Dual-Diploma Academic Roadmap

The Academic Roadmap is designed to help you identify a route toward meeting your educational goals as a Dual-Diploma student at Binghamton and your home campus!

Please keep in mind that this Roadmap is just a guide — because each student is different. If you're concerned about your progress toward the goals in the Roadmap, talk to us. The links below or to the right will list your goals by year.

DDP students spend their first and third year at their Turkish institution and their second and fourth year at Binghamton. The coursework completed at Binghamton for the different programs are linked below. Below that are suggestions for steps students should be taking each year of their program.

Binghamton Course Outline for Programs

• Information Systems Course Outline
• Systems Science and Industrial Engineering Course Outline
• Business Administration Course Outline
• Global and International Affairs Course Outline

• First Year
  • Learn who your advisors are and how you can reach them. Ask questions before they turn into problems.
    
    • Binghamton: Allison Nyamuame, anyamuam@binghamton.edu
    • ITU IS: Professor Mehmet Baysan, baysanm@itu.edu.tr
    • ITU SSIE: Ms. Emine Yaylali, emineyaylali@itu.edu.tr 
    • METU BAS & GIA: Mr. Eren Aslıhak, aslihak@metu.edu.tr 
  • Learn your curriculum and which courses you should take in your first year.
  • Study hard and raise your GPA. To continue your studies at Binghamton, students must meet following requirement(s):
    • ITU IS: Earn a cumulative GPA of 1.9 or higher AND pass Programming I, Calculus II, and Discrete Math
    • METU: Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
  • Complete the Dual-Diploma Admissions process.
  • Learn how to register for Binghamton courses and how to read the course schedules.
    • ITU instructions
    • METU instructions
  • Explore the resources provided by the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development
  • Build transferable skills by getting involved in student organizations and community-service opportunities in your home institutions. Find out what transferable skills are. 
  • Visit LinkedIn and get ready to develop your LinkedIn profile.
• Second Year

  Fall Semester

  • ATTEND THE ORIENTATION! Nobody starts a new experience knowing all the details. 
  • Study and get good grades. 
  • Research the connections between your major and the world of work. You might be uncertain about your future career at this point, but having a sense of the possible directions you may go in can both help you make an academic plan that will support those directions and can increase your motivation to succeed. The research may be done by talking to your professors, networking with alumni, and meeting with Career Consultants at the Fleishman Center for Career. Other resources:
    
    • School of Management Career Services
    • Harpur Advising
    • Watson Career and Alumni Connections
    • How to meet with a Fleishman Career Consultant
    • Binghamton LinkedIn Group
    • Dual-Diploma LinkedIn Group
    • Binghamton University Alumni Association
  • Explore educational opportunities within Binghamton University's formal curriculum and beyond it.
    
    • Sharpen your leadership skills by joining TURCA (Turkish Student Association) or other Student Organizations and become an E-Board member. (Tip: Over 200 University recognized student organizations table each year at the University Fest, so attend the Fest and learn more about how to get involved outside of the classroom!)
    • Education and Internship Abroad: A list of all education and internship abroad programs hosted by Binghamton University. You can also participate in other SUNY programs or non-SUNY programs. Visit the Education Abroad Office in OH-240 (Old Champlain, Room #240) for more information. Download the Internship Abroad Flyer.
    • Binghamton hosts a Job and Internship Fair every year in both fall and spring semesters. You may search for summer internship opportunities by attending the Fair. Tips on how to prepare for the Fair.
    • Check your BMail daily for any information on career exploration workshops and networking programs.
  • If you stay in the U.S. in the winter, consider participating in an Employer Site Visit program.

  Spring Semester

  • Learn how to read Degree Works and track progress towards degree completion, plan for future courses and review course history.
  • Update your resume (Resume Writing Guide) and LinkedIn profile with new experiences.
  • Make plans for the upcoming summer. Possible options:
    • Take summer courses (Before registration, please consult with the DDP Office.)
    • Look for off-campus internship opportunities via hireBING, Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) database, and other resources.
    • Look for oversea's internship opportunities via GoinGlobal and many other resources.
    • For GIA and BISU 1+3 Students ONLY: Apply to the Liberal Arts to Careers Externship Program (LACE) or Harpur Edge's Mentoring Program
    • For Information Systems students ONLY: Apply to the Summer Research Immersion Program (SRI)
  • Before the end of the semester, come to the DDP Office, review your Degree Works, and plan what to take in your 3rd year.
• Third Year
  • Make meaningful connections with faculty in your major, and identify those you consider mentors. Visit them during office hours or make appointments via email. Building these connections will help you engage better with the material you're learning in class and help you discover/explore your interests within your discipline.
  • Think about what you would like to do after graduation and make plans accordingly. Talk to professors/advisors/alumni/family/friends about your plans and how to carry out those plans. Remember, plans without action are just dreams.
  • Identify possible graduate school and career possibilities. Begin researching graduate schools at least 18 months before you plan to attend.
  • Research senior-year opportunities in your major such as senior theses, research, scholarship and award opportunities, etc.
  • Check your academic plan to be sure you're on track for timely graduation. Checking now means fewer possibilities for unpleasant surprises later —- if you have questions or are unsure, contact an adviser.
  • Search for internship options for the summer before your senior year.
• Fourth Year

  Fall Semester

  • Deepen your connection to the career offices on campus - continuously review your job application materials with the career office.
  • Attend workshop and job fairs put on by the career offices.
  • Attend programs by TURCA that connect DDP students with alumni
  • Research the OPT process
  • Search for job opportunities. Many jobs are hiring in the Fall for positions beginning the next year.

  Spring Semester

  • Apply for OPT early in the spring semester. The process can take 3-6 months to get approval.
  • Continue the search for job opportunities. 

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)