Architecture, one of the most established professions in the world, is defined as the art and science of constructing and designing the space and spatial requirements of human in the scale of building while sheltering, working, resting and mainly maintaining life in buildings and physical environment. With an aesthetic sensitivity and a functional, safe and sustainable approach; the main aim of the architect is ensuring suitable comfort conditions related with the users` needs while designing a space. Together with Health Sciences and Law professions, Architecture profession has gained the right to Free Movement of Services in the European Union as an indispensable part of basic human needs.
Design studios constitute the backbone of the undergraduate program in the Çankaya University, Department of Architecture. Within the program, theoretical courses, which support the practices of design studios that are organized in parallel with the professional development of the students and follow each other in each semester, and elective courses with sufficient diversity according to students’ interests have been formed. Applied courses are not only limited to design studios, but they are diversified with courses at various scale and detail levels in the framework of building sciences and technologies, conservation and restoration techniques, city planning and urban design principles. interdisciplinary working skills are developed within this framework and with the help of three compulsory summer internships, practical knowledge is enhanced. While students have the chance to experience different educational programs and perspectives at contractual universities in abroad with the Erasmus + program, they also have the opportunity to expand their vision. Architecture undergraduate program offers a minor program with the City and Regional Planning department in Faculty of Architecture, and minor and double major programs with Interior Architecture department.
One of the most important approaches of our education program is that the skills and competencies that our graduate will acquire have a flexibility and variety that will enable them using at every stage of the building design process. Our graduates acquire theoretical and practical base that can carry out and manage not only the design processes but also the building application and maintenance processes. Thus, while some of our graduates prefer to continue their master’s and doctorate studies, some of them have started their business life and served our society and our country. Our graduates can practice self-employment by establishing their own architecture offices and they can serve as an architect position in important companies. They can work in various ministries, state institutions and Municipalities, especially the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning, and they can be employed as construction supervisor at construction sites. They can work these positions in both national and international levels.
Whilst well educating young people is the aim of undergraduate programs, graduate programs are one of the most important platforms for research and development activities as the main aim of the university. Graduate studies foster the research environments and support the educational and research activities being carried out. In our department, Master’s Program with Thesis started in 2016 and Doctorate program in 2017. In addition, in 2017, a new program, called Construction Technologies Master Program, was offered especially for the interdisciplinary scientific studies in the field of construction technologies, which will carry out its own academic research, conduct scientific studies and educate new academic staff. With this program, an agreement has been signed with Plymouth University’s Built Environment graduate program from England that provides bilateral cooperation. The studies to establish this collaboration in undergraduate education are in progress.