Academic Guidance
The advisory services provided for students in higher education institutions can be handled in two groups as academic and career oriented. An advisor is assigned to a class or branch level for students who are registered in bachelor’s degree or associate degree programs. Academic advisors provide support and advisory in academic issues such as taking courses, orientation to optional courses, and educational activities. These advisors also provide support and advisory to students on loans, scholarship, accommodation etc. A courses advisor is assigned for graduate students after they registered in their programs and in programs with thesis before they advance to thesis a thesis advisor is assigned.
Psychological Counselling
Students of higher education can benefit from the psychologists support units of university health centres as well as hospitals.
Career Guidance
Although providing career advisory services is a legal necessity, there is not any structure that can be generalized for all the higher education institutions. Higher Education Law (Yükseköğretim Kanunu), No. 2547 foresees that higher education institutions support the graduates in employment issue in collaboration with the public and private institutions (Article 47). Career Consultancy Centers were founded in some of the higher education institutions in order to provide these services. Vocational presentation meetings are held and participation of the representatives of private sector institutions to these activities is provided through these centers by various units. In this way students and employers are tried to be brought together.
Students familiarize themselves with their professions, learn employment opportunities, and interact with the employers mostly through training courses which is a necessity for programs. Education and training practices at work are applied in bachelor’s degree and associate degree programs prevalently. In many programs this practice is mandatory as per the field.
Procedures on workplace education and training practices for higher vocational schools within the scope of associate degree programs are affiliated with a legal frame. Regulations that arrange these issues determine principles and applications for workplace education and training for higher vocational school students in Mesleki ve teknik eğitim bölgeleri. (Regulation on Principles and Rudiments for Workplace Education, Practices and Training Courses of the Higher Vocational School Students within the Vocational Technical Education/Mesleki Teknik Eğitim Bölgesi İçindeki Meslek Yüksekokulu Öğrencilerinin İşyerlerindeki Eğitim, Uygulama ve Stajlarına İlişkin Esas Ve Usuller Hakkında Yönetmelik) According to this regulation students fulfill their training courses on half-term and summer holidays. Yet, in case of that conditions of the plant are inconvenient,training course can be done on other than the above mentioned period unless education is hindered. Training course cannot be less than 30 working days (240 hours) and more than 60 working days (480 hours). During education students of the higher schools that conduct vocational practices are evaluated out of the above mentioned 30-60 day training course period. This process is evaluated both by workplace authorities and the concerned academic staff member.
Training course practices of the bachelor’s degree programs are arranged on faculty/higher school or department level, and this process is monitored and evaluated by the concerned course’s academic staff member.
Training courses are processes that strengthen the relations between business offices and higher education institutions and facilitate the employment opportunities for students.
Studies to develop university-industry relations are mostly conducted via Techno parks or Technology Development Zones/centres within the universities. In these areas various firms can exist and researchers on various levels can work in these firms half or full time. Thus industrial institutions know the university much better and development of the relations are more possible.
The students who are sent to universities in foreign counties in line with the Law on Students Sent to the Foreign Countries numbered 1416 and dated 08.04.1929 are offered an adviser in their local universities and in the educational office to which they are affiliated in the foreign country. Local advisers lead graduate students about the content of their programs and their future work places when they return. Those advisers also support students about their theses and dissertations. Advisers in the educational offices in the foreign counties help students adapt to the new university and the culture. They also coordinate the communication with the country in terms of students’ progress and relevant issues.