions email in your Inbox, pleasecheck your Spam folder and Junkbox. And if it is not there either, please contact [email protected].
Every year, KU receives nominations and applications at the same time and between the samedates.
Fall/ Full Academic Year/ Spring: April 1st – June 1stSpring (second call): September 1st – November 1stSummer: February 1st – April 1st
Please kindly note that nominations end at 5:00 pm local time on the last day. In order to prevent any loss of data, nominations are accepted through the online portal only.
Before Your ExchangeNomination & Application Process
How can I apply?
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When can I apply?
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Incoming Exchange Students should complete at least one year of study (one semester of study forgraduate students except CEMS students) at their home university.
Minimum overall GPA requirement is 2.20/4.00 for undergraduates and a 2.50/4.00 for graduatestudents. Applicants from the Netherlands are expected to have obtained a GPA that is equivalent toa 7 out of 10 in the Dutch education system.
At KU, the medium of instruction is English. Therefore, it’s required to present a document thatstates your proficiency in English.
KU requires minimum B2 (CEFR) or TOEFL PBT 550; TOEFL CBT 213; TOEFL IBT 80 or IELTS 6.5. Theseexams must be taken within the last two years.
If you are a native English speaker, or have already been studying in an English speaking country, ata higher education program (USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore and UK, etc.) then you do not needto take those exams.
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Before Your ExchangeNomination & Application Process
What are the requirements forapplication?
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Before Your ExchangeNomination & Application Process
If your home university indicates with aletter or email that you can do well in yourcourses at KU, we will consider yournomination and application.
What if my overall GPA is lowerthan the requirement?
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If your home university’s Englishdepartment or Study Abroad / ExchangePrograms Office issues a letter stating thatyour English level is good enough to followthe English courses at KU, we will consideryour nomination and application.
What if my English level is lowerthan the requirement?
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If your home university’s English department or StudyAbroad / Exchange Programs Office issues a letterstating that your English level is good enough tofollow the English courses at KU, we will consider yournomination and application.
What if my English is goodenough but I don't have a recenttest result to prove that?
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Before Your ExchangeNomination & Application Process
Because you are a student coming from oneof our partner universities, you are waivedfrom the tuition fee at KU. However, allother expenses (accommodation, dining,transportation etc.) need to be covered byyou.
Does it cost anything to apply foran exchange at KU?
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Please contact [email protected] the problem you face andattach a screenshot of the problem.
What should I do if I cannotsubmit my application? (e.g. atechnical difficulty)
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“Online Registered” means you have been nominated or completed yourpre-registration. You will see your application status as “In the Process”once you complete and submit the online application form. After theinformation and documents you submitted on the application form arechecked, you will be “Accepted” or contacted to update yourinformation/invalid documents before the deadline.
My application status on KUAPP is “online registered”/ “in the process” / “accepted”. What does it mean?
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Before Your ExchangeNomination & Application Process
Applications are checked once in a week orbi-weekly. You will hear from us in a fewweeks maximum.
After submitting my application,when will I hear from you?
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You should contact your home university’sStudy Abroad / Exchange Programs Officeand kindly ask them to notify us about yourdecision.
What happens if I decide to defermy exchange semester?
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You should contact your home university’sStudy Abroad / Exchange Programs Officeand kindly ask them to notify us about yourdecision.
What should I do if I decide tocancel my exchange semesterpermanently?
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Before Your ExchangeAfter Being Accepted
With the acceptance email, you will alsoreceive some soft copy resources aboutthe academic and social life at KU and inIstanbul, and how to navigate on KU’sonline tools. Please read those resourcesvery carefully and [email protected] for your inquiries.
What is the next step after I amaccepted? What should I do afterthe results are announced?
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International Community Office (ICO) underOIP provides guidance to our incomingexchange students. You can check therelated page on our website and ICO’swebsite, and contact [email protected] [email protected] in Cc so that we arealso notified and can assist you if needed.
Does OIP provide any services interms of visa?
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International Community Office (ICO) underOIP provides guidance to our incomingexchange students. You can check therelated page on our website and ICO’swebsite, and contact [email protected] [email protected] in Cc so that we arealso notified and can assist you if needed.
Does OIP provide any services interms of insurance?
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International Community Office (ICO) underOIP provides guidance to our incomingexchange students. You can check therelated page on our website and ICO’swebsite, and contact [email protected] [email protected] in Cc so that we arealso notified and can assist you if needed.
Does OIP provide any services interms of residence permit?
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KU gives priority to incoming exchangestudents for on-campus housing. KU dormitories have a capacity of nearly2800 students. Incoming students areusually matched with local KU students toimprove international students’ adaptationculturally and in general. Student housingapplications are processed by DormitoryManagement: https://dorms.ku.edu.tr/en/
Unfortunately we are not able to assiststudents with off-campus housing.However, ICO has some recommendationshere.
Do you provide any assistancewith off-campus housing?
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Before Your ExchangeAfter Being Accepted
Do you offer on-campushousing?
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There are no scholarship opportunities fromKoc University for incoming exchangestudents.
Are there any scholarshipopportunities for incomingexchange students?
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Besides the soft copy resources shared withyou upon acceptance for an exchangesemester and the Orientation Days, there isalso a Mentorship Program at KocUniversity. Each incoming student isassigned to an Exchange Mentor (a KoçUniversity student) who acts as a guide andresource person throughout the semester.Each mentor maintains weeklycommunication with her/his mentees. Thementors go through a rigorous selection,interview, and training process before beingassigned a group of students. Mentors arereliable, hard-working individuals open tocultural exchange. They take their students’well-being into consideration at all timesand are always ready to address theirquestions or concerns the whole mobilitysemester.
Prior to every semester, we organizeOrientation Days for incoming exchangestudents. Orientation Days are intended towelcome you to the university and give youall of the essential information needed tomake the most out of your time during theexchange semester. You also have thechance to meet your mentors and otherexchange students during the week. Thereare a number of social events runningthroughout the week to help you settle intolife at Koc University and have an enjoyableexperience as much as possible. Orientationstarts one week before the classes begin.
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Before Your ExchangeAfter Being Accepted
Will there be any Introduction orOrientation Days before or in thebeginning of semester?
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Is there a pre-arrival support systemat Koc University for incomingexchange students?
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Learning Agreements are expected to besigned by your program’s ExchangeCoordinator. Documents such as Certificateof Arrival, Certificate of Attendance andCertificate of Departure should be signed byOIP administration.
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Before Your ExchangeAfter Being Accepted
You may be asked for some documents tobring along with you or send through emailfor residence permit application or for thedormitories. As the required documents aresubject to change each semester, you willbe informed later separately.
Are there any documents I needto submit after I got accepted orbefore the semester starts?
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Who can sign my Erasmus+documents?
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Course load indicates how many creditsyou take per semester. 1 KU credit / unit is equal to 2 ECTS. Courses coded 100-499 indicateUNDERGRADUATE courses. Coursescoded 500-699 indicate GRADUATEcourses. Any course codes greater than699 indicate DOCTORATE courses. The highest grade a student can get foran exam or a coursework is 4.00 / A,while 0.00 / F means that the studentfails the course.
KU students usually take 5 courses persemester (for an average of 15 KU creditsthat is equal to 30 ECTS). Although there isno requirement for Erasmus+ and GlobalExchange students, at least 3 courses arerecommended. It is up to your homeinstitution to approve your course load.Erasmus+ ICM Students are required to take15 KU Credits / 30 ECTS and completeminimum 10 KU Credits / 20 ECTSsuccessfully per semester.
During Your ExchangeAcademic Life & Courses
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What is the academic systemlike at KU?
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Is there a minimum course orcredit load I must take during myexchange semester at KU?
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During Your ExchangeAcademic Life & Courses
Each semester, we publish the coursesoffered for incoming exchange students onour website. However, please note that thecourses announced are subject to changeprior to the semester and some coursesmight have prerequisites. You can also visithere to see the courses offered in previoussemesters (Some courses listed on this linkmight not be open for exchange students).
Yes! If you would like to enroll in a courseout of your department / major, you can doso, unless the course is specific to thestudents of that department. Moreover, ifthere are any prerequisites, you need tomeet them or you can ask for theinstructor's consent, as well.
What courses are offered forincoming exchange students?
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Can I take courses out of mydepartment / major?
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KU students usually take five courses persemester. If you wish to take a 6th course,you need to notify your mentor and OIPprior to course enrollment to make thearrangements.
How many courses can / should Itake?
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During Your Exchange
Yes! If you, as an undergraduate student abdwould like to enroll in a graduate course, youcan do so, as long as you meet theprerequisites and the course instructorbelieves that the course is appropriate foryou.
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Academic Life & Courses
Yes! If you, as a graduate student andwould like to enroll in an undergraduatecourse, you can do so. But do not forget toconsult with your home university, as well.
As a graduate student, can I takeundergraduate courses?
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As an undergraduate student, canI take graduate courses?
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You can find the academic calendar here.
Where can I see the academiccalendar?
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Course planning and course enrollment aretwo separate processes. You should planyour courses before the course enrollment.By doing that, you will be able to see if yourcourses overlap or if there are anyprerequisites, etc. During the Orientation,there will be a separate session for courseenrollment and you will be able to enrollinto your planned courses. Throughoutthese procedures, your Mentors andRegistrar’s Office will assisst you.
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During Your ExchangeAcademic Life & Courses
After application period is over and applicants'documents are reviewed, KU accounts foraccepted students will be created. You canstart planning your courses via KUSIS prior tothe semester, before the course registration.The exact dates for course planning areannounced on the academic calendar eachsemester.
What is the difference betweencourse planning and courseenrollment?
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When will I plan my courses?
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Yes, you can make changes on your plannedcourses before course enrollment and duringadd/drop week. Moreover, you can withdrawfrom a course during the semester after theadd/drop week; however, please note that ifyou withdraw from a course, you cannot enrollinto another one in mid-semester and yourtranscript would be processed with the gradeW for that course.
Can I change the courses that I planprior to the semester?
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Some intermediate and advanced courses require an introductory study in the related subject. Insuch cases, the course instructor or your advisor will look for the proper prerequisites in yourprevious studies. Should you wish to take a class without the required prerequisites, you can talkto the instructor for their consent.
After your KU account is created, you willbe able to log in to KUSIS and see thecourse syllabi prior to the semester. Youcan watch our “how to” video to learn howto download the course syllabi from KUSIS.
Course enrollment is made during theOrientation Days with the help of theRegistrar's Office and Mentor students. Theexact dates are announced prior to thesemester by OIP.
What is a prerequisite?
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During Your ExchangeAcademic Life & Courses
How do I get the syllabi/outlinesfor my courses?
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When will I enroll into myplanned courses?
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During Your ExchangeAcademic Life & Courses
If the course instructor requires eachstudent to request consent, or if there areprerequisites to a course and you cannotdirectly enroll into the course, you mightneed “consent”. You can see our “how to”video to learn how to request consent onKUSIS.
What is a consent?
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It usually takes 2-3 days for an instructor toapprove a consent request. However,depending on the instructor’s busyness, itmight take a little longer. In case you areworried if your request will be approved ornot, or if you cannot reach the instructor,you can email your Mentor or OIP to seektheir help, as well.
How long will it take for mycourse consent requests to beapproved?
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A waitlist for a specific course is the list of students who signed up for the course and meetthe course’s requirements but cannot get in due to full course capacity. This can happeneither because the class is completely full, or because the seats that are available arereserved for other student types that you are not qualified for (e.g. students of a specificmajor). On KUSIS, it will still show that you successfully enrolled into the course but youwill be on the waitlist, and unless you get off the waitlist and get into the course, you willbe automatically removed from the course after the add/drop period. In order to get off thewaitlist, you can simply wait for other students to drop the course, which will allow thoseon the waitlist to get in one by one, If you do not wish to wait and have a good reason toenroll, then you can request consent from the instructor of that course from KUSIS.
What does being on a coursewaitlist mean?
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Audit courses are those courses that students attend just as a listener. Audit courses areconsidered as addition to normal course load and students do not earn credit from audit courses.If the student completes the audit course successfully, the course is indicated in the transcriptwith the “AU” grade. If the student fails to complete the audit course, the course is deleted fromthe transcript. To add an audit course, meeting time should fit your schedule. To add an auditcourse, you need to contact the instructor of the course and have them sign the Audit Add Formwhich you can obtain from the link below or from our office. You must return the signed form toour office within the Add/Drop period. For detailed information, please visit the website here.
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During Your ExchangeAcademic Life & Courses
Can I attend / audit a course without receiving any credit?
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During the first week of courses, which is called “add/drop week”(exact dates are announced in the academic calendar), you candrop a course without any penalty.
Can I drop a course in the middle of the semester?
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During Your ExchangeAcademic Life & Courses
After the add/drop week, if you would liketo withdraw from a course, you can do so,but do not forget that the withdrawal willbe indicated on your transcript. The lastday to withdraw from a course isannounced on the academic calendar.
What happens if I decide towithdraw from a course?
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Yes, if offered, you can retake an exam(resit exam) after failing a course.
Is it possible to retake an exam ifI fail a course?
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During Your Exchange
KOLT (Koç University Office of Learningand Teaching) offers students the resourcesand guidance they need to develop self-efficacy and personal agency (that is,confidence in their ability to regulate andadvance their own study process, to seekout resources to fill gaps in their ownknowledge, and to improve and expandtheir skills through effort). The servicesoffered for all students include: KOLTTutoring Center, Conversation CircleProgram, One-on-One AcademicConsultations, Academic Skills Workshops,and Computer Proficiency AssessmentProgram (CPAP). If you would like to learnmore about KOLT, you can visit theirwebsite or send an email [email protected].
KOLT
As an exchange student, you can benefitfrom the Career Development Center at KU.Career Development Center helps studentsat all stages of their career planning anddevelopment. These services include:Personality/Interest Inventories andCareer-Oriented Interpretation, GeneralCareer Advising, Planning for Masters andPhD Process, Review of Curriculum Vitae,Cover Letter and Statement of Purpose,Interview Preparation, and Walk-InMeetings for Quick Questions. For detailedinformation, you can visit their website orsend an email to [email protected]
Facilities & Services
What facilities can I benefit from?
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KURES
As an exchange student, you can benefitfrom the Koc University Guidance andPsychological Services Center. KURESconsists of Psychological Counseling Centerand Guidance Center. You can consult thePsychological Counseling Center if youwould like to receive psychological supportor psychological counseling (e.g. anxiety,exam anxiety, difficulties adapting touniversity life, relationship difficulties,depression, anger management problems,self-esteem problems, alcohol andsubstance abuse, etc.). Besides, GuidanceCenter organizes seminars (e.g. effectivecommunication, anger management, healthnutrition, eating problems, stressmanagement, and preventing sexualharassment, etc.) throughout the academicyear in order to enhance academic andpersonal development of students, facultyand staff. For detailed information, you canvisit their website or send an email [email protected]
During Your Exchange
As an exchange student, you can benefitfrom the library services at KU. During theorientation days, a library representativewill give you information regarding how touse the library website and how to usedatabases. For detailed information, youcan visit their website.
Facilities & Services
iii iv Suna Kıraç Library
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The Writing Center provides graduate students with writing support — including feedback suggestionsfor improved writing and reading strategies, and editorial recommendations with Academic WritingProgram instructors. The trained consultants offer either one-on-one or small-group consultingsessions to provide support through any stage of the writing process in order to help build on awriter’s strengths and address any particular challenges in writing skills. For detailed information, youcan visit their website or send an email to [email protected]
Located on the hills of Sariyer in the cosmopolitan and vibrant city of Istanbul, KU offers a fullresidential campus experience on its beautiful, green, 62-acre estate, achieving a striking balancebetween accessibility to central Istanbul and retreat from the distractions of city life. You, as anexchange student, can benefit from all campus facilities during your exchange. On the main campus,there is a multi-purpose gym with a seating capacity of 2,000, an open tennis court, a soccer fieldwith artificial turf, and an ice rink. The gym has a 156 m running track that has a panoramic view ofthe court, squash and racquetball courts, aerobics and dance rooms, a fitness room, a cardio room,and a table tennis section. For social and cultural activities, you can follow the events (e.g. concerts,plays, movie screenings, etc.) organized by the Sevgi Gönül Cultural Center. Moreover, KU offers itsstudents and staff healthy, hygienic, and high-quality dining options in a comfortable and spaciousatmosphere. Cafes and dining halls at KU campus offer a variety of food selections for different tastesas well as numerous vending machines at the dormitories and faculty halls serving hot and coldbeverages and snacks 24/7.
During Your ExchangeFacilities & Services
Academic Writing Centerv
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It is definitely normal if you have difficulties in adapting to a new academic system, new culture,etc. If you would like to talk to someone, you can make an appointment with KURES [email protected]. For details, please see the question 53.iii.
Moreover, KUPTEM is a comprehensive mental health center that provides various clinical servicesincluding individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, psychiatric consultation and treatmentin partnership with Koç University Hospital and Amerikan Hospital. KUPTEM is committed todelivering culturally competent services that are responsive to the needs, strengths, and identitiesof Koç University’s diverse community of students. For more information, you can visit KUPTEM’swebsite.
During Your ExchangeFacilities & Services
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If I have difficulty in adapting to my life at KU (unfamiliar academic system,culture shock etc.), is there a specialist I can talk to?
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Koç University Health Center provides service in a two-storey building located in the dormitoryarea of the University campus. All medical staff working in the Health Center are experts andexperienced people who have the knowledge and skills to meet the health needs of the populationon campus.
On the ground floor of the Main Campus Health Center, the Polyclinic Room where patients areprovided with outpatient services, the Emergency Intervention Room where the first aid is given topatients in emergency situations (trauma, fall, myocardial infarction, etc.) There is a Laboratorythat has the capability of performing all examinations and analyzes that can be done in its units andcenters that provide primary healthcare services.
According to the results of the physical examinations and examinations made to the patientsapplying to the Health Center, a prescription can be arranged by the physician when necessary,their treatment can be started at the Health Center, and if deemed necessary, it can be referred toanother health institution by ambulance for further examination and treatment.
You, as an exchange student, can benefit from all these services free of charge. If you are on campusand need to see a doctor, you can visit the Health Center. For further information, you can visittheir website.
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During Your ExchangeFacilities & Services
I need to see a doctor. What should I do?
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The Office of Disability Services supports the students with a disability both to benefit from campusand dorms and to improve themselves personally and academically as much equally as otherstudents. It takes the necessary arrangements of construction in the campus made to help thembecome accessible to students with disabilities. This office gets electronic written and audiosources produced to ease these students to get the information necessary for their personal andacademic improvement. For more information, you can visit their website or contact them [email protected].
There are more than 80 student clubs atKU that you can join. Visiting this website,you can download the list of all activestudent clubs, see their email addressesand social media accounts. Moreover, withthe same link, you can also watch teaservideos prepared by student clubs. You canalso get in touch with InternationalStudent Club to meet other internationalstudents at KU.
During Your ExchangeFacilities & Services
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Can I join a student club?
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Yes, we accept students with specialneeds. If you need any accessibilityarrangements, you should inform OIPso that we can help you better beforeyour semester starts at KU.
Do you accept students withspecial needs as exchangestudents?
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Are there any facilities or services that might guide students with specialneeds with life at KU?
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During Your ExchangeUseful Documents & Contacts
Some useful links and contacts can be found below:Find Your Way on KUSIS: "How To" Videos Office of International Programs WebsiteContact for incoming exchange students: [email protected] Registrar's Office (technical support for KUSIS): [email protected] IT (technical support with your KU email account): [email protected] Academic Calendar (day by day)Frequently Asked Questions on KUSIS and Academic Procedures KURES (Koç University Guidance and Psychological Services Centre) KOLT (Koç University Office of Learning and Teaching) Career Development Center
What might be the useful contact information for an incoming student?
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You can find our Exchange Semester at KU Guide helpful to learn more about KU, life at KU,facilities and services on campus, and cross-cultural opportunities. Moreover, you can visit ourwebsite to learn more about academic life, Erasmus+ paperwork, dorms, etc.
Is there a guide / booklet that might be helpful for me?
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An emergency is any circumstance thatposes a genuine risk to, or that has alreadydisturbed the safety and well-being ofprogram participants. Emergencies willinclude, though not be confined to, thefollowing types of events and incidents:criminal assault, sexual assault, seriousillness, injury, arrest, natural disasters, etc.You can see KU Emergency Plan Protocolhere. Moreover, you can see the emergencynumbers on our website.
Each exchange student is assigned to anacademic advisor whose name can befound on the student’s KUSIS profile.Academic Advisors are there to assist youwith course issues and to provide academicsupport. Academic Advisors can also serveas liaisons between students and facultymembers or present academicopportunities on campus such as researchpositions and special programs / projects.In case you need to meet with youracademic advisor or an academic memberof staff, you need to check their onlineoffice hours, which are listed on thesyllabus of the courses. You can emailthem to arrange an appointment.
During Your ExchangeUseful Documents & Contacts
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Who should I contact in case of anemergency?
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Who is an academic advisor?
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During Your ExchangeKU E-mail & Online Tools
After application period is over andapplicants' documents are reviewed, KUaccounts for accepted students will becreated. You will use the same KU emailand password to access all services oncampus and online (KUSIS, Blackboard,Library, etc.). Your account informationwill be emailed to you by OIP. Thereforeyou should check your emails regularly.
If you have problems accessing your emailsafter your accounts are created, you cansend an email to IT via [email protected] andput [email protected] in Cc so that wecan be informed about the problem.
How do I learn my KU e-mail andpassword?
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I cannot use my KU e-mail. Whatshould I do?
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During Your ExchangeKU E-mail & Online Tools
During the semester at KU, you will use KocUniversity Student Information System(KUSIS) regularly. You will plan yourcourses, enroll in your planned courses, seecourse outlines and syllabi, requestinstructors’ consent, fill petitions, locateclassrooms, view your exam schedule andgrades, and request student verificationdocument. You should check our “how to”videos to learn more about theseprocedures.
What can I do on KUSIS?
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You can log in to KUSIS using your KUusername and password.
How do I log in to KUSIS?
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If you cannot log in to KUSIS because of aproblem with your KU email account,you should contact IT via [email protected] put [email protected] in Cc. Ifyour problem is related to KUSIS itself,rather than your account, you can sendan email to [email protected] and [email protected]
I cannot log in to KUSIS. Whatshould I do?
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KUSISKUSIS
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During Your ExchangeKU E-mail & Online Tools
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You will use Panopto to access coursecontent and watch course recordings.
What can I do on Panopto?
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You can log in to Panopto using yourusername and password.
How do I log in to Panopto?
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If you cannot log in to Panopto because of aproblem with your KU email account, youshould contact IT via [email protected] and [email protected] in Cc.
I cannot log in to Panopto. Whatshould I do?
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During Your ExchangeKU E-mail & Online Tools
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During your semester at KU, you will useBlackboard to view and download thedocuments shared by the instructor, uploadyour assignments, take tests, view yourgrades and the instructor comments onyour submissions, post comments at thediscussion board, and viewannouncements.
What can I do on Blackboard?
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You can log in to Blackboard using your KUusername and password.
How do I log in to Blackboard?
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I cannot log in to Panopto. Whatshould I do?
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If you cannot log in to Panopto because of aproblem with your KU email account, youshould contact IT via [email protected] and [email protected] in Cc.
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Each incoming student is assigned to anExchange Mentor (a full-degree seekingKoç University student) who acts as aguide and resource person throughout thesemester. Each mentor is responsible forapproximately five students and maintainsweekly communication with each of them.The mentors go through a rigorousselection, interview, and training processbefore being assigned a group of students.Mentors are reliable, hard-workingindividuals open to cultural exchange. Theytake their students’ well-being intoconsideration at all times and are alwaysready to address their questions orconcerns the whole mobility semester.
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During Your ExchangeMentorship
Who is a mentor?
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Your mentor can help and guide you withany academic issues you may have and alsowith your social / cultural adaptation toKU, Istanbul or Turkey. However, youshould keep in mind that your mentorcannot help you with your personal issuesor cannot contact instructors ordepartments at KU on behalf of you.
What are the things that I can askfor my mentor’s help?
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During Your ExchangeMentorship
Yes! Whether the semester is physical orvirtual, throughout the semester, mentorsorganize several social / cultural activitiesto enhance your adjustment to KU and toget to know new people. These activitiesmight include campus tour, face-to-facemeetings on campus, trips in Istanbul and inTurkey while the semester is physical; andonline workshops, games and activitieswhile the semester is virtual. Moreover,during the semester, some workshops andevents that will help you enhance your CVwill be organized, as well.
Will there be any social / culturalactivities during the semesterorganized by Mentors?
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During Your ExchangeMentorship
If you are an Erasmus+ ICM (non-European Erasmus) student, youwill need to submit Learning Agreement - During Mobility part. If you are an Erasmus+ student (from a European university), we donot need any documents from you during the semester. However,you should also consult with your home university to make sureabout their requirements.
Are there any documents I need to submit during thesemester?
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Istanbul, especially compared to otherEuropean countries, is very affordable.Estimated student budget per month, asreported by KU students, can be planned for:Food (approximately 15 TL per meal) 1350 TL,Accommodation 1500-2100 TL, Books andcourse materials 500 TL, Phone/internet 70TL, Local travel (including taxi fees andmonthly student travel card) 200 TL,Personal care/hygiene products 80 TL, andLeisure 500 TL. You can estimate yourmonthly budget as 4200 to 4800 TL.However, you should also keep in mind thatmonthly expenses may change depending onthe person and currency exchange rate.
During Your Exchange
You can visit ICO’s website to learn moreabout how to get to KU main campus fromIstanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airportusing many options such as taxi, publicbuses, and shuttles.
There are minibuses that take off from theuniversity, going to Sarıyer. From Sarıyer youcan take other buses or minibuses to variouslocations in the city center or to theHacıosman metro station which is a veryeasy way of transportation.
Travelling / Living in İstanbul
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How can I budget for my semesterabroad?
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How can I get to KU from theairport?
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How do I get to the city centerfrom KU? How long does it take?
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In order to make the best use of your timeduring your exchange semester andexperience the culture, having basic Turkishskills plays an important role. You can learnthe culture deeper, communicate with localsand create your own network easier. On ourInternational Community Office’s website,you can find several platforms where youcan learn and practice Turkish (e.g. electivecourses on Turkish offered by KU,conversation circles organized bydepartments and units at KU, off campusTurkish courses, and a simple Turkishsentences guide).
Unfortunately, you cannot work as anincoming exchange student with short-termresidence permit. After your exchangesemester, you will need to have yourworkplace to apply for a work permit foryou. As the Office of International Programs,we are not authorized to help you with thework permit applications during or after yourexchange semester at KU.
During Your ExchangeTravelling / Living in İstanbul
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Unfortunately, international students are notallowed to be employed in Turkey becausethey don't hold a work permit.
What if I want to get a job inİstanbul while I’m on exchange?
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What if I want to get an internshipin İstanbul while I’m onexchange?
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Should I learn some Turkish? Ifyes, how can I do that?
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fill in the check-out form if you stay inthe dorms return the books you borrowed from theLibrary fill out and submit our End of SemesterSurvey drop by our Office to say “Good Bye” :)
You should;
After Your Exchange
On your transcript, you will be able to seeyour letter grades, earned credits in KUsystem, earned credit in ECTS for eachcourse, and end of semester GPA. Auditcourses and Withdrawn courses will be seenon your transcript with letters “AU” and “W”respectively, as well.
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Soft copy of your transcript will be sent toyour home university with you in Cc once allyour grades are announced on KUSIS. If youneed a hard copy, you can contact usthrough [email protected].
What should I do before myexchange semester ends?
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Will OIP send my official transcriptto me / my home university?
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What my courses and credits willlook like on the transcript?
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It is up to your home university to recognizethe courses and credits you take during yourexchange semester. Therefore, we stronglyrecommend you to keep in touch with yourhome university before finalizing your courseenrollment at KU and get their approval inthe beginning of the semester. This way youcan make sure beforehand that your coursesand credits will be recognized andtransferred when you are back at your homeuniversity.
It is subject to change depending on KUadministration and Migration ManagementOffice (as there may be additional documentrequests due to the changes in procedures orregulations). You will be informed by ourOffice or the authorities if necessary.
Are there any documents I need tosubmit before the semester endsor before I leave Turkey?
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After Your Exchange
Can I transfer the courses andcredits I earn at KU?
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After Your Exchange
If you wish to extend your stay at KU, firstyou should contact your home university’sStudy Abroad / Exchange Programs Officeand get their approval. After that, theyshould contact us about your extensionrequest through [email protected]. Wewill reply to that message at our earliestconvenience.
How can I stay for an additionalsemester if I want to extend myexchange program?
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Previous KU exchange students will be able toaccess their KUSIS accounts until 5 years aftertheir exchange semester. You can request yourKU transcript from KUSIS.
I’ve completed my exchangeprogram at KU a few years ago. Can Irequest my transcript again? How?
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Ms. Arzu Dalyan
[email protected]: (+90) 212 338 1802
Ms. Özge Gökten Bayrak
[email protected]: (+90) 212 338 1124
Exchange Programs and PartnershipsIncoming Mobility Programs
Ms. Rena Polat [email protected]
Tel: (+90) 212 338 1657
International ExchangePrograms and Partnerships
Team Leader
Office of International Programs Director
Ms. Burcu Sarsılmaz [email protected]: (+90) 212 338 1123
