Located in the centre of Istanbul, Bahçeşehir University is a foundation university considered among the best private universities in Turkey. The language of instruction is English, and students must either have a high level of proficiency or enrol in a preparatory year.
The university aims to be a ‘world university in the heart of Istanbul’, and has over 200 international partnerships with prestigious institutions, including Harvard University. Its main campus in Beşiktaş, on the Bosphorus, offers a central location, and a boat shuttle service connects the six campuses for students and staff.
Key Facts
University Type: Private / Foundation (Non-profit)
Established: 1998
Location: Istanbul, Turkey (main campus in Beşiktaş, Bosphorus)
International Students: ~20%
Specialisation: Engineering, Law, Economics and Administrative Sciences, Communication, Architecture and Design, Health Sciences, Medicine, Educational Sciences
Campuses: 6 campuses in Istanbul + international campuses (Berlin, Washington D.C., Batumi, Cyprus)
History & Foundation
Established in 1998 by the Bahçeşehir Uğur Education Foundation, Bahçeşehir University welcomed its first students in the 1999/2000 academic year. Its first campus was in Bahçeşehir, on the outskirts of Istanbul. In 2004, the university moved all its divisions to Beşiktaş, and in the following years opened several new campuses in attractive areas of Istanbul.
Bahçeşehir University is a member of BAU Global, which consists of several universities in attractive locations all around the world, such as Berlin, Washington, Batumi, Cyprus, Hanoi, Kyiv, Puebla, Brockville, and Toronto. Thus, Bahçeşehir University students have ample opportunity to spend a summer, semester, or the rest of their education abroad in another BAU Global educational institution.
Education & Research
Bahçeşehir University offers over 200 academic programmes in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels, in 9 faculties. The language of instruction is exclusively English, and those who do not have the required fluency in English spend a preparatory year honing their language skills.
Bahçeşehir University prides itself on being a research-oriented, innovative and entrepreneurial educational institution. It has 26 research centres and 114 research divisions in a wide range of fields and subfields, equipped with state-of-the-art technology and tools.
One of the strong suits of the university is its research and application facilities in Medicine. The BAU Faculty of Medicine has an accomplished staff with experts from various fields, and the academicians, often in collaboration with the students, carry out extensive research in almost every conceivable branch of the field. The university also encourages and supports scientific studies in many other areas, from International Finance to Sociology to Gastronomy and Culinary Arts.
Bahçeşehir University has over 19.000 undergraduate students, and 22% of its students are international. It adopts a highly student-oriented educational approach focused on active and practice-based learning. To grant students flexibility to shape their education in line with their individual goals and interests, all undergraduate programs are designed to have a minimum of 25% elective courses.
The university has very strong international connections. It has partnerships with 235 universities from 36 countries, an Erasmus Exchange Agreement with 75 European Universities, as well as 25 World Exchange agreements with universities from all around the world. Additionally, students have the possibility to complete part of their education abroad, at the Bahçeşehir University in Berlin, Washington, Batumi, Hanoi, Kyiv, Puebla, Brockville, Nicosia, and Toronto.
Career
Bahçeşehir University’s Cooperative Education Program (CO-OP) connects the academy with the industry by providing students with the opportunity to gain work experience via part-time jobs and internships within its 2.700 national and international partners. Within the CO-OP education model, 3rd and 4th-year undergraduate students can choose from a wide range of lectures given by sector professionals, in collaboration with academicians. Senior professionals from prestigious companies such as Sony, Mercedes-Benz, KPMG, and Four Seasons are among those who give lectures in their areas of expertise at Bahçeşehir University.
In addition, the university’s Career Development and Research Centre provides guidance and mentorship for students getting ready for professional life, enabling them to step into their careers more confidently.
Contact Information
Visitor Address:
Bahçeşehir University
Çırağan Cad. Osmanpaşa Mektebi Sok. No: 4–6
Beşiktaş / Istanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90 (212) 381 00 00
Email: info@bau.edu.tr
