WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AT MARMARA UNIVERSITY?

Dear Prospective Students,

In this message, I would like to briefly explain why you can confidently include the Department of Environmental Engineering at Marmara University among your top choices.

Our courses are conducted entirely in English, and we use English-language textbooks. This allows our students to acquire both professional knowledge and significantly improve their English proficiency throughout their education.

Many of our faculty members have extensive experience in projects, design, and consultancy. When it comes to the design of water and wastewater treatment plants, our department is unmatched in Türkiye.

During their studies, our students gain strong skills in computer programming. In fact, some of our graduates are now employed specifically as “Computer Programmers.” It is well-known that even some prestigious universities fall short in this area.

We are proud to report that nearly all of our graduates find employment, both in Türkiye and abroad. The private sector in particular seeks our graduates because they are equipped with design capabilities, fluent in English, skilled in computer use and programming, and capable of working anywhere in the world.

Our department has several Erasmus Student Exchange Agreements with many European universities, allowing our students to complete part of their studies at leading institutions across Europe.

Many of our alumni have pursued graduate studies abroad and achieved success at European and American universities without difficulty.

Our curriculum allows for both Double Major and Minor programs. This means that students in our department can earn a second degree in another engineering or science discipline. To facilitate this, we’ve introduced a “course repetition” policy, which ensures that critical courses are offered not just once a year, but also in a second term (Fall or Spring). This helps students graduate without delays.

This course repetition system also helps reduce class sizes, contributing to improved education quality. Furthermore, students who fail a critical course in one semester can still graduate on time thanks to this policy—something rarely seen in other departments. When enrollment in a course becomes too high, we divide the course into multiple sections taught by different instructors, ensuring that each class remains small and effective.

We have a young and dynamic academic team. Our faculty members consider teaching their primary duty, while also actively engaging in scientific research and project development.

With the relocation of our Faculty to the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Campus from Göztepe, we have made significant advances in both educational and research infrastructure. For the first time in our department’s history, we now have a dedicated modern computer lab exclusively for Environmental Engineering students. In addition to core programming courses, other classes also incorporate computer-based applications within this lab. Moreover, we’ve separated research and teaching laboratories, and have established more spacious and better-equipped labs for education. Our students now receive hands-on training in Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Microbiology, Unit Operations, and Hydraulics labs with facilities that are unparalleled in many other universities.

Our students are not only receiving a high-quality education—they are learning how to learn. They continue to grow and improve themselves long after graduation.

We maintain close contact with our alumni and benefit from their experiences. We continually revise our curriculum and teaching methods based on their feedback and suggestions.

In our undergraduate program, we emphasize both engineering design and scientific research methods. In the senior year, students take ENVE 4111/ENVE 4122 (Design Courses) and ENVE 4197/ENVE 4198 (Graduation Project Courses). Through these, they gain deep knowledge and practical skills in design methodologies as well as experience with scientific research techniques.

We follow a “student-centered” approach to administration. As the Department Chair, I personally meet with all student cohorts from first to fourth year every semester to listen to their concerns, suggestions, and needs. We also conduct annual surveys for all students to collect data to further improve our educational quality. In addition, we carry out surveys with employers and alumni. My door, as well as those of my assistant chairs, is always open to our students. They can come to us at any time for support and guidance. All these efforts help us continuously evaluate and improve the quality of our education.

Since May 1, 2014, our Environmental Engineering program has been continuously accredited by MÜDEK (Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Engineering Programs). MÜDEK is a member of both the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE) and the Washington Accord. This means that MÜDEK accreditation is not only valid across Europe but also directly recognized in the USA (via ABET), Canada, Japan, and many other countries around the world.

The success of our graduates is our top priority. Equipping them with the knowledge and skills to thrive in competitive environments worldwide is not just a goal for us—it is a moral responsibility.

For more information about our department, please feel free to contact me, Associate Chairs Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esra Erken and Assoc. Prof. Dr. H. Nur Orak, or our department’s promotion officer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Yalçınkaya. You can find our phone numbers and email addresses on our website. Better yet, come visit us in person at the Faculty of Engineering, Buildings M4 and M1, at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Campus.

Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors,
Prof. Dr. Ömer AKGİRAY
July 16, 2025