The Environmental Biotechnology PhD Program is a graduate program offered under the Department of Environmental Engineering, providing 100% English instruction at the PhD level.
Biotechnology is a field of science that uses living organisms or their derivatives in controlled environments to develop or modify products and processes for specific purposes. Environmental Biotechnology integrates microbiology, molecular biology, and chemistry with an engineering approach to understand how microbial ecosystems function in a controlled manner. This discipline facilitates a deeper understanding and interpretation of the structural properties of natural and artificial systems in receiving environments by examining the behavior of microbial communities, particularly bacterial metabolism, in various environmental settings. The insights gained play a crucial role in solving environmental problems.
The primary objectives of environmental biotechnology include the removal of pollutants from water, wastewater, sediment, or soil; utilizing renewable resources; detecting pollutants or pathogens in the environment; and protecting the public from hazardous pathogens.
Environmental Biotechnology is one of Turkey's leading graduate programs, training future environmental scientists with an interdisciplinary approach to solving environmental issues. The program aims to develop scientifically grounded, technologically applicable solutions to national and international environmental problems while cultivating highly qualified researchers. In practice, Environmental Biotechnology serves as an interdisciplinary and international platform that provides the tools necessary to address significant challenges in the field.

Courses within the Environmental Biotechnology PhD Program are held during daytime hours, and all students are enrolled in the program full-time. The program does not offer evening, remote, or web-based education. However, some courses designated by the university administration are offered online at ITU.
ITU operates on a semester-based academic calendar, consisting of the Fall and Spring semesters, along with an optional Summer School during July and August. The Fall and Spring semesters are each 14 weeks long, excluding the two weeks allocated for final exams. Summer School courses are typically offered based on student demand and departmental approval. These courses follow an intensive schedule with increased weekly course hours and are conducted over seven weeks (or, in some cases, five to six weeks).
Most courses are enhanced with web-based educational tools. ITU supports a web-based e-learning platform called “NINOVA,” which provides an electronic teaching and learning environment for faculty and students. Through this platform, students can access assignments, announcements, attendance records, course materials, and discussion boards related to their courses. They can also reach links to online class sessions (e.g., via Zoom or Teams), and announcements are automatically forwarded to students' email addresses.
Courses within the Environmental Biotechnology PhD Program are primarily conducted in the Civil Engineering Building at the Ayazağa Campus. However, students are allowed to take some elective courses from other MSc and PhD programs. In such cases, they may attend classes not only at the Ayazağa Campus but also at the Gümüşsuyu, Taşkışla, and Tuzla campuses.

Course adjustment and exemption procedures are carried out in accordance with the Exemption and Adjustment Procedures Regulation of Istanbul Technical University.
Exemption and Adjustment Procedures Regulation

Educational objectives of the Ph.D. program in Environmental Biotechnology, which has an open to innovation, dynamic and multidisciplinary structure, are as follows:
• To educate conscious, productive and creative researchers
• To contribute to the prestige of Turkey in the international scientific platforms and universal science
• To train scientists who will advance in the academic field

Evaluating Student Success
The student success is evaluated considering Articles 56, 57, 58, and 59 of the Istanbul Technical University Graduate Education and Training Regulation Senate Principles.

ARTICLE 56 - Before the enrollment for the courses begins, the faculty member who offers the course informs the Program Executive Committee about the types, number and contribution percentage to the final grade of the studies within the semester, as well as requirements for a right to take the semester final exam. These requirements shall be finalized by approval of the Program Executive Committee and approval of the chair of the department, who declares them to the student and informs the Graduate School.

ARTICLE 57 - A student may appeal the final grade of a course within one week following the announcement of the grades. Appeals must be submitted to the Graduate School in writing. The relevant faculty member shall re-evaluate the student's success status and submit the result to the Graduate School within one week. Appeals not submitted within the prescribed time frame shall not be considered by the Graduate School.

ARTICLE 58 - Courses in graduate programs shall be evaluated according to the following grading system.

Grade Description	Grade	Scale
Excellent	AA	4.00
Very good plus	BA+	3.75
Very good	BA	3.50
Good plus	BB+	3.25
Good	BB	3.00
Conditional Pass	CB+	2.75
Conditional Pass	CB	2.50
Conditional Pass	CC+	2.25
Conditional Pass	CC	2.00
Fail	FF	0.00
Fail(No Exam)	VF	0.00

ARTICLE 59 - Students who wish to improve their cumulative grade point average may retake courses during the course-taking period. The most recent grade will be counted for the repeated courses.

There is no internship in this program.

Degree : Doctor of Philosophy    Title : Doctor of Philosophy

Environmental biotechnologists can work in private and public academic research centers, private companies and public institutions.
Environmental biotechnologists develop environmentally safe products and research microbial systems for environmental improvement. For this reason, private institutions and organizations engaged in academic research is the main field of study for environmental biotechnologists. Those employed by colleges and universities teach and conduct research. In addition to academic research centers, environmental biotechnologists may work for a wide range of industries, including the chemical, paper, energy, food and textile industries.
Environmental biotechnologists can work in private industry for companies providing bioremediation services, or for environmental consulting companies with clients in the manufacturing sector. They may also be involved in research and development for biofuel firms.
These professionals may also work in public institutions involved in land management, water management and restoration.
Environmental biotechnologists often conduct both field and lab work. They may spend time outdoors testing and assessing a site, or overseeing the remediation process. They may work long or irregular hours when doing fieldwork.

Graduate Statistics

Prof. Dr. Mahmut Altınbaş
E-mail: altinbasm1@itu.edu.tr
Web: https://research.itu.edu.tr/tr/persons/altinbasm1

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Evren Erşahin
E-mail: ersahin@itu.edu.tr
Business Phone : 285 76 23
Web: https://research.itu.edu.tr/tr/persons/ersahin