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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

You can find details about the required documents for your internship applications on the Guide and Forms page.  You should fill out the forms listed on the Guide and Forms page, obtain signatures from the company where you will be interning, and sign them yourself. You should then scan and submit the following documents via email to your Faculty/Vocational School Secretariat: completed forms, a copy of your ID, Declaration and Undertaking Form, Employer Information Form, and if relevant, an employer-issued letter certifying work on Saturdays. Once approved by your Faculty/Vocational School, the documents will be forwarded to the Internship Unit. You must email your documents to your Faculty/Vocational School at least 15 days before your internship starts. Your SGK (Social Security) document will be provided to you before the internship begins.

 

The Internship Unit knows which departments allow compulsory or voluntary internships but does not track individual student internship obligations (e.g., whether they have completed a previous compulsory internship, the number of internships completed, or eligibility requirements). Since Faculties are responsible for determining compulsory internships, students must request this letter from their Faculty.

The Internship Unit can provide a letter confirming SGK obligations.

Regardless of whether the internship is compulsory or voluntary, the University is responsible for SGK insurance coverage for students whose internship applications have been approved.

Previously, vocational and technical school students were entitled to internship payments under the Law on Vocational Education (Law No. 3308). However, with the December 9, 2016 amendment (Law No. 6764 and Law No. 6111), new regulations were introduced. The requirement to pay interns was extended to all students in programs listed under the Higher Education Council (YÖK). Therefore, employers are required to pay interns regardless of their school, department, or internship type (compulsory or voluntary). While the old regulations required that companies with 20 or more employees must pay at least 30% of the net minimum wage, and companies with fewer than 20 employees must pay at least 15% of the net minimum wage to interns and students undergoing complementary training,  with the regulation introduced, it has been decided that as of the 2016-2017 academic year, intern wages shall be paid at a rate of 30% of the net minimum wage amount, excluding the Minimum Living Allowance (AGI), regardless of the number of personnel. As of 2023, public institutions are required to pay interns at least the net minimum wage.

To cancel your internship, you must submit a petition to your Faculty explaining the reason for cancellation. This must be done before the internship start date or within 10 days of the internship start date. Once approved, your Faculty will inform the Internship Unit, and your cancellation will be processed.

If your company is closed due to renovations or other reasons, you must obtain a signed statement from your employer confirming this and submit it to your Faculty. The Faculty will review the situation and coordinate with the Internship Unit to determine how your internship duration will be adjusted.

If you are absent due to illness, you must obtain a medical report from a hospital or family doctor and send an email to your Faculty explaining the situation.  Your Faculty will review and approve the adjustment and inform the Internship Unit about the necessary updates to your internship duration.

If you want to complete your internship early, you must submit a petition or email to your Faculty explaining your reason. For SGK documentation purposes, early completion must be reported within 10 days of your last day of the internship, at the latest. Your Faculty will review and coordinate with the Internship Unit to determine the necessary steps regarding the internship duration.

Compulsory and voluntary internship durations are determined by each Faculty's Internship Guidelines. You should submit your request to your Faculty. If approved, your Faculty will inform the Internship Unit to adjust your internship period accordingly.

While SGK registration and deregistration are the responsibility of the University, reporting and handling workplace injuries is the responsibility of the employer where the internship takes place. If you experience an injury, you must notify the Internship Unit via email. The internship employer must submit all related medical and incident reports to the University.

Internship documents are electronically approved, and SGK notifications are emailed to students by their department secretariat.

Yes, international internships are possible. Students must prepare the required documents and obtain Faculty approval. Next, the Internship Unit will process the application based on three scenarios: 

a) If the internship company is based in Türkiye, but the student will intern at an overseas worksite or branch the company, SGK procedures will be handled as per legal regulations. 

b) If the company is of foreign origin and the internship is to be conducted remotely from Türkiye, SGK procedures will be completed as per legal regulations. 

c) If the company is of foreign origin and the student will physically be present abroad for the internship, SGK procedures will not be carried out, but the compulsory internship form will be approved electronically.

If you wish to complete your internship at a different company than the one initially approved, new application documents must be submitted to your department and approved by the department and Dean’s Office. If approval for another company is not granted, your Faculty will determine how to proceed with the internship duration and notify the Internship Office, after which the necessary action will be taken.

According to the internship regulations:

  • For programs that require compulsory internships, students may extend their internship only for the required duration.
  •  For programs without compulsory internships, voluntary internships are limited to 20 working days.
  • Requests for voluntary internships exceeding 20 days are subject to Faculty evaluation.

Internships are generally conducted during holiday periods.  However, final-year students may do an internship during the academic term if they have at least 3 full free workdays per week.

Finding an internship is primarily the student’s responsibility.  However, the University actively seeks internship opportunities and posts them on the following platforms:

Internship evaluations are handled by the Faculty’s designated internship advisors.
 

Your internship report and evaluation form must be sealed in an envelope and submitted in person to your department’s internship advisor.

  • Internships cannot be done only on weekends
  • However, weekend work can be added to weekday internships.
  • To count weekend days as internship days, you must submit a signed and stamped letter from your employer confirming weekend work.