Earth System Science Program is a PhD program with thesis which offers students a comprehensive education and gain in the research skills in a holistic approach in interdisciplinary research fields that include atmospheric, marine, geologic, hydrologic, environmental sciences and human impacts.
Earth System Science Program is for all graduate students who are interested in natural and environmental sciences. Students with bachelor’s degree in all sciences can apply to the program, while students with background in natural sciences and enginering are generally preferred. In some special cases, students with social sciences backgorund can also be admitted.
Main research fields in Earth System Science Program consist of; Atmospheric Science, Climate Change, Atmospheric modelling, Air quality, Regional Climate modelling, Hydrometeorological Observations, Geomorphology/Ecohydrology/Hydrology, Physical and Chemical Oceanography, Oceanographic Modelling, Biogeochemistry, Polar Sciences, Palynology/Paleoclimate/Marine Geology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Speleology , Animal Systematics and Ecology and Anthropology.
In the Earth System Science PhD program, there are no compulsory courses other than Scientific Research, Ethics and Seminar. However, the compulsory courses in the Masters degree are highly recommended for the students who had their Master’s Degree in other programs. There are six compulsory courses in the Earth System Science Master’s Program. Five of these compulsory courses are common (Data Analyses for Climate Scientists, Earth System, Physical Hydrology, Software Tools for Environmental Science and Scientific Research, Ethics and Seminar). As the sixth compulsory course, students must choose between the Fundamentals of Ecology or Physics and Chemistry of the Climate System courses depending on their research interest.
Students applying to the Doctoral Program are expected to have met with an academic member in Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences in line with their research interests and have been accepted by the supervisor.

History
Earth System Science Program was established under the ITU Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, which was established in 1997. The aim of ITU Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences is to carry out high-quality research and post-graduate education in earth sciences in a broad sense. There are three departments within the Institute: Solid Earth Sciences, Climate and Marine Sciences, Ecology and Evolution. In 2021, with the establishment of the ITU Graduate School, the Earth System Science Program was affiliated to ITU Graduate School.
The general aim of the graduate programs of the Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences is to train students from various undergraduate programs as researchers who can produce or apply current knowledge on the processes and history of the Earth System.
Misson
Earth and life sciences, which are expected to provide the necessary scientific support for a 'sustainable' life on our planet in the 21st century, need a new perspective and staff and research organization with the necessary culture for this perspective. In this new order, interdisciplinary borders should be removed (or at least developed), and the developing technologies in research, education and communication should be utilized to the maximum.
The mission of the Earth System Science Program is to conduct research and train competent scientists who can look at the Earth's solid, liquid and gaseous parts and life processes as a whole, to understand its systems and the mechanisms in the functioning of these systems. In addition to this basic task, it provides scientific support to the understanding of 'environmental problems' and the development of solutions at global, regional and local scales, by collaborating with public institutions and non-governmental organizations.
Vision
To conduct high-level and multidisciplinary research to understand the characteristics of the Earth's solid, liquid and gaseous layers and life processes, and the mechanisms in their formation and functioning.
It is to train young researchers who can look at the Earth as a whole, who have received the highest level of education in their field of expertise, but who understand the language of other disciplines, who can easily use quantitative methods and appropriate technologies in their research, in a contemporary research order.

Click here for the program's website.

Year	Number of Graduates
2013	3
2014	3
2015	3
2016	1
2018	3
2019	1
2020	2
2021	1
2022	3
2023	3