Akıl karıştıran fiyatlar
Uçakta yan yana oturan ve birbirini tanımayan iki ya da üç yolcunun sohbeti sırasında bileti kaça aldığı konusu açılınca ciddi bir şaşkınlık ortaya çıkıyor.
Örneğin ekonomi sınıfında aynı ikramı ve hizmeti alıp, aynı yere giden hatta aynı tarihlerde uçup da farklı fiyat ödediklerini sohbetlerinde öğrenen yolculardan fazla para ödemiş olanları ‘kazıklanıyor muyum’, ‘acentem beni kandırıyor mu’ gibi içlerinde büyüyen soruların cevabını aramaya başlıyor.
Evet, yanyana dört koltukta oturan ve aynı hizmeti alarak aynı yere uçan dört yolcununda farklı fiyat ödemesi hatta fiyatlar arasında uçurum oluşması, havayolu pazarında doğal bir olay. Havayolları yoğunluğa ve talebe göre ekonomi, business veya first class«ta farklı fiyatlara sahip bilet sınıfları oluşturuyor. Örneğin ekonomide havayoluna göre değişmekle birlikte neredeyse 20 değişik fiyat ortaya çıkabiliyor. Biletini erken satın alan ucuz sınıftan yer bulabiliyor. Yolculuk tarihi yaklaştıkça, uçak doldukça pahalı sınıftaki biletler kalıyor.
Farklı fiyat sınıflarında en önemli ayrım uçuş tarihlerine göre yapılıyor. Havayolları yıllık, 6, 3, 1 aylık ve 8 günlük biletleri satışa sunuyor. Örneğin gidiş tarihinden tam 9 ay sonra döneceksiniz. Havayolundan yıllık bilet satın alıyorsunuz. Biletin tarihi uzadıkça yolcuya daha esnek imkanlar veriliyor. Yıllık bilete sahip yolcu herhangi bir fark ödemeden yolculuk tarihlerini değiştirebiliyor. Aynı zamanda bu sınıftaki biletin kabinde yer bulması diğerlerine göre daha kolay. Ancak yıllık biletlerin fiyatları ortalama bir aylık biletlere göre yaklaşık iki kat pahalı. Avrupa hattında aylık ortalama 350-400 dolarlık biletler yıllık alındığında fiyatlar 800-900 dolara kadar çıkabiliyor.
PROMOSYON BİLETLER
Biletin kullanım süresi kısaldıkça haklarda da kısıtlamaya gidiliyor. Yolcu kısıtlı sınıftaki biletinin tarihlerini değiştirecekse 50 ila 75 dolar arasında değişen ceza ödemek durumunda.
Uçaktaki en ucuz biletler promosyon sınıfı. Ancak tanıtım amaçlı bu sınıfta kabinde sadece bir kaç koltuğa izin veriliyor. Promosyon biletlerin kurallar çok katı. Genellikle tarih değiştirmeye izin verilmiyor. Eğer uçağı kaçırırsanız bilet yanıyor. Bu nedenle bu tür bilet alan yolcuların gidiş dönüş tarihlerine tamamen uyması gerekiyor. Promosyon biletleri hattına göre inanılmaz fiyat farkları verebiliyor. Örneğin geçtiğimiz günlerde düşük maliyetli havayollarından İrlandalı Ryanair, Avrupa hattında 1 milyon tek yön bileti sadece 2 milyon 700 bin liradan satışa sundu. Bu biletlerin rezervasyondan en geç 24 saat içinde satın alınması gerekiyor. Kesinlikle tarih ve saat değiştirilmiyor.
Diğer bilet sınıfı ise 6 veya 3 aylık işçi biletleri. Bunu öğrenci, gemici ve tek yön sınıfta biletler izliyor. Yapılan uçuş milleri ile kazanılan bedava biletlerde ayrı bir sınıftan kesiliyor. Havayolları bu sınıfta farklı müşterilerden pazar payı alabilmek için değişik fiyat politikaları uyguluyor.
First ve business class«ta bilet sınıfları genellikle yıllık haklara sahip. Yani yolcu istediği zaman ek ücret ödemeden bilet tarihleri üzerinde değişiklik yapabiliyor.
Havayolları kabinde hangi sınıf bilete kaç koltuk ayıracağını istatistikler ve pazar araştırmalarına göre ayarlıyor. Örneğin tatil öncesi çıkışlarda ucuz promosyon sınıfı biletler karşılığındaki koltuk sayısı minimuma indiriliyor. Yolculara daha üst sınıf biletten rezervasyon yapılıyor. Talebin azaldığı zamanlarda ise promosyona ayrılan koltuk sayısı artırılıyor. Havayolu bu satış politikası ile yıl içindeki doluluk oranlarını ve giderlerini dengelemiş oluyor.
Seyahat acentesi veya yolcu rezervasyon yaparken uçuş tarihlerine göre sınıf seçenekleri sunuluyor. Örneğin en ucuz fiyattan ayrılan 8 günlük 5 promosyon fiyatlı koltuk satıldı. Rezervasyon sistemi otomatik olarak en ucuz bilet kategorisinde 1 aylık fiyata sahip 10 koltuğu gösteriyor. Uçakta en son pahalı yerler kalıyor. Eğer satışlar düşükse, havayolu düşük fiyatlı koltuk sayısını artırabiliyor.
KARIŞIK SINIF
Bazı havayolları ise gidiş ve dönüş ayaklarında tamamen farklı strateji uyguluyor. Dünyada ilk olarak İngiliz Havayolları British Airways«in (BA) başlattığı ve aralarında İsviçreli Havayolu Swiss«in de bulunduğu şirketler tarafından da takip edilen ‘karışık sınıf’ yolcuya farklı seçenekler sunuyor.
Bu uygulama ile yolcular gidiş ve dönüşte farklı sınıflardan bilet alabiliyor. Örneğin gidiş tarihinde uçakta ciddi bir yoğunluk var. Ve sadece 6 aylık bilet sınıfında yer var. Gidişini bu sınıftan satın alıyorsunuz. Ancak dönüşte uçak boş. Bu sefer en ucuz sınıftaki bileti tercih ediyorsunuz. Bilet fiyatı gidişte pahalı, dönüşte de ucuz sınıfın birleştirilip ikiye bölünüyor. Örneğin gidişte 700, dönüşte de 300 dolarlık sınıf var. İkisinin toplamı olan 1000 dolar ikiye bölünüyor. Böylece 700 dolar ödemek yerine iki sınıfın ortak kullanarak 500 dolar ödeyerek bileti satın alıyorsunuz. İsterseniz uçuşlarınızdan birini ekonomi, diğerini de business yapabiliyorsunuz. Normalde BA ekonomide 5«i kısıtlı toplam 8, business«ta da 3 ayrı fiyat uyguluyor. Birbiriyle kombineli fiyat seçeneğinde ise yolcuya 66 farklı fiyat sunulabiliyor.
TEK FİYAT
Kimi zaman havayolları farklı fiyat uygulamalarını özellikle Türk yolculara anlatmakta zorlanıyor. Bu nedenle tek fiyat uygulamasına gidiliyor. İç hat pazarına giren özel havayollarının başlattığı bu uygulama işlemlerin basitleştirilmesi açısından yolcular tarafından çabuk benimsendi. Uzmanlar iç hatlarda uçuş ağının çeşitlenmesi ve Türk yolcunun uçağı daha fazla kullanmaya başlaması ile havayollarının uluslararası pazarda olduğu gibi farklı sınıf ücret tarifesi uygulamasına gidebileceğine dikkat çekiyor.
UCUZ BİLET ALMA YOLLARI
Önce uçuş tarihinizi kesinleştirin. Eğer kısıtlı sınıftan bilet alırsanız, ya değişiklik yapma şansınız olmaz veya ceza ödeyerek ekstradan maliyetlere katlanırsınız.
Biletinizi erken alın. Uçuş tarihinizden üç ay önceki fiyat ile bir kaç gün öncesi alınan bilet fiyatları arasında ciddi fark olacaktır. Erken karar verip hızla rezervasyon yapın ve arkasından da bileti satın alın. Unutmayın, bilet fiyatları uçuş tarihi yaklaştıkça artar.
Tatil dönemlerinde fiyatlar artıyor. Hattına göre değişmekle birlikte genellikle yaz sezonu sonrasında sonbahar, şubat tatili sonrasındaki ilk bahar ayları doluluk oranları daha düşük.
İnternet’ten fiyat araştırması yapın. Bazı havayolu şirketleri, yolcularına önce İnternet sitesine yönlendiriyor. Amaç yolcuların siteyi kullanmalarını özendirmek. Bazen sitede havayolunun vereceği fiyattan çok daha ucuz seçenekler ortaya çıkabiliyor. Yakaladığınız fırsatı kaçırmayın ve satın alma işlemini hemen yapın.
Acentenize danışın. Her ne kadar İnternet ön plana çıksa da bir çok yolcu seyahat acentelerinden vazgeçmiyor. Acentelerin önerileri, sundukları avantajlar İnternet’e tercih ediliyor.
15 Ağustos 2007 Çarşamba
Film and Media Studies in Australia
Dr. Catherine Simpson
FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES IN AUSTRALIA
We have a very interesting guest this week. Dr Catherine Simpson is a Lecturer in the Media Department at Macquarie University, Sydney - AU. She has research links with Istanbul Bilgi University. She is no stranger to Istanbul having lived and worked here for two years in the mid-1990s. In 1994, with her partner Bruce Jeffreys, she organized an ‘Australian Film Festival’ on Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoglu. The ‘interest of Turkish cinema-goers and press was exceptional with over 5000 people attracted to the 6-day event’ she says. You can read her report of the festival at: ‘Istanbul’da hersey olabilir’!
After completing a PhD on the work of female filmmakers in Australian cinema in 2000, and having worked at Macquarie since 2001, Catherine seized the first opportunity to return to Istanbul. She is here for 2 months, with her partner, Bruce, and 2-year old daughter, Ayesha, exploring a project on contemporary Turkish Cinema. This project stems from her interest in the revival of the Turkish film industry after the hit film Eskiya in 1997. As a reciprocal event to the Aus festival in Istanbul, she and Bruce also mounted a Turkish Film Festival that toured Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in 1998. Although she doesn’t have a favourite film artist, she is inspired by the work of the new generation of Turkish filmmakers such as Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ugur Yucel, Yesim Ustaoglu, Yilmaz Erdogan as well as the work of those transnational filmmakers such as Fatih Akin and Ferzan Ozpetek.
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in Perth on the west coast of Australia which is the most isolated city in the world. While it’s a very beautiful city and has much to offer in terms of lifestyle, most people who desire more than a suburban existence dream of leaving it. I completed my first degree, an Honours degree in History and Literature, at the University of Western Australia.
With a strong desire to travel and see the world I ended up living and working in Istanbul in my early twenties – an experience that has informed everything I’ve done since. After teaching English, my partner Bruce and I went on to organise the first (and only, as far as I know) Australian Film Festival in Istanbul.
I completed my PhD in 2000 then got a scholarship to study for one semester in Hannover, Germany at the International Women’s University, funded by the German government. Once I moved to Sydney, it took me more than a year and many, many job applications to find an academic position but eventually things fell into place and I feel extremely grateful to have ended up where I have.
Q: Could you please describe your current position at Macquarie University?
I’m a lecturer in the Media Department. Our department has 12 full-time staff and a number of tutors, who are equivalent I think to teaching assistants in the Turkish context. All the staff in our department teach across a number of different undergraduate courses and also at postgraduate level. I teach four courses every year: an introductory first year course called ‘Australian Media’ which focuses on the history of Australian media; two third year theory courses: one is a broader media theory course called ‘Media Identities’ and the other one is called ‘Contemporary World Cinemas’. The last course mentioned looks at films from around the world and believe it or not, we have a module on Turkish cinema! So last year, 40 students in Sydney watched Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Uzak and Yesim Ustaoglu’s Gunese Yolculuk! I was delighted that many of these students chose to write on Turkish cinema for their final papers.
I also teach an 4th year honours course called Australian Screen Spaces. As well as convening these four courses I have a small number of postgraduate students. I’m also the person in the department who looks after international students coming to Macquarie to study for a semester or a year. Macquarie is probably the most international university campus in Australia and we have exchange agreements with more than 100 universities around the world. We also strongly encourage our local students to spend a semester or two at an international institution. This year we have had 3 Macquarie students study at Bogazici University.
Q: For students who are interested in film and television studies, what does MQ offer at both UG and PG level? What are the range of specialisations in your media department?
Macquarie’s Media department has a broad range of offerings and is an extremely dynamic and exciting environment to teach, research and learn in. At undergraduate level we have a 3-year Bachelor of Media degree with an option for keen students to continue onto Honours and beyond. We also have a combined BMedia/LLB(Law) degree. The BMedia degree gives students the opportunity to mix practical courses with theoretical ones from within our department and also outside of it. We offer specialist degrees in Visual Production, Writing or Multimedia as well as Public Relations and Radio production.
At postgraduate level we offer a 2-year Research Masters or a 4-year PhD program. Students can write either a traditional thesis or we offer non-traditional thesis program comprised of media production in conjunction with critical commentary. Currently we have around 30 postgraduate students writing theses on topics as varied as ‘the representation of Germans in Australian visual culture’ to ‘contemporary Polish Cinema’ to ‘copyright issues in online media’. Because our department attracts large numbers of undergraduate students, often our PhD students are also offered relatively well-paid teaching work in our department, this is in addition to their scholarship, if they have one. (In Australia it is legal for international students to work 20 hours a week.) We also have an online fully refereed journal SCAN which both postgraduates and academics contribute to. (See: www.scan.net.au)
What attracted me to Macquarie’s media department was the combination of creative industry professionals with the more traditional academic theoreticians. We strongly believe that both theory and praxis go hand-in-hand and our degrees, courses and symposiums reflect this. In comparison to many other media departments, ours is well-funded which means that we have many opportunities to contribute to broader intellectual and community life. We recently showed a series of Indian films at the ‘Bollywood on Bondi’ film festival. (Bondi is of course Sydney’s, if not Australia’s, most famous beach.)
Students also have the opportunity to showcase their work. For instance every year we have screenings of the best third year film productions at a local cinema which is inevitably always sold out weeks in advance. Some of these short films have been accepted into local and international film festivals around the world and have won quite prestigious prizes. The third year writing students also get the opportunity to produce a magazine, SCOPE. And this year we are trialling a third-year internship program with radio students being able to work at a local broadcaster. Macquarie also has its own radio station 2SER which students regularly contribute to.
Q: From your point of view what are the pros and cons of a career in Media? What attracted you to the field of Media for instance?
Researching film has enabled me to combine my interests (both academic and personal) in other cultures and the issue of representation, be it gender and/or ethnicity, with community-based activities such as bringing film programs to different countries. I guess I’m also politically committed to supporting in any way I can a diversity of voices in film culture and the media more broadly. For instance the contribution of women to filmmaking is vital for a healthy film industry. My PhD focused on how female directors produce filmic space. Since the 1990s, Australia has had a comparatively women-friendly industry with many of our top female directors receiving prizes throughout the world for their work (eg Jane Campion, Gillian Armstrong).
I guess for some people, the main cons of a degree in media might be that after completion, they feel that their future is not transparently laid out for them, like it might be if you study medicine or law. For other people of course, this uncertainty transforms into something very positive because they end up in an extremely interesting career that they couldn’t have even imagined. A degree in media is really just the beginning and often you need to complete a further postgraduate diploma in a specific area or perhaps get some kind of entry level job before you can progress to the next stage of your career. It is also relatively competitive out there in the market place in terms of jobs.
While my research work lies in a very specific area, primarly in writing and thinking about cinematic space, the current distinctions existing between the different media forms such as film, TV, the web, radio etc are breaking down. This process is often referred to as convergence. Given the range of specialists, generalists and industry professional in our department, I think we are particularly well-placed to deal with these changes in contrast to those departments that are still just ‘film’ departments or departments where students study the theory but don’t enage in any kind of media production.
Media literacy is of utmost importance in today’s society and a degree in media can lead you in so many different directions. Because media is ubiquitous in all of our daily lives, no matter where we are, it’s absolutely vital that we are critical and informed consumers and readers of the media because this is where we get all of our information from. And all of our courses at Macquarie try to give students these kinds of skills whether they end up in media-related professions or not.
As well as the most obvious professions such as filmmakers (directors, editors, cinematographers, producers, sound design etc), journalists and broadcasters, some of our graduates have gone on to work in public relations, advertising agencies, NGOs, teaching (at all levels), media lawyers, public policy, film critics, publishing, web design and production, events management and the interactive media industries to mention just a few. Many of the jobs of the future will be media-related, and right now we don’t even know what some of these might be. For instance, in the early 90s when the internet was just emerging as a public entity, who would have thought that you’d be able to make a very good living from designing and producing interactive material for an advertising agency?
Q: Australia is gaining popularity as a study abroad destination among Turkish students. Also 'communications courses are one of the most popular fields of study', with 'students attracted by an image of the communications industry’. What you do recommend for the students who want to study media in Australia?
I would recommend that you study in Melbourne or Sydney where the main media industries are based. The smaller cities in Australia do offer good media courses but the range of jobs in the media industries is more limited. You should also choose an institution which gives you access to the latest technology and the best opportunity for developing your creative, critical and practical skills. I think it’s also important to choose a department, like Macquarie, which has industry links.
I also recommend that prospective students find out as much as they can about the different institutions in Australia before going there. The Australian consulate will soon open a new centre at their premises in Sisli which will enable students to visit and get detailed advice about the range of insitutions and courses offered in Australia. Spending three or four years in a foreign country can be a challenging (but also extremely rewarding) experience, so do some research on the lifestyle and culture of Australia so you know what to expect. The few agents in Istanbul who specialise in Australia (Alternatif being one of them) seem to have a good working knowledge of offerings at the different universities so they can also give you good advice. Perhaps talk to a graduate who has recently returned from Australia so you can get an insiders’ advice on different aspects.
Q: You have been teaching across a number of universities in Australia since 1995. What about the international student’s satisfaction with their courses at your department. What are the career opportunities for graduates? Can the international students easily find a job in film and TV production?
Film and TV production is such a small selection of the huge range of jobs that are open to media graduates. We have a quite a large contingent of international students in our department and many of them go back to their own countries equipped with the critical and practical knowledge and skills to confidently go into the workplace. I just received an email from one of my old Honours students who has recently got a job for a Singaporean TV station. Another one is working for a well-known woman’s magazine in Malaysia. Having studied in English in a foreign country gives students an edge over their peers and perhaps more confidence once once they return to their home countries. One of our current Turkish students works full-time for a well-known radio station (SBS) on the Turkish program while completing her media degree part-time. In Australia, Sydney and Melbourne are probably the best places to be in terms of job opportunities in the media industries. Just to give you an example of the varied pathways that can be taken, my sister-in-law is a photographer who completed a media degree at Murdoch Univesity in Perth, Western Australia. After working for some time sourcing photographs for magazines, she now works for the biggest magazine publisher in Australia, ACP (Australian Consolidated Press), negotiating agreements between photographers and the company. This job takes her from Sydney to London and New York.
Q: What are the intrinsic qualities needed to be a good film maker and can students get these qualities at university?
This is a very good question. I think the intrinsic qualities necessary to be a good filmmaker probably cannot be learnt, they need to be there in some form before the student comes to university. What university education can provide is the initial skills, mentoring and access to technology to develop into a good filmmaker. The university environment also provides students with good networks because filmmaking is an extremely collaborative activity where networks are vital. Making your own film, whether it is a documentary, feature or short film, while extremely rewarding, can be a very arduous process and not everyone has the internal fortitude or tenacity to pull it off. Things like funding play in huge role in whether a film gets made or not. Having a good story is only one aspect of the process, and making that story into a reality is a different kettle of fish altogether.
Q: As a foreign academic in Turkey do you think there are enough good training institutes / faculties for ‘film students’ in Turkey?
I’m fairly familiar with what’s on offer at Istanbul Bilgi university and they seem to offer students a really solid undergraduate and masters programs and have a range of good academics committed to both teaching and research. I have also seen some of their graduate students give excellent papers at international conferences. But I’m not that familiar with the other schools so it’s really hard for me to make a comment. However I’m very surprised that a degree in media isn’t on offer in many more of Turkish institutions, given that the discipline attracts a huge number of students in Australia and the fact that many of the future job opportunities will be in some way media-related.
Q: What do you think of today’s Turkish cinema: what are the best productions?
What’s really fascinated me coming back to Turkey after 6 years is the change in the kinds of productions being made here since we mounted the Turkish film festival in 1998. I’ve just seen four recent films that really impressed me; Yilmaz Erdogan’s Vizontele Tuuba, Mert Baykal’s Pardon, Dervis Zaim’s Camur and Ugur Yucel’s Yazi Tura. All of these films have a political comment to make but they’re not achieving this in a sledgehammerish way manner but rather through humour, through their aesthetics or their setting. I haven’t seen enough of the most recent productions to make further comment. Ask me after I’ve returned from the Altin Portakal Film festival in a few weeks time!
Catherine, I thank you so much for your time and answers. We put your departments link here (http://www.dmc.mq.edu.au/) for prospective students. (Where the website does not help, the students can directly contact either Catherine or Alternatif) Catherine is happy to consult with any students who may be interested in studying media in Australia. She will be in Turkey until mid-October.
FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES IN AUSTRALIA
We have a very interesting guest this week. Dr Catherine Simpson is a Lecturer in the Media Department at Macquarie University, Sydney - AU. She has research links with Istanbul Bilgi University. She is no stranger to Istanbul having lived and worked here for two years in the mid-1990s. In 1994, with her partner Bruce Jeffreys, she organized an ‘Australian Film Festival’ on Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoglu. The ‘interest of Turkish cinema-goers and press was exceptional with over 5000 people attracted to the 6-day event’ she says. You can read her report of the festival at: ‘Istanbul’da hersey olabilir’!
After completing a PhD on the work of female filmmakers in Australian cinema in 2000, and having worked at Macquarie since 2001, Catherine seized the first opportunity to return to Istanbul. She is here for 2 months, with her partner, Bruce, and 2-year old daughter, Ayesha, exploring a project on contemporary Turkish Cinema. This project stems from her interest in the revival of the Turkish film industry after the hit film Eskiya in 1997. As a reciprocal event to the Aus festival in Istanbul, she and Bruce also mounted a Turkish Film Festival that toured Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in 1998. Although she doesn’t have a favourite film artist, she is inspired by the work of the new generation of Turkish filmmakers such as Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ugur Yucel, Yesim Ustaoglu, Yilmaz Erdogan as well as the work of those transnational filmmakers such as Fatih Akin and Ferzan Ozpetek.
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in Perth on the west coast of Australia which is the most isolated city in the world. While it’s a very beautiful city and has much to offer in terms of lifestyle, most people who desire more than a suburban existence dream of leaving it. I completed my first degree, an Honours degree in History and Literature, at the University of Western Australia.
With a strong desire to travel and see the world I ended up living and working in Istanbul in my early twenties – an experience that has informed everything I’ve done since. After teaching English, my partner Bruce and I went on to organise the first (and only, as far as I know) Australian Film Festival in Istanbul.
I completed my PhD in 2000 then got a scholarship to study for one semester in Hannover, Germany at the International Women’s University, funded by the German government. Once I moved to Sydney, it took me more than a year and many, many job applications to find an academic position but eventually things fell into place and I feel extremely grateful to have ended up where I have.
Q: Could you please describe your current position at Macquarie University?
I’m a lecturer in the Media Department. Our department has 12 full-time staff and a number of tutors, who are equivalent I think to teaching assistants in the Turkish context. All the staff in our department teach across a number of different undergraduate courses and also at postgraduate level. I teach four courses every year: an introductory first year course called ‘Australian Media’ which focuses on the history of Australian media; two third year theory courses: one is a broader media theory course called ‘Media Identities’ and the other one is called ‘Contemporary World Cinemas’. The last course mentioned looks at films from around the world and believe it or not, we have a module on Turkish cinema! So last year, 40 students in Sydney watched Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Uzak and Yesim Ustaoglu’s Gunese Yolculuk! I was delighted that many of these students chose to write on Turkish cinema for their final papers.
I also teach an 4th year honours course called Australian Screen Spaces. As well as convening these four courses I have a small number of postgraduate students. I’m also the person in the department who looks after international students coming to Macquarie to study for a semester or a year. Macquarie is probably the most international university campus in Australia and we have exchange agreements with more than 100 universities around the world. We also strongly encourage our local students to spend a semester or two at an international institution. This year we have had 3 Macquarie students study at Bogazici University.
Q: For students who are interested in film and television studies, what does MQ offer at both UG and PG level? What are the range of specialisations in your media department?
Macquarie’s Media department has a broad range of offerings and is an extremely dynamic and exciting environment to teach, research and learn in. At undergraduate level we have a 3-year Bachelor of Media degree with an option for keen students to continue onto Honours and beyond. We also have a combined BMedia/LLB(Law) degree. The BMedia degree gives students the opportunity to mix practical courses with theoretical ones from within our department and also outside of it. We offer specialist degrees in Visual Production, Writing or Multimedia as well as Public Relations and Radio production.
At postgraduate level we offer a 2-year Research Masters or a 4-year PhD program. Students can write either a traditional thesis or we offer non-traditional thesis program comprised of media production in conjunction with critical commentary. Currently we have around 30 postgraduate students writing theses on topics as varied as ‘the representation of Germans in Australian visual culture’ to ‘contemporary Polish Cinema’ to ‘copyright issues in online media’. Because our department attracts large numbers of undergraduate students, often our PhD students are also offered relatively well-paid teaching work in our department, this is in addition to their scholarship, if they have one. (In Australia it is legal for international students to work 20 hours a week.) We also have an online fully refereed journal SCAN which both postgraduates and academics contribute to. (See: www.scan.net.au)
What attracted me to Macquarie’s media department was the combination of creative industry professionals with the more traditional academic theoreticians. We strongly believe that both theory and praxis go hand-in-hand and our degrees, courses and symposiums reflect this. In comparison to many other media departments, ours is well-funded which means that we have many opportunities to contribute to broader intellectual and community life. We recently showed a series of Indian films at the ‘Bollywood on Bondi’ film festival. (Bondi is of course Sydney’s, if not Australia’s, most famous beach.)
Students also have the opportunity to showcase their work. For instance every year we have screenings of the best third year film productions at a local cinema which is inevitably always sold out weeks in advance. Some of these short films have been accepted into local and international film festivals around the world and have won quite prestigious prizes. The third year writing students also get the opportunity to produce a magazine, SCOPE. And this year we are trialling a third-year internship program with radio students being able to work at a local broadcaster. Macquarie also has its own radio station 2SER which students regularly contribute to.
Q: From your point of view what are the pros and cons of a career in Media? What attracted you to the field of Media for instance?
Researching film has enabled me to combine my interests (both academic and personal) in other cultures and the issue of representation, be it gender and/or ethnicity, with community-based activities such as bringing film programs to different countries. I guess I’m also politically committed to supporting in any way I can a diversity of voices in film culture and the media more broadly. For instance the contribution of women to filmmaking is vital for a healthy film industry. My PhD focused on how female directors produce filmic space. Since the 1990s, Australia has had a comparatively women-friendly industry with many of our top female directors receiving prizes throughout the world for their work (eg Jane Campion, Gillian Armstrong).
I guess for some people, the main cons of a degree in media might be that after completion, they feel that their future is not transparently laid out for them, like it might be if you study medicine or law. For other people of course, this uncertainty transforms into something very positive because they end up in an extremely interesting career that they couldn’t have even imagined. A degree in media is really just the beginning and often you need to complete a further postgraduate diploma in a specific area or perhaps get some kind of entry level job before you can progress to the next stage of your career. It is also relatively competitive out there in the market place in terms of jobs.
While my research work lies in a very specific area, primarly in writing and thinking about cinematic space, the current distinctions existing between the different media forms such as film, TV, the web, radio etc are breaking down. This process is often referred to as convergence. Given the range of specialists, generalists and industry professional in our department, I think we are particularly well-placed to deal with these changes in contrast to those departments that are still just ‘film’ departments or departments where students study the theory but don’t enage in any kind of media production.
Media literacy is of utmost importance in today’s society and a degree in media can lead you in so many different directions. Because media is ubiquitous in all of our daily lives, no matter where we are, it’s absolutely vital that we are critical and informed consumers and readers of the media because this is where we get all of our information from. And all of our courses at Macquarie try to give students these kinds of skills whether they end up in media-related professions or not.
As well as the most obvious professions such as filmmakers (directors, editors, cinematographers, producers, sound design etc), journalists and broadcasters, some of our graduates have gone on to work in public relations, advertising agencies, NGOs, teaching (at all levels), media lawyers, public policy, film critics, publishing, web design and production, events management and the interactive media industries to mention just a few. Many of the jobs of the future will be media-related, and right now we don’t even know what some of these might be. For instance, in the early 90s when the internet was just emerging as a public entity, who would have thought that you’d be able to make a very good living from designing and producing interactive material for an advertising agency?
Q: Australia is gaining popularity as a study abroad destination among Turkish students. Also 'communications courses are one of the most popular fields of study', with 'students attracted by an image of the communications industry’. What you do recommend for the students who want to study media in Australia?
I would recommend that you study in Melbourne or Sydney where the main media industries are based. The smaller cities in Australia do offer good media courses but the range of jobs in the media industries is more limited. You should also choose an institution which gives you access to the latest technology and the best opportunity for developing your creative, critical and practical skills. I think it’s also important to choose a department, like Macquarie, which has industry links.
I also recommend that prospective students find out as much as they can about the different institutions in Australia before going there. The Australian consulate will soon open a new centre at their premises in Sisli which will enable students to visit and get detailed advice about the range of insitutions and courses offered in Australia. Spending three or four years in a foreign country can be a challenging (but also extremely rewarding) experience, so do some research on the lifestyle and culture of Australia so you know what to expect. The few agents in Istanbul who specialise in Australia (Alternatif being one of them) seem to have a good working knowledge of offerings at the different universities so they can also give you good advice. Perhaps talk to a graduate who has recently returned from Australia so you can get an insiders’ advice on different aspects.
Q: You have been teaching across a number of universities in Australia since 1995. What about the international student’s satisfaction with their courses at your department. What are the career opportunities for graduates? Can the international students easily find a job in film and TV production?
Film and TV production is such a small selection of the huge range of jobs that are open to media graduates. We have a quite a large contingent of international students in our department and many of them go back to their own countries equipped with the critical and practical knowledge and skills to confidently go into the workplace. I just received an email from one of my old Honours students who has recently got a job for a Singaporean TV station. Another one is working for a well-known woman’s magazine in Malaysia. Having studied in English in a foreign country gives students an edge over their peers and perhaps more confidence once once they return to their home countries. One of our current Turkish students works full-time for a well-known radio station (SBS) on the Turkish program while completing her media degree part-time. In Australia, Sydney and Melbourne are probably the best places to be in terms of job opportunities in the media industries. Just to give you an example of the varied pathways that can be taken, my sister-in-law is a photographer who completed a media degree at Murdoch Univesity in Perth, Western Australia. After working for some time sourcing photographs for magazines, she now works for the biggest magazine publisher in Australia, ACP (Australian Consolidated Press), negotiating agreements between photographers and the company. This job takes her from Sydney to London and New York.
Q: What are the intrinsic qualities needed to be a good film maker and can students get these qualities at university?
This is a very good question. I think the intrinsic qualities necessary to be a good filmmaker probably cannot be learnt, they need to be there in some form before the student comes to university. What university education can provide is the initial skills, mentoring and access to technology to develop into a good filmmaker. The university environment also provides students with good networks because filmmaking is an extremely collaborative activity where networks are vital. Making your own film, whether it is a documentary, feature or short film, while extremely rewarding, can be a very arduous process and not everyone has the internal fortitude or tenacity to pull it off. Things like funding play in huge role in whether a film gets made or not. Having a good story is only one aspect of the process, and making that story into a reality is a different kettle of fish altogether.
Q: As a foreign academic in Turkey do you think there are enough good training institutes / faculties for ‘film students’ in Turkey?
I’m fairly familiar with what’s on offer at Istanbul Bilgi university and they seem to offer students a really solid undergraduate and masters programs and have a range of good academics committed to both teaching and research. I have also seen some of their graduate students give excellent papers at international conferences. But I’m not that familiar with the other schools so it’s really hard for me to make a comment. However I’m very surprised that a degree in media isn’t on offer in many more of Turkish institutions, given that the discipline attracts a huge number of students in Australia and the fact that many of the future job opportunities will be in some way media-related.
Q: What do you think of today’s Turkish cinema: what are the best productions?
What’s really fascinated me coming back to Turkey after 6 years is the change in the kinds of productions being made here since we mounted the Turkish film festival in 1998. I’ve just seen four recent films that really impressed me; Yilmaz Erdogan’s Vizontele Tuuba, Mert Baykal’s Pardon, Dervis Zaim’s Camur and Ugur Yucel’s Yazi Tura. All of these films have a political comment to make but they’re not achieving this in a sledgehammerish way manner but rather through humour, through their aesthetics or their setting. I haven’t seen enough of the most recent productions to make further comment. Ask me after I’ve returned from the Altin Portakal Film festival in a few weeks time!
Catherine, I thank you so much for your time and answers. We put your departments link here (http://www.dmc.mq.edu.au/) for prospective students. (Where the website does not help, the students can directly contact either Catherine or Alternatif) Catherine is happy to consult with any students who may be interested in studying media in Australia. She will be in Turkey until mid-October.
University Canada West
Q1. Kanada, özel bir üniversite ve bir Türk. Sizi kısaca tanıyabilir miyiz?
2003 yılı Nisan ayıdır Kanada’ya yüksek lisans eğitimi için gelişim, ancak bende Kanada’ya gelme fikrinin oluşması 2001 yılına kadar dayanır.
1997 ODTU Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Bolumu mezunuyum. İş hayatına üniversite yıllarımda turizm sektöründe part-time ve yaz tatillerinde çalışarak başladım diyebilirim, ancak profesyonel olarak çalışma hayatim, 1997 yılında Garanti Bankası Kurumsal Bankacılık “Management Trainee” programıyla başladı. Açıkçası, istediğim kariyer alanında çalışmaktan ziyade, o dönemin popüler mesleği olan bankacılığı seçtim. Bankacılık kariyerime 2000 - 2003 yılları arasında HSBC’de devam ettim. HSBC’de çalışmaya başlamamla gelişen, bende hep saklı kalan uluslararası bir ortamda çalışma isteği de körüklenmiş olsa gerek, yurtdışında yeni bir kariyere ve hayata başlama isteği, bugün Kanada’da olmamın temelini oluşturuyor sanırım. 2005 Şubat ayından beri merkezi Victoria’da bulunan ve University Canada West’i bünyesinde bulunan LearningWise Inc grubunda, uluslararası iş geliştirme ve pazarlama alanında çalışıyorum ve grubun Türkiye temsilcisi olarak görev yapıyorum.
Q2. University Canada West’i bize tanıtabilir misiniz? Genel bir giriş yaparsak..
“University Canada West”i Kanada’nın koklu eğitim geleneğinin girişimci ve yenilikçi yüzü diye tanımlayabilirim. Çok kısa olarak tarihsel gelişimden bahsedecek olursak:
“University of Victoria’nin” 1990-2000 yılları arasında başkanlığını yapan Dr. David Strong, 2000 yılında görev süresinin bitmesiyle Kanada eğitim programlarını yurtdışında geliştirilmesi amacıyla LearningWise Inc adli bir şirket kuruyor. 2003 yılında British Columbia Eyaleti Yüksek Öğrenim Bakanlığı, özel sektörün üniversite kurmasına izin veren yeni bir kanun çıkarıyor, ve LearningWise Inc “University Canada West’in kuruluşu için başvuruda bulunuyor. 2004 yılı Ağustos ayında University Canada West’in kuruluşu, bir ilk olarak, eğitim kuruluşlarının program kalite değerlendirmesini yapan ve onaylayan, “Degree Quality Asseement Board” un tavsiyesi üzerine Bakanlıkça kabul ediliyor.
Bugün gelinen noktada “University Canada West” ve çalışanları 2005 Eylül’ünde ilk öğrencileriyle buluşacak olmanın heyecanını yaşıyorlar.
Q3. Programlarınızdan ve farklılıklarınızdan biraz bahsedebilir misiniz?
University Canada West, su an için öğrencilerine lisans ve yüksek lisans düzeyinde seçilmiş programlar sunmaktadır. Ayrıca “University Canada West Academy of Languages” birimi altında her düzeyde öğrenci için İngilizce dil programları da sunulmaktadır. Ayrıca belirtmek isterim ki, “University Canada West Academies” kısa sure içinde sertifika ve diploma düzeyinde birçok yeni profesyonel gelişim ve mesleki eğitim programlarını öğrencileriyle paylaşıyor olacaktır. Programlarımıza bir göz atacak olursak:
Üniversite düzeyinde Lisans programlarımız
Bachelor of Commerce in Technology Management
Bachelor of Commerce – “Tourism Management” concentration
Bachelor of Commerce – “Strategic Leadership” concentration
Bachelor of Commerce – “E-Business” concentration
Bachelor of Commerce – “International Business” concentration
Bachlor of Arts in Media and Communication
Bachlor of Arts in Culture, Heritage and Tourism
Bachelor of Science in Geography
Bachelor of Science in Economics
Farklılıklarımız
· UCW’da Quarter sistemi uygulanmaktadır, yani öğrenciler lisans programlarını yılda 3 dönem ders alarak 2.1/2 yılda bitirebilirler,
· Öğrencilere eğitimleri suresince derslerinde yardımcı olacak “Learning Coach” dediğimiz ders danışmanları uygulamamız bulunmaktadır,
· Az sayıda öğrenciden oluşan sınıflarda, öğrenciler daha iyi öğrenebilme ve profesörleriyle yakın iletişim kurabilme imkanına sahip olabileceklerdir,
· UCW her öğrencinin potansiyeline inanarak, diğer birçok üniversitenin uyguladığı başvuru için 80% okul ortalaması şartı yerine, not ortalaması 65% ve ustu olan her öğrenci Kanada’da yüksek öğrenim kapısını açmıştır. Diğer kriterleri yerine getirmek koşuluyla “ilk başvuran ilk kabul edilir” ilkesi UCW’da esastır. Ayrıca, yabancı dil yeterliliği olmayan öğrencilere, kendi dil okulumuzda akademik hazırlıklarını tamamlamasını sağlayacak şartlı kabul verilebilecektir,
· UCW öğretim kadrosu hepsi doktora sahibi, birçoğu uluslararası üne sahip profesörlerden oluşmaktadır,
· UCW bir yandan eğitimde öğrenci odaklı yenilikleri yaratmaya çalışırken, diğer taraftan da yüksek kalite seviyesini korumaya çalışmaktadır. UCW kalite değerlendirmesi açısından Kanada’da tüm kamu üniversitelerinin tabi olduğu kanun, yönetmelik, düzenleme ve denetimlere tabidir.
· UCW ilk kez lisans düzeyi okul ücretlerinde Kanadalı öğrenci, yabancı öğrenci ayrımını kaldırarak, eğitimde ücret eşitliği adına bir ilke imza atmıştır.
· Öğrenciler mezuniyet sonrasında Kanada Vatandaşlık ve Göçmenlik kanunlarında belirtilen şartlar çerçevesinde 2 yıla kadar çalışma iznine de sahip olabilirler.
Program Ücreti
Lisans programlarında ücret dönem başına Kanadalı ve yabancı öğrenciler için 5000 CAD olarak belirlenmiştir. (Örneğin bu ücret yabancı öğrenciler için University of Victoria’da benzeri bir programda 9000 CAD civarındadır).
MBA Programlarımız
Şu an için lisans üstü düzeyde sadece MBA programlarımız mevcuttur ve ilk sınıfımız Ekim ayında eğitime başlayacaktır.
MBA’ de Farklılıklarımız
12 ay sureli yoğun bir programdır, (15 ders ve bir araştırma ya da danışmanlık projesi, diğer 1 yıllık programlarda bu sayı 11-12 civarında)
GMAT başvuru için gerekli bir kriter değildir,
İngilizce yeterliliği olmayan öğrencilere, kendi dil okulumuzda akademik hazırlıklarını tamamlamasını sağlayacak şartlı kabul verilebilecektir,
Programa kabul için iş tecrübesi aranmamaktadır. (Is tecrübesi olmayanlar bitirme projesi olarak araştırma, is tecrübesi olanlar danışmanlık projesi yapacaklardır)
Lisans programlarında olduğu gibi, öğrenme danışmanları sürekli öğrencilere destek olacaklardır,
“MBA Guarantee” UCW ile öğrenci arasında imzalanacak öğrenme kontratıdır. Öğrenci öğrenme ile yükümlülüklerini yerine getirdiği müddetçe, UCW öğrencinin MBA derecesini garanti etmektedir.
Öğrenciler, daha önceki eğitimlerinde aldıkları ilgili derslere göre, MBA programındaki bazı derslerin yerine sayılabilecek kredi alabilirler,
Öğrenciler mezuniyet sonrasında Kanada Vatandaşlık ve Göçmenlik kanunlarında belirtilen şartlar çerçevesinde 1 yıl çalışma iznine sahip olabilirler.
Ayrıca Türkiye’de çalışıp yurtdışında bir üniversitenin MBA eğitimini almak isteyenler için, sadece dönem başında 3 hafta Victoria’da bulunarak derslerini internet üzerinden takip edebilecekleri Online MBA programlarımız da mevcuttur.
Program ücreti:
MBA program ücreti Victoria’daki 1 yıllık program için 32,000 CAD’dir. Bahsettiğim gibi program 15 ders modülü ve bir bitirme projesinden oluşmaktadır. Eğer öğrenciler lisans eğitimlerinde benzeri işletme ve yönetim dersleri almışlarsa, bu dersler karşılığında kredi alma durumları olabilir. Bu amaçla her MBA başvurusu kendi şartları içinde değerlendirilmekte alacağı dersler ona göre belirlenmektedir. Bu da ders sayısının azalabileceği ve dolayısıyla program ücretinin düşebileceği anlamına geliyor. Ayrıca ilk yıl öğrencilerine 2000 CAD’lık bir ücret indirimi uygulanacaktır.
Q4. Okulunuzun bölgesinden bahsedebilir misiniz?
University Canada West, Kanada’nın en güzel şehirlerinden biri olan 326,000 nüfuslu Victoria şehrinde kuruludur. Ayni zamanda British Columbia eyaletinin başkenti olan Victoria, Vancouver Adasının güneyinde bulunan, ılıman iklimli, öğrencilerin doğayla iç içe olarak hem Avrupa hem de Kuzey Amerika şehir hayatini yasayabilecekleri, estetik olarak ender güzellikte olan bir liman şehridir. Detaylı bilgi için öğrencilerinize velilerine
UCW kampüsü, şehir merkezine çok yakın sayılabilecek (yürüyerek 25-30 dakika), toplu ulaşım vasıtalarının ana güzergahında bulunan merkezi bir yerde bulunmaktadır.
Q5. Yurtdışında üniversite için ciddi bir zaman ve para harcayan öğrencilerin beklentileri haliyle bunun karşılığını almaktır. Yabancı bir okul temsilcisine bu soruyu sorarsak yadırgayabilirler ancak sizi yakın bulduğumuz için öğrenmek isteriz: University West Canada’nın hocalarından, bu akademisyenlerin yetkinliklerinden bahsedebilir misiniz?
Sanırım bu sorunun cevabi aynı zamanda University Canada West’in en güçlü olduğu yönlerinden birini de ortaya çıkarıyor. UCW yeni bir isim ama arkasında gerçek anlamda hem akademi, hem iş dünyasının büyük saygın isimlerini barındırıyor. Kısaca bahsetmek gerekirse,
Başkanımız Dr. David Strong:
University of Victoria’nin 1990-2000 yılları arasındaki başkanı. Başkanlık döneminde University of Victoria’ya 2 defa Kanada’nın en iyi üniversitesi unvanını kazandırmıştır.
Akademik bölümden sorumlu başkan yardımcımız: Dr. Rick Roskin,
New Foundland’da Memorial University’de İsletme Fakültesi Dekanlığı, Victoria’da Royal Roads University’de İsletme ve Yönetim Bölümleri Direktörlüğü yapmıştır. Uluslararası alanda birçok çalışması mevcuttur.
Öğrenci İşleri ve Dış İlişkilerden Sorumlu Başkan Yardımcımız: James Griffith
Kanada’da yüksek öğrenim sektöründe 35 yıllık bir tecrübeye sahip. University of Victoria’da ayni pozisyonda yöneticilik yapmış, görev suresinin bitmesiyle UCW’ya katılmıştır.
Grubun uluslararası kolu olan LearningWise International’in başkanı: Roger Wheelock:
Çalışma hayatı boyunca Kanada’nın yurtdışı tanıtımında en önemli isimlerden biri olmuş. Döneminde Kanada’nın en önemli turistik yerlerinden olan Royal Botanic Gardens (Hamilton) ve Butchard Gardens (Victoria)’nın CEO ve başkanlığını, Kanada Turizm Komisyonu başkan yardımcılığını yapmış, Victoria şehrine hizmetlerinden dolayı şehir tarafından “şeref” madalyasıyla ödüllendirilmiştir. Aynı zamanda University of Victoria’nin yönetim kurulunda aktif görevlerde bulunmuştur.
Daha önce bahsettiğim gibi profesörlerimizin hepsi doktora sahibidir. Kanadalı profesörlerin yanı sıra, uluslararası üne sahip ve başka üniversitelerde çalışan bir çok profesör de, ziyaretçi profesör olarak UCW öğrencilerine zaman zaman ders vermeye geleceklerdir. Ziyaretçi profesörlerimizle ilgili detaylı bilgi için öğrencilerimiz http://www.universitycanadawest.ca/content/Directory/ adresine bakabilirler.
Türk öğrencilerin UCW’da beklentilerinin üzerinde kalitede bir akademik ortam bulacaklarını düşünüyorum. Yeni bir organizasyon olmamız nedeniyle, ve her kurumda olan daha çok idari boyutta ufak tefek sorunlar yaşanılması kaçınılmazdır ama o noktada da sanırım benim burada bulunmamın avantajını tüm öğrencilerimiz hissedeceklerdir.
Q6. Türk öğrenciler için en önemli konularında başında YÖK denkliği gelir. University West Canada YÖK tarafından tanınıyor mu?
YÖK’ün University Canada West’i tanımasıyla ilgili Mayıs ayında yaptığımız başvuru, YÖK değerlendirme komisyonu tarafından uygun görülerek onaylanmıştır. Bu sevindirici haberi öğrencilerinizle rahatlıkla paylaşabilirsiniz.
Q7. Başarılı öğrenciler için herhangi bir burs programınız var mı? Şartları nelerdir?
Şu an ilk yıl lisans öğrencilerimize kurucularımız adına verilen 1000 CAD tutarında bir burs imkanımız mevcut. Öğrencilerimiz başarı durumuna göre bu bursu her sene yenileyebilir ve öğrenimleri boyunca toplamda 8000 CAD tutarında bir burs imkanına sahip olabilirler. İlk yıl öğrencilerimize verilen bu burs dışında, kapsamlı bir burs havuzu oluşturma çalışması içinde olduğumu söyleyebilirim. Bu konudaki gelişmeleri sizlerle mutlaka paylaşıyor olacağım.
Ayni şekilde MBA programımız için de her öğrenciye 2000 CAD’lik “ilk sınıf” indirimi sunmaktayız.
Q8. Son olarak Kanada’da üniversite eğitimi düşünen arkadaşlarımıza tavsiyelerinizi alabilir miyiz?
Bununla ilgili bir yazıyı aslında şu anda Eylül ayı bültenimiz için hazırlıyorum, bu nedenle ilk bölümde kendimden bahsederken, niye Kanada’yı seçtiğim konusundan hiç bahsetmedim. Genel olarak yurtdışıyla ilgili karar sureci, her öğrenci veya öğrenci ailesi için beklentilere, ideallere, amaçlara ve hatta sosyo-ekonomik duruma göre farklı işleyecektir. Benim buradan, kendi bakış açımla, Kanada’ya gelmek isteyen öğrencilerinize naçizane 2 temel tavsiyem olabilir:
· Yurtdışında eğitime bir hayat tecrübesi olarak bakın ve kültürel açıdan kendinizi nasıl zenginleştirebilirsiniz onu düşünün. Bulunduğunuz süre içerisinde gittiğiniz ülkenin insanlarıyla, okul yöneticileri, çalışanlarıyla iletişim içinde olun. Geri döndüğünüzde beraberinizde getireceğiniz sadece bir diploma değil, kültürel zenginlik, geniş bir vizyon ve edindiğiniz dostluklar olmalı,
· Gittiğiniz yerde nasıl bir hayatın sizi beklediğini önceden düşünün, araştırın ve okul seçiminizi coğrafya, iklim, kültür, aktivite faktörlerini düşünerek yapın.
Bana bu platformda Türk öğrencileriyle iletişim imkanı sağlayan tüm Alternatif Yurtdışı Eğitim Danışmanlık çalışanlarına kendim ve University Canada West adına teşekkür ederim. Victoria’ya University Canada West veya başka bir kuruma eğitim için gelecek tüm Alternatif öğrencilerine ve ailelerine burada elimden geldiğince yardımcı olacağımı belirtmek isterim.
Saygılarımla,
Tolga Habalı
LearningWise International
Representative for Turkey
Email: thabali@learningwise.com
Phone: 250 –9781800
Cell: 250 - 6198974
Web: www.universitycanadawest.ca
***LearningWise International is an affiliate of University Canada West and University Canada West Academies***
2003 yılı Nisan ayıdır Kanada’ya yüksek lisans eğitimi için gelişim, ancak bende Kanada’ya gelme fikrinin oluşması 2001 yılına kadar dayanır.
1997 ODTU Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Bolumu mezunuyum. İş hayatına üniversite yıllarımda turizm sektöründe part-time ve yaz tatillerinde çalışarak başladım diyebilirim, ancak profesyonel olarak çalışma hayatim, 1997 yılında Garanti Bankası Kurumsal Bankacılık “Management Trainee” programıyla başladı. Açıkçası, istediğim kariyer alanında çalışmaktan ziyade, o dönemin popüler mesleği olan bankacılığı seçtim. Bankacılık kariyerime 2000 - 2003 yılları arasında HSBC’de devam ettim. HSBC’de çalışmaya başlamamla gelişen, bende hep saklı kalan uluslararası bir ortamda çalışma isteği de körüklenmiş olsa gerek, yurtdışında yeni bir kariyere ve hayata başlama isteği, bugün Kanada’da olmamın temelini oluşturuyor sanırım. 2005 Şubat ayından beri merkezi Victoria’da bulunan ve University Canada West’i bünyesinde bulunan LearningWise Inc grubunda, uluslararası iş geliştirme ve pazarlama alanında çalışıyorum ve grubun Türkiye temsilcisi olarak görev yapıyorum.
Q2. University Canada West’i bize tanıtabilir misiniz? Genel bir giriş yaparsak..
“University Canada West”i Kanada’nın koklu eğitim geleneğinin girişimci ve yenilikçi yüzü diye tanımlayabilirim. Çok kısa olarak tarihsel gelişimden bahsedecek olursak:
“University of Victoria’nin” 1990-2000 yılları arasında başkanlığını yapan Dr. David Strong, 2000 yılında görev süresinin bitmesiyle Kanada eğitim programlarını yurtdışında geliştirilmesi amacıyla LearningWise Inc adli bir şirket kuruyor. 2003 yılında British Columbia Eyaleti Yüksek Öğrenim Bakanlığı, özel sektörün üniversite kurmasına izin veren yeni bir kanun çıkarıyor, ve LearningWise Inc “University Canada West’in kuruluşu için başvuruda bulunuyor. 2004 yılı Ağustos ayında University Canada West’in kuruluşu, bir ilk olarak, eğitim kuruluşlarının program kalite değerlendirmesini yapan ve onaylayan, “Degree Quality Asseement Board” un tavsiyesi üzerine Bakanlıkça kabul ediliyor.
Bugün gelinen noktada “University Canada West” ve çalışanları 2005 Eylül’ünde ilk öğrencileriyle buluşacak olmanın heyecanını yaşıyorlar.
Q3. Programlarınızdan ve farklılıklarınızdan biraz bahsedebilir misiniz?
University Canada West, su an için öğrencilerine lisans ve yüksek lisans düzeyinde seçilmiş programlar sunmaktadır. Ayrıca “University Canada West Academy of Languages” birimi altında her düzeyde öğrenci için İngilizce dil programları da sunulmaktadır. Ayrıca belirtmek isterim ki, “University Canada West Academies” kısa sure içinde sertifika ve diploma düzeyinde birçok yeni profesyonel gelişim ve mesleki eğitim programlarını öğrencileriyle paylaşıyor olacaktır. Programlarımıza bir göz atacak olursak:
Üniversite düzeyinde Lisans programlarımız
Bachelor of Commerce in Technology Management
Bachelor of Commerce – “Tourism Management” concentration
Bachelor of Commerce – “Strategic Leadership” concentration
Bachelor of Commerce – “E-Business” concentration
Bachelor of Commerce – “International Business” concentration
Bachlor of Arts in Media and Communication
Bachlor of Arts in Culture, Heritage and Tourism
Bachelor of Science in Geography
Bachelor of Science in Economics
Farklılıklarımız
· UCW’da Quarter sistemi uygulanmaktadır, yani öğrenciler lisans programlarını yılda 3 dönem ders alarak 2.1/2 yılda bitirebilirler,
· Öğrencilere eğitimleri suresince derslerinde yardımcı olacak “Learning Coach” dediğimiz ders danışmanları uygulamamız bulunmaktadır,
· Az sayıda öğrenciden oluşan sınıflarda, öğrenciler daha iyi öğrenebilme ve profesörleriyle yakın iletişim kurabilme imkanına sahip olabileceklerdir,
· UCW her öğrencinin potansiyeline inanarak, diğer birçok üniversitenin uyguladığı başvuru için 80% okul ortalaması şartı yerine, not ortalaması 65% ve ustu olan her öğrenci Kanada’da yüksek öğrenim kapısını açmıştır. Diğer kriterleri yerine getirmek koşuluyla “ilk başvuran ilk kabul edilir” ilkesi UCW’da esastır. Ayrıca, yabancı dil yeterliliği olmayan öğrencilere, kendi dil okulumuzda akademik hazırlıklarını tamamlamasını sağlayacak şartlı kabul verilebilecektir,
· UCW öğretim kadrosu hepsi doktora sahibi, birçoğu uluslararası üne sahip profesörlerden oluşmaktadır,
· UCW bir yandan eğitimde öğrenci odaklı yenilikleri yaratmaya çalışırken, diğer taraftan da yüksek kalite seviyesini korumaya çalışmaktadır. UCW kalite değerlendirmesi açısından Kanada’da tüm kamu üniversitelerinin tabi olduğu kanun, yönetmelik, düzenleme ve denetimlere tabidir.
· UCW ilk kez lisans düzeyi okul ücretlerinde Kanadalı öğrenci, yabancı öğrenci ayrımını kaldırarak, eğitimde ücret eşitliği adına bir ilke imza atmıştır.
· Öğrenciler mezuniyet sonrasında Kanada Vatandaşlık ve Göçmenlik kanunlarında belirtilen şartlar çerçevesinde 2 yıla kadar çalışma iznine de sahip olabilirler.
Program Ücreti
Lisans programlarında ücret dönem başına Kanadalı ve yabancı öğrenciler için 5000 CAD olarak belirlenmiştir. (Örneğin bu ücret yabancı öğrenciler için University of Victoria’da benzeri bir programda 9000 CAD civarındadır).
MBA Programlarımız
Şu an için lisans üstü düzeyde sadece MBA programlarımız mevcuttur ve ilk sınıfımız Ekim ayında eğitime başlayacaktır.
MBA’ de Farklılıklarımız
12 ay sureli yoğun bir programdır, (15 ders ve bir araştırma ya da danışmanlık projesi, diğer 1 yıllık programlarda bu sayı 11-12 civarında)
GMAT başvuru için gerekli bir kriter değildir,
İngilizce yeterliliği olmayan öğrencilere, kendi dil okulumuzda akademik hazırlıklarını tamamlamasını sağlayacak şartlı kabul verilebilecektir,
Programa kabul için iş tecrübesi aranmamaktadır. (Is tecrübesi olmayanlar bitirme projesi olarak araştırma, is tecrübesi olanlar danışmanlık projesi yapacaklardır)
Lisans programlarında olduğu gibi, öğrenme danışmanları sürekli öğrencilere destek olacaklardır,
“MBA Guarantee” UCW ile öğrenci arasında imzalanacak öğrenme kontratıdır. Öğrenci öğrenme ile yükümlülüklerini yerine getirdiği müddetçe, UCW öğrencinin MBA derecesini garanti etmektedir.
Öğrenciler, daha önceki eğitimlerinde aldıkları ilgili derslere göre, MBA programındaki bazı derslerin yerine sayılabilecek kredi alabilirler,
Öğrenciler mezuniyet sonrasında Kanada Vatandaşlık ve Göçmenlik kanunlarında belirtilen şartlar çerçevesinde 1 yıl çalışma iznine sahip olabilirler.
Ayrıca Türkiye’de çalışıp yurtdışında bir üniversitenin MBA eğitimini almak isteyenler için, sadece dönem başında 3 hafta Victoria’da bulunarak derslerini internet üzerinden takip edebilecekleri Online MBA programlarımız da mevcuttur.
Program ücreti:
MBA program ücreti Victoria’daki 1 yıllık program için 32,000 CAD’dir. Bahsettiğim gibi program 15 ders modülü ve bir bitirme projesinden oluşmaktadır. Eğer öğrenciler lisans eğitimlerinde benzeri işletme ve yönetim dersleri almışlarsa, bu dersler karşılığında kredi alma durumları olabilir. Bu amaçla her MBA başvurusu kendi şartları içinde değerlendirilmekte alacağı dersler ona göre belirlenmektedir. Bu da ders sayısının azalabileceği ve dolayısıyla program ücretinin düşebileceği anlamına geliyor. Ayrıca ilk yıl öğrencilerine 2000 CAD’lık bir ücret indirimi uygulanacaktır.
Q4. Okulunuzun bölgesinden bahsedebilir misiniz?
University Canada West, Kanada’nın en güzel şehirlerinden biri olan 326,000 nüfuslu Victoria şehrinde kuruludur. Ayni zamanda British Columbia eyaletinin başkenti olan Victoria, Vancouver Adasının güneyinde bulunan, ılıman iklimli, öğrencilerin doğayla iç içe olarak hem Avrupa hem de Kuzey Amerika şehir hayatini yasayabilecekleri, estetik olarak ender güzellikte olan bir liman şehridir. Detaylı bilgi için öğrencilerinize velilerine
UCW kampüsü, şehir merkezine çok yakın sayılabilecek (yürüyerek 25-30 dakika), toplu ulaşım vasıtalarının ana güzergahında bulunan merkezi bir yerde bulunmaktadır.
Q5. Yurtdışında üniversite için ciddi bir zaman ve para harcayan öğrencilerin beklentileri haliyle bunun karşılığını almaktır. Yabancı bir okul temsilcisine bu soruyu sorarsak yadırgayabilirler ancak sizi yakın bulduğumuz için öğrenmek isteriz: University West Canada’nın hocalarından, bu akademisyenlerin yetkinliklerinden bahsedebilir misiniz?
Sanırım bu sorunun cevabi aynı zamanda University Canada West’in en güçlü olduğu yönlerinden birini de ortaya çıkarıyor. UCW yeni bir isim ama arkasında gerçek anlamda hem akademi, hem iş dünyasının büyük saygın isimlerini barındırıyor. Kısaca bahsetmek gerekirse,
Başkanımız Dr. David Strong:
University of Victoria’nin 1990-2000 yılları arasındaki başkanı. Başkanlık döneminde University of Victoria’ya 2 defa Kanada’nın en iyi üniversitesi unvanını kazandırmıştır.
Akademik bölümden sorumlu başkan yardımcımız: Dr. Rick Roskin,
New Foundland’da Memorial University’de İsletme Fakültesi Dekanlığı, Victoria’da Royal Roads University’de İsletme ve Yönetim Bölümleri Direktörlüğü yapmıştır. Uluslararası alanda birçok çalışması mevcuttur.
Öğrenci İşleri ve Dış İlişkilerden Sorumlu Başkan Yardımcımız: James Griffith
Kanada’da yüksek öğrenim sektöründe 35 yıllık bir tecrübeye sahip. University of Victoria’da ayni pozisyonda yöneticilik yapmış, görev suresinin bitmesiyle UCW’ya katılmıştır.
Grubun uluslararası kolu olan LearningWise International’in başkanı: Roger Wheelock:
Çalışma hayatı boyunca Kanada’nın yurtdışı tanıtımında en önemli isimlerden biri olmuş. Döneminde Kanada’nın en önemli turistik yerlerinden olan Royal Botanic Gardens (Hamilton) ve Butchard Gardens (Victoria)’nın CEO ve başkanlığını, Kanada Turizm Komisyonu başkan yardımcılığını yapmış, Victoria şehrine hizmetlerinden dolayı şehir tarafından “şeref” madalyasıyla ödüllendirilmiştir. Aynı zamanda University of Victoria’nin yönetim kurulunda aktif görevlerde bulunmuştur.
Daha önce bahsettiğim gibi profesörlerimizin hepsi doktora sahibidir. Kanadalı profesörlerin yanı sıra, uluslararası üne sahip ve başka üniversitelerde çalışan bir çok profesör de, ziyaretçi profesör olarak UCW öğrencilerine zaman zaman ders vermeye geleceklerdir. Ziyaretçi profesörlerimizle ilgili detaylı bilgi için öğrencilerimiz http://www.universitycanadawest.ca/content/Directory/ adresine bakabilirler.
Türk öğrencilerin UCW’da beklentilerinin üzerinde kalitede bir akademik ortam bulacaklarını düşünüyorum. Yeni bir organizasyon olmamız nedeniyle, ve her kurumda olan daha çok idari boyutta ufak tefek sorunlar yaşanılması kaçınılmazdır ama o noktada da sanırım benim burada bulunmamın avantajını tüm öğrencilerimiz hissedeceklerdir.
Q6. Türk öğrenciler için en önemli konularında başında YÖK denkliği gelir. University West Canada YÖK tarafından tanınıyor mu?
YÖK’ün University Canada West’i tanımasıyla ilgili Mayıs ayında yaptığımız başvuru, YÖK değerlendirme komisyonu tarafından uygun görülerek onaylanmıştır. Bu sevindirici haberi öğrencilerinizle rahatlıkla paylaşabilirsiniz.
Q7. Başarılı öğrenciler için herhangi bir burs programınız var mı? Şartları nelerdir?
Şu an ilk yıl lisans öğrencilerimize kurucularımız adına verilen 1000 CAD tutarında bir burs imkanımız mevcut. Öğrencilerimiz başarı durumuna göre bu bursu her sene yenileyebilir ve öğrenimleri boyunca toplamda 8000 CAD tutarında bir burs imkanına sahip olabilirler. İlk yıl öğrencilerimize verilen bu burs dışında, kapsamlı bir burs havuzu oluşturma çalışması içinde olduğumu söyleyebilirim. Bu konudaki gelişmeleri sizlerle mutlaka paylaşıyor olacağım.
Ayni şekilde MBA programımız için de her öğrenciye 2000 CAD’lik “ilk sınıf” indirimi sunmaktayız.
Q8. Son olarak Kanada’da üniversite eğitimi düşünen arkadaşlarımıza tavsiyelerinizi alabilir miyiz?
Bununla ilgili bir yazıyı aslında şu anda Eylül ayı bültenimiz için hazırlıyorum, bu nedenle ilk bölümde kendimden bahsederken, niye Kanada’yı seçtiğim konusundan hiç bahsetmedim. Genel olarak yurtdışıyla ilgili karar sureci, her öğrenci veya öğrenci ailesi için beklentilere, ideallere, amaçlara ve hatta sosyo-ekonomik duruma göre farklı işleyecektir. Benim buradan, kendi bakış açımla, Kanada’ya gelmek isteyen öğrencilerinize naçizane 2 temel tavsiyem olabilir:
· Yurtdışında eğitime bir hayat tecrübesi olarak bakın ve kültürel açıdan kendinizi nasıl zenginleştirebilirsiniz onu düşünün. Bulunduğunuz süre içerisinde gittiğiniz ülkenin insanlarıyla, okul yöneticileri, çalışanlarıyla iletişim içinde olun. Geri döndüğünüzde beraberinizde getireceğiniz sadece bir diploma değil, kültürel zenginlik, geniş bir vizyon ve edindiğiniz dostluklar olmalı,
· Gittiğiniz yerde nasıl bir hayatın sizi beklediğini önceden düşünün, araştırın ve okul seçiminizi coğrafya, iklim, kültür, aktivite faktörlerini düşünerek yapın.
Bana bu platformda Türk öğrencileriyle iletişim imkanı sağlayan tüm Alternatif Yurtdışı Eğitim Danışmanlık çalışanlarına kendim ve University Canada West adına teşekkür ederim. Victoria’ya University Canada West veya başka bir kuruma eğitim için gelecek tüm Alternatif öğrencilerine ve ailelerine burada elimden geldiğince yardımcı olacağımı belirtmek isterim.
Saygılarımla,
Tolga Habalı
LearningWise International
Representative for Turkey
Email: thabali@learningwise.com
Phone: 250 –9781800
Cell: 250 - 6198974
Web: www.universitycanadawest.ca
***LearningWise International is an affiliate of University Canada West and University Canada West Academies***
Community College in the USA
COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATION in THE USA
The following is an e-mail conversation between Ali ISIL and Sophia Iliakis on community colleges option for international students as well as Turkish ones. Sophia Iliakis is the Director of International Recruitment at Green River Community College.
AI: It is one of our cultural customs that we always ask the person we spoke to ‘where do you come from?’ Who is Sophia Iliakis and what is her background?
SI: Wow….that’s a complicated question! I come from Seattle, Washington, but originally, my father comes from the island of Crete in Greece and my mother comes from the region of Molise in Italy. I grew up in the U.S., but have lived, worked, and studied in different countries. I studied at Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington (my hometown) and took two degrees; one in Italian Language and Culture, and the other in Public Relations. I studied in Florence, Italy for one year and after completing my degrees, I taught English in Japan for three years. I’ve traveled all over the world with my work and for pleasure. I’m very fortunate to have friends and family in so many places! After returning from Asia and traveling Europe for a year afterwards visiting family and friends, I began working with an Intensive English Program, called LCP, which was later purchased by Kaplan, which I also worked for. Then I began working for community colleges in Washington State, near Seattle. I have been traveling and recruiting international students for community colleges since 1999. I began working with Green River Community College (GRCC) since August of 2004 and I love it! My hobbies include playing Irish (Gaelic) football, performing both song and dance, swimming and cooking.
AI: Sophia, I know that you and staff at Green River Community College have been actively involved in international education as practitioners and professionals, and that GRCC has many programs to offer. Could you tell us about those programmes for Turkish students wishing to study at CCs in the USA?
SI: Absolutely. The programs offered at GRCC that would be most suitable for international students coming from Turkey would be the following:
1.) AA Transfer Degree (Associate of Arts Degree): This degree allows students two complete their first two years of a four-year Bachelor’s Degree at GRCC and then transferring to a good university in the US to complete their Bachelor’s Degree. With our experienced and thorough advisors, we have great success in students being admitted to top 10 US institutions such as; UCLA, Purdue U, U of Washington, U of Michigan, Johns Hopkins U, Stanford U, and Indiana State U, just to name a few of the best universities our recent graduates from the graduating class of 2004 were admitted to. 90% of the students who decide to study at GRCC, come to us because they are aware of success in preparing students to transfer to such well-respected universities.
2.) High School Completion: This program allows students to complete their high school at GRCC while at the same time earning an AA Transfer Degree in order to go to continue for their Bachelor’s Degree at a university such as one I mentioned earlier.
3.) Intensive English as a Second Language: Our IESL program is highly respected in Washington State and our respective region of the Northwest for being one of the most challenging and rewarding English programs in the region. It is respected because it prepares our students well enough to compete with domestic students at a level that earns them high grades to where they can be admitted to top universities.
4.) Certificates and Professional/Technical Degrees: This degree option prepares students to succeed in a very specific technical field to be ‘work ready’ after one or two years of study. With this degree, students are eligible to apply for OPT (Optional Practical Training) whereby they are allowed to legally work in the US for a maximum of one year in their selected field upon successful completion of their academic program.
AI: One of the biggest barriers preventing our students from studying in university abroad is a lack of financial resources. It is obvious that tuition fees are cheaper at CC’s. What are the other benefits of Community College education in USA for Turkish students? Could you also make a comparison between 4yrs colleges and Community Colleges?
SI: Sure. Community Colleges are the best hidden secret in the US education system, not only for international students, but for domestic students, as well. I wish I understood the benefits when I was studying! I would’ve saved heaps of money, while saving time and I would’ve been better prepared for success. As the child of immigrants who didn’t understand the US education system, I later found I could’ve made better choices had I understood all of my options. To my parents, the most important thing was ‘to go to a good university’. They didn’t understand the benefits of a community college or how it could better prepare me to transfer to a ‘good university’. Had they understood, I know they would’ve preferred that option over all of the money I spent going directly to an expensive, well-respected four-year institution directly out of high school. Students not only pay ½ the tuition of four year institutions, but they also have the benefit of being in smaller classes (never more than 35 at the most) and being taught directly by the professor, rather than a ‘Teaching Assistant’, which is so popular in four year institutions. The average cost of community college tuition in Washington State for international students is approximately $7,700 per year, as compared to $19,900 at the University of Washington (the largest public university in Washington State). The other benefit is that student’s receive more assistance and guidance at a community college than at a public four-year institution. If a student first decides to study at GRCC, they can be guaranteed the opportunity to receive high grades to be able to transfer to a top university in the US. With proper guidance from professional advisors and good study discipline, a student at GRCC can go anywhere if they put their mind to it. There’s no excuse not to, many, many of our students do it every year!
AI: The main factor behind the CC decision of our students is transfer opportunities to 4 year colleges. What are the obstacles of transfer issues? Upon their graduation can students easily transfer to the 4 yrs colleges or there is a planning that starts with the first day of the school? What is your college transfer application procedure for international students?
SI: The main obstacles to transferring to top universities are; getting very good grades (above 3.5), funding (these school can be expensive), acceptance rate of international students (each university only accepts a certain percentage of international applicants). We guide students to combat these three major obstacles by laying out a comprehensive two-year study plan before they open their first book, encouraging them to look for scholarship opportunities prior to their completion of their degree at GRCC, and offering them any statistics we have either researched or within our resources regarding acceptance percentages (chance of acceptance), which they wouldn’t have access to at all community colleges. Many community colleges have ‘Transfer Centers’ where all of their students go for assistance, we specialize in this area out of our own IP (International Programs) funding and our advisors ‘personally’ advise our own international students without having to share our time with thousands of other students. Our transfer procedure is quite simple. We interview the students, gain an understanding of where they want to transfer to, advise them of their best options, tell them the GPA (average grade point average) they will need, TOEFL Score, application deadlines and we then monitor their progress by asking them to check in with us whenever they feel necessary to get guidance regarding their registration of classes, etc.
AI: It is not easy to get a student visa. Visa officers are concerning about the schools type on I-20 forms. Is there a correlation between visa acceptance / rejection rates and school types whether it is a two year or 4 years institutions?
SI: This is an age-old question. The community college vs. the university. Standards and quality issues. My personal belief after having visited MANY embassies and consulates and interviewing MANY Visa-Issuing Officers throughout the world since 1997, is that the tide has turned somewhat. I think there did indeed exist a bias towards community college education on the part of embassies and consulates, but I’ve seen that superstition change over the years. It seems that Visa Issuing Officers are more convinced now than ever before of the benefits of community colleges for international students and the quality of education they provide. They’ve certainly always been aware of this in the US. It seems it’s finally making an impression overseas, as well. There have been great efforts made by community college organizations and national consortiums in the US towards policy and being recognized as invaluable educational alternatives to the traditional four-year institution. Even President George W. Bush openly recognizes the value community colleges add to the US education system. It has become clear to me that there is a direct correlation in visa issuance with regard to enrolling in community colleges as ‘gateways’ to a four year university. However, it seems that respective consulates more readily issue visas to students wishing to utilize this pathway if they have an idea of the quality of the community college and if they recognize them as having a strong track record of success in sending students to good universities.
AI: Some of our readers may ask about the financial aid options considering they are assertive on their records. Are they any scholarship opportunities?
SI: Green River Community College does offer scholarships for international students, but only if they are already enrolled at the college. As community colleges are recognized for having already greatly reduced tuition, it wouldn’t be in the benefit of the prospective student to have a scholarship offering from a community college as they have to demonstrate to the US Consulate they have the funding to be able to live and study in the US for one academic year. If a student doesn’t seem as though they can afford community college tuition for one year (via a scholarship), their chances of receiving a visa would be very slim. Having said that, many of students receive scholarships while enrolled at GRCC. We offer renewable quarterly scholarships in the amount of $300 per quarter (which helps pay for books and/or other expenses) and also students can apply for larger annual scholarships in the amount of $1,200. Students with high GPA’s are also eligible to apply for even larger scholarships that are provided through our college Foundation (private fund-raising organization for GRCC student scholarships).
AI: We know that any students who start the tertiary level education in the USA must sit for a Math and English exam before starting their school. What is the nature of this examination? Is it a placement test or admissions test?
SI: I’m assuming you are referring to the COMPASS Exam. This exam must be written by all students who wish to enroll at GRCC, whether they be international or domestic. It is strictly a Placement Test that helps advisors determine the ability of the student in the areas of Math and English so that they can properly suggest courses for the student to register in that are within their ability level. It is not a test to be regarded as a Pass or Fail Exam. The goal is to direct students to academic success. This is one of the tools our advisors use to help gauge the true ability of the student. We want to be sure we place them in courses they are capable of succeeding in. They must have good grades to go to a good university. To be misplaced in a course is detrimental in attaining a high GPA and ultimately gaining acceptance to a good university.
AI: Do you have any other suggestions for Turkish students who are pursuing community colleges in USA?
SI: Yes. When going in for an interview with the US Consulate for your student, BE PREPARED! Visa Issuing Officers are reportedly happy to issue visas to students they feel confident will use them and return to Turkey to exercise what they’ve learned for the betterment of their future. False conclusions can be drawn from students who are ill-prepared. Have a clear plan for your academic career in the US. Over 80% of students who applied for Visas to the US from Turkey last year received them. It’s a high percentage, compared to MANY countries. It’s always a shame when a student is denied due to lack of preparation for the interview. Have a clear study plan. My last thoughts; be open-minded to learning and to a new culture. Know that people in the US are happy to learn about you and will not know about your country, if you don’t open up and tell them about it. The US is welcoming to all who wish to come and better themselves – ALWAYS. I know this better than anyone, as I’m from people who come from somewhere else and have made the US their home. Always aim high, stay true to yourself and others, and be brave enough to follow your dreams. You’ll be amazed where they can take you.
AI: Thanks, Sophia, for sharing your experiences and your thoughts on this subject. I hope that it will serve as a useful resource for both prospective students and counselors / educators who are interested in learning more about the CC education.
The following is an e-mail conversation between Ali ISIL and Sophia Iliakis on community colleges option for international students as well as Turkish ones. Sophia Iliakis is the Director of International Recruitment at Green River Community College.
AI: It is one of our cultural customs that we always ask the person we spoke to ‘where do you come from?’ Who is Sophia Iliakis and what is her background?
SI: Wow….that’s a complicated question! I come from Seattle, Washington, but originally, my father comes from the island of Crete in Greece and my mother comes from the region of Molise in Italy. I grew up in the U.S., but have lived, worked, and studied in different countries. I studied at Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington (my hometown) and took two degrees; one in Italian Language and Culture, and the other in Public Relations. I studied in Florence, Italy for one year and after completing my degrees, I taught English in Japan for three years. I’ve traveled all over the world with my work and for pleasure. I’m very fortunate to have friends and family in so many places! After returning from Asia and traveling Europe for a year afterwards visiting family and friends, I began working with an Intensive English Program, called LCP, which was later purchased by Kaplan, which I also worked for. Then I began working for community colleges in Washington State, near Seattle. I have been traveling and recruiting international students for community colleges since 1999. I began working with Green River Community College (GRCC) since August of 2004 and I love it! My hobbies include playing Irish (Gaelic) football, performing both song and dance, swimming and cooking.
AI: Sophia, I know that you and staff at Green River Community College have been actively involved in international education as practitioners and professionals, and that GRCC has many programs to offer. Could you tell us about those programmes for Turkish students wishing to study at CCs in the USA?
SI: Absolutely. The programs offered at GRCC that would be most suitable for international students coming from Turkey would be the following:
1.) AA Transfer Degree (Associate of Arts Degree): This degree allows students two complete their first two years of a four-year Bachelor’s Degree at GRCC and then transferring to a good university in the US to complete their Bachelor’s Degree. With our experienced and thorough advisors, we have great success in students being admitted to top 10 US institutions such as; UCLA, Purdue U, U of Washington, U of Michigan, Johns Hopkins U, Stanford U, and Indiana State U, just to name a few of the best universities our recent graduates from the graduating class of 2004 were admitted to. 90% of the students who decide to study at GRCC, come to us because they are aware of success in preparing students to transfer to such well-respected universities.
2.) High School Completion: This program allows students to complete their high school at GRCC while at the same time earning an AA Transfer Degree in order to go to continue for their Bachelor’s Degree at a university such as one I mentioned earlier.
3.) Intensive English as a Second Language: Our IESL program is highly respected in Washington State and our respective region of the Northwest for being one of the most challenging and rewarding English programs in the region. It is respected because it prepares our students well enough to compete with domestic students at a level that earns them high grades to where they can be admitted to top universities.
4.) Certificates and Professional/Technical Degrees: This degree option prepares students to succeed in a very specific technical field to be ‘work ready’ after one or two years of study. With this degree, students are eligible to apply for OPT (Optional Practical Training) whereby they are allowed to legally work in the US for a maximum of one year in their selected field upon successful completion of their academic program.
AI: One of the biggest barriers preventing our students from studying in university abroad is a lack of financial resources. It is obvious that tuition fees are cheaper at CC’s. What are the other benefits of Community College education in USA for Turkish students? Could you also make a comparison between 4yrs colleges and Community Colleges?
SI: Sure. Community Colleges are the best hidden secret in the US education system, not only for international students, but for domestic students, as well. I wish I understood the benefits when I was studying! I would’ve saved heaps of money, while saving time and I would’ve been better prepared for success. As the child of immigrants who didn’t understand the US education system, I later found I could’ve made better choices had I understood all of my options. To my parents, the most important thing was ‘to go to a good university’. They didn’t understand the benefits of a community college or how it could better prepare me to transfer to a ‘good university’. Had they understood, I know they would’ve preferred that option over all of the money I spent going directly to an expensive, well-respected four-year institution directly out of high school. Students not only pay ½ the tuition of four year institutions, but they also have the benefit of being in smaller classes (never more than 35 at the most) and being taught directly by the professor, rather than a ‘Teaching Assistant’, which is so popular in four year institutions. The average cost of community college tuition in Washington State for international students is approximately $7,700 per year, as compared to $19,900 at the University of Washington (the largest public university in Washington State). The other benefit is that student’s receive more assistance and guidance at a community college than at a public four-year institution. If a student first decides to study at GRCC, they can be guaranteed the opportunity to receive high grades to be able to transfer to a top university in the US. With proper guidance from professional advisors and good study discipline, a student at GRCC can go anywhere if they put their mind to it. There’s no excuse not to, many, many of our students do it every year!
AI: The main factor behind the CC decision of our students is transfer opportunities to 4 year colleges. What are the obstacles of transfer issues? Upon their graduation can students easily transfer to the 4 yrs colleges or there is a planning that starts with the first day of the school? What is your college transfer application procedure for international students?
SI: The main obstacles to transferring to top universities are; getting very good grades (above 3.5), funding (these school can be expensive), acceptance rate of international students (each university only accepts a certain percentage of international applicants). We guide students to combat these three major obstacles by laying out a comprehensive two-year study plan before they open their first book, encouraging them to look for scholarship opportunities prior to their completion of their degree at GRCC, and offering them any statistics we have either researched or within our resources regarding acceptance percentages (chance of acceptance), which they wouldn’t have access to at all community colleges. Many community colleges have ‘Transfer Centers’ where all of their students go for assistance, we specialize in this area out of our own IP (International Programs) funding and our advisors ‘personally’ advise our own international students without having to share our time with thousands of other students. Our transfer procedure is quite simple. We interview the students, gain an understanding of where they want to transfer to, advise them of their best options, tell them the GPA (average grade point average) they will need, TOEFL Score, application deadlines and we then monitor their progress by asking them to check in with us whenever they feel necessary to get guidance regarding their registration of classes, etc.
AI: It is not easy to get a student visa. Visa officers are concerning about the schools type on I-20 forms. Is there a correlation between visa acceptance / rejection rates and school types whether it is a two year or 4 years institutions?
SI: This is an age-old question. The community college vs. the university. Standards and quality issues. My personal belief after having visited MANY embassies and consulates and interviewing MANY Visa-Issuing Officers throughout the world since 1997, is that the tide has turned somewhat. I think there did indeed exist a bias towards community college education on the part of embassies and consulates, but I’ve seen that superstition change over the years. It seems that Visa Issuing Officers are more convinced now than ever before of the benefits of community colleges for international students and the quality of education they provide. They’ve certainly always been aware of this in the US. It seems it’s finally making an impression overseas, as well. There have been great efforts made by community college organizations and national consortiums in the US towards policy and being recognized as invaluable educational alternatives to the traditional four-year institution. Even President George W. Bush openly recognizes the value community colleges add to the US education system. It has become clear to me that there is a direct correlation in visa issuance with regard to enrolling in community colleges as ‘gateways’ to a four year university. However, it seems that respective consulates more readily issue visas to students wishing to utilize this pathway if they have an idea of the quality of the community college and if they recognize them as having a strong track record of success in sending students to good universities.
AI: Some of our readers may ask about the financial aid options considering they are assertive on their records. Are they any scholarship opportunities?
SI: Green River Community College does offer scholarships for international students, but only if they are already enrolled at the college. As community colleges are recognized for having already greatly reduced tuition, it wouldn’t be in the benefit of the prospective student to have a scholarship offering from a community college as they have to demonstrate to the US Consulate they have the funding to be able to live and study in the US for one academic year. If a student doesn’t seem as though they can afford community college tuition for one year (via a scholarship), their chances of receiving a visa would be very slim. Having said that, many of students receive scholarships while enrolled at GRCC. We offer renewable quarterly scholarships in the amount of $300 per quarter (which helps pay for books and/or other expenses) and also students can apply for larger annual scholarships in the amount of $1,200. Students with high GPA’s are also eligible to apply for even larger scholarships that are provided through our college Foundation (private fund-raising organization for GRCC student scholarships).
AI: We know that any students who start the tertiary level education in the USA must sit for a Math and English exam before starting their school. What is the nature of this examination? Is it a placement test or admissions test?
SI: I’m assuming you are referring to the COMPASS Exam. This exam must be written by all students who wish to enroll at GRCC, whether they be international or domestic. It is strictly a Placement Test that helps advisors determine the ability of the student in the areas of Math and English so that they can properly suggest courses for the student to register in that are within their ability level. It is not a test to be regarded as a Pass or Fail Exam. The goal is to direct students to academic success. This is one of the tools our advisors use to help gauge the true ability of the student. We want to be sure we place them in courses they are capable of succeeding in. They must have good grades to go to a good university. To be misplaced in a course is detrimental in attaining a high GPA and ultimately gaining acceptance to a good university.
AI: Do you have any other suggestions for Turkish students who are pursuing community colleges in USA?
SI: Yes. When going in for an interview with the US Consulate for your student, BE PREPARED! Visa Issuing Officers are reportedly happy to issue visas to students they feel confident will use them and return to Turkey to exercise what they’ve learned for the betterment of their future. False conclusions can be drawn from students who are ill-prepared. Have a clear plan for your academic career in the US. Over 80% of students who applied for Visas to the US from Turkey last year received them. It’s a high percentage, compared to MANY countries. It’s always a shame when a student is denied due to lack of preparation for the interview. Have a clear study plan. My last thoughts; be open-minded to learning and to a new culture. Know that people in the US are happy to learn about you and will not know about your country, if you don’t open up and tell them about it. The US is welcoming to all who wish to come and better themselves – ALWAYS. I know this better than anyone, as I’m from people who come from somewhere else and have made the US their home. Always aim high, stay true to yourself and others, and be brave enough to follow your dreams. You’ll be amazed where they can take you.
AI: Thanks, Sophia, for sharing your experiences and your thoughts on this subject. I hope that it will serve as a useful resource for both prospective students and counselors / educators who are interested in learning more about the CC education.
LLM Programs in the UK
A talk with a law academic on LLM in the UK
Dr Lawrence Schäfer, faculty of the law department at Oxford Brookes University, replies our questions on legal education in the UK and offers some tips for prospective LLM applicants.
This week we welcome Dr Lawrence Schäfer from Oxford Brookes University. Lawrence is a law academic who has collaborative research links with Bilgi University. During his last visit to Turkey, Lawrence visited our office and we talked on legal education in the UK. Since he is well versed in both the Turkish and UK education systems, we made a really useful interview session with Lawrence.
We especially asked about LLM programmes to Lawrence. (The Master of Laws is an advanced law degree that allows someone to specialize in a particular area of law. It is commonly abbreviated LL.M. (also LLM or LL.M) from its Latin name, Legum Magister. (For female students, the less common variant Legum Magistra may also be used. ALLM@, Wikipedia,(R) Online The Free Encyclopedia 2005, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LLM (C) 2005, All Rights Reserved)
In our country, the number of universities offering law degrees is 26 now, and more are scheduled to open in the near future. Legal education is a four-year UG degree in Turkey and applicants are placed according to their score in a central university examination. Studying at law school is as hard as getting into and each year over 7 thousand students graduate from law schools. By 2006, a bar examination will be conducted for law school graduates which will be administrated by the General Assembly of Bar Associations.
As far as job opportunities are concerned, in today’s competitive job market, many law school graduates are looking for ways to distinguish themselves from the pack and LLM degree is accepted as an asset even by the average law firms. LLM degree is becoming a pre-requisite of qualifying as a lawyer and the average law firms would regard a masters degree in law as indicator that the candidate has any additional aptitude. Finally, an LLM from foreign universities can help in securing a position in a firm.
The Royal Courts of Justice, London
Q. Could you inform us about Oxford Brookes University and your law school. We also would like to learn what distinguishes the Brookes Department of Law from other law schools?
Oxford Brookes has, for the past five years, been ranked by the Sunday Times Good University Guide as the “best new university” in the UK. We are confident that our LLM programme is a key part of the University’s success.
Our LL.M. programme is small enough for students to get to know one another and their tutors well and to develop strong working relationships. This is particularly important for undertaking the Dissertation, the last part of the LLM, where students are expected to commit about 600 hours of independent research. It also provides the opportunity for a good deal of specialization, thus allowing students to direct their studies towards their career interests.
Our students are drawn from all parts of the world and we see this as a great strength. Last year, we had students from Jordan, Bahrain, Syria, Palestine, Germany, Norway, Italy, Cyprus, the UK, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Brazil, Japan and China! Many had work experience in a variety of positions and fields. Similarly, our lecturers represent a variety of nationalities B including British, Canadian, South African and Chinese; and our research interests reflect this diversity. My research, for example, is concerned with the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights and other human rights norms on Turkish family law. Other areas of research amongst my colleagues include specializations in South African human rights law; the World Bank; China-EU trade relationships; international labour law; the human rights responsibilities of transnational corporations, and so on. We are, in every respect, a diverse group!
In addition to academic teaching and research, we try to provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Through our Student Link Co-Ordinator, students have taken day visits to the local courts, to Parliament. They also have the opportunity to join the internationally-renowned Oxford Union. Last year, for the first time, a team was chosen to represent Oxford Brookes University at the Jessup Moot Court Competition, where we performed commendably within the British rounds. This is almost certainly the most famous international mooting competition between law students. Teams act as counsel in a dispute between two hypothetical states and argue on the basis of a complex statement of facts. Our students also have many opportunities to attend events hosted by Oxford University. Last year, these included a public speech by Recep Tayyip Erdoðan.
Much is also arranged by the students themselves through the elected student representatives. Last year’s cohort was particularly active, with the result that most members of the programme came to know each other really well. We see this social dimension as a fundamental part of our programme, providing our students with opportunities to meet colleagues from all over the world.
Quite apart from its academic importance, Oxford is undoubtedly one the loveliest cities in England. Its cultural richness and beauty makes it an exciting place to spend a year. I am confident that our international students enjoy their time here greatly. We are also only an hour from Heathrow Airport and about 90 minutes from the centre of London. In both cases, there are frequent inexpensive bus connections.
Q. What is the standard entry requirements for the LLM? Who will judge the applicants admissibility based on which criteria? If the students don’t enclose the TOEFL/IELTS score, can they get a conditional offer?
Applicants must normally have (or be expecting to obtain) an upper second class honours degree (or the equivalent degree standing from other countries). The degree may be in law, or in a related discipline such as International Relations, Business or Politics.
If your first or main language is not English, an IELTS minimum score of 6.5 or TOEFL minimum score of 575 (paper-based) or 232 (computer-based) is required. For students who do not have the language requirements, the International Centre for English Language Studies (ICELS) at Oxford Brookes offers a number of preparation courses for study at master’s level. These include the one-year Masters Preparation Diploma, which is jointly taught by ICELS and the Department of Law, and is designed to improve students‘ language and academic skills to a level required for master’s study. Or shorter intensive summer school courses are available for students who only need to improve their English level. For further information, please contact ICELS at icels@brookes.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0) 1865 483874 or visit ICELS web site at www.brookes.ac.uk/icels.
We do make conditional offers where students have not yet reached a sufficient level of English competence, but where we believe they will do so by the commencement of their degree here.
Q. What is the deadline for applications?
Applications can be made at any time up to the beginning of the First Semester of study, which is usually the third week of September. However, we do strongly advise candidates for our programme to make early applications. Application forms are available from:
LLM Course Administrator
School of Social Sciences & Law
Oxford Brookes University
Gipsy Lane ,
Oxford OX3 0BP
Tel: +44 (0) 1865 484931
Fax: +44 (0) 1865 484930
e-mail:
pglaw@brookes.ac.uk
Q. It is really hard to maintain higher GPAs at law schools in Turkey. Do you take into account if the applicant is having a work experience in addition to his/her LLB. And what about the nature of work experience, duration or quality?
Every application is considered on its own merits and GPAs will be viewed in the light of a candidate’s overall performance, experience and potential. This does mean that a candidate could be offered a place where he has suitable professional or academic experience to make up for grades that are slightly lower than what we would normally require. The overriding consideration for us is whether a candidate appears to have the ability to participate meaningfully in the programme and to meet the standards required to take the degree.
Q. About half of the total number of law schools are state universities in Turkey and legal education is taught in Turkish. Hence many law graduates may need ESL programme prior to their main academic course. Do you offer an English Language courses?
Most of our students do not speak English as their first language, so we are very familiar with the difficulties confronted by these students. Oxford Brookes offers good support for students in this regard, both before and during the programme. ICELS, our International Centre for English Language Studies, offers a number of courses for students whose English competence is not at the minimum level we require. For further details, please see http://www.brookes.ac.uk/icels/!
Q. How much are the tuition fees for the LL.M?
For the 2006/2007 academic year, the fee for the full-time programme is £8850 for students from outside the EU. Our programme starts in late September and the final obligation – submitting the Dissertation – is due in mid-August. This does have the result of reducing the programme to just under eleven months, thus saving students’ living costs for one month and allowing those who so wish to take up employment from 1st September.
Q. Are there any scholarships available for clever students?
We award a prize to the top student in each year, but we do not award scholarships. However, many of our international students have come to Oxford Brookes University with scholarships, such as those awarded by the British Council, the Rhodes Trust, and the Ford Foundation, as well as scholarships awarded by funding bodies in students’ home countries.
Q. What do students study on the LLM programme, could you inform us about the content of each concentration? What courses are offered at your law school?
In the first semester, students study a comprehensive module in Public International Law. In addition, they take a module (which continues in the second semester) on Advanced Legal Research Methods. These two modules lay the academic foundation for what follows, namely, three optional modules and a compulsory dissertation of 15,000 words on a topic of the student’s choice. The three optional modules are chosen from the following: International Criminal Law; International Humanitarian Law; Nationality, Citizenship and Migration; International Banking Law; European Union Law; International Investment Law; International Environmental Law; and International Labour Law. Full details of the syllabus and the course brochure (in .pdf format) are available at
http://ssl.brookes.ac.uk/postgraduates/llm-international-law.htm.
Q. Do you offer any internship programme for your LLM graduates? Any training opportunities in the UK or in Europe?
We don’t offer an internship programme, but some of our students have gone on to internships after completing the LL.M. Recently, a number of our have secured internships at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Others go on to take the CPE law conversion diploma; and still others continue with postgraduate research degrees. We always try to alert our students to the wide range of options open to them in England and Europe. This is particularly important for students from outside the EU, and we see this as a valuable opportunity. Needless to say, we do our best to help students in obtaining these opportunities.
Q. We know that UK is a diverse country and the laws are different in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Can international students take bar exam to practice their job once they completed the LLM degree in the UK? What they need to practice their job in the UK?
The U.K. is in fact two quite different jurisdictions B Scotland, and England and Wales. Northern Ireland’s legal system is an extension of England’s, although with some local differences. Both in England and Scotland, there is a division between barristers (called advocates in Scotland) and solicitors. Neither can be equated completely with the role of an avukat in Turkey. England is one of the few jurisdictions where it is possible to qualify as either a barrister or a solicitor without having an English law degree: instead, it is sufficient to take the Common Professional Examination. Oxford Brookes offers a highly-regarded one-year CPE course: for further details, see
http://ssl.brookes.ac.uk/postgraduates/law-cpe.htm. A number of our students have stayed on at Brookes after the LLM. to take the CPE.
Lawrence, thank you for your time for giving your best answers to our specific questions I am sure our prospective students will be also visiting your website. (http://ssl.brookes.ac.uk/Departments/Law.html) (Where the website does not help, questions can be sent directly to the Course Director, Ms Evadné Grant (egrant@brookes.ac.uk). Lawrence will also be happy to answer your questions: lschafer@brookes.ac.uk)
Dr Lawrence Schäfer, faculty of the law department at Oxford Brookes University, replies our questions on legal education in the UK and offers some tips for prospective LLM applicants.
This week we welcome Dr Lawrence Schäfer from Oxford Brookes University. Lawrence is a law academic who has collaborative research links with Bilgi University. During his last visit to Turkey, Lawrence visited our office and we talked on legal education in the UK. Since he is well versed in both the Turkish and UK education systems, we made a really useful interview session with Lawrence.
We especially asked about LLM programmes to Lawrence. (The Master of Laws is an advanced law degree that allows someone to specialize in a particular area of law. It is commonly abbreviated LL.M. (also LLM or LL.M) from its Latin name, Legum Magister. (For female students, the less common variant Legum Magistra may also be used. ALLM@, Wikipedia,(R) Online The Free Encyclopedia 2005, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LLM (C) 2005, All Rights Reserved)
In our country, the number of universities offering law degrees is 26 now, and more are scheduled to open in the near future. Legal education is a four-year UG degree in Turkey and applicants are placed according to their score in a central university examination. Studying at law school is as hard as getting into and each year over 7 thousand students graduate from law schools. By 2006, a bar examination will be conducted for law school graduates which will be administrated by the General Assembly of Bar Associations.
As far as job opportunities are concerned, in today’s competitive job market, many law school graduates are looking for ways to distinguish themselves from the pack and LLM degree is accepted as an asset even by the average law firms. LLM degree is becoming a pre-requisite of qualifying as a lawyer and the average law firms would regard a masters degree in law as indicator that the candidate has any additional aptitude. Finally, an LLM from foreign universities can help in securing a position in a firm.
The Royal Courts of Justice, London
Q. Could you inform us about Oxford Brookes University and your law school. We also would like to learn what distinguishes the Brookes Department of Law from other law schools?
Oxford Brookes has, for the past five years, been ranked by the Sunday Times Good University Guide as the “best new university” in the UK. We are confident that our LLM programme is a key part of the University’s success.
Our LL.M. programme is small enough for students to get to know one another and their tutors well and to develop strong working relationships. This is particularly important for undertaking the Dissertation, the last part of the LLM, where students are expected to commit about 600 hours of independent research. It also provides the opportunity for a good deal of specialization, thus allowing students to direct their studies towards their career interests.
Our students are drawn from all parts of the world and we see this as a great strength. Last year, we had students from Jordan, Bahrain, Syria, Palestine, Germany, Norway, Italy, Cyprus, the UK, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Brazil, Japan and China! Many had work experience in a variety of positions and fields. Similarly, our lecturers represent a variety of nationalities B including British, Canadian, South African and Chinese; and our research interests reflect this diversity. My research, for example, is concerned with the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights and other human rights norms on Turkish family law. Other areas of research amongst my colleagues include specializations in South African human rights law; the World Bank; China-EU trade relationships; international labour law; the human rights responsibilities of transnational corporations, and so on. We are, in every respect, a diverse group!
In addition to academic teaching and research, we try to provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Through our Student Link Co-Ordinator, students have taken day visits to the local courts, to Parliament. They also have the opportunity to join the internationally-renowned Oxford Union. Last year, for the first time, a team was chosen to represent Oxford Brookes University at the Jessup Moot Court Competition, where we performed commendably within the British rounds. This is almost certainly the most famous international mooting competition between law students. Teams act as counsel in a dispute between two hypothetical states and argue on the basis of a complex statement of facts. Our students also have many opportunities to attend events hosted by Oxford University. Last year, these included a public speech by Recep Tayyip Erdoðan.
Much is also arranged by the students themselves through the elected student representatives. Last year’s cohort was particularly active, with the result that most members of the programme came to know each other really well. We see this social dimension as a fundamental part of our programme, providing our students with opportunities to meet colleagues from all over the world.
Quite apart from its academic importance, Oxford is undoubtedly one the loveliest cities in England. Its cultural richness and beauty makes it an exciting place to spend a year. I am confident that our international students enjoy their time here greatly. We are also only an hour from Heathrow Airport and about 90 minutes from the centre of London. In both cases, there are frequent inexpensive bus connections.
Q. What is the standard entry requirements for the LLM? Who will judge the applicants admissibility based on which criteria? If the students don’t enclose the TOEFL/IELTS score, can they get a conditional offer?
Applicants must normally have (or be expecting to obtain) an upper second class honours degree (or the equivalent degree standing from other countries). The degree may be in law, or in a related discipline such as International Relations, Business or Politics.
If your first or main language is not English, an IELTS minimum score of 6.5 or TOEFL minimum score of 575 (paper-based) or 232 (computer-based) is required. For students who do not have the language requirements, the International Centre for English Language Studies (ICELS) at Oxford Brookes offers a number of preparation courses for study at master’s level. These include the one-year Masters Preparation Diploma, which is jointly taught by ICELS and the Department of Law, and is designed to improve students‘ language and academic skills to a level required for master’s study. Or shorter intensive summer school courses are available for students who only need to improve their English level. For further information, please contact ICELS at icels@brookes.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0) 1865 483874 or visit ICELS web site at www.brookes.ac.uk/icels.
We do make conditional offers where students have not yet reached a sufficient level of English competence, but where we believe they will do so by the commencement of their degree here.
Q. What is the deadline for applications?
Applications can be made at any time up to the beginning of the First Semester of study, which is usually the third week of September. However, we do strongly advise candidates for our programme to make early applications. Application forms are available from:
LLM Course Administrator
School of Social Sciences & Law
Oxford Brookes University
Gipsy Lane ,
Oxford OX3 0BP
Tel: +44 (0) 1865 484931
Fax: +44 (0) 1865 484930
e-mail:
pglaw@brookes.ac.uk
Q. It is really hard to maintain higher GPAs at law schools in Turkey. Do you take into account if the applicant is having a work experience in addition to his/her LLB. And what about the nature of work experience, duration or quality?
Every application is considered on its own merits and GPAs will be viewed in the light of a candidate’s overall performance, experience and potential. This does mean that a candidate could be offered a place where he has suitable professional or academic experience to make up for grades that are slightly lower than what we would normally require. The overriding consideration for us is whether a candidate appears to have the ability to participate meaningfully in the programme and to meet the standards required to take the degree.
Q. About half of the total number of law schools are state universities in Turkey and legal education is taught in Turkish. Hence many law graduates may need ESL programme prior to their main academic course. Do you offer an English Language courses?
Most of our students do not speak English as their first language, so we are very familiar with the difficulties confronted by these students. Oxford Brookes offers good support for students in this regard, both before and during the programme. ICELS, our International Centre for English Language Studies, offers a number of courses for students whose English competence is not at the minimum level we require. For further details, please see http://www.brookes.ac.uk/icels/!
Q. How much are the tuition fees for the LL.M?
For the 2006/2007 academic year, the fee for the full-time programme is £8850 for students from outside the EU. Our programme starts in late September and the final obligation – submitting the Dissertation – is due in mid-August. This does have the result of reducing the programme to just under eleven months, thus saving students’ living costs for one month and allowing those who so wish to take up employment from 1st September.
Q. Are there any scholarships available for clever students?
We award a prize to the top student in each year, but we do not award scholarships. However, many of our international students have come to Oxford Brookes University with scholarships, such as those awarded by the British Council, the Rhodes Trust, and the Ford Foundation, as well as scholarships awarded by funding bodies in students’ home countries.
Q. What do students study on the LLM programme, could you inform us about the content of each concentration? What courses are offered at your law school?
In the first semester, students study a comprehensive module in Public International Law. In addition, they take a module (which continues in the second semester) on Advanced Legal Research Methods. These two modules lay the academic foundation for what follows, namely, three optional modules and a compulsory dissertation of 15,000 words on a topic of the student’s choice. The three optional modules are chosen from the following: International Criminal Law; International Humanitarian Law; Nationality, Citizenship and Migration; International Banking Law; European Union Law; International Investment Law; International Environmental Law; and International Labour Law. Full details of the syllabus and the course brochure (in .pdf format) are available at
http://ssl.brookes.ac.uk/postgraduates/llm-international-law.htm.
Q. Do you offer any internship programme for your LLM graduates? Any training opportunities in the UK or in Europe?
We don’t offer an internship programme, but some of our students have gone on to internships after completing the LL.M. Recently, a number of our have secured internships at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Others go on to take the CPE law conversion diploma; and still others continue with postgraduate research degrees. We always try to alert our students to the wide range of options open to them in England and Europe. This is particularly important for students from outside the EU, and we see this as a valuable opportunity. Needless to say, we do our best to help students in obtaining these opportunities.
Q. We know that UK is a diverse country and the laws are different in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Can international students take bar exam to practice their job once they completed the LLM degree in the UK? What they need to practice their job in the UK?
The U.K. is in fact two quite different jurisdictions B Scotland, and England and Wales. Northern Ireland’s legal system is an extension of England’s, although with some local differences. Both in England and Scotland, there is a division between barristers (called advocates in Scotland) and solicitors. Neither can be equated completely with the role of an avukat in Turkey. England is one of the few jurisdictions where it is possible to qualify as either a barrister or a solicitor without having an English law degree: instead, it is sufficient to take the Common Professional Examination. Oxford Brookes offers a highly-regarded one-year CPE course: for further details, see
http://ssl.brookes.ac.uk/postgraduates/law-cpe.htm. A number of our students have stayed on at Brookes after the LLM. to take the CPE.
Lawrence, thank you for your time for giving your best answers to our specific questions I am sure our prospective students will be also visiting your website. (http://ssl.brookes.ac.uk/Departments/Law.html) (Where the website does not help, questions can be sent directly to the Course Director, Ms Evadné Grant (egrant@brookes.ac.uk). Lawrence will also be happy to answer your questions: lschafer@brookes.ac.uk)
Malaspina University-College
- If we start with the school’s name: what is the difference between University-College and university?
University colleges represent a new model for postsecondary education, combining practical vocational programs with more theoretical offerings. University-Colleges like Malaspina offer a range of programs that include four year academic degrees in addition to one and two year academic certificates and Diplomas as well as one and two year vocational programs. University-Colleges can also offer some Post Graduate Programs such as our MBA and Advanced Diploma in Geographic Information Systems.
Universities only offer 4 year academic Degrees and Post Graduate Degrees.
- Where is Malaspina UC located and how can we get there? Is there an airport in Nanaimo?
Malaspina UC is located in Nanaimo, British Columbia on the West Coast of Canada. There are a few options to get to and from Nanaimo. The first is to fly into the Nanaimo Airport from Vancouver International Airport which only takes 15 minutes! The other option is to take a ferry. The Harbourlynx fast ferry takes 80 minutes and leaves from Downtown Vancouver and arrives in Downtown Nanaimo. The other ferry is the BC ferry which is larger and also takes cars. This trip takes 90 minutes and leaves from Horseshoe bay just north of Vancouver and arrives close to downtown Nanaimo in Departure bay. Finally Students can take the seaplane from either downtown Vancouver or from Vancouver International Airport. This option costs the most money but is well worth the experience!
- We know that Vancouver area has temperate climate comparing the other parts of Canada. What about weather conditions in Nanaimo?
Average temperatures in Nanaimo are almost identical to Vancouver. In the winter the temperature rarely goes below 0 but stays around 5-10 degrees Celsius. In the summer the temperature stays around 24-32 degrees Celsius. Nanaimo rarely gets snow but it does rain in the winter. That being said we receive less rain in the winter than Vancouver does.
- How many international students are studying in Malaspina and what is their proportion to total population of the school? And what about Turkish students?
At Malaspina we have close to 10,000 students. Of these approximately 1000 students are International Students from over 40 countries. The exact number of Turkish students varies every semester. Currently we have 23 students from Turkey.
- Do you offer any scholarships? If so what are the criteria?
We do offer scholarships to International Students after they have studied at Malaspina for at least one semester. While there is a scholarship for ESL students entering Academic classes the rest of our Scholarships are for students studying in Undergraduate programs. Students are automatically eligible for a scholarship when they are registered for academic classes. Scholarships are awarded to students with the highest grades. There are also two Scholarships that are for students who maintain high GPA’s while being active in the School community.
- Where do Malaspina students live? Could you inform us about accommodation options, estimated living expenses in Nanaimo?
Students have several options available to them when they come to live in Nanaimo:
The first is Homestay/Peerstay Malaspina has a Homestay Department that assists students with the adjustment of living and studying in Canada. All new students attend an extensive orientation session before start of classes. The Homestay Manager will arrange for changes in Homestay, if necessary.
A second option is Student Residence Our on-campus residence village is located near the heart of the campus, close to classrooms, cafeterias, gymnasium, library, bookstore, and the Centre for International Education. The 389 spaces offer a mix of accommodation choices from single private rooms with semi-private bathroom to 4 bedroom apartments. Rooms are wired for telephone, cable television, and Internet access. There are specially-designed suites for students with disabilities.
Of course there is also Off-Campus Housing. There are many different types of apartments, room and board, and shared housing opportunities in Nanaimo. Students can find an apartment on arrival in Nanaimo; they may want to stay in homestay or peerstay for their first month while they look for an apartment.
Students should budget at least $10,000 Canadian Dollars for one year of study.
(Follow the links to our website for more details and up to date costs)
- What are the academic and language requirements to be accepted to Malaspina University-College?
ESL: Graduation from High School and some previous education in English
Undergraduate: Graduation from High School, TOEFL 550, CBT 215, IELTS 6
Graduate: TOEFL 550, CBT215, IELTS 6
Minimum B in the last two years of Undergraduate degree.
Work Experience Preferred but not required
NO GMAT
- Malaspina University-College offers ESL courses as well. If the prospective students finish ESL program at your school do they need to write TOEFL/IELTS?
No!
We thank you for your answers and time.
University colleges represent a new model for postsecondary education, combining practical vocational programs with more theoretical offerings. University-Colleges like Malaspina offer a range of programs that include four year academic degrees in addition to one and two year academic certificates and Diplomas as well as one and two year vocational programs. University-Colleges can also offer some Post Graduate Programs such as our MBA and Advanced Diploma in Geographic Information Systems.
Universities only offer 4 year academic Degrees and Post Graduate Degrees.
- Where is Malaspina UC located and how can we get there? Is there an airport in Nanaimo?
Malaspina UC is located in Nanaimo, British Columbia on the West Coast of Canada. There are a few options to get to and from Nanaimo. The first is to fly into the Nanaimo Airport from Vancouver International Airport which only takes 15 minutes! The other option is to take a ferry. The Harbourlynx fast ferry takes 80 minutes and leaves from Downtown Vancouver and arrives in Downtown Nanaimo. The other ferry is the BC ferry which is larger and also takes cars. This trip takes 90 minutes and leaves from Horseshoe bay just north of Vancouver and arrives close to downtown Nanaimo in Departure bay. Finally Students can take the seaplane from either downtown Vancouver or from Vancouver International Airport. This option costs the most money but is well worth the experience!
- We know that Vancouver area has temperate climate comparing the other parts of Canada. What about weather conditions in Nanaimo?
Average temperatures in Nanaimo are almost identical to Vancouver. In the winter the temperature rarely goes below 0 but stays around 5-10 degrees Celsius. In the summer the temperature stays around 24-32 degrees Celsius. Nanaimo rarely gets snow but it does rain in the winter. That being said we receive less rain in the winter than Vancouver does.
- How many international students are studying in Malaspina and what is their proportion to total population of the school? And what about Turkish students?
At Malaspina we have close to 10,000 students. Of these approximately 1000 students are International Students from over 40 countries. The exact number of Turkish students varies every semester. Currently we have 23 students from Turkey.
- Do you offer any scholarships? If so what are the criteria?
We do offer scholarships to International Students after they have studied at Malaspina for at least one semester. While there is a scholarship for ESL students entering Academic classes the rest of our Scholarships are for students studying in Undergraduate programs. Students are automatically eligible for a scholarship when they are registered for academic classes. Scholarships are awarded to students with the highest grades. There are also two Scholarships that are for students who maintain high GPA’s while being active in the School community.
- Where do Malaspina students live? Could you inform us about accommodation options, estimated living expenses in Nanaimo?
Students have several options available to them when they come to live in Nanaimo:
The first is Homestay/Peerstay Malaspina has a Homestay Department that assists students with the adjustment of living and studying in Canada. All new students attend an extensive orientation session before start of classes. The Homestay Manager will arrange for changes in Homestay, if necessary.
A second option is Student Residence Our on-campus residence village is located near the heart of the campus, close to classrooms, cafeterias, gymnasium, library, bookstore, and the Centre for International Education. The 389 spaces offer a mix of accommodation choices from single private rooms with semi-private bathroom to 4 bedroom apartments. Rooms are wired for telephone, cable television, and Internet access. There are specially-designed suites for students with disabilities.
Of course there is also Off-Campus Housing. There are many different types of apartments, room and board, and shared housing opportunities in Nanaimo. Students can find an apartment on arrival in Nanaimo; they may want to stay in homestay or peerstay for their first month while they look for an apartment.
Students should budget at least $10,000 Canadian Dollars for one year of study.
(Follow the links to our website for more details and up to date costs)
- What are the academic and language requirements to be accepted to Malaspina University-College?
ESL: Graduation from High School and some previous education in English
Undergraduate: Graduation from High School, TOEFL 550, CBT 215, IELTS 6
Graduate: TOEFL 550, CBT215, IELTS 6
Minimum B in the last two years of Undergraduate degree.
Work Experience Preferred but not required
NO GMAT
- Malaspina University-College offers ESL courses as well. If the prospective students finish ESL program at your school do they need to write TOEFL/IELTS?
No!
We thank you for your answers and time.
Uluslararası Gençlik Kartı (IYTC-GO25)
Uluslararası Gençlik Kartı (IYTC-GO25)
International Student Travel Conference (ISIC) (www.istc.org) üyesi kuruluşlar tarafından dağıtılır.
Öğrenci olup olmadığına bakılmaksızın 26 yaşından gün almamış herkese verilir.
Alındığı tarihten itibaren bir yıl geçerlidir. Her yıl yenilenir.
Ulaşım, konaklama, eğlence yerleri, kültür merkezleri ve alış verişlerde çeşitli oranlarda indirim sağlar.
Nasıl Alabilirsiniz ?
Açık doğum tarihinizi gösteren bir belge (nüfus kağıdı , pasaport)
1 resim,
15 YTL
International Student Travel Conference (ISIC) (www.istc.org) üyesi kuruluşlar tarafından dağıtılır.
Öğrenci olup olmadığına bakılmaksızın 26 yaşından gün almamış herkese verilir.
Alındığı tarihten itibaren bir yıl geçerlidir. Her yıl yenilenir.
Ulaşım, konaklama, eğlence yerleri, kültür merkezleri ve alış verişlerde çeşitli oranlarda indirim sağlar.
Nasıl Alabilirsiniz ?
Açık doğum tarihinizi gösteren bir belge (nüfus kağıdı , pasaport)
1 resim,
15 YTL
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