ADMISSION IN TURKEY (MUST READ)

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT STUDYING IN TURKEY

ABOUT TURKEY

International students will encounter with rich culture, deep-rooted history and unique nature in addition to a quality education in Turkey. Turkey is one of the best choices for education with its reasonable cost of living and its hospitable people as well as the natural and historical treasure.

Official Name: The Republic Of Turkey

Capital City: Ankara

Largest Cities: İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Adana, Antalya, Konya, Bursa, Kayseri, Samsun, Trabzon, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Kocaeli, Diyarbakır, Sakarya, Mersin, Gaziantep.

Area: 814.578 km

Coastal Length: 7.200 km

Coastal Borders: Mediterranean Sea at south; Aegean Sea at west; Black Sea at north

Language: Turkish

Neighboring Countries: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Iraq, Armenia, Iran, Syria

Currency: 1 € = 2,37 TL (Turkish Lira), 1 $ = 1,78 TL

Population: 74.724.000 (31 December 2011)

The Number of Cities: 81

Population Growth Rate: % 1,2

Life Expectancy: 73,7 (Male: 76,1 – Female: 71,5)

Time Zone: GMT +2; CET +1

Office Hours: In Turkey, working days are from Monday to Friday. Most of the banks, government offices and the majority of private companies are open between the hours of 09:00 and 17:00.

Food-Beverage: Turkish food is known as healthy and delicious. (For more info you can look up Food & Beverages section)

National Holidays: There are two types of holidays in Turkey. The first one is national holidays which are held on the same day every year (Such as 1 January, 23 April, 1 May, 30 August, 19 May, 29 October) and the other one is religious holidays which are held on different days every year accordingly to lunar calendar.

Water: Tap water is perfectly safe to drink.

Electricity: 220V. Standard European type double plug is used.

Health Services: There are international private hospitals and high quality state hospitals in the cities and main touristic towns.

Visa: The foreigners visiting Turkey or travelling as a tourist can obtain a visa at the border gates or from the Turkish embassies in other countries. Some people may be eligible to be exempted from visa depending to the type of the passport they hold. However, if the purpose of the travel is education, research or work, it is an obligation to have an “annotated visa” that should be obtained at the Turkish Embassies or Consulates in the country of origin.

Communication Services: There are 3 GSM operators which have approximately 95% of coverage area and each has 3G services. Internet access is available across the country.

International phone code: +90

CULTURE, ART AND HISTORY

Turkey is a unique country with its natural wonders, history and culture. With plenty of civilizations from the past, the land Turkey sits on can be described as an outdoor museum. Turkey, which has carried the bright structure of every civilization until today, attracts the attention of the world as a unique country in which art and culture are on a constant display.

Almost every city in Turkey has its own value of tourism, which reminds us a paradise with its mountains, rivers, caves, ski resorts and beaches.

In Turkey, there are 9 cultural and natural inheritances as the ‘world heritage’, a status given by UNESCO to internationally unique splendors, monuments and sites because they are worthy of protection and admiration.

Among many, here are some of the historical places you can enjoy visiting: Istanbul, city of Safranbolu (Karabük), Hattuşaş (Boğazköy)- Capital of Hittite (Çorum), Mount Nemrut (Adıyaman-Kahta), Xanthos-Letoon (Antalya-Muğla), Divriği Ulu Camii and Hospital (Sivas), the ancient city of Troy (Çanakkale), Pamukkale-Hierapolis (Denizli), Göreme National Park and Cappadocia (Nevşehir).

Visiting these places while you study will give you the opportunity to comprehend Turkey’s cultural and historical richness. For more information, you can visit the website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Directorate General of Cultural Beings and Museums at www.kulturvarliklari.gov.tr.

Recently, there is a vividness in arts such as cinema, theatre and music. International and national cinema, music and theatre festivals are organized throughout the year in most of the cities, especially in Ankara and İstanbul. To follow the events, you can visit state theaters and opera and ballet general directorate’s website at:

http://www.devtiyatro.gov.tr and http://www.dobgm.gov.tr

If you are interested in history and culture, you can visit museums and the ruins which are over 300 in numbers, and also which are subject to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, for a year without paying anything by getting a ‘museum card’ for a nominal fee and submitting your student id. The details could be found at: www.muze.gov.tr

MEDIA, LIBRARIES AND SOCIAL CLUBS

Cinema

International Adana Golden Ball Film Festival, Ankara International Film Festival, İstanbul International Film Festival, International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, Bursa Silk Road Festival, Filmekimi, International Short Film Festival, Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival are of the main ones.

Music

Ankara International Music Festival, Akbank Jazz Festival, Bursa Rock Festival, Rumeli Hisarı Concerts, Rock’n Coke, İzmir European Jazz Festival, İstanbul Jazz Festival, Freshtival, Rock İstanbul are important organizations where local and foreign artists take place in. Also, spring festivals and music festivals are organized by the majority of the universities every year. For the detailed information, you can visit the websites of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts or municipalites. http://www.kultur.gov.tr

TV Channels

There are 258 tv channels (27 national, 16 regional and 215 local channels) in Turkey. There are three types of broadcasting as terrestrial, cable and satellite broadcasting. You can also reach all these channels through internet. Daily broadcast stream can be followed through national newspapers and websites.

Newspapers

The press in Turkey is really colorful and rich. There are lots of newspapers and journals making the press mobile. Local newspapers are published in many cities. In addition to national press, it is also possible to find printed press in different world languages at the points of sales. It is also possible to read all the newspapers through internet.

National and State Libraries

National libraries are where printed press from Turkey and around the world is stored. İstanbul Beyazıt State Library, Ankara National Library and İzmir National Library are among the most popular places for international and local students, experts and researchers for their reseraches.

University Libraries

Almost all universities have their own libraries. Most university libraries are open to students from other universities as well as their own students.

Libraries with Specialized Subjects
These libraries are places where books and documents about special subjects can be found. People with certain professions and some industry associations can also get help from these libraries.
• Atatürk Library – İstanbul
• İSAM (Centre for Islamic Studies) – İstanbul
• German Archaeological Institution Library – İstanbul
• İstanbul Research Institution Library – İstanbul
• Süleymaniye Library – İstanbul
• İstanbul Women’s Library – İstanbul
• Ankara Bar Associations Library for Visiually Disabled -Ankara
• Yapı Kredi Atatürk Library – Ankara

Public Libraries

Most of these libraries belong to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. They serve to all kind of readers from any profession and range of age. There are over a hundred public libraries in Turkey.

Think-Tanks

In addition to the universities with high standard education for students; seminars which are set up by various organizations, symposiums, conferences and panels give students opportunities to improve their knowledge of certain field.

Social Clubs

Each university has its socio-cultural clubs on a variety of topics. Many activities are organized such as movies, concerts and art shows. Students can sign up for individual sports like skiing, trekking, tennis and swimming; and also they can join team sports like baseball, football and volleyball. There are intercollegiate racing teams in swimming, baseball, football and etc. in many universities. Also, there are other clubs which people with disability can join comfortably and take advantage of social activities.

TRANSPORTATION

In Turkey, you can enjoy all means of transportation. The major high-speed train project which will be spanned all across Turkey once it is finished will only be an addition to the stack. The variety of transportation might vary by cities.

Public Transportation

Public transportation is mostly carried out through highways in Turkey. There are different alternatives such as subway, trams, bus, taxi, suburbia trains, metro-bus, funicular railway, ferry, shared-taxi (Dolmuş), ropeway… Recently, rail transportation has improved a lot in the cities and also between cities. You can prefer rail transportation for both economic and comfortable travelling. In the cities, buses, subway and shared-taxi s (Dolmush) are commonly used.

Low-Cost Travelling For Students

Students can use transportation except taxies with discount by using student id card and free pass. However, the rules of getting free pass can vary by cities (Municipalities). Students can get information from the cities’ transportation directorates. You have to show your student id to take advantage of discount for public transportation.

Driving

Foreign drivers have to present their translated driving licenses approved by notary or consulates. Renting a car in Turkey can be done through the offices of ‘rent a car’ at the airports or city centers.

Intercity Travelling

There are many alternatives in intercity travelling. You can also use land, air and sea transportation. Plane, fast ferry, train, fast train and bus are the most preferred vehicles in the cities. Travelling by bus is possible to all cities in Turkey. It is also possible to arrive in almost all cities by plane from İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir. For flight and other details on intercity travelling please visit: www.turkishairlines.com.tr and www.tcdd.gov.tr

Türkiye is one of the two countries which have lands both in Asia and Europe. This enables Türkiye to reflect diverse cultures and experiences. Its cultural richness and diversity was shaped by its deep historical roots, cultures and beliefs in Middle East, Anatolia and Balkans.

Throughout the history, Anatolia, where Türkiye is located, has been the center of several civilizations since ancient times. Türkiye has its own unique social and cultural characteristics such as cuisine, music, arts, literature and architecture.

Modern Türkiye was founded in 1923. Since then, Türkiye has strong historical and cultural ties with its neighbors and in its region. So far, Türkiye has been playing an active role and set an example spreading democracy, interfaith dialogue and cultural understanding in this region, as a way to building cooperation and bringing peace and development to the region.

Modern Türkiye has a robust economy, a dynamic open society and an advanced democracy. Within the last decade, Türkiye has achieved remarkable economic growth and substantial progress in political and social fields. Türkiye is one of the fastest growing economies the World and now the 6th largest economy in the Europe and 16th largest economy in world.

Furthermore, Türkiye seeks also more active role in regional and global developments while staying fully committed the EU full membership process. As a leading democracy in Middle East and Europe, Türkiye represents and promotes universal values, human rights, dialogue, cooperation and parthnership in the region, as a fundamental principle of Turkish Foreign Policy of “Peace At Home and Peace in The World.”

Türkiye opens the doors of its universities for international students from all around the world with “Türkiye Scholarships”. Scholarship with vast opportunities and education in qualified Turkish universities will help you to gain new perspectives, and abilities making you be one step ahead of others in your career.

Türkiye Scholarship is a non-refundable. Türkiye Scholarship is provided for only international students who will study in higher education level. The aim of Türkiye Scholarships is to improve mutual understanding with other countries and to contribute richness of global information with people oriented approach.

Candidates can only apply online via Türkiye Scholarship web sites: www.turkiyeburslari.gov.tr and www.trscholarships.org

Applications will be considered according to candidates’ academic success. Successful candidates will be invited for face to face or on-line interviews. Information regarding interviews will be send to candidates’ e-mail addresses that they used for application. Selected students will be awarded with the scholarship in a suitable fields based on the strength of candidates’ academic background.

TURKISH EDUCATION SYSTEM

Higher Education

Higher education in Turkey consists of universities with associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs, faculties, institution, conservatories and vocational schools. In total, 103 of 176 universities are state universities, the rest of them (73) are private ones. According to the data of recent years, the number of university students with the number of the students in formal education and distance education is about 3,5 million.

Admission Requirements For Undergradute Programs

The applicants who want to study in any undergraduate programs should make an application directly to the university. Each university accepts international students on the basis of their own requirements that are published on their official websites.

Admission Requirements For Graduate Programs

Graduate programs in Turkey contain master, PhD and specialization in medicine programs. which are carried out via institutions.

The Documents Required FromThe Applicants

Diploma and course contents of the previously completed degrees , letter of reference and statement of purpose are required in the application procedures of the graduate programs Students who graduated in Turkey must submit Graduate Entrance Exam’s (ALES) result in addition to the given documents, . English-medium universities can ask for additional exam results such as TOEFL, GRE or GMAT which have international validity. Each university and program may have different admission criteria. Therefore, those who wants to have graduate education has to apply directly to the institutions of the universities.

Master Programs

Two types of master degrees as mastes with thesis and non-thesis programs are offered for students. Whereas master’s programs with thesis consist of at least seven courses, one seminar and a thesis study. non-thesis master programs contain at least ten courses and a semester project. The required period to complete the master degree is 2 years.

Doctorate Programs

Doctorate programs have at least seven courses, proficiency exam and a thesis. The period to complete the courses are four semesters at most and the period to finish the doctorate program is eight semesters. To be able to apply for doctorate programs, it is an obligation to have a master’s degree. The applicants can apply with their undergraduate diploma to the joint doctorate programs which consists of both master and doctorate education.

Specialization in Medicine Programs

Specialization in medicine programs are equivalent to doctorate programs and it is carried out by the faculty of the medicine of universities and by the research hospitals which are subject to the ministry of health. The students, who want to have an education in medicine and dentistry, must succeed in DUS or TUS exams.

Academic Calendar

In Turkey universities run on a two semester arrangements, known as fall and spring semesters. Besides, some universities have summer school programs.

Academic Examination Process

Academic performances at the universities are determined on success and attendance. Universities test students’ academic success with different examinations such as two midterm and one final or one midterm and one final. Some universities implement different different systems such as make-up exams or summer schools. In addition to exams, various homeworks and reports are efficient in taking grades. Passmarks in the universities are usually 60/100 (2.00/4.00) (These grades may differ among universities).

Language of Instruction

The applicants must prove their efficiency in the universities’ course language which is usually in Turkish (Also in English, French and German). The students, who are accepted to university but not able to get the efficiency in the required language, are given language course for a year. Also, Turkish lessons are given to international students.

For further information: www.studyinturkey.gov.tr