Political Science

The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Sabancı University offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary curriculum designed to equip students with a deep understanding of political systems, institutions, ideologies, and global issues. The program emphasizes critical thinking, analytical skills, and active engagement with contemporary political debates, preparing graduates for diverse careers in public service, international organizations, research, journalism, and academia. Students explore a wide range of topics, including comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public policy, gaining insights into the political dynamics shaping Turkey, the Middle East, Europe, and the broader world. The program fosters a strong foundation in research methodologies and encourages students to develop their own scholarly perspectives through extensive coursework, seminars, and internship opportunities. With a diverse faculty experienced in various subfields of political science, students benefit from a supportive academic environment that promotes inquiry, debate, and professional growth. Sabancı University’s innovative approach integrates theoretical knowledge with practical applications, ensuring that graduates are well-prepared to navigate and influence the complex political landscape of the 21st century. The program also emphasizes the importance of regional and international cooperation, cultural awareness, and ethical considerations in politics, aiming to produce well-rounded, globally-minded citizens who can contribute meaningfully to societal development. Whether pursuing further academic studies or entering professional fields, students gain valuable skills in policy analysis, critical evaluation, and effective communication. The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Sabancı University is committed to fostering knowledgeable, responsible, and active citizens equipped to address the pressing political challenges of our time.

Detailed Course Facts

Application deadline 12 August Tuition fee

• EUR 5950 Year (EEA)
• EUR 5950 Year (Non-EEA)

18,000 TRY per year.

Start date September 2015 Credits (ECTS) 240 ECTS
Duration full-time 48 months Languages Take an IELTS test

• English

Delivery mode On Campus Educational variant Full-time Intensity Flexible More information Go To The Course Website

Course Content

SUMMARY OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS: Min. Credits, Min. Courses

• University Courses 43
• Required Courses 18
• Core Electives 12
• Area Electives 21
• Free Electives 30
• Faculty Courses: Min. courses 5

Total 124

University Courses

Which consist of 16 courses and 43 credits must be completed.

(Two of the HUM coded courses are required. PROJ 102 is not required.)

Course Name Credit Faculty MJC 100 Majors: Informative Course 0 FASS CIP 101 Civic Involvement Projects I 0 CIAD ENG 101 Freshman English I 3 FDY MATH 101 Calculus I 3 FENS NS 101 Science of Nature I 4 FENS SPS 101 Humanity and Society I 3 FASS TLL 101 Turkish Language and Literature I 2 FDY ENG 102 Freshman English II 3 FDY MATH 102 Calculus II 3 FENS NS 102 Science of Nature II 4 FENS SPS 102 Humanity and Society II 3 FASS TLL 102 Turkish Language and Literature II 2 FDY HIST 191 Principles of Atatürk and the History of the Turkish Revolution I 2 FASS HIST 192 Principles of Atatürk and the History of the Turkish Revolution II 2 FASS HUM 201 Major Works of Literature - Myths and Archetypes 3 FASS HUM 202 Major Works of Western Art 3 FASS HUM 203 Major Works of Ottoman Culture 3 FASS HUM 204 Major Works of Classical Music 3 FASS HUM 205 Major Works of the Cinema 3 FASS HUM 206 Major Works of Drama 3 FASS HUM 211 Major Works of Literature - The Fantastic 3 FASS HUM 212 Major Works of Modern Art 3 FASS HUM 214 Major Works of the Opera 3 FASS HUM 221 Major Works of Literature: The Classical Novel 3 FASS HUM 222 Major Works in Architecture 3 FASS HUM 224 Major Works of 20th Century Music 3 FASS HUM 231 Major Works in Poetry 3 FASS HUM 232 Major Works of Eastern Art 3 FASS HUM 241 Major Works in Short Fiction 3 FASS HUM 251 Major Works in Literature : Love 3 FASS SPS 303 Law and Ethics 3 FASS

Required Courses

All courses below

Course Name Credit Faculty * ECON 202 Macroeconomics 3 FASS * IR 201 International Relations Theory 3 FASS * POLS 250 Comparative Politics 3 FASS * POLS 301 Political Philosophy 3 FASS PROJ 300 Project and Internship 0 FASS * SOC 201 Social Theory 3 FASS SPS 311 Research Methods 3 FASS

Core Electives

4 courses from the pool below

Course Name Credit Faculty * HIST 349 Diplomatic History of the Modern Era II (1945-2004) 3 FASS HIST 463 Social and Economic History of the Ottoman Empire 3 FASS IR 391 International Political Economy 3 FASS PHIL 301 Philosophy of Social Sciences 3 FASS POLS 352 Turkish Politics 3 FASS POLS 353 Turkish Governance 3 FASS POLS 473 Contemporary Political Ideologies 3 FASS SOC 203 Perspectives on Law and Society 3 FASS * SOC 301 Political Sociology 3 FASS SPS 211 Disciplines and Discourses 3 FASS SPS 312 Quantitative Methods 3 FASS SPS 442 State Formation 3 FASS

Area Electives

Minimum 7 courses from HIST - IR - POLS - SOC - SPS coded undergraduate courses; CONF - HIST - POLS coded graduate courses and courses from the list. All HIST - IR - POLS - SOC and SPS coded courses are counted as area electives. Maximum 3 courses from the graduate courses could be taken and counted towards the degree requirements, if the student is at his/her senior year and upon the advisor's and the course instructor's approvals.

Free Electives

10 courses offered by the university (excluding "University Courses")

Faculty Courses

• At least 5 courses should be completed from FENS, FASS and SOM Faculty Courses,
• At least three of these courses must be from the pool of FASS Faculty Courses,
• These five courses must be distributed over at least three areas: the FENS and SOM pool of faculty courses counting as eighth and nineth in addition to the seven FASS areas.
• These courses may have been taken while fulfilling the other degree requirements for the program.

University Courses

Which consist of 16 courses and 43 credits must be completed.

(Two of the HUM coded courses are required. PROJ 102 is not required)

Course Name Credit Faculty MJC 100 Majors: Informative Course 0 FASS CIP 101 Civic Involvement Projects I 0 CIAD ENG 101 Freshman English I 3 FDY MATH 101 Calculus I 3 FENS NS 101 Science of Nature I 4 FENS SPS 101 Humanity and Society I 3 FASS TLL 101 Turkish Language and Literature I 2 FDY ENG 102 Freshman English II 3 FDY MATH 102 Calculus II 3 FENS NS 102 Science of Nature II 4 FENS SPS 102 Humanity and Society II 3 FASS TLL 102 Turkish Language and Literature II 2 FDY HIST 191 Principles of Atatürk and the History of the Turkish Revolution I 2 FASS HIST 192 Principles of Atatürk and the History of the Turkish Revolution II 2 FASS HUM 201 Major Works of Literature - Myths and Archetypes 3 FASS HUM 202 Major Works of Western Art 3 FASS HUM 203 Major Works of Ottoman Culture 3 FASS HUM 204 Major Works of Classical Music 3 FASS HUM 205 Major Works of the Cinema 3 FASS HUM 206 Major Works of Drama 3 FASS HUM 211 Major Works of Literature - The Fantastic 3 FASS HUM 212 Major Works of Modern Art 3 FASS HUM 214 Major Works of the Opera 3 FASS HUM 221 Major Works of Literature: The Classical Novel 3 FASS HUM 222 Major Works in Architecture 3 FASS HUM 224 Major Works of 20th Century Music 3 FASS HUM 231 Major Works in Poetry 3 FASS HUM 232 Major Works of Eastern Art 3 FASS HUM 241 Major Works in Short Fiction 3 FASS HUM 251 Major Works in Literature : Love 3 FASS SPS 303 Law and Ethics 3 FASS

Required Courses

All courses below

Course Name Credit Faculty * ECON 202 Macroeconomics 3 FASS * IR 201 International Relations Theory 3 FASS * POLS 250 Comparative Politics 3 FASS * POLS 301 Political Philosophy 3 FASS PROJ 300 Project and Internship 0 FASS * SOC 201 Social Theory 3 FASS SPS 311 Research Methods 3 FASS

Core Electives

4 courses from the pool below

Course Name Credit Faculty * HIST 349 Diplomatic History of the Modern Era II (1945-2004) 3 FASS HIST 463 Social and Economic History of the Ottoman Empire 3 FASS IR 391 International Political Economy 3 FASS PHIL 301 Philosophy of Social Sciences 3 FASS POLS 352 Turkish Politics 3 FASS POLS 353 Turkish Governance 3 FASS POLS 473 Contemporary Political Ideologies 3 FASS SOC 203 Perspectives on Law and Society 3 FASS * SOC 301 Political Sociology 3 FASS SPS 211 Disciplines and Discourses 3 FASS SPS 312 Quantitative Methods 3 FASS SPS 442 State Formation 3 FASS

Area Electives

Minimum 7 courses from HIST - IR - POLS - SOC - SPS coded undergraduate courses; CONF - HIST - POLS coded graduate courses and courses from the list. All HIST - IR - POLS - SOC and SPS coded courses are counted as area electives. Maximum 3 courses from the graduate courses could be taken and counted towards the degree requirements, if the student is at his/her senior year and upon the advisor's and the course instructor's approvals.

Free Electives

10 courses offered by the university (excluding "University Courses")

Faculty Courses

*At least 5 courses should be completed from FENS, FASS and SOM Faculty Courses,
*At least three of these courses must be from the pool of FASS Faculty Courses,
*These five courses must be distributed over at least three areas: the FENS and SOM pool of faculty courses counting as eighth and nineth in addition to the seven FASS areas.
*These courses may have been taken while fulfilling the other degree requirements for the program.

Requirements

International Students who are in the last year of high school or graduated from a school equivalent to Turkish high schools may apply to undergraduate programs at Sabanci University.
Students who have graduated from any institution that is equivalent to Turkish high-schools and those who meet the application criteria below may apply for the undergraduate programs at the Middle East Technical University.

a) On the condition that they have graduated or expecting graduation from a high-school;

1) international students,

2) those holding Turkish citizenship by birth and renounced their Turkish citizenship, and their children under 18 who are listed in the renouncement document but documenting their certification for rights mentioned in the Turkish Citizenship Law, no: 5901, Item 7, stating that “Anyone born, either in Turkey or abroad, in the marriage of a Turkish mother or father, is a Turkish citizen.” Candidates who wish to apply within the “applications from abroad” category should examine the Turkish Citizenship Law.

3) those who hold citizenship of other countries by birth and have gained the citizenship of The Republic of Turkey / those who hold dual-citizenship,

4) those who hold the citizenship of The Republic of Turkey and have completed their high school education in another country, including those who have completed their high school education in a Turkish institution in another country. (Those who have completed their high school education in The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are exempt from this rule.)

5) those who hold the citizenship of The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, who reside in The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and who have completed their secondary education in a GCE AL system, as well as those who have registered and completed their secondary education in a GCE AL system abroad between 2005-2010,

may apply.

b) Applicants

1) who hold the a citizenship of The Republic of Turkey, and have completed their secondary education in Turkey or in The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,

2) who hold the a citizenship of The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (except for those who have completed their secondary education in a GCE AL system in TRNC, and those who have registered and completed their secondary education in a GCE AL system abroad between 2005-2010),

3) who hold a dual citizenship, one of which is a citizenship of The Republic of Turkey by birth, as stated in article (a) item.2 above. (except for those who have completed their high school education in another country other than The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus/ those who have completed their high school education in a Turkish institution in another country other than The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus),

4) who hold a dual citizenship, one of which is a citizenship of The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (except for those who have completed their secondary education in a GCE AL system in TRNC, and those who have registered and completed their secondary education in a GCE AL system abroad between 2005-2010),

5) those who hold a citizenship of The Republic of Turkey or a dual citizenship, one of which is the a citizenship of The Republic of Turkey by birth, as stated in article a item.2 above, and who have completed their secondary education at institutions within an embassy or in other foreign institutions in Turkey,

cannot apply.

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

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Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Alumni Study Travel Fund

  Scholarships for students who are already attending the University of Reading.

• Amsterdam Merit Scholarships

  The University of Amsterdam aims to attract the world’s brightest students to its international classrooms. Outstanding students from outside the European Economic Area can apply for an Amsterdam Merit Scholarship.

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than Sabanci University.

Funding

There is always a possibility of earning scholarships for international students in Sabanci University. However we have to remind you that there are limited numbers of scholarships in all levels and competition is very keen. Also it is not based on financial aid or citizenship but academic merit! Just after you complete your application our scholarships committee will evaluate your application and respond you back. Additionally please note that there is a chance to request scholarships when you complete at least two semesters in SU with outstanding grades.

Undergraduate Scholarships:

The higher scores from the required exams and the higher GPA scores students possess, the higher amounts of scholarships you may get while you are being admitted to the Sabanci University. Once you are granted a scholarship during the admittance, it goes on for your whole education unless you fail to meet the criteria of the scholarship.

While filling out the application form, you can fill in the related area to apply for scholarship.

Please see the scholarship opportunities:

Full Annual Tuition (2014-14)$17,000;

• 100% Scholarship: Remaining Tuition $0
• 50% Scholarship: Remaining Tuition $8500
• 25% Scholarship: Remaining Tuition $12750

The Political Science program at Sabancı University offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to understanding political systems, theories, institutions, and behaviors. Designed to prepare students for active participation in global and local political environments, the program emphasizes critical thinking, analytical skills, and a deep understanding of political processes. The curriculum covers a wide array of subjects, including comparative politics, international relations, political theory, policy analysis, and research methods. Students are encouraged to explore contemporary issues such as democracy, human rights, globalization, environmental politics, and security studies.

The program benefits from the university’s emphasis on liberal arts education, fostering a broad perspective and encouraging students to develop a multidisciplinary understanding of political phenomena. Through a combination of lectures, seminars, case studies, and project-based learning, students gain practical skills necessary for careers in government, international organizations, NGOs, media, and academia. Additionally, Sabancı University promotes international exchange programs, internships, and research opportunities, providing students with valuable field experience and global exposure.

Faculty members are involved in cutting-edge research across various fields of political science, contributing to the academic community and enriching classroom discussions. The program also emphasizes the importance of language skills, critical reading, and effective communication, preparing graduates to analyze and articulate complex political issues clearly. The degree prepares students for further academic pursuits or direct entry into professional roles where a nuanced understanding of political dynamics is essential. Overall, the Political Science program at Sabancı University is designed to produce well-rounded, critically-minded graduates capable of addressing current political challenges with innovative solutions and informed perspectives.