Our program is an associate's degree program aimed at developing qualified human resources, often called technicians, in the field of dairy and dairy product technology, a crucial branch of the food industry. In this program, students receive both theoretical and practical training, starting with milk production and continuing with modern techniques for processing, analyzing, and controlling dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, butter, ayran, and ice cream. Additionally, other courses essential for professional life, such as food safety, quality management, packaging, food preservation, occupational health and safety, professional ethics, and food legislation, are also included in our curriculum as an important part of the program. Students who place in the top three positions in the department and continue attending classes within the scope of the Vocational Education Protocol receive a monthly SÜTAŞ scholarship. Our second-year students participate in practical training activities at SÜTAŞ facilities one day a week as part of the Sector Practices course. Students who meet the evaluation criteria are eligible for summer internships at SÜTAŞ facilities or other facilities suitable for our department. This program is subject to a 2-year associate degree system with 120 ECTS credits. Upon successful completion of the program and fulfilling the program qualifications, an Associate Degree in Dairy and Products Technology is awarded. Graduates who successfully complete the associate degree can vertically transfer to 4-year undergraduate programs such as "Food Engineering", "Chemistry", "Nutrition and Diabetes", and "Dairy Technology" departments of universities, provided that they have the sufficient score on the DGS (Vertical Transfer Exam). Graduates of the Dairy and Products Technology Program can work in the public sector (in organizations affiliated with the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Institute of Hygiene, Municipalities, Provincial Health Directorates, etc.), in the private sector (milk factories, dairies, dairy product additives and packaging manufacturers, in the food industry), and in private laboratories and their R&D and quality control laboratories as "Dairy Technicians".
