Undergraduate Study Basics
Advisors monitor whether students are taking the necessary courses on time and fulfilling the requirements for graduation. The rules, conditions, and potential challenges related to the registration process can sometimes be demanding. However, our advisors, who are responsible for guiding and supporting you throughout this process, are available to ensure that everything proceeds smoothly. It is important to note, however, that your advisor does not have the authority to make any changes to the graduation requirements or academic regulations. If your course schedule is complex, it is essential to meet with your advisor to ensure proper management of the process. It is crucial to regularly check the academic calendar to stay informed about the dates for meetings with your advisor.
After completing the registration process, you can visit your advisor during office hours to discuss both academic and non-academic matters in detail, such as summer school, financial aid options, documented health issues, graduate education plans, or career goals. For inquiries regarding exchange programs, double major options, and certificate programs, you should contact the respective program coordinators.
Additionally, for further information about the registration process and answers to frequently asked questions, we recommend reviewing the "FAQ - Undergraduate Students" section under the "Registration" tab. This information will provide guidance on various situations you may encounter during your undergraduate education and help you manage the process more efficiently.
https://advising.bogazici.edu.tr/en
You should also familiarize yourself with the Undergraduate Regulations (Lisans Eğitim ve Öğretim Yönetmeliği), which can be accessed here:
During the registration period, you must submit your program to your advisor for approval. If you fail to send your program, you will not be registered.
Freshmen (first-year students) are provided with a set schedule. You are only required to send it for approval.
In every semester, except for your Senior year, you must enroll in at least 15 credits.
You are required to repeat any courses in which you have received an "F" grade as soon as they are offered. If the course is not automatically added to your schedule, you must add it using the "repeat with" option.
Physical Education (PE), Advanced English (AE), and Public Administration (PA) courses are not eligible for credit.
You are not allowed to take an extra course (overload) unless you have a GPA of 3.00 or above. Overload means a maximum of 7 courses and 20 credits. If your GPA is below 3.00, you may take a course on a non-credit basis.
FA Courses: Unless you are enrolled in the Film Certificate program, you are allowed to take two FA (Fine Arts) courses within four years. One of these courses will count as an HSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) elective, and the other will count as an unrestricted elective.
Unrestricted Electives: You may take any course, except for AE (Advanced English). We do not recommend ED (Education) courses as electives. Additionally, 100-level foreign language courses can be taken as unrestricted electives.
HSS Electives: Courses in Sociology (SOC), Psychology (PSY), History (HIST), Philosophy (PHIL), Political Science (POLS), Linguistics (LING), and 200-300-400 level foreign language courses count as HSS electives. Only 200, 300, and 400-level foreign language courses are eligible as HSS electives. If you are uncertain about a course, please consult your advisors or academic assistants.
If your GPA is below 2.00 and you are in On Probation status, you cannot overload your schedule and must take a minimum of 14 credits (5 courses). If your GPA is below 2.00 and you are in Repeating status, you may take up to 11 credits (4 courses) and a maximum of 2 new courses.
Encouraging students to benefit from elective courses in different fields is one of the principles of our department. Accordingly, in order to ensure course diversity, a maximum of two courses with the same course code is allowed to be taken in the HSS and Unrestricted Elective categories. Note that language courses are exempt from this rule.
A maximum of two courses with the LIT code may be taken. One of these courses will be counted an HSS course and the other an Unrest. elective. Students who wish to pursue the Copywriting Certificate may take more than two LIT courses as extra credits. However, in this case, they must inform their academic advisors that they are pursuing the certificate; otherwise, they are not allowed to take more than two courses.
Withdrawals: "Withdraw" refers to the act of dropping a course. If you withdraw from a course, it will be marked with a “W” on your transcript instead of a grade and will not count for credit. Students are permitted to withdraw from a course up to three times before graduation. If you are enrolled in fewer than 15 credits, the system will not allow you to withdraw, and you must submit a petition to the "Dean's Office." There is a specific time window for withdrawals; please refer to the academic calendar for the dates.
You are not permitted to convert credit courses to non-credit courses or vice versa. Be sure to make your decision carefully. If you fail a non-credit course, you must retake it. You cannot graduate with an "F" grade.
Each professor allocates time outside of class hours to meet with students and discuss course materials or other topics of interest. Professors typically announce their office hours at the start of each semester. You can also check their weekly schedules posted on their office doors or arrange an appointment via email.
Attending office hours is not mandatory for students. However, students can use this time to ask questions about course content, seek advice on their coursework, request additional reading, and more. Engaging with professors during office hours can assist in resolving any issues you may encounter in a class, particularly if you make a habit of attending well in advance of exams or assignment deadlines. It is important to note that office hours are not tutoring sessions. You should review the course materials and come prepared with specific topics or questions to discuss during your visit. Additionally, office hours provide an opportunity to build relationships with professors and enhance your learning experience by sharing your interests in literature, art, and culture. Please remember to keep your appointments once you have scheduled office hours.
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism refers to the use of another person’s words or ideas without proper attribution. Essentially, it constitutes intellectual theft.
What is the most common form of plagiarism?
Plagiarism is not limited to simply copying words without quotation marks. The most egregious form of plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work as your own, or submitting a compilation of various authors’ works (such as something resembling a Wikipedia page) as your own. However, this is not the only form of plagiarism.
Common forms of plagiarism:
- Using another writer’s ideas without proper acknowledgment.
- Summarizing a writer’s work without giving credit.
- Having a friend or hired writer create your paper for you.
- Purchasing papers online.
This underscores the importance of learning how to properly cite sources and beginning your research well in advance of assignment deadlines.
Literary Studies requires the use of MLA style for citations. A useful guide to MLA citation can be found on the Purdue OWL website: [https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/]
How can I avoid plagiarism?
- Be meticulous when taking notes for your research papers. Ensure that you record the page numbers from which you have obtained information. Develop an organized system for tracking your research and its sources, including keywords and themes.
- Paraphrase as you take notes. One of the most effective ways to avoid plagiarism is to express a writer’s ideas in your own words. This will also enhance your understanding of the material.
- Be diligent about citing sources when drafting your paper. Ensure that your first draft includes proper citations. Inserting citations after the draft is complete can be difficult and confusing.
- If possible, submit your paper to Turnitin prior to the deadline. Some WLL courses utilize this plagiarism-detection tool to help students understand how to avoid plagiarism and to ensure adherence to the department’s academic standards.
At the Department of Western Languages and Literatures, we take plagiarism very seriously, and students who engage in plagiarism may face disciplinary action.
To avoid plagiarism, complete your own work, conduct your research in advance, paraphrase effectively, and always give credit where it is due.
Senior Thesis Sample: A hardbound navy-blue copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Department of Western Languages and Literatures. The grade for this course will be assigned only after the bound copy has been received by the department. Students who wish to see a sample of the thesis binding can visit the department secretary to review example copies.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR “EL 412: SENIOR THESIS”
Registration for EL 412:
You may register for EL 412 during your 7th or 8th semester. It is important to begin discussions with your prospective thesis advisor at the end of the preceding semester. In other words, begin identifying a potential topic and selecting texts early.
Once the semester commences, aim to finalize your thesis topic with your advisor by the end of the second week of classes. The project proposal form, which should include a brief abstract of your project, is due by the end of the fourth week of classes.
Project Parameters:
As the Department of English Literature, your thesis should primarily focus on the works of Anglophone authors. However, you may choose to write a comparative study that includes Anglophone works alongside other examples from World Literature.
Similarly, while the central focus of your thesis should be literary texts, you may supplement your study with other types of “texts,” such as works of art, visual culture, films, or performances. These supplementary materials should be integrated in consultation with your advisor.
Ideally, your thesis project should explore texts that you have not encountered during your undergraduate studies. However, it may be possible to revisit certain texts previously studied in relation to new ones. These decisions should be made in collaboration with your advisor.
Basic Requirements:
The Senior Thesis must be a minimum of 40 double-spaced pages, written in 12-point font.
In-text citations and the final bibliography should adhere to MLA citation guidelines.
One hard-bound copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Department of Western Languages and Literatures. The grade for this course is contingent upon the Department’s receipt of the hard-bound copy.
The Senior Thesis should represent original work. Please refer to the Department’s printed guidelines on plagiarism for further details.
ÖTK is the representative body for the undergraduate and graduate students of Boğaziçi University. Just as the departmental class representatives facilitate communication between students and faculty within Western Languages and Literatures, ÖTK facilitates communication between the student body as a whole and the University administration. ÖTK representatives are typically chosen through an election process at the beginning of each year, and each department sends a number of students to represent their particular “constituency."
Each semester, the Department of Western Languages and Literatures puts out a call for undergraduate students who are interested in assisting faculty members with various tasks. These might include helping faculty members with small-scale research assignments like finding images to accompany a power-point lecture or a library search around a particular topic, as well as more daily tasks. These are paid positions, and the general understanding is that a student assistant will devote no more than five hours per week to their tasks. A student assistantship is a great way to get to know the process involved in preparing courses or undertaking research projects, as well as an excellent item for your CV.
