Upon the completion of the course phase, the candidate is expected to apply to the Department to initiate the Ph.D. Qualification Process no later than his/her 5th semester (7th for the integrated Ph.D. program) in the program. Upon the application of the student, the Department designates a Qualifier Committee that consist of 5 primary members (2 of them from another institution) and 2 backup members (1 of them from another institution) and announces the schedule for the process.

The Ph.D. Qualification Process in Industrial Engineering Department of Yaşar University consists of 3 stages:

1. Fundamentals (In‐class Written Exam)
2. Research Question (In‐class Written Exam)
3. Oral Examination

If the candidate fails any of this stages, the candidate fails the whole process. Upon a first failure, the candidate would reapply for the process in the upcoming semester, starting over from the first stage.

Stage 1: Fundamentals (In‐class Written Examination)

This stage is designed to gauge if the candidate possesses sufficient maturity in fundamental subjects required for a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering. These fundamental subjects are below:

1. Mathematical Models and Algorithms
2. Probabilistic Analysis and Stochastic Processes
3. Statistical Analysis
4. Optimization Theory

This stage involves in‐class written examination. Each question would be evaluated separately and assigned a grade from the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}. A candidate who earns all 3’s or higher would be allowed to pass this stage. A candidate who gets 2 from one area would need at least one 4 or higher grade from another area to pass this stage. More than two 2 grades results in failure.

Stage 2: Research Question

The candidates successfully completing the first stage would undertake the second stage. This stage consists of a single essay type in‐class examination. The research question will be provided from the potential interest area of the candidate, accompanied by a research paper. The candidate would have to present a compelling answer to the research question posed, furnishing all detail necessary to establish a convincing argument. Upon discussion of the paper by the departmental subcommittee, it would be decided if the performance is sufficient (more than 60% success) to pass this stage.

Stage 3: Oral Examination

A candidate who passes the first two stages would present himself/herself to the Qualifier Committee. The committee would be privately briefed on the performance of the candidate initially. After the briefing, the oral examination would commence. Guests with Ph.D.’s would be able to join this stage as audience. The questions from the committee would likely cover the weaknesses manifested during the previous stages of the Qualifier. Upon completion of the oral exam, the candidate, as well as the guests, would be invited outside, and the deliberation on the performance of the candidate by the Qualifier Committee would take place. If the Committee finds the candidate successful, the candidate would have passed the Qualifier Process and would be ready to start the Dissertation Phase in the Ph.D. program.