Importance of graduation project in the education of agricultural engineering: Case studies from Turkey

In the education of Agricultural EngineerS, practical application of what have been learned from lectures is of great importance. In so doing, students not only acquire experience but also understand the practical applications of theories. Before graduation senior students are required to finish a graduation project on his/her own in their last year, which is considered a major stage before their graduation. This stage helps them to focus on a particular subject, carry out a project based on scientific principles, and find a job easier in the particular subject area. In addition, those who want to continue their higher education through a Master of Science, will have knowledge of the next step. In order to graduate, students of the Department of Horticulture have to finish the project successfully. To do this, throughout the two semesters, they have to choose a subject, do a literature search, set an experiment in gardens, carry out laboratory analysis, interpret the results and finally present them scientifically. For example, students of horticulture have investigated the effect of different stratification periods on germination rate of apricot and walnut seeds as well as adaptation of some apricot, peach and Loquat cultivars to Mediterranean Conditions. Consequently, graduation project appears to be one of the indispensable courses of Agricultural Engineering education and should be kept that way.