Political Science and International Relations Department

With this goal in mind, our department values an interdisciplinary approach. The undergraduate curriculum's first two years consist of core Political Science and International Relations courses. As of the junior year, students can select elective courses for their domain of interest. In the senior year, the students take courses related to their career goals and interests while at the same time developing their intellectual knowledge with regional and free electives. An essential strength of our department is the elective courses offered by the regional experts. Our department offers courses on society and politics in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and the United States. In addition to English, students can take elective courses in a wide variety of foreign languages throughout their education, including Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, and others.

We update the departmental curriculum in line with academic changes and business needs of the time. We aim to ensure that our students are aware of the global changes and developments to understand and address the questions that face the public, countries, and regions.

Our students can pursue minor or double-major degrees from different departments, including business administration, psychology, sociology, international trade, etc. Plus, with 526 international programs, the students could participate in university-supported exchange and Erasmus programs and spend one or two semesters in different universities worldwide.

Our graduates are employed in many sectors, from public institutions to non-governmental organizations, from multinational companies to private firms. Several of our students continue their academic careers at prestigious universities in Turkey and abroad. With the legal changes approved in 2018, our graduates can now apply to become administrative judges in state institutions.

The Department of Political Science and International Relations consists of 14 full-time academics. All our faculty members are experts in their areas of interest. In addition to prominent scholars like Feroz Ahmad and Cemil Oktay, we host several promising political scientists who are recognized in their fields and receive various national awards. With its faculty and objectives, the department considers diversity, academic freedom, and academic integrity as its core values.

Vision

In today's world, while the business world is becoming more and more specialized, there is an increasing need for interdisciplinary studies that could train students who can work across various different fields. With this goal in mind, our department values an interdisciplinary approach. As the Department of Political Science and International Relations, our basic approach to higher education is to strengthen the skills of acquiring, accessing and using knowledge. 

Mission

Our department aims to educate social scientists who are sophisticated, who can think critically and who can produce analytical solutions to various problems.

History

Our department began offering education in 1996 with the establishment of our university. Under the leadership of founding department head Prof. Dr. Mahmut Bali AYKAN, we sent our first graduates into the business world in 2000. In 2001, our department moved to the 26 Ağustos Campus, which was opened to bring together all the university's departments and provide an interdisciplinary education opportunity. During this period, the structuring of our department continued with contributions from senior faculty members with backgrounds from Ankara (Mülkiye) and Istanbul Faculty of Political Sciences. Among these distinguished faculty members who significantly contributed to the institutionalization of political science not only at Yeditepe University but also in Turkey were Prof. Dr. Haluk ÜLMAN, Prof. Dr. Ahmet N. YÜCEKÖK, Prof. Dr. Hasan KÖNİ, and Prof. Dr. Cemil OKTAY. The renowned historian Prof. Dr. Feroz AHMAD, who received the Presidential Merit Medal in 2014 for his works on Modern Turkey, also played a significant role in the internationalization of our department. Our department currently has 14 full-time faculty members. Our faculty members focus on scientific research and work on developing new courses to continuously improve political science education. As a result of these efforts, the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Yeditepe University has gained a respectable position on both national and international platforms and continues to advance its position within the framework of its "continuous improvement" mission.

What is the Department of Political Science and International Relations?

The Department of Political Science and International Relations at Yeditepe University, under the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, is a program that accepts students based on the equal-weight score type of the higher education entrance exam. The language of instruction is 100% English. The undergraduate program in Political Science and International Relations aims to analyze contemporary socio-cultural, economic, and political dynamics at both the national and global scales through an interdisciplinary approach by examining political theories and practices.

In the rapidly globalizing world of the 21st century, the involvement of NGOs and multinational corporations alongside states has brought international relations to a new dimension. Consequently, it has become increasingly important to educate experts who can think critically about new developments, are well-versed in global and Turkish politics, continually update themselves, and possess advanced foreign language skills.

The Department of Political Science and International Relations at Yeditepe University aims to contribute to society by training professionals who are capable of applying scientific methods, interpreting the complex network of global relations from an analytical perspective, and formulating new policies. The department's interdisciplinary educational approach provides students with a comprehensive and high-quality program.

The curriculum for the first two years consists of fundamental courses that cover various aspects of the discipline of Political Science and International Relations. Starting from the third year, students select courses aligned with their areas of interest to specialize further. Additionally, elective language courses offer the opportunity to learn a second foreign language besides English.

Studying Political Science and International Relations at Yeditepe University

The primary goal of the Department of Political Science and International Relations is to provide its students with an interdisciplinary and multi-dimensional education. To this end, the curriculum includes fundamental courses in Political Science and International Relations, as well as courses such as Migration, Gender, and Social Responsibility. The program aims to raise students' awareness of social issues and encourage deep thinking on current topics such as human rights and democratization. The curriculum places significant emphasis on foreign languages. In addition to advanced English courses, elective foreign language courses are offered, providing the opportunity to learn a second language. Thus, when students graduate from the department, they have the linguistic proficiency to express themselves in three different languages.

The Department of Political Science and International Relations boasts a teaching staff of 14 full-time and one part-time academics, who are distinguished by their national and international publications. Our faculty members, each an expert in their field, keep the course curriculum up-to-date by closely following the dynamic nature of Political Science and International Relations. The Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, to which the department belongs, has international student exchange agreements with over 100 higher education institutions. Our faculty’s strong connections with overseas institutions enable students to spend one or two semesters abroad during their studies. Additionally, students have the opportunity to pursue a double major in different departments within the university, earning a second diploma, or to specialize in a particular field by pursuing a minor and receiving an additional certificate alongside their diploma.

What Does a Graduate of Political Science and International Relations Do? 

Where to Work?

A graduate with a good university education in Political Science and International Relations has the opportunity to work in various professional fields. In recent years, private companies operating in diverse sectors have been selecting their employees from among individuals with well-developed multi-dimensional analysis skills. For this reason, the Department of Political Science and International Relations is truly a career-oriented field. Students who successfully complete their four-year education can take on roles such as specialists or inspectors in state institutions like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, trade undersecretariats, state economic enterprises, local governments, and development agencies. They can also work as consultants in Non-Governmental Organizations, International Organizations, banks, think tanks, and the media. Graduates who choose to continue their postgraduate education and succeed in the required exams have the opportunity to pursue an academic career and work at universities.

Bologna Process

Within the scope of the Bologna Process, the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credit values for all courses in the Public Relations and Publicity Department's education program have been determined. Click here for the Political Science and International Relations Program Information Package.

Double Major and Minor Opportunities

Students enrolled in the Department of Political Science and International Relations can also pursue a double major and obtain a second diploma in the following departments: Law, History, Sociology, Psychology, English Language and Literature, Translation and Interpreting Studies, Public Relations and Publicity, Radio, Television and Cinema, Journalism, International Trade and Business, Advertising Design and Communication, Economics, Business Administration, and Public Administration. For minor programs, students who demonstrate the necessary success in their main undergraduate programs can apply to the relevant Faculty Dean's Offices to complete the registration process and obtain an additional certificate in a different field they wish to specialize in.