1. Initiating the Process

The first step of the thesis submission process must be initiated by the student through the İTÜ Student Information System (ÖBS). After logging in, you can start the process by clicking the “MSc Thesis Submission Application” tab under the “Process Management” menu.

2. LEE Eligibility Check

After you initiate the process, your file is forwarded to the Student Affairs unit of the Graduate School (LEE). At this stage, it is checked whether you meet the minimum requirements for graduation.

• Credit and Course Check: It is confirmed that you have completed your compulsory and elective course credits.
• Seminar Course: It is checked whether you have passed the seminar course.

3. White Cover Submission Application

Students who successfully pass the LEE eligibility check can initiate the next stage, the “MSc Thesis White Cover Submission” process, through the system.

The “White Cover” refers to the draft version of your thesis before the defense. At this stage, your thesis is considered ready for defense.

4. White Cover Information Entry

At this stage, you must upload the main components of your thesis and the plagiarism analysis results to the Student Information System (ÖBS) in full:

• Abstracts: Enter both the Turkish (Özet) and English (Abstract) summaries of your thesis in the relevant fields.
• Plagiarism Report: Upload only the result page of the Turnitin report obtained with your advisor as a PDF.
• Similarity Rate: Enter the value shown in the report as a number.

5. Advisor Approval

The White Cover information you uploaded to the system is submitted for your thesis advisor’s approval. Your advisor has 10 days to review the documents and approve them or request revisions.

6. Publication Check

After advisor approval, the national/international article or conference paper file you uploaded is reviewed by the Graduate School.

7. Defense Jury Process

Following publication approval, your advisor initiates the “Master’s Defense Jury” process through İTÜ ÖBS to determine the jury members before whom you will defend your thesis.

8. Jury Proposal

After the process is initiated, your advisor must enter the regular and substitute jury members into the system within 7 days.

9. Jury Appointment

The jury list proposed by the advisor is submitted to the Graduate School Executive Board (EYK). The process is completed when the decision is published.

10. Submission of the Defense Minutes

After the defense exam is completed, the minutes with wet signatures must be submitted to the Graduate School within 3 days at the latest following the exam date.

11. Defense Result

As a result of the defense exam, the jury makes one of the following decisions:

• Fail (Rejection): The student is dismissed from İTÜ.
• Revision: The student completes the revisions within 3 months, and the “White Cover Submission” process is started again from the beginning. Once the revisions are completed, the student must take the defense again within 1 month of the date on which the White Cover process is approved.
• Pass (Acceptance): The student passes, and the system assigns a Research Assistant (RA) for the Format Review of the thesis.

12. Blue Cover Printing

Once the Research Assistant’s format corrections have been fully made, the final version of your thesis is ready. After the Master’s Thesis Format Review Form is approved, your thesis is printed as 1 copy with a dark navy (blue) cloth binding in accordance with İTÜ standards. Make sure that the cover text fully complies with the guide.

13. Signature Process

The “Thesis Approval Page” in the printed Blue Cover thesis must be signed by the relevant jury members with wet signatures.

14. Blue Cover Form

Before the physical submission to the Graduate School, the “Blue Cover Submission Form” must be completed and signed by the thesis advisor.

15. YÖK Thesis Center Registration

For your thesis to be added to the National Thesis Center archive, you must complete the “Thesis Data Entry Form”.

16. Digital Submission of the Thesis

For the digital copy submission, the full thesis must be sent as a PDF (named with the reference number) via İTÜ Kovan to the Master’s Thesis Submission Unit account leeyltez@itu.edu.tr. The shared files will be backed up by the Thesis Submission Unit staff.

For information on how to use Kovan, please see the Kovan User Guide.

Documents to Upload to Kovan

• Master’s thesis (in PDF format): The thesis PDF file must not have any protection (printing, copying, etc.).
• Attachments, if any: Attachments refer to materials not included in the printed thesis, such as images, videos, software and audio recordings. Attachments already included in the thesis file should not be submitted as a separate file.
  • Attachments must be compressed into a single RAR file. Compressing attachments in RAR format is a requirement of the YÖK Thesis Center System; ZIP or any other compression format is not accepted.

17. Blue Cover Submission Procedures

Before the physical submission, initiate the “MSc Blue Cover Submission Procedures” process through ÖBS.

18. Restriction Request (If Necessary)

If your thesis contains data for which a patent application will be filed, you may postpone public access to your thesis.

19. Physical Submission of Documents

You can now submit your documents in person to the MSc (or Doctoral) Thesis Submission Unit of the İTÜ Graduate School.

• 1 blue-bound copy of the thesis
• Blue Cover Submission Form
• Result page of the plagiarism report (signed by the advisor)
• Master’s Thesis Format Review Form (approved by the RA)
• YÖK Thesis Data Entry Form (signed)
• Thesis CD prepared in accordance with the rules

20. Graduation Decision

After your documents are received, your file is placed on the EYK agenda, and your graduation decision is entered into the system within an average of 10 business days.

21. Diploma

Congratulations, you are now officially an İTÜ Master’s graduate! You can collect your diploma in person from the Office of Student Affairs (ÖİDB).