Izmir University of Economics & University of Abertay Dundee, MSc in Computer Games Technology

After the approval of Council of Higher Education of Turkey, MSc in Computer Games Technology Course is planned to be opened in 2008/9 academic year.

Discussions about potential co-operation between IUE (Izmir University of Economics) and UAD (University of Abertay Dundee) began in 2001, following contacts brokered by the British Council’s officers in Turkey. As a result of those initial discussions a Memorandum of Agreement was signed in 2001 and an Articulation Protocol signed in November 2007, subsequently modified in the light of comments raised by the Turkish Ministry of Education’s approvals body, YÖK , and UAD’s Quality Assurance Committee. The resulting document is a Memorandum of Agreement signed by the two parties in June 2008.

The “IUE Course of Study” is the first semester of their Masters programme in Computer Games Technology.

The UAD programme is the Postgraduate Diploma in Software Engineering (Computer Games Technology) leading to the Master of Science degree in Computer Games Technology (herein referred to as the “Programme of Study”).

The Combined Study Programme comprises the Course of Study followed by ‘articulation’, that is, entry with advanced standing to the second semester of the Programme of Study. Students successfully completing that semester will be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Software Engineering (Computer Games Technology) and to progress to the third semester of the Programme of Study, successful completion of which will lead to the award of the UAD Master of Science degree in Computer Games Technology.

Students successfully completing the Combined Study Programme will then be eligible for a further semester of study at IUE leading, if successful, to the award of the IUE Masters degree in Computer Games Technology.

• Students will be admitted to IUE Course of Study based on admission rules set by IUE (See Annex 2). The language of instruction at IUE is English, and students who pass language requirements at IUE (subject to annual review by UAD) will be exempt from any further obligations to prove English proficiency.
• UAD will grant admission with advanced entry to the UAD Programme of Study to IUE Transcript Supplement holders (i.e. successful completion of first semester at IUE).
• Students who successfully complete the second semester of the Programme of Study at UAD will be eligible to receive a PG Diploma from UAD.
• Students who successfully complete semesters two and three of the Programme of Study will be eligible to receive a UAD Master of Science degree in Computer Games Technology and will thus have successfully completed the Combined Study Programme.
• Upon successful completion of a fourth semester for their master’s thesis at IEU, they will be awarded a M.Sc. diploma in Computer Games and Technology from IEU.
• Upon receiving UAD Master of Science degree in Computer Games Technology, they will be eligible for a 2 year work permit in Scotland under Scottish laws.

For a typical articulating student, the opportunities open to them are shown below in Figure 1. An IUE student who successfully completes the fall semester in Izmir (column A in Figure 1.) has the opportunity to enter the second semester of the UAD Programme of Study (column B). Successful completion of this semester will give the student the opportunity to exit the programme with a UAD Post Graduate Diploma or to progress to the third semester (column C). Successful completion of the MSc Dissertation will result in the student becoming eligible for the award of a UAD Masters of Science degree in Computer Games Technology and will also provide an opportunity for the student to choose to return to IUE to complete the fourth semester of their masters degree (column D). The details on curriculum of both graduate programs are given in detail in Annex 1.

Exclusivity

UAD and IUE are to have an exclusive arrangement in so far as IUE will not develop courses in similar subject areas with UK partners without UAD consent; and UAD will not engage in an articulation in Computer Games related subjects with another university in the Republic of Turkey without the consent of IUE.

Modes of Study

For IUE students, the Programme of Study is only available in full-time study mode.

Learning Resources

On arrival at UAD the IUE students will undertake an orientation programme followed by an induction programme. They will be provided with all relevant module documentation during the first week of semester two. In addition, IUE students will be supported by UAD staff to ensure a smooth transition between locations. Whilst studying the IUE Course of Study students will have remote access to UAD learning resources including WebCT, on-line teaching material and library facilities which includes appropriate on-line journals etc. together with access to IUE full library and IT facilities for the duration of their study

The figure below illustrates the programme as a whole.

Contact Information

Programme director at IUE:

Asst Professor Dr. Mahmut Ali Gökçe
Tel: +90 (0) 232 4888284,
Email: ali.gokce@ieu.edu.tr

Annex 1

Combined Study Programme

The curriculum of both IUE Course of Study and UAD Programme of Study are given in below tables. IUE and UAD withhold the right to make necessary changes to their curricula in a spirit of improving the Combined Study Programme and through appropriate liaison.

Admission to the Combined Study Programme does not give the right to transfer to another program at either University or to another Combined Study Programme. However, students of Combined Study Programme can transfer to other programmes of either University or to another Combined Study Programme subject to rules and conditions for transfer by the University hosting the programme.

IUE Masters Degree Course Structure

The UAD Programme of Study

Masters Degree Course Structure

Annex 2

Admission to IUE Course of Study

IUE will admit students to the Course of Study based on following conditions.

• An undergraduate degree from an accredited institution (at least 4 years) in a related field of study,
• Minimum SAY 50 points from LES (Graduate Education Exam) or 60 points from ALES (Academic Personnel and Graduate Education Exam) in the previous 2 years. (Applicants of other nationalities are asked to provide alternative evidence, if available)
• To be successful in the scientific interview.

Students, who have already taken one of the internationally accepted tests of English shown below, must have received at least the scores stated below, or better, to be exempt from Proficiency Exams.

Students admitted to the Course of Study who cannot provide adequate scores from the acceptable list identified in the table above for English proficiency, can attend a preparatory language program at IUE. Students are required to prove their English proficiency by submitting a minimum acceptable score for one of the tests identified in the table above within 2 years of their admission to the Course of Study. Students failing to do so cannot progress to the Programme of Study and will be expelled from the Course of Study.

Grading for Course of Study

Courses taken during IUE Course of Study will be graded according to IUE grading system, given below.

Annex 3

Financial Model for Combined Programme

The IUE Course of Study is the sole responsibility of IUE and, as such, the fees charged and other financial matters relating to that Course of Study are not subject to scrutiny under the terms of this Agreement.

Students have to pay tuition (other than scholarship assistanship cases) to IEU as determined by IEU for other graduate programs.

The rest of the explanations on financial matters are solely concerned with the articulation of students successfully completing the IUE Course of Study, and thereby meeting the entry requirements for entry with advanced standing onto the UAD Programme of Study. Therefore, the only financial arrangements that are within the scope of this Agreement are those relating to the student fees for the Programme of Study and the Scholarship offered to students passing the Course of Study.

Financial Model for Session 2008/2009

This financial model is based on the recruitment target that the IUE will have 20 students per year passing their Course of Study to progress to the UAD Programme of Study.

Programme of Study

Each student admitted to the UAD Programme of Study will be required to pay to the UAD the current standard overseas tuition fee, for advanced standing entry, of £5,767. However, students who have successfully completed the IUE Course of Study will be entitled to an Abertay-Izmir Scholarship amounting to 15% of that overseas tuition fee. Students who, for academic reasons, are not permitted to progress from the PGDip to the MSc stage shall be entitled to a refund of course fee from UAD to the value of £1,450.

Payment Schedule

Each student eligible to be admitted to the UAD Programme of Study will be required to pay a deposit of 30% of the full tuition fee (30% of £5,767) prior to making visa application, as this is a requirement to support visa application. On registration at UAD for the Programme of Study students will be required to pay a further 20% of the full tuition fee (20% of £5,767). The remaining 50% of the tuition fee, less the 15% Abertay-Izmir Scholarship if the student is eligible, may be paid by instalments subject to a signed agreement with the UAD Finance Office.