Breakdown of Bu fon için doktora tezini bitirmiş olmak gereklidir.
bu
this
olmak
to be
gerekli
necessary
için
for
Questions & Answers about Bu fon için doktora tezini bitirmiş olmak gereklidir.
Why do we use bitirmiş olmak here instead of just bitirmek?
If you used bitirmek, the sentence would mean "Finishing the thesis is necessary" (implying the action of finishing is the active task). Using the perfective suffix -miş followed by olmak (to be) creates a perfective infinitive meaning "to have finished". This emphasizes that the completion of the thesis is a prerequisite condition that must already exist before applying for the fund.
What is the difference between using olmak gereklidir and olması gerekiyor here?
bitirmiş olmak is a general infinitive, meaning "having finished" (by anyone). It pairs perfectly with the adjective gerekli (necessary) to state a general rule without a specific subject. If you used olması, it would mean "someone's having finished," which requires a specific subject and usually pairs with the verb gerekiyor. For example: Onun tezini bitirmiş olması gerekiyor (He/she needs to have finished his/her thesis).
Let's break down the suffixes on tezini. Why not just say doktora tezi?
The base compound noun is doktora tezi (PhD thesis). Because it is the specific direct object of the verbal phrase bitirmiş olmak, it must take the accusative case. When adding the accusative suffix -i to a word that already ends in a possessive suffix (like the -i in tezi), you must use the buffer letter -n-, resulting in tezini.