All You Need to Know About Open Education in Turkey 2023

Open education in Turkey is one of the most searched topics for students who are looking to continue their high school or undergraduate education and don’t have enough resources about this system.

Unfortunately, many cannot continue their education journey, because of the steep prices for education, or some personal circumstances.

However, we can fix this with the Open Education System which makes education available to everyone.

In this article, we will shed light on some inside knowledge from previous students’ experiences who managed to succeed in their open education journey. One of the perks of open education is it has no age restrictions.

What Is Open Education in Turkey? And Is It Available to Everyone?

Turkey has been trying to change the students’ educational behavior and perception about joining open education, by trying to encourage everyone to be educated.

Open education as a system allows students to join different educational institutes with different educational cycles without the need to attend physically, whilst providing the students with any materials they may require.

Read also: Distance Education in Turkey

Open education in Turkey has two branches

1. Open high school
2. Open university

Open High school in Turkey

Open high school in Turkey managed successfully to attract many students who couldn’t attend conventional high school because of work or home.

Open high school is an educational system that was established in Turkey in 1992 by the Turkish ministry of education.

• All students who stopped their education and wanted to continue once more can join open high school in Turkey.
• Students who graduate from open high school can enter placement in Turkish universities.
• An open high school diploma is recognized globally, and you can use it to continue your undergraduate studies either in Turkey or outside.

Open Universities in Turkey

Students who decide to continue their education and join open education will have the flexibility to continue their work, and they don’t have to leave their town where there are no universities.

• The open education system allows the students to follow their education online and have exams every semester.
• Students can join open universities and get a vocational degree after two years.

Advantages of Open Education in Turkey

• Lower living costs, and daily expenses for students who live far from the universities that have their desired programs.
• Lower tuition fees compared with conventional governmental or private education.
• Students can continue their work or any other commitment preventing them from going to the university.
• No age restriction.

Turkish government universities that offer official open education

bachelor’s degrees are:

1. Anadolu University
2. Istanbul University
3. Ataturk University

Students can follow their education through the university’s official website and download all the books and materials related to their department.

Open Education Programs and Medium of Instruction in Turkish Universities

Turkish universities that offer open education have a variety of programs and different mediums of instruction 

• All open education programs available at Istanbul University and Ataturk University are in Turkish language.
• Anadolu University has open education programs in Turkish, English, and Arabic languages.

Read more about: Top 10 public universities in Turkey

1-Anadolu University

It is one of the oldest universities that offered open education in Turkey in 1982, and it is in downtown Eskisehir city.

It has over a million students admitted to its system, and it has libraries in most Turkish cities.

Some programs cost 660$ per semester like:

• International relations(English).
• Business( English)

The following programs cost around $ 330

4-year programs:

• Political science and finance 
• Economics 
• History, philosophy, and sociology 
• Aviation management 
• Healthcare management 
• Public relations and media 
• International relations 
• Business administration 
• Sharia

There are scientific and administrative 2-year programs offered in Turkish language in the open education system that qualify the students to earn a vocational degree like:

• Tourism and management 
• Photography 
• Geographic information system
• Laboratory techniques 
• Media and communication
• Logistics services 
• Disabled care and rehabilitation 
• Banking and insurance 
• Web design

2-Istanbul University

Istanbul University established an open education system in 2010.

The following are 4-year programs that cost 1400₺.

• Geography 
• Childcare
• Philosophy 
• Economy 
• International relations 
• Sociology 
• History

There are 2-year programs offered in the open education system that qualify the students to earn a vocational degree and cost $1400₺ like:

• Social services 
• Health care management 
• Nursing and elderly care 
• Health institutions management 
• Civil aviation management 

3-Ataturk University

Ataturk university established an open education system in 2010.

The following are 4-year programs that cost 750₺:

• Health care management 
• Public relations and marketing 
• Sociology
• Social services 
• General management 

There are 2-year programs offered in the open education system that qualify the students to earn a vocational degree like:

• Banking and insurance 
• Computer programming 
• Photography 
• Occupational health and safety
• Christian theology 
• Civil aviation management

How To Join Open Education?

1-YOS Exam

YOS is an entrance exam that is required to apply to universities, students must have a 30% minimum to join Ataturk and Istanbul Universities, and 20% to join Anadolu Universities.

Learn more about: Differences between YöS and SAT exams

2-Student Certificate

Students who are registered in Turkish universities and would like to join open education can register only using a student certificate.

3-Second University System

If the student joined a program in a governmental or private university, they could use their student certificate to apply for open education in a different program.

Important Information About Open Education System in Turkey

Is Turkish Proficiency Required to Join Open Education in Turkey in 2023?

• The required Turkish language proficiency is different for students who want to join Turkish governmental or private universities and the ones who want to join open education.
• For students who want to join open education with the YOS exam, they must have a Turkish language proficiency certificate.

What Should the Student Do If They Lost Their Last Education Certificate?

The student can apply to have his information checked in order to determine the academic level he must attend, and the number of compulsory courses and credit hours appropriate to his level.

What Should the Student Who Have Syrian Diploma to Join Open High School in Turkey?

The student must apply for equivalency (Denklik) from the Turkish ministry of education and then go to “Halk Egitim” to complete their documents.

The Required Documents to Join Open Education in Turkey

The required documents for students to join open education are:

1. Passport or residence permit photocopy 
2. High school diploma and its equivalency for foreign students 
3. Personal photo 
4. YOS exam certificate (if available)

P.S.: high school equivalency certificate is required after the student is accepted into university.

If you wanted to know more or have any questions, we are here to help you and you can always contact us:

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