Applications to graduate programs for the 2024-2025 Fall Semester will be made between 8 April 2024 and 7 June 2024 via ÖİBS (Student Affairs Information System). Please check METU Academic Calendar for any updates on dates and deadlines.


Students with any background are welcome to apply to the program. A common academic basis for incoming students is achieved via deficiency courses.

Requirements for your application to be considered:

  • An undergraduate degree from a Turkish university or an equivalent university that the Council of Higher Education recognizes,
  • Having a score of 75 from ALES or 713 from GRE Quantitative (156 in the new system),
  • Having a minimum GPA of 2.5,
  • Having a valid minimum score of 79 from TOEFL iBT, 550 from TOEFL PBT, or 65 from METU English Proficiency Exam,
  • At least two letters of recommendation,
    • These should be submitted confidentially directly from the system.
    • At least one academic letter of recommendation provided by a faculty member of your current or previous educational institution is expected.
  • MANDATORY: A maximum of a two-page letter of intent in English is expected. You are required to address the following issues in your letter:
    • How did you hear about our program? Why do you want to pursue a master's program?
    • What are your research interests? What do you plan to do during your research at our department? Why is it important for you to write a thesis?
    • With whom would you like to study from the Graduate School of Informatics? Which publications of the lecturer did you find interesting and why?
    • How will this master's program contribute to your personal goals and business life? What are your career goals?
    • What would motivate you to study at our department during your studies?
    • What are your previous experiences related to the data science domain (any volunteered projects, certifications, competitions, etc.)?
    • Have you been in teamwork before? If yes, what was your role, and what have you and your team worked on? What kind of teamwork-related challenges did you encounter, and how did you deal with them? How would you react if some members of your team do not perform as well as you?
    • How will your employer support you during your studies (if any)? How much time do you think you can allocate to your studies per week? How would you ensure a healthy work/life/study balance during your time at our department?
    • How do you deal with setbacks? What has been your biggest failure to date and how did you deal with it?
  • A resume including your previous job and project experiences, internships, scholarships etc (optional).

Your application will be invalid if you do not satisfy the above requirements.

The candidates are shortlisted based on their ALES (or equivalent) scores (50%) and undergraduate scores (50%). The shortlisted candidates are invited to the interviews. After the interview, the final admission decisions are made based on ALES scores, CGPA and a holistic evaluation of the candidate’s match to the department.

For more details regarding the application requirements for Graduate School of Informatics programs, please also refer to http://ii.metu.edu.tr/application-requirements.

The admissions are made inline with Middle East Technical University Rules and Regulations Governing Graduate Studies, which states the following article:

(12) For admission to a graduate program, the weight of the ALES or equivalent exam score (provided that it is weighted at no less than 50% in the final mark) as well as the weights of such requirements as the scientific evaluation, EPE or equivalent international exam score, GPA (undergraduate and/or graduate), the letter of reference, and the letter of intent are determined by the concerned GSD.

Contact Information about Application

Email: 


Last Updated:
26/02/2024 - 15:05