Architecture Degrees Online

Since its foundation in 1956, Middle East Technical University has been very interested in archaeology and archaeometrical studies. This interest, which was already existing independently in the departments of physics and chemistry, flourished with the Keban Dam Rescue Project (1968-1974). The Keban and Lower Euphrates Projects began in 1975 and were expanded with the establishment of the METU Research Center for the Investigation and Salvage of Historical Remains, TEKDAM, in 1982 and have continued until the present time with the name of METU Center for Research and Assessment of the Historic Environment, TAÇDAM, since 199 display of various findings from some of the excavations on the Campus and in the Ankara Region. Koçumbeli Idol was one of those findings on campus grounds. It was used as the symbol of the 29th International Symposium on Archaeometry organized by the graduate program of Archaeomery (METU) which was held in Ankara in 1994.

The scientists who have carried out individual studies in Turkey since 1960s have been cooperating with archaeologists. In the 1970s, an application was filed to TÜBİTAK for the establishment of a Unit of Archaeometry attached to it and eventually the Unit of Archaeometry was established in 1980. Scientists from METU, Hacettepe, Istanbul, Boğaziçi, Istanbul Technical, Çukurova and Fırat Universities have participated in this Unit. This Unit continued to do research under the name of AKSAY which stands for the “Investigation of Archaeological findings by Spectroscopic and Analytical Methods” in Turkish. This Unit functioned until 1992. Alongside the work of the Unit, there was a need to educate students who would carry out archaeometric studies in the museums and at other research laboratories. As a result of this, METU initiated a Masters Program in Archaeometry as part of the Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences in 1990 with thesis and non-thesis version in 2003. These programs educate bachelors degree holders in all fields.

The main purpose of the program is to qualify the graduates toward bringing solutions to the archaeological problems by the application of scientific methods of natural and applied sciences. The study and understanding of history have acquired a new dimension through the collaboration between pure scientists and archaeologists. Thus, the analysis, identification and dating of archaeological remains and materials have become complete.

Meeting Requirements and Job Opportunities in the Field of Settlement Archaeology
Turkey lies astride what is unquestionably one of the most ancient regions in the world to have developed agriculture, animal husbandry, permanent settlement and urbanism. Its archaeological heritage, including remains of human occupation from the Homo Erectus Paleolithic through the Neolithic to the present, is unparalleled and internationally acknowledged. In Turkey are to be found the archaeological records of Çatal Höyük, perhaps the world’s earliest agricultural proto-civilization, and records of the development of a number of indigenous civilizations as well as numerous invasions of peoples who merged with those before them to create new urban/agricultural cultural constellations.

In the United States and Europe the recognition of the need to integrate archaeology with the natural and social sciences has resulted in the creation of interdisciplinary programs in archaeology at the graduate level. These include the Archaeology Graduate Program at the University of California at Los Angeles, the M.A. Program in Archaeological Studies at Yale University, the Graduate Program in Archaeological Sciences and Prehistory at the University of Sheffield, and the Graduate Program in Archaeological Sciences at the University of Bradford. Some, such as the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Group and the Archaeology Program at Belgium’s Leuven University, are specifically specialized in the Settlement Archaeology of the Near East and the Mediterranean regions.

Unfortunately, settlement and environmental archaeology, as a recently developed modern interdisciplinary domain, remain undeveloped in Turkey. There are no settlement archaeology programs in Turkey, or, indeed, interdisciplinary archaeology programs at all. This is especially regrettable given the fact that, as noted above, Turkey is the site of what are arguably the most significant archaeological remains of early agricultural settlements and early civilizations in the world. There is an urgent need for Turkish archaeologists who are comfortable with and competent in interdisciplinary archaeological approaches. Graduates of the interdisciplinary master’s program may expect to find employment at the numerous domestic and international archaeological projects in Turkey, including the rapidly growing area of salvage archaeology, or at the growing number of museums. Graduates will also, naturally, be capable of pursuing further graduate studies leading to the Ph.D. in archaeology or related fields, either in Turkey or at foreign universities.

The objective of the program is to provide students with a solid academic background in archaeological theory, research techniques and modern interpretative methods with particular emphasis on settlement and environmental archaeology.

Settlement archaeology is the study of the selection criteria and implantation of settlements in the landscape, interrelationships between cities and their rural surroundings, the impact of human occupation on the natural environment and vice versa under past conditions.

Settlement archaeology has as its aim the holistic reconstruction of the cultures of ancient settlements and urban communities and their hinterlands. Settlement archaeological research is by definition a multidisciplinary enterprise requiring expertise from the disciplines of the natural and social sciences, architecture and city planning, as well as specialized techniques related to the retrieval, recording, analysis and data bank management of archaeological data (GIS), site conservation and cultural resource management. Disciplines and interdisciplinary sub-disciplines required in addition to archaeology include geology, environmental geomorphology, archaeozoology, paleontology, paleobotany, archaeometry, ancient history, anthropology, sociology, urban geography, classical architecture and city planning.

The objectives of the program are to train students in both the scientific-technological and social science-humanities disciplines necessary to conduct archaeological research according to contemporary international standards. The primary purpose is to train students as advanced scholars in settlement archaeology for university level teaching, research and active participation in national and international archaeological projects in Turkey.

Landscape Architecture is the design profession which applies artistic, cultural, scientific, and technical knowledge and skills to the analysis, design, planning, development, and management of the land. Landscape architects accept certain responsibilities related to the health, safety, and welfare of the public and are concerned with resource conservation and stewardship of the environment. The practice of landscape architecture requires an appreciation and understanding of natural and social processes, a creative imagination, technical expertise, and a commitment to preserve or improve the physical environment for optimum human use and enjoyment and the protection of resources and other life forms on the planet (maybe someday on other planetary bodies).

Landscape architects are employed by private planning, design, engineering and construction professional offices, public planning agencies, land development companies, industrial or commercial firms, educational and research institutions, park and recreation authorities, NGOs, and a variety of other organizations which require regional planning, land use planning, site design, and environmental management services. The landscape architect’s professional activities include consultations with clients, resource inventories and landscape analysis, site development programming, development of design concepts and land use proposals, provision of design implementation drawings and specifications, preparation of contracts and reports, and observation/supervision of projects under construction. The landscape architect often collaborates with other professionals, including architects, engineers, naturalists, geographers, interior designers, construction professionals and planners, in the design and development of urban, rural, and wilderness on land areas, waterbodies, and the atmosphere.

The undergraduate Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program provides a diverse learning experience which strives for a balance between philosophy, theory, and application of concepts related to past, present, and future problem-solving in landscape architecture and allied environmental planning and design professions.

The undergraduate program is based on a four-year study leading to the Bachelor’s degree with emphasis on architectural design studios. The graduate program, leading to the master’s degree is offered in the following areas: Master of Architecture in Design, Master of Science in Building Science, Master of Arts in History of Architecture and Master of Science in Restoration and Preservation of Historical Monuments. Graduate studies leading to the Ph.D. degree are offered in Architectural Design, Building Science, Restoration and History of Architecture.

Two undergraduate minor programs are offered; Minor Program in Conservation for undergraduate students of city-planning, and Minor Program in Architectural Culture for students from all departments of METU.
Research Interests and Facilities

Architectural theory, history and criticism and philosophy, theory and methods of architectural education and practice, theory and history of urban space, restoration and preservation of historic work and environments, monographic studies on settlements in Turkey, environmental issues in architecture, building and construction systems, project and construction management, computational technologies and IT in architecture are the major areas of graduate research.

In addition to the studios where undergraduate and graduate design courses take place, there are wood and metal workshops, printing workshop, and photography laboratory. The Photogrammetry Center, the Building Materials Laboratory, The Computer Laboratory, the Slide Archive and Documentation Center, and the Housing Research Center (KAM) support the academic and research activities in the Department.

The minor in Landscape Architecture serves three primary purposes: it supports the learning of landscape issues within the disciplines of architecture and interior design; it provides a directed sequence of interdisciplinary courses in the area of landscape studies for students who wish to broaden their knowledge of this subject; and it serves as a method of exploring landscape professions for those students who are considering this career path or further study at the graduate level.

A minimum 2.5 g.p.a. is required for all courses in this minor. Courses must be taken for a grade (not credit/no-credit). Students planning to take this minor should consult with the chief departmental adviser.

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