Higher education

Unlike Dutch higher education, Turkish higher education is not divided into HBO i and WO i . Turkish higher education institutions can offer both types of education. This often means that for each diploma we have to determine whether it is HBO or WO. Below, we describe the diplomas that we often see.

Entrance exams

For admission to higher education, students must take 2 central entrance exams. Since 2018 these are:

• TYT: Temel Yeterlilik Testi (Basic Proficiency Test); 120 questions (40 Turkish language and literature, 40 mathematics, 20 social sciences, 20 natural sciences) - 40% of the overall result.
• YKS: Yükseköğretim Kurumları Sınavı (Higher Education Institutions Exam); 160 questions (40 Turkish language and literature, 40 mathematics, 20 social sciences, 40 natural sciences) - 60% of the overall result.

Please note: from 2010 to 2018, the entrance exams were the YGS and LYS (YGS: Yükseköğretime Geçis Sınavı, LYS: Lisans Yerleştirme Sınav).

The Ögrenci Seçme ve Yerlestirme Merkezi (ÖSYM) organises and administers these entrance exams, the TYT and YKS. The ÖSYM is the student selection and placement centre and is affiliated with the YÖK.

Higher professional education institution (meslek yüksekokulu) offer study programmes for an Ön Lisans Diploması (associate degree). Such institutions are generally part of a university.

• Duration i : 2 years.
• Study load i : 120 ECTS.
• Content: higher professional education. Subjects are often based on the first 2 years of the Lisans (bachelor’s) programme for a similar specialisation.
• Admission requirements: one of the following diplomas:
  • a Lise Diploması;
  • a Meslek Lisesi Diploması; or
  • a Teknik Lisesi Diploması.
    Also, students have to get at least 150 points in total for the entrance exams.
• Function of the diploma: work. Students may also sit a transition exam for a Lisans programme, the Dikey Geçiş Sinavi. If they pass this exam, they may progress to year 3 of a Lisans programme.
• Diploma: Ön Lisans Diploması.

• Duration: 4 years. Students must complete the programme within 7 years.
• Study load: 240 ECTS.
• Content: research-oriented education or profession-oriented education, depending on the specialisation. May be concluded with a thesis or project.
• Admission requirements: one of the following diplomas:
  • a Lise Diploması; or
  • a Teknik Lisesi Diploması.
    Also, students have to get at least 180 points in total for the entrance exams.
• Function of the diploma: access to master programmes (Yüksek Lisans Diploması) or work. Sometimes (in case of exceptionally good study results) students have access to PhD programmes (Doktora Diploması).
• Diploma: Lisans Diploması. The name of the diploma may be combined with a title, for example:
  • Lisans Diploması ve Mimar Ünvanı (architect); or
  • Lisans Diploması ve Mühendis Ünvanı (engineer).
    The Pharmacology programme leads to the Eczacilik Lisans Diploması.

Medical degree programmes have a duration of either 5 or 6 years.

• Duration: 5 years (300 ECTS, veterinary medicine and dentistry), 6 years (360 ECTS, medicine).
• Content: academic education preparing for a profession as a doctor, veterinarian or dentist.
• Admission requirements: one of the following diplomas:
  • a Lise Diploması; or
  • a Teknik Lisesi Diploması.
    Also, students have to get at least 180 points in total for the entrance exams.
• Diploma: one of the following diplomas:
  • Dişhekimliği Lisans Diploması (dentistry);
  • Tip Doktorluğu Diploması (medicine);
  • Veterinerlik Yüksek Lisans Diploması (veterinary medicine).

Students pursuing the Yüksek Lisans Diploması (master's degree), can do so by choosing a master's programme that may or may not be concluded with a thesis.

• Duration: 1½ years (90 ECTS, no thesis) or 2 years (120 ECTS, including thesis).
• Content: academic education, concluding with a thesis in the case of the 2-year programme.
• Admission requirements: a Lisans Diploması. Other than that, institutions decide for themselves which students they admit, depending on the average mark obtained for the Lisans programme, the results of the Academic Staff and Graduate Education Entrance Exam (Akademik Personel ve Lisansüstü Eğitimi Giriş Sınavı – ALES) and the results of a personal interview.
• Function of the diploma: access to PhD programmes (Doktora Diploması) or work.
• Diploma: Yüksek Lisans Diploması.

Students who successfully complete a PhD programme, get a Doktora Diploması (PhD).

• Duration: 2 to 5 years.
• Study load: at least 180 ECTS.
• Content: academic education, a qualification exam and the writing and defence of a dissertation.
• Admission requirements: a Yüksek Lisans Diploması possibly with additional requirements, and sometimes a Lisans Diploması (in case of exceptionally good study results). This is conditional on them taking compulsory additional preparatory courses.
• Diploma: Doktora Diploması (PhD).