How do I study philosophy in Türkiye?

أماني نبيل Date : 13 Mar 24

Undoubtedly, humanity would not have reached the current level of civilization if philosophy did not exist.

Philosophy specialization concerns critical and logical thinking. Students of this specialization can develop their knowledge and understanding of various life aspects and improve the critical thinking skills that are useful in various career paths such as business or government.

General Objectives of Philosophy Study in Turkey

Philosophy aims to study humanity issues and fundamental questions such as those about existence, knowledge, and ethical values that govern the behavior of individuals. These issues are addressed with rational arguments using various methodological approaches during the study. In other words, philosophy strives to gain knowledge through rational-based methods about various issues.

Therefore, the Turkish universities, through their offered philosophy programs, seek to achieve several vital objectives such as:

Provide philosophy students with the capability for a logical, methodological and philosophical evaluation with which they can serve and develop various institutions and support governmental and non-governmental activities.
Develop students' evaluation skills by allowing them to explore the various philosophical problems during their studies. They will also be able to examine the ways and methods to deal with the philosophical issues in the contemporary world.
Provide students with knowledge and awareness of the fundamental problems of philosophy.
Enable the students to address, criticize, and identify inconsistencies in narrative logical inferences
Develop analysis skills for any oral presentation or text which discusses a complex topic.
Develop skills to work independently.
Teach the students how to prioritize and use time correctly.

Read more about: How to begin studying in Turkey?

Subfields of Philosophy Study in Turkey

The study of philosophy covers three major sub-fields:

Natural Philosophy.
Ethics Philosophy.
Metaphysical Philosophy.

Specializations and Branches of Philosophy Study

Logic.
Metaphysics.
Philosophy of language.
Philosophy of law.
Philosophy of mind.
Philosophy of religion.
Philosophy of science.
Epistemology.

Courses of Philosophy Programs in Turkey

Philosophy studies in Turkey are conducted under several main specializations:

History of Turkish Philosophy.
Islamic Philosophy.
History of Philosophy.
Logic and Philosophical methodology.

These specializations focus on other important branches of philosophy, such as:

Philosophy.
Turkish Ideology.
Islamic philosophy and philosophy of science.
Classical, modern, and contemporary logic.
Ontology, Epistemology, and Philosophy of Value.
Logic
Informal logic.
Ethics.
Greek history.

Besides providing undergraduate education, the philosophy departments also serve the philosophy community in Turkey through postgraduate programs. These programs cover the basic sciences, formal sciences, social sciences, and linguistics as a basis for understanding and practicing philosophy while addressing past and contemporary history.

Duration and Medium of Instruction for Philosophy Study in Turkey

The undergraduate program in philosophy is four years with eight semesters.

Most Turkish universities offer these programs with a Turkish medium of instruction. However, they also provide these programs in English, where the student can choose to attend the language preparatory year before starting the registered program.

Most Famous Universities to Study Philosophy and their Tuition Fees

The tuition fee for studying philosophy varies from one university to another. The following are some of the offered programs at the Turkish universities:

Yeditepe University (English medium of instruction)

Bachelor's Program: $5670
Thesis Master's Program: $8000
Non-Thesis Master's Program: $7000
PhD Program: $10,000

Bahçeşehir University (Turkish medium of instruction)

Thesis Master's Program : $12,000

Üsküdar University (Turkish medium of instruction)

Bachelor's program: $3,260
Thesis Master's Program: $3,870
Non-Thesis Master's Program: $2900

Maltepe University (Turkish medium of instruction)

Bachelor's Program: $4,000

Istinye University (Turkish medium of instruction)

Bachelor's Program: $4,472.6

Job opportunities for Philosophy Graduates in Turkey

According to the UNI-VERI report issued by the Turkish Presidential Human Resources Office, 46.3% of graduates prefer to continue their careers in the education sector. In comparison, 28.4% of them work in the following jobs:

Work in various public institutions such as: (the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of National Education, Social Services, etc.).
Work in private education institutions.
Work in psychological assessment centers.
Work as editors in publishing houses.
Philosophy graduates with the potential to convey their ideas and thoughts through writing can work as writers in the journalism field.
Work as consultants in private companies, human resources, public relations, and NGOs.
Work in the teaching field in secondary schools.
Work as an educational counselor in private schools, secondary schools, and private education institutions.

Admission Requirements to Study Philosophy in Turkey

Admission to the philosophy program for international students is based on the SAT and ACT results and the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GSCE) average.

Moreover, the students should also submit the following documents, which may differ from one university to another:

Online application form.
TOEFL certificate.
Motivation letter.
Curriculum vitae (for Undergraduate and postgraduate programs).
IELTS certificate.
Passport.
Proof of payment of fees.
Letters of recommendation (for applicants for Master's or Ph.D.

Postgraduate Programs in Philosophy in Turkey

Since many students seek to continue their higher studies in philosophy in Turkey, we highlight the requirements for admission to philosophy master's and doctoral programs in the most famous Turkish universities.

Admission Requirements for Master's in Philosophy Program

The applicants who seek to apply for a master's in philosophy program must meet the following requirements:

Applicants must hold or qualify for a four-year bachelor's degree.
The Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from a recognized national and international institution.
Applicants with a non-Turkish bachelor's degree (from foreign boards) must obtain the equivalency certificate approved by the Council of Higher Education YÖK.
Applicants are required to score at least 55 or 70 points, depending on the requirements of each university, on the Academic Personnel and Graduate Education Entrance Exam (ALES) or an equivalent GRE and GMAT score.
International applicants must submit a Turkish language proficiency certificate (TÖMER C1). Moreover, they must satisfy the required level of language proficiency for the registered program.

Admission Requirements for Ph.D. in Philosophy Program

Applicants who have completed their master's program in philosophy in Turkey can apply for Ph.D. programs, subject to certain conditions:

The applicant must obtain good scores on the ALES test and submit a language proficiency certificate with the required level specified by the university.
The applicant must submit a four-year undergraduate degree and a thesis master's degree.
It is required to have a bachelor's degree and/or a master's degree (either of which is sufficient) in philosophy.
Applicants with non-Turkish degrees (from foreign boards) must obtain the equivalency certificate approved by the Council of Higher Education YÖK.
Applicants must score at least 70 points on the Academic Personnel and Graduate Education Entrance Exam (ALES) or an equivalent GRE and GMAT score.
Applicants must score at least 70 points on the foreign language proficiency test (YDS / e-YDS / YÖKSİL) or an equivalent score from the internationally accepted test (DALF).
International applicants must submit a Turkish language proficiency certificate (TÖMER C1). Moreover, they must satisfy the required level of language proficiency for the registered program.