The PhD Program in Area Studies at METU is the first of its kind in Turkey, offering a comprehensive program at the PhD level for those interested in regional studies. Established in 2010, this Program could be considered ideal for the graduates of the master's programs of; Eurasian Studies, East Asian Studies, Middle East Studies, European Studies, Latin and North American Studies as well as African Studies.

We seek to enhance academic studies on the major regions of the rapidly changing world in terms of history, sociology, culture, politics, political economy and international relations. Students enrolled in this program are expected to work on a region of the world by generating a high level of contextual knowledge as well as an interdisciplinary approach. In other words, the Program intends to improve the quality of in-depth research on historical, socio-cultural, political, economic and diplomatic characteristics of the regions such as Eurasia, East Asia, Middle East, Europe, Africa and Latin and North America. To this end, students are expected to build up their knowledge both in; (1) an Area, and (2) a Social Science Discipline. Having an interdisciplinary structure, the Program is not a sub-discipline of any other social science discipline, but a separate program.