The Institutional External Evaluation Program organized by the THEQC aims to evaluate the procedures related to education and research-development activities and administrative systems of higher education institutions within the scope of the Institutional External Evaluation Criteria. Higher education institutions are required to take part in the Program at least once every five years.

Higher education institutions annually submit self-evaluation reports as part of the Program. After the institutions to be included in the Program are determined, the evaluation teams that will carry out the evaluation process are assigned following the selection of the team members from the evaluator pool. Throughout the Program, the team pays one pre-visit and one site visit to the evaluated institution. Following the visits, each evaluation team pens an Institutional Feedback Report, which is made publicly available by the THEQC. The higher education institutions evaluated within the scope of institutional external evaluation program shall be included in the Follow-up Program at earliest in the second year following the evaluation year.