4.3.3. Vocational training events (lifelong learning)
Last Updated:
- English
- Türkçe
In 2025, METU offered vocational training and executive education to people who are not METU students, both as regular programmes that run every year (programmed) and as one-off events (ad-hoc).
Regular programmed: METU Continuing Education Centre (SEM)
The METU Continuing Education Centre (SEM) runs certificate programmes every year that anyone can apply to, as well as tailored training for public institutions and companies. Participants who complete a programme receive a METU certificate.
In 2025, SEM ran 42 programmes for 1,191 participants (89,751 participant-hours in total): 18 programmes with 418 participants were open to individual applicants, and 24 programmes with 773 participants were run for public institutions and companies.
The table shows the main programmes open to individual applicants in 2025:
|
Programme (2025) |
Run by |
Length |
Participants |
|
Building Information Modelling (BIM) Specialist Certificate (6 groups) and BIM Management Certificate (2 groups) |
Department of Architecture |
40–60 hours |
218 |
|
Information Technologies Certificate (28th and 29th groups) |
Department of Computer Engineering |
84 hours |
139 |
|
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education Certificate (3 groups) |
Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology |
24 hours |
34 |
|
Introduction to Data Science with Python |
Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology |
48 hours |
17 |
|
Scanning Electron Microscope Certificate |
Central Laboratory |
30 hours |
5 |
https://sem.metu.edu.tr/img/sayfa/sem-birim-faaliyet-raporu-2025.pdf
Regular Programmed: training for teachers
Digital Teachers: a social responsibility project funded by ING Türkiye and run with the Habitat Association and the METU BİLTEMM Centre since 2020. METU academics design the curriculum, act as academic advisers and teach the advanced stage, and METU issues the certificate of participation. The 10th round started in February 2025 with 1,000 teachers from state primary and middle schools across Türkiye:
|
Digital Teachers, 10th round (2025) |
Detail |
|
Participants |
1,000 teachers from state schools across Türkiye |
|
Stage 1 (online) |
Live lessons with an assigned METU academic adviser plus video modules |
|
Topics |
Digital citizenship, internet safety and privacy, content creation with Web 2.0 tools, presentation techniques, and virtual and augmented reality |
|
Stage 2 (face to face) |
Advanced digital-literacy training by METU faculty for the 100 best-performing teachers |
|
Length |
54 hours in total |
|
Certificate |
Certificate of participation issued by METU to teachers who complete the modules with at least 70/100 |
|
Closing event |
30 May 2025 at METU, Ankara, with the METU Rector, the CEO of ING Türkiye and the Habitat Association |
By July 2025, the project had trained more than 10,000 teachers over ten rounds, giving more than 250,000 pupils access to digital skills.
https://biltemm.metu.edu.tr/en/digital-teachers
Regular programmed: language courses
The METU School of Foreign Languages (SFL) runs language courses for the public every term, online and face to face, taught by instructors of its Department of Basic English and Department of Modern Languages. Anyone can enrol after a placement test. The courses offered for the autumn 2025 term were:
|
Course (autumn 2025) |
Format |
Length |
|
General English – weekend or weekday evening (beginner to advanced) |
Online or face to face |
128 hours per level (4 months) |
|
Intensive General English |
Online or face to face |
320 hours |
|
SFL Certificate Programme – Intensive Academic English: the same programme as METU's English preparatory year, for people who plan graduate study at English-medium universities and for academics who want to improve their English |
Online or face to face |
320–480 hours |
|
TOEFL iBT, Pre-TOEFL, IELTS and Pre-IELTS preparation |
Online or face to face |
128 hours each |
|
Preparation for the METU English Proficiency Exam |
Online |
40 hours |
The SFL also runs courses designed for institutions and groups, and a language course for scholarship holders of the Ministry of National Education's postgraduate study-abroad programme (YLSY), with a new group registered in 2025.
https://ydyom.metu.edu.tr/en/sfl-certificate-program
One-off training (ad-hoc)
- 'Virtual Reality Technologies and Applications in Psychological Support', a one-off 8-hour training course by the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology (5 participants).
Professional workshops by the METU Institute of Marine Sciences
The METU Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) in Erdemli, Mersin, runs workshops with open registration that train public authorities, municipalities, and the maritime sector in solutions for clean seas and a sustainable blue economy:
|
Date (2025) |
Event |
Venue and format |
Who took part |
|
16 January |
'HUBs4Innovation: Support and Empower the Mediterranean Sea Basin Innovation Ecosystem in Türkiye', with Mersin Metropolitan Municipality |
Mercan 100th Year Climate and Environment Science Centre, Mersin; in person and online |
More than 110 participants from ministries, municipalities, chambers, development agencies, industry and universities |
|
29 May |
'Sustainable Aquaculture in the Black Sea: Sectoral Partnerships and Future Approaches', a national workshop of the Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda, with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry |
Central Fisheries Research Institute (SUMAE), Trabzon; in person and online; open registration |
Public institutions, aquaculture companies and researchers |
|
19 September |
BlueMissionMed 2nd Cross-Fertilization Webinar: 'Bridging the Mediterranean and Black Sea – Cross-Basin Learning for Water Solutions' |
Online; open registration |
Projects, local and regional authorities and blue-economy actors from the Mediterranean and Black Sea |
https://ims.metu.edu.tr/node/1114