Joint Programs

The Department of City and Regional Planning contributes to 5 interdisciplinary Joint Graduate Programs carried out with other departments in METU:

Masters and Phd Programs in Urban Policy Planning and Local Governments

Run jointly with the Department of Political Sciences and Public Administration.

The program in Urban Policy Planning and Local Governments aims to enable students to specialize in urban policy analysis and design, urban project management, and local government studies, and offers degrees at both the M.S. and PhD levels. Reflecting its multidisciplinary character, the program admits graduates not only from the two host disciplines but also from related fields such as law, economics, management, psychology, sociology, engineering, and architecture. The program has two complementary orientations. First, it builds an interdisciplinary synthesis by drawing on the perspectives and methods of multiple fields. Second, it strengthens the connection between theory and practice in urban management and policy-making, thereby challenging purely pragmatic approaches that have traditionally shaped urban policy processes.

Masters and Phd Programs in Settlement Archeology

Run jointly with the Department of Architecture and Archeometry Graduate Program.

The program in Settlement Archeology provides students with a strong academic foundation in archaeological theory, research techniques, and contemporary interpretative methods, with particular emphasis on settlement and environmental archaeology. The program trains students in the scientific and technological as well as the social science and humanities approaches required to conduct archaeological research in line with current international standards. Its primary aim is to educate advanced scholars in settlement archaeology who are prepared for university-level teaching and research and for active participation in national and international archaeological projects in Türkiye. 

Masters Program in Geodetic and Geographic Information Technologies

Run jointly with the Departments of Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geological Engineering, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Biology, Statistics, Architecture and Sociology.

The program in Geodetic and Geographic Information Technologies (GGIT) is an interdisciplinary graduate program leading to master and Ph.D. degrees. The aim of the program is to pursue research in space geodesy (SG), geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS). The program is designed to meet the growing demands for skilled manpower at the graduate level particularly in areas of contemporary space technologies and their applications in various fields, GIS, spatial data analyses and remote sensing technology. The program emphasizes theoretical as well as applied multi-disciplinary research.

Master Program in Earthquake Studies

Run jointly with the Departments of Civil Engineering, Mining Engineering, and Geological Engineering.

The program in Earthquake Studies aims to establish a graduate-level academic framework in earthquake engineering, active tectonics, and disaster management, initially leading to an M.S. degree and, in the longer term, to a Ph.D. degree. It also seeks to coordinate integrated interdisciplinary research through graduate theses, enabling the transfer of knowledge and data to public and private sector stakeholders. In addition, the program provides educational services and delivers extension courses to support professional development and broader capacity-building in earthquake and disaster-related fields.

Master Program in Earth System Science

Run jointly with 16 other departments/institutes: Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Economics, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Engineering Sciences, Food Engineering, Geological Engineering, Institute of Marine Sciences, International Relations, Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Physics, Sociology and Statistics.

The program in Earth System Science aims to respond to the growing national, regional, and global need for professionals trained in Earth System Science and its wide range of applications by providing an interdisciplinary, research-oriented academic platform for understanding coupled natural and human systems. It focuses on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, and their interactions with the biosphere and anthroposphere, while advancing research on issues that directly affect life on Earth, including climate change and global warming, natural resource use and depletion, land use dynamics, environmental degradation, and biodiversity change. The program also emphasizes investigating past and present climate variability, improving prediction models and future scenarios, and developing analytic, solution-oriented strategies for challenges such as abrupt climate events, natural disasters, and pollution.