Education system
Turkey
This document provides information about the education system of Turkey. It also includes the Dutch comparison of qualifications obtained in Turkey.
Non-
Education system Turkey
L1 8 Ilkögretim Okulu (primary education) L2 4Meslek Lisesi Diplomasi
(secondary vocational education)
L6 entrance examination L6 4-5 Lisans Diplomasi (university education)
pos
tgr
adua
te
unde
rgr
adua
te
Vertical Transfer Examination L6L7 1 Ihtisas Sertifikasi (university education) L8 2-5 Doktora Diplomasi (university education) L7 1.5-2
Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi
L2
4
Lise Diplomasi
(general secondary education) L2
5
Teknik Lisesi Diplomasi
(general secondary and vocational education)
2
Ön Lisans Diplomasi (associate degree)
(higher professional education)
L5
L0 Education level
National Qualifications Framework
Qualifications' Profiles for NQF-HETR Levels
1. Academically-oriented associate's degree educational programmes which are related to or within undergraduate programmes.
2. Vocationally-oriented associate's degree educational programmes which are related to or within undergraduate programmes.
3. Vocationally-oriented associate's degree educational programmes of Vocational Higher Schools.
4. Academically-oriented programmes.
5. Vocationally-oriented bachelor's degree programmes.
6. Academically-oriented master's degree programmes with or without thesis. 7. Vocationally-oriented master's degree programmes with thesis or without thesis. 8. Doctoral programmes.
Source: Yükseköğretim Kurulu (YÖK), the Council for Higher Education
Evaluation chart
In the following chart, the left part lists foreign qualifications with corresponding levels in the national and European qualification frameworks. The right part lists the Dutch comparisons, with corresponding levels in the Netherlands and European qualifications frameworks.
Degree or qualification and NQF-HETR level
EQF- level
Dutch equivalent and NLQF level EQF level
Meslek Lisesi Diplomasi - - MBO diploma (qualification level 2 or 3) 2/3 2/3
Teknik Lisesi Diplomasi - - HAVO diploma for the general education component
4 4
Lise Diplomasi (3 years) - - HAVO diploma 4 4
Lise Diplomasi (4 years) - - at least a HAVO diploma 4 4
Ön Lisans Diplomasi (Associate
Degree)
5 5 associate degree or 2 years of HBO 5 5
Lisans Diplomasi (4 years) 6 6 HBO or WO bachelor’s degree 6 6
Lisans Diplomasi (5 years) 6 6 at least a WO bachelor’s degree 6 6
Iktısas Sertifikası - - at least a WO bachelor’s degree 6 6
Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi (1½-2 years)
7 7 HBO or WO master’s degree 7 7
NB
• The information provided in the table is a general recommendation from which no rights may be derived.
• NQF-HETR = National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education in Turkey. NLQF = Netherlands Qualifications Framework. EQF = European Qualifications Framework.
• The evaluation of a foreign qualification in terms of the EQF/NLQF does not
necessarily mean that all of the learning outcomes associated with these levels have been achieved.
• Information on the Dutch equivalent qualifications is available in the Netherlands
Education System. See: http://www.nuffic.nl/en/library/education-system-netherlands.pdf
Introduction
The republic of Turkey is made up of 81 provinces, spread out across the
following 7 regions: Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean,
Central Anatolia, and Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia.
The founder of the modern Turkish state was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk – it was under his leadership that Turkey was declared a Republic in 1923. In his vision, education had to be made available to the entire population in order to form the basis for the country's progress. The Law on Unification of Education was passed in 1924, and the dual system consisting of religious and secular schools was replaced by a single secular system. Compulsory education was also introduced at that time, although the government did not possess the means for rigorous enforcement. It was not until the 1960s that serious attempts were made to make primary education generally accessible.
The Ministry of National Education is responsible for all types of education, with one
exception: higher education, which falls under the Yükseköğretim Kurulu (the Council for
Higher Education, YÖK), a body responsible for the planning, coordination and policy of higher education.
The YÖK is authorized for a number of important tasks, including negotiation of university budgets with the Ministry of Finance, setting the number of students that may be admitted to higher education based on proposals from universities, setting the basic requirements for the content of bachelor’s programmes, and appointing faculty heads. The YÖK is also responsible for the supervision of non-profit foundation universities, and accreditation of their programmes.
Compulsory education has been set at 8 years of primary education and 4 years of secondary education since 2013. Before that time only primary education was compulsory. The language of education is usually Turkish. Some higher education programmes are given in English, German or French.
Primary and secondary education
Secondary education follows 8 years of primary education (Ilkögretim Okulu) and is aimed at pupils aged 6-14.
The nominal duration of Turkish general secondary education was extended in 2005 from 3 to 4 years. This type of education has 6 subject clusters: fen bilimleri (natural sciences),
Türkçe-matematik (Turkish-mathematics), yabançi dil (foreign language), sosyal bilimler
(social sciences), sanat (art) and spor (physical education). Pupils who complete secondary education are awarded the Lise Diplomasi, which grants the right to take university entrance examinations.
In terms of level, the Lise Diplomasi
following a nominal 3-year programme is
comparable to a HAVO diploma in the
Netherlands.
In terms of level, the Lise Diplomasi
following a nominal 4-year programme is at
least comparable to a HAVO diploma in the
Netherlands.
Alternative schools for general secondary education
International schools, called yabanci okulu, are schools sponsored by other countries or cultural groups that use a foreign language as the language of instruction for some
subjects. Admission often requires a 1-year hazırlık (preparatory) class involving
intensive language instruction. These schools include English, Italian, French and German schools. Certificates from these types of schools generally grant access to university entrance examinations.
Classes at the Anadolu Lise are also given in a modern European language (usually English). Prior to starting the Anadolu Lise, pupils must complete a year of intensive language instruction. The general education component at this type of senior secondary school is the same as at a Lise.
The Meslek Lisesi Diplomasi is awarded after 4 years of secondary vocational education. This diploma only grants access to the university entrance examinations following a compulsory additional year at a Teknik Lise.
In terms of level, the Meslek Lisesi
Diplomasi is comparable to an MBO diploma
at qualification level 2 or 3 in the
Netherlands, depending on the
specialisation.
In addition to the general Lise subjects, the nominal 5-year Teknik Lise provides a
vocational component. Graduates are awarded the Teknik Lis esi Diplomasi, which grants access to university entrance examinations for all specialisations.
In terms of level, theTeknik Lisesi Diplomasi
is comparable in the Netherlands to a HAVO
diploma for the general education
component.
Admission to higher education
For admission to a Turkish university, candidates must dispose of a diploma of secondary education and are required to take 2 central entrance examinations. These are the
Yükseköğretime Geçis Sınavı (Higher Education Examination, YGS) and the Lisans Yerleştirme Sınavı (Undergraduate Placement Examination, LYS). The entrance
examinations are organized and managed by the Ögrenci Seçme ve Yerlestirme Merkezi (Student Selection and Placement Centre, ÖSYM), that is affiliated with the YÖK. The results of the YGS entrance examination are used for acceptance to 2-year programmes of post- secondary vocational education and for computing the composite scores of the LYS entrance examination.
The score of the LYS entrance examination is a composite of the results of the LYS entrance examination, the results of the YGS entrance examination and the average of the secondary education school grades.
Higher education
All higher education in Turkey is provided by universities. The YÖK is responsible for higher education institutions. The only exception are some institutions that fall directly under the Turkish Ministry of Defence, The Police Academy falls under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. some institutions fall directly under the Turkish Ministry of Defence, whereas the Police Academy falls under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The YÖK is responsible for higher education institutions.
Turkey currently has 104 state universities and 72 non-profit foundation universities (September 2014). At some universities English is the language of instruction, such as the Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, the Orta Dogu Teknik Üniversitesi and the Bilkent Üniversitesi. There are also universities that offer certain programmes in English, or bilingual
programmes. Very occasionally, programmes are offered in German or French.
Admission to these types of programmes requires a 1-year hazırlık (preparatory language
programme) for those for whom the relevant language was not the language of instruction at the Lise. Following this preparatory year, the university programme lasts 4 years, matching equivalent programmes at Turkish-language universities.
At many non-profit foundation universities, the language of instruction is also a foreign language, usually English.
University education
Higher education in Turkey has a unified system, with no distinction between higher professional education and academic education. For this reason, in some cases
university programmes are more comparable to an HBO programme in the Netherlands. However, there are institutions that provide short HBO programmes. See under Higher
professional education.
Graduates of nominal 4-year university programmes (with a maximum length of 7 years) are awarded the Lisans Diplomasi. It is also possible for graduates to be awarded the
Lisans Geçici Mezuniyet Belgesi, or ‘provisional Lisans certificate’. Universities where
English is the language of instruction award a bachelor’s degree.
The name of the degree is sometimes combined with that of the title, such as Lisans
Diplomasive Mimar Unvanıni (architect) or Lisans Diplomasive Mühendis Ünvanıni
(engineer). Graduates of the 4-year Pharmacology programme are awarded the Eczacilik
Lisans Diplomasi. The duration of study for Veterinary Science and Dentistry is 5 years
and graduates are awarded the Veterinerlik Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi and the
Dişhekimliği Lisans Diplomasi, respectively. Graduates from Medicine (with a nominal
The qualification in the fields of Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science are
considered to be equivalent of a Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi (Higher Licenciate Diploma).In principle, graduates in principle may continue on to a PhD programme.
In terms of level, the Lisans Diplomasi following a nominal 4-year programme (NQF-HETR/EQF level 6) is comparable to an WO or HBO bachelor's degree in the Netherlands, depending on the type of study.
Full description of NQF-HETR level 6: http://tyyc.yok.gov.tr/?pid=33
In terms of level, the Lisans Diplomasi following a nominal 5-year programme (NQF-HETR/EQF level 6) is comparable to at least a WO bachelor’s degree in the
Netherlands in a similar specialisation.
Full description of NQF-HETR level 6: http://tyyc.yok.gov.tr/?pid=33
After the Lisans Diplomasi, students can take a nominal 1-year programme and obtain the Ihtısas Sertifikasi (certificate of specialisation). This programme does not fall under the jurisdiction of the YÖK and therefore does not award an academic title, yet it is accepted by Turkish industry as an advanced qualification.
In terms of level, the Ihtisas Sertifikasi is at
least comparable to a WO bachelor’s degree
in the Netherlands.
Obtaining the Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi (Higher Licenciate Diploma) takes an additional 1½ to 2 years of study following a Lisans Diplomasi. There are 2 types of programmes: those including a final paper, and those without. The programmes including a final paper take 2 years, those without a final paper take 1½ year. Admission is regulated by the institutions of higher education. Admission depends on the score that is a composite of the average obtained during the bachelor’s programme and the results of the Graduate
Education Entrance Examination (ALES), and the results of a personal interview.
In terms of level, the Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi (NQF-HETR/EQF level 7) is
comparable to an WO or HBO master’s degree in the Netherlands, depending on the type of study.
One specific equivalent to the Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi is the Bilim Uzmanlıgi Diplomasi, a specialist diploma in the natural sciences that is also awarded after a nominal 2-year postgraduate programme in the sciences.
In general, the Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi is the admission requirement for PhD
programmes. Doktora Diplomasi programmes take between 2 and 5 years to complete, and consist of course work, completion of a qualification exam, and the writing and public defence of a doctoral thesis.
Students who perform exceptionally well in Lisans Diplomasi programmes may be admitted directly to a PhD programme, with the extra requirement of additional preparatory classes.
Higher professional education
Students can take 2-year technical or professional programmes at a Meslek Yüksek
Okulu (School for Higher Professional Education). Administratively these institutions are
included among the universities, and their programmes are based on the first 2 years of a bachelor’s programme. Graduates are awarded the Ön Lisans Diplomasi (Associate Degree) certificate, which is a professional qualification providing entry to the labour
market. However, after completing the Dikey Geçiş Sinavi (Vertical Transfer Examination)
students are admitted to the third year of a nominal 4-year Lisans Diplomasi university programme.
In terms of level, the Ön Lisans Diplomasi (Associate Degree) (NQF-HETR/EQF level 5) is comparable to the Associate Degree, or to 2 years of higher professional
education (HBO) in the Netherlands in a similar specialisation.
Assessment systems
General secondary education uses the following system:
Numerical grade Letter grade 100-point system Description
5 A (85-100) Excellent 4 B (70-84) Good 3 C (55-69) Fair 2 D (45-54) Satisfactory 1 E (25-44) Unsatisfactory 0 F ( 0-24) Poor
Professional education uses an assessment scale of 1-10, with a pass mark of 5 or higher.
Numerical grade In words Description Meaning
1 Pek zayıf Bir Very poor
2 Zayıf Iki Poor
3 Peknoksan Üç Most unsatisfactory
4 Noksan/yetersiz Dört Unsatisfactory
5 Orta Beş Satisfactory
6 Orta Alti Satisfactory
7 Iyi Yedi gGood
8 Iyi Sekiz Good
9 Pek iyi Dokuz Very good
10 Pek iyi On Very good
Geçer/başarılı/basarısız - pass
(Aşaği)geçmez - fail
Turkish universities use various assessment scales: • 0-10 (5 or higher is satisfactory) or
• 0-20 (10 or higher is satisfactory) or • 0-100 (50 or higher is satisfactory).
An overview ECTS and student workload periods for each level of NQF-HETR is
available on the website of the Yüksek Ögretim Kurulu, the Council for Higher Education: http://tyyc.yok.gov.tr/?pid=36
Bologna process
Since the Meeting of European Ministers in Prague in 2001, Turkey has been taking a very active part in the biannual Bologna Ministerial Conferences, and therefore also in the Bologna Process. Information on the current situation can be found on the official
European Higher Education Area (EHEA) website:
www.ehea.info/country-details.aspx?countryId=47.
Qualification frameworks
More information on the National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education in Turkey (NQF-HETR) is available on the website of the YÖK, the Council for Higher Education: http://tyyc.yok.gov.tr/?pid=10
Quality assurance and accreditation
Universities are established by law. All state and non-profit foundation universities as well as all degree programmes must be recognized centrally by the YÖK.
More information is available in the English version of the website of YÖK at: www.yok.gov.tr/en/web/uluslararasi-iliskiler/anasayfa
International treaties
Addresses
www.yok.gov.trWebsite of the Yüksek Ögretim Kurulu (YÖK), the Council for Higher Education. www.enic-naric.net/turkey.aspx
Website of the Turkish ENIC/NARIC. www.s-bb.nl
Website of SBB, the foundation for Co-operation on Vocational Education, Training and the Labour Market.
Diploma Supplement
A national template for a Diploma Supplement has been designed in conformance with the UNESCO guidelines and distributed to all universities. The supplement is issued in Turkish or English to all students who graduate(d) as of the 2005/2006 academic year.
Composition of file
A file from Turkey must include the diploma and grade list, as well as a translation of both documents. Some Turkish higher education institutions issue certificates in English. For administrative reasons, provisional certificates are sometimes also issued, which are valid until the definitive certificate has been awarded. In some cases, the definitive certificate can be issued up to 2 years after the graduation date.
List of Higher Education Institutions
www.yok.gov.tr/web/guest/universitelerimiz
Qualification Turkey
Lise Diplomasi
(4 years)
• general secondary education diploma
• grants access in Turkey to all higher education programmes upon completion of entrance examinations
This qualification is comparable to at least a HAVO diploma in the
Netherlands.
Qualification Turkey
Ön Lisans Diplomasi
• first cycle higher education diploma (QF-EHEA)
• grants access in Turkey to the third year of the bachelor’s programme provided additional entrance requirements of the (Dikey Geçiş Sinavi, Vertical Transfer Examination) have been met
• has a duration of 2 years
This qualification (NQF-HETR / EQF level 5 ) is comparable to an
Associate degree or 2 years of higher professional education (HBO).
Qualification Turkey
Lisans Diplomasi
(4 years)
• first cycle higher education diploma (QF-EHEA)
• grants access in Turkey to master’s programmes upon completion of entrance examinations
This qualification (NQF-HETR / EQF level 6) is comparable to an HBO or
WO bachelor’s degree in the Netherlands, depending on the type of
study.
Qualification Turkey
Lisans Diplomasi
(5 years)
• first cycle higher education diploma (QF-EHEA)
• grants access in Turkey to master’s programmes upon completion of entrance examinations
This qualification (NQF-HETR / EQF level 6) is comparable to at least a
WO bachelor’s degree in the Netherlands.
Qualification Turkey
Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi
• second cycle higher education diploma (QF-EHEA) • grants access in Turkey to PhD programmes • has a nominal duration of 1½-2 years
