Winding streets, waterfronts, bustling markets, awe-inspiring architecture--Istanbul has it all. Experience everything Istanbul has to offer by living and learning like a local in Turkey's largest city!
By directly enrolling at Sabancı University, Istanbul becomes your classroom. The modern and attractive campus sits on the Asian side of Istanbul, and offers a wide range of courses. As you settle into your courses at the University, IES Abroad is there to provide on-site support when you need it.
We also want you to feel at home in Istanbul, so we do everything we can to help you integrate into life in Turkey, and organize events to help you make the most of your time. Plus, we take you beyond Istanbul to explore areas like Ephesus and Cappadocia.
These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.
Final exams at the university occur in January, but early exams or proctored at-home exams can usually be negotiated to accommodate a December 21 departure. After the semester starts, you will finalize your registration to include only classes that will accommodate a December 21 departure (most classes do).
Our mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences. That is why we partnered with Sabancı University.
Sabancı Universitywww.sabanciuniv.edu Sabancı University is one of the private "Foundation Universities" founded in the late nineties by the Sabancı Group. The University began accepting students in 1999, and has become one of Turkey's most competitive universities, with world-class faculty and small class sizes. The University enrolls just under 4,000 students.
The modern campus is located on the Asian side of Istanbul, with university shuttles running from the campus to the centrally-located Taksim Square from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Courses As part of IES Abroad orientation, you begin the semester with a three-week IES Abroad Turkish language course worth 2 IES Abroad credits, taken alongside an IES Abroad Turkish culture and civilization course, worth 1 IES Abroad credit. After your first three weeks, you begin your courses at the University.
Visit the University's Faculties and Programs site to learn about disciplines and possible course offerings.
Courses are offered in the following fields:
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
School of Management (accredited by AACSB)
During orientation, you will take a 2-credit intensive Turkish language course and a 1-credit course about Turkish civilization at the IES Abroad Center. You will take the rest of your courses at Sabancı University.
To learn more about IES Abroad’s innovative theoretical and pedagogical approaches to teaching language abroad, refer to the IES Abroad MAP for Language & Intercultural Communication.
Even though you’re directly enrolling in one of our partner universities, there’s something IES Abroad wants you to know: we’re here for you if you need us.
Advising Choosing and directly enrolling in courses abroad can be confusing and overwhelming. This is why we offer you predeparture advising that’s specific to your needs. Our goal is to provide support and guidance throughout your application and enrollment process.
But our advising services don’t stop there. While you’re in Istanbul, our staff is available to help you transition into your new home.
Support The support services we offer IES Abroad direct enrollment students are specifically designed to help you achieve your study abroad goals as effectively and smoothly as possible. We know studying abroad is an adventure, and, at times, you may need help or just someone to talk to—that’s why our staff will be there for you.
On-Site Staff Whether you have questions about academic requirements, housing, or well-being and safety, our Istanbul-based IES Abroad staff is available to fully support you. Because of our close relationship with the universities in Istanbul, IES Abroad is also able to offer you unique academic, social, and cultural opportunities. Our staff in Istanbul will accompany you throughout orientation, as well as at the IES Abroad field trips and cultural events.
Our job is to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding what landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Istanbul, it will feel like home.
Apartments - Live with other IES Abroad students and a Turkish RA in a furnished apartment centrally located in Istanbul.
Residence Halls - Live with local students in a residence hall on the Sabancı campus.
Part of making you feel at home in Istanbul is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is an orientation program that makes you feel prepared, your housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.
The IES Abroad orientation program takes place in Istanbul, and is designed to orient you to the program, your fellow students, and to the city.
As part of orientation, you spend your first three weeks in Istanbul taking an IES Abroad Turkish language class (beginning or intermediate), worth 2 IES Abroad credits, and an IES Abroad Turkish culture course, worth 1 IES Abroad credit.
Additionally, CORE™, IES Abroad’s Comprehensive Orientation & Re-entry Program, begins during orientation and continues through the semester with activities focusing on academic and cultural adjustment, goal achievement, and preparing for the return home. Detailed information about academics, housing, public transportation, cultural adjustment, health and safety, and other important topics will also be covered.
In addition to IES Abroad activities and events, we encourage you to get involved at Sabancı!
Sabancı University has more than 40 student-run clubs, a performing arts center, a movie theater, and a sports hall that's home to exercise equipment, fitness studios, and a rock wall.
Although your adventure begins in Istanbul, our field trips take you to other great cities around Turkey and beyond to provide contrast and context for what you are learning in Istanbul. You share the cost of these trips with IES Abroad.
Possible destinations include:
Cappadocia Weekend Trip | Fall & Spring Visit this geographically unique city with its houses, churches, and monasteries fashioned from volcanic rock.
Ephesus Weekend Trip | Fall & Spring Visit this well-preserved Roman city.
Amman, Jordan 1 Week | Fall & Spring Meet with Jordanian academics and local students, attend a briefing at the American Embassy, and enjoy lunch and a swim at the Dead Sea. (This trip is run in conjunction with the IES Abroad Middle Eastern Studies Program. You are welcome to participate in this trip for an extra fee if your academic schedule at Sabancı allows.)
The new IES Abroad Istanbul Center will be centrally located in a safe area that is easily accessible by public transportation.
Check back soon for more information!
Vehbi BaysanCenter Director Vehbi is an Assistant Professor of History and Middle Eastern Studies at Yeditepe University, where he has served as Director of the International Office. He received his B.A. from Istanbul University, his M.A. from Yarmouk University in Jordan, and his Ph.D. from the University of Manchester in Middle Eastern Studies. He has taught both History and Turkish language at the University of Manchester; Turkish, Arabic, and History at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London; and Turkish at the London School of Economics.
Vehbi is also a frequent guest on international radio and TV, and has appeared on Al Jazeera, France 24 Arabic, Russian TV Arabic, Al Hurra, and Al Iraqiyya to discuss Turkey and the Middle East.
He is an avid photographer who has served as the official photographer at international archaeological excavations, and enjoys tennis, swimming, trekking, and cycling.
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