Özyeğin University City and Architecture Master's Program consists of an integrated structure of two separate programs, thesis and non-thesis, with an experiential and unique setup. The research and design oriented integrated program inquires the subject of all kinds of urban practices that are engendered and produced by cities in general, and the city of Istanbul in particular.
While focusing on architectural issues in the urban context, the program aims to transfer new approaches to the fields of research and practice through the use of critical, experimental, participatory, creative and unique methods. Based on the view that design is an analytical and creative way of thinking, the program aims to present a wide variety of research including approaches from different disciplines and practices. The program offers the students the opportunity to evaluate social, cultural, ecological and technological problems within the framework of different contexts, while encouraging them to deal with complex urban and architectural issues.
The City and Architecture Integrated Master's Program has been structured through a holistic understanding of the theory-practice unity of the architectural profession. This understanding can be seen both in the partnerships of the two programs, allowing an integrative approach between courses, workshops, seminars, publications, exhibitions through the unique structures of the programs.
City and Architecture Thesis Master's Program
The Thesis Master's Program examines the relationship between architectural design and the city. It is based on the production of knowledge through new readings, evaluations and syntheses. In this design research-oriented program, the focus is on the formation of an understanding of the metropolis —as part of the global network— with all its complexity and the instrumentalization of architectural design for solving urban problems; accordingly, "Multiple Perspectives on the City, Architecture and Istanbul" are inquired.
The 'Advanced Design Research Laboratories' constitute the backbone of the Thesis Master's Program. The purpose of the laboratories is to provide a research environment for critical, theoretical, experimental and interdisciplinary architectural design applications. Focusing on research and theory production through critical thinking in architecture, LABs also aim to develop an architectural and design approach through personal strategies, experiences and practices. LABs create a research environment where theory and conceptual design applications are carried out within the scope of a research theme related to the current urban context. Another goal of the laboratories is to consider and examine new ways of understanding, representation and design that emerge as a result of the reflection of today's urban dynamics on new lifestyles. With the distinctive metropolitan features of the city of "Istanbul", it is aimed to produce new information, speculation, future projections and designs for the City, which will be the subject of field studies and design applications. Within the scope of LABs, Seminar Series addressing researcher and expert experiences, and elective courses supporting the research subject are offered as a package. In addition to these, various workshops are conducted within the scope of the studio.
The Master's Program in City and Architecture with Thesis aims to provide specialized education to professionals who have received undergraduate education in the disciplines of Architecture, Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, Landscape Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning. The program aims to work with designers and researchers who are able to problematize the needs, and transfer their solution proposals to the research and application fields with critical, experimental, participatory, creative and unique methods through new approaches. To that end, City and Architecture Master's Program collaborates with the ÖZÜ-UHL 'Urban and Housing Research Laboratory.'
City and Architecture Thesis Master's Program takes place under Özyeğin University Graduate School of Engineering and Science. The program consists of 4 consecutive semesters. For graduation, three compulsory courses, four elective courses and a graduate seminar must be taken, and a master’s thesis must be completed. In order to graduate from the program, a total of 120 ECTS credits must be completed successfully.