Higher Education System
The Council of Higher Education (CoHE) / Yükseköğretim Kurulu (YÖK) is responsible for all higher education institutions. CoHE has autonomy and public identity within the framework of powers and duties given to it with Constitution and provisions of Law. CoHE is responsible for the strategic planning, coordination, supervision and monitoring of higher education as well as establishing and maintaining quality assurance mechanisms in Turkey. www.yok.gov.tr
The Higher Education System constitutes an important part of the Turkish education system with nearly eight million students and higher education institutions spreading across the country. Turkey is ranked first among the countries of the European Higher Education Area in terms of both the number of students in higher education and the increase in the number of students over the years.
Higher education in Turkey consists of short, first, second, and third cycle degrees in terms of the terminology of the Bologna Process. The structure of Turkish higher education degrees is based on a two-tier system, except for dentistry, pharmacy, medicine and veterinary programs which have a one-tier system. The duration of these one-tier programs is five years (300 ECTS) except for medicine which lasts six years (360 ECTS). The qualifications in these one-tier programs are equivalent to the first cycle (bachelor’s) plus second cycle (master’s) degree. Undergraduate level of study consists of short cycle (associate’s / önlisans) and first cycle (bachelor’s / lisans derecesi) degrees which are awarded after successful completion of full-time two-year (120 ECTS) and four-year (240 ECTS) study programs, respectively.
ENROLLMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN TURKISH UNIVERSITIES
- Universities determine their own criteria.
- National and international exams, secondary education degree, grade point average and the exams prepared by the universities.
- Minimum and maximum amounts of tuition fees of state universities are decided annually by the Presidential Decree.
- Universities determine their tuition fees for each faculty, program and institute.
