Higher Education in Turkey
The higher education system in Turkey is supervised by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE). The CoHE is an autonomous institution which is responsible for the planning, coordination and governance of higher education system in Turkey in accordance with the Turkish Constitution and the Higher Education Laws. Universities decide upon their own academic calendars; however, academic year generally starts in September and ends in June. There are winter and summer breaks. Summer school is also available at some universities.
The Council of Higher Education (CoHE) was established on 6 November 1981. With this law, it has commenced in a restructuring process of academic, institutional and administrative aspects in higher education.
With this law, all higher education institutions in Turkey have gathered under the roof of CoHE; academies, universities, educational institutions have been transformed into the faculties of education, and conservatories and vocational higher schools (VHS) have been affiliated to universities.
CoHE became responsible for all higher education institutions as an institution that has autonomy and public identity within the framework of powers and duties given to it with the Article 130 and 131 in Constitution and the said provisions of Law.
For this reason, CoHE has focused on being mainly responsible for the strategic planning of higher education, the coordination between universities, and most importantly establishing and maintaining quality assurance mechanisms.
Turkish universities offer:
* Associate's degree programs
* Bachelor's degree programs
* Graduate programs
* Post-graduate programs.
Associate's Degree Programs:
Associate's degree programs take 2 years. Vocational high school graduates can qualify for associate's degree programs without taking any centralized exams.
Bachelor's Degree Programs:
Bachelor's degree programs generally take 4 years. Specialized bachelor's degree programs, such as medicine (6 years), may be longer.
Graduate Programs:
Universities in Turkey offer a wide range of graduate programs. While master's programs take about 2 years (non-thesis master's programs generally take 1½ years), doctoral programs take about 4 years.
Post-graduate Programs:
Post-graduate opportunities are also available in universities in Turkey. Duration depends on the program and university.
The Turkish National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (TYYÇ):
The National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education in Turkey (TYYÇ) developed with reference to the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area and the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning was adopted by the CoHE in 2010.
