Postgraduate programs of Masters and Doctors degrees are normally for 2 and 3 years, respectively. Students complete a combined MSc + PhD Postgraduate Study at the age of 27-30.
Refer to Figure 2 for the three year State High School program where the quality of education is very high by all International standards. A typical example of the curriculum of Mathematics, and Physics at three years of High School before entering to the University will support this argument, presented in Table 1(a), 1(b).
C. EXISTING MERCHANT MARITIME EDUCATION SYSTEM IN TURKEY-
The Merchant Maritime Education in Turkey has classically been a 4+1 year University Degree Education with the Istanbul Technical University Maritime Faculty, for both Deck and Engine Departments.
Refer to Figures 3, and 4 for the Program structure of Deck, and Engine Department Education at ITUMF with 8 semester programs presented in Tables 2, and 3. (Ref. 2)
In 1995 when STCW 95 was drafted giving major importance to "Training and Assessment - Regulation l/6", "Quality Standards - Regulation l/8", "Use of Simulators - Regulation l/12", all undergraduate programs of ITUMF have been reconsidered to be carefully transformed into the format of Figures 2, and 3 which are mainly "7.01+7.03+PLUS" for Deck Department, and "7.02+7.04+PLUS" for Engine Departments. An Integrated Quality System of ISO 9002 + ISO 14001 acquired separately from Class NKK of Japan, and RINA/IQNET of ITALY achieved for the first time in any Higher Education Institute in Europe accredits the Undergraduate programs system of ITUMF in 35 IQNET member countries.
In 1995 when STCW 95 started to be widely pronounced, the Administration in Turkey which is the Prime Ministry, Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs gave major importance for the same number of hours of IMO Model Courses to be included in Undergraduate Programs. With other obligatory courses of the Turkish Higher Education Law of No.2547, the programs presented 35-40 hours of education per week causing a number of inconveniences.
Administration concentrated on the number of hours (quantity) being similar to IMO Model Courses for undergraduate programs, but overlooked at the level and the quality of the contents covered in these number of hours. Due to bureaucratic reasons, institutes had to follow the administration for being eligible at the Certificate of Competency Exams of Seafarers.
