Türkiye spans parts of Asia and Europe. Its capital is Ankara, while İstanbul is its largest city.
Türkiye’s education system includes pre-primary, primary, lower secondary, upper secondary, and higher education. Higher education institutions include universities, faculties, institutes, schools, conservatories, research and application centers, and vocational schools.
The humanities are branches of knowledge concerned with human beings and culture. They include subjects such as languages and literature, the arts, history, and philosophy.
In this article, we look at universities offering humanities programs in Türkiye.
Top Schools Offering Humanities Programs in Turkey
1. Istanbul Bilgi University
İstanbul Bilgi University is a foundation university established in 1996 as one of Türkiye’s first foundation universities. It operates three campuses: santralistanbul, Dolapdere, and Kuştepe.
The university currently has eight faculties, three institutes, and three vocational schools. Its Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities offers BA degrees in Comparative Literature, English Language and Literature, History, Music, Psychology, Sociology, International Relations, and Political Science and Public Administration. BİLGİ also lists social sciences graduate programs, including master’s programs in History and Cultural Studies and a Ph.D. program in Political Science.
2. Anadolu University
Anadolu University is a public university in Eskişehir. The Eskişehir Academy of Economic and Commercial Sciences, founded in 1958, formed the basis of Anadolu University, which replaced the academy in 1982.
The Faculty of Humanities was established in 1993. Its current academic listings include Archaeology, Philosophy, Translation and Interpretation, Psychology, Psychology (30% English), Russian Language and Literature, Art History, Sociology, History, Turkish Language and Literature, and an Arabic Translation and Interpreting program.
3. Üsküdar University
Üsküdar University was established in 2011 and describes itself as Türkiye’s first thematic university in behavioral sciences and health. It has six faculties, one Vocational School of Health Services, and five institutes.
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences currently lists Philosophy, English Translation and Interpreting, Psychology, Psychology (English), Political Science and International Relations, Political Science and International Relations (English), Sociology, History, and Management Information Systems.
4. Cappadocia University
Cappadocia University traces its academic roots to Cappadocia Vocational School, which began educational activities in the 2005–2006 academic year. Under Law No. 7033, published on July 1, 2017, the vocational school continued as Cappadocia University.
The university lists five campuses: Mustafapaşa, Ürgüp Factory, Ürgüp Health, Uçhisar Arts, and Sabiha Gökçen in İstanbul.
The Faculty of Human and Social Sciences currently lists six undergraduate programs: English Language and Literature, English Translation and Interpreting, Psychology, Political Science and Public Administration, Political Science and International Relations (English), and Turkish Language and Literature. The Psychology Department also states that its master’s program has accepted students since the 2023–2024 academic year.
5. Sabancı University
Sabancı University is one of the universities featured in our guide to institutions in Türkiye. Established by the Sabancı Foundation in 1994, the university began educational activities in 1999. It currently has three faculties and offers 12 undergraduate degrees, 52 master’s degrees, and 17 doctoral programs.
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences currently lists four undergraduate programs for prospective students: Economics, Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design, Psychology, and Political Science and International Relations. Its graduate offerings include Cultural Studies, Economics, Gender Studies, History, Political Science, Psychology, Turkish Studies, and Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design.
Türkiye is home to well-known attractions such as Ephesus, Pamukkale, Mount Nemrut, Hagia Sophia, and Patara. Visitors can also try Turkish dishes and sweets such as ezogelin soup, yaprak sarma, gözleme, lokum (Turkish delight), and baklava.
We hope this article on the Best Universities to Study Humanities in Turkey was helpful. If you are interested in learning more, check out the Study in Turkey and Programs in Europe for International Students pages.
