Public Administration in Turkey
The two Turkish degrees behind "public administration", where each is taught in English, 2026–27 fees and what a foreign graduate can actually do with the diploma.
The short answer
Public administration in Turkey is usually studied through Political Science and Public Administration (Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi), a four-year bachelor's offered in 2026 by 18 private and 82 state universities according to YÖK Atlas. A narrower degree called Public Administration (Kamu Yönetimi) exists at only two private universities: Yeditepe in English and İstanbul Aydın in Turkish. Published 2026–27 tuition for international students runs from $4,500 a year at Istanbul Medipol to $18,400 at Bilkent. One fact to weigh first: Turkey's civil service, the main career this degree prepares Turkish students for, is closed to foreign nationals.
Two degrees with similar names
| Political Science and Public Administration | Public Administration | |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish title | Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi | Kamu Yönetimi |
| Balance of the curriculum | Political science plus the workings of the state: administrative law, local government, budgets, public policy | Administration without the political-science half: organisations, public personnel, cities, public finance |
| Private universities, 2026 | 18 (82 state universities as well) | Yeditepe (English) and İstanbul Aydın (Turkish) |
| English-taught versions | Bilkent, Istanbul Bilgi and Ankara Bilim; Istanbul Medipol, Beykent and Kent in both languages | Yeditepe |
The closest neighbour is Political Science and International Relations: it shares the political-science half but replaces the state machinery with world politics and diplomacy.
What you study: Yeditepe's Public Administration curriculum
Yeditepe's English-taught programme, running since 2004 in its Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, shows clearly how administration differs from political science. Its required courses by year:
| Year | Required courses |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Public Administration; Turkish Administrative History; Introduction to Law; General Public Law; Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics |
| 2 | Constitutional Law; Administrative Law; Administrative Jurisdiction; Turkish Public Administration; Theories of the State; Urbanization and Environmental Problems; Regional Policy; Scientific Research Methods |
| 3 | Local Government; Civil Society and Participation; History of Turkish Democracy I–II; Political Psychology; Public Information Technology and E-Government; Global Environmental Politics; Turkey and the European Administrative Area |
| 4 | Public Personnel Management; Comparative Public Administration; Organizational Behaviour in Public Administration; Public Finance; Public Policy Analysis; Internship |
The internship can be done in public institutions, local governments, international organisations, companies or NGOs. For an international student the practical question is which of these actually take foreign interns; ask the department where its recent international students did theirs, because that decides whether your CV shows relevant experience.
Political Science and Public Administration programmes spread wider. In Istanbul Bilgi's English-taught version, for example, the required core includes Political Sociology, Social Policy, Comparative Politics, Turkish Politics and Introduction to Constitutional Law, with the rest of the plan left to electives.
Public administration degrees: universities and fees
Official prices for international students before discounts and scholarships, in US dollars. The last row is a master's.
| University | Programme | Degree | Language | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medipol University | Political Science and Public Administration | Bachelor | English | $4,500/yr; $4,050 if paid in advance (2026–27) · fee source |
| Medipol University | Political Science and Public Administration | Bachelor | Turkish | $6,000/yr; $5,400 if paid in advance (2026–27) · fee source |
| Istinye University | Political Science and Public Administration | Bachelor | Turkish | $8,000/yr (2026–27), 20 places for international students · fee source |
| Bilgi University | Political Science and Public Administration | Bachelor | English | $12,000/yr, VAT included (2026–27) · fee source |
| Bilkent University | Political Science and Public Administration | Bachelor | English | $18,400/yr including VAT for students admitted in 2026 (2026–27) |
| Kadir Has University | Political Science and Public Administration, with thesis | Master | English | $20,000/yr including VAT (2026–27 thesis master's fee) · fee source |
What changes when you are not a Turkish citizen
Yeditepe's department lists the jobs its programme prepares for: public-sector manager, local-government official, administrative-court judge, expert or inspector. Almost all of these are closed to foreign graduates, because Article 48 of Civil Servants Law No. 657 makes Turkish citizenship the first general condition for entering the civil service.
Realistic directions for an international graduate are different:
- International organisations and projects on local government, migration or urban services, where knowledge of the Turkish system and languages is an asset.
- Working with government from the private side: public-affairs teams, tender and permit support, consulting for companies entering the Turkish market.
- NGOs and policy research: monitoring public policy and local government.
- Your own country's civil service, if it recognises the foreign degree for the post; check this before enrolling.
- A master's in public policy, public administration or urban studies, such as Kadir Has's Political Science and Public Administration programme.
Admission
Private universities admit to these programmes on the school certificate and proof of the language of instruction. Twelve of the 18 private Political Science and Public Administration programmes are taught only in Turkish, so most applicants need a Turkish certificate or a Turkish preparatory year. English-taught versions require a test accepted by the university or its own English exam. Yeditepe's Public Administration is 100% English, and students who are not yet proficient start with a one-year preparatory programme.
The 82 state universities that run this degree usually admit international students through TR-YÖS. In 2026, TR-YÖS/1 took place on 12 April after applications from 14 January to 3 February; applications for TR-YÖS/2, held on 11 October, closed on 11 August.
The university decides admission and any scholarship; a Turkish consulate decides the student visa.
A good fit if you
- want to understand how ministries, municipalities and public budgets work
- are ready to study in Turkish, or have chosen one of the English-taught versions
- plan projects between government, business and NGOs, or a master's in public policy
Compare alternatives first if you
- expect to work in Turkish government offices without Turkish citizenship
- are more interested in world politics and diplomacy
- want to represent clients in court: that is Law
Common mistakes
- Mixing up Kamu Yönetimi and Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi. The first is mostly administration; in the second, about half the courses are political science.
- Choosing the degree for a Turkish civil-service career. Without citizenship, that route is closed.
- Not checking the language. Most private programmes are in Turkish, and Medipol's English and Turkish versions are priced differently.
- Not asking about the internship. A placement in a ministry may not be available to a foreign student.
Public Administration in Turkey: questions applicants ask
Answers are based on the 2026–27 fee lists, YÖK Atlas and the Yeditepe and Istanbul Bilgi curricula.
Kamu Yönetimi (Public Administration) is administration-focused: administrative law, local government, public personnel and public finance. Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi (Political Science and Public Administration) splits its time between political science and administration. Among private universities, only Yeditepe and İstanbul Aydın offer the first; 18 offer the second.
Yes, but the choice is limited. YÖK Atlas for 2026 lists English-taught Political Science and Public Administration at Bilkent, Istanbul Bilgi, Ankara Bilim, Istanbul Medipol, Beykent and Kent, and English-taught Public Administration at Yeditepe.
Istanbul Medipol charges $4,500 a year for its English-taught programme and $6,000 for the Turkish one, İstinye $8,000, Istanbul Bilgi $12,000 including VAT and Bilkent $18,400 including VAT for students admitted in 2026.
No. Article 48 of Civil Servants Law No. 657 requires Turkish citizenship. Foreign graduates usually work on international projects, in NGOs, in consulting and public-affairs roles, or continue to a master's.
At Yeditepe the required courses include Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Administrative Jurisdiction, Local Government, Public Information Technology and E-Government, Public Personnel Management, Public Finance, Comparative Public Administration, Public Policy Analysis and an internship.
Not for most private universities, which admit on school results and language proof. State universities usually use TR-YÖS; in 2026 the second sitting is on 11 October and its applications closed on 11 August.
Yes. Kadir Has runs an English-taught Political Science and Public Administration master's with thesis; its 2026–27 thesis master's fee is $20,000 a year including VAT, and the university sets any scholarship individually.
Deciding between public administration and political science?
A personal strategy, requirement checks, selection of agreed options, document preparation, applications, and support are provided under an agreement with StudyU; the university decides admission and any scholarship. During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.
Related programmes
Compare programmes where law or world politics takes the lead.
How to apply for Public Administration in Turkey
The university assesses the specific school qualification, subjects, grades and teaching-language requirements for this programme. With an 11-year certificate, confirm eligibility and any exams, portfolio or other selection steps for the chosen intake. Check which language certificates or university assessments are accepted; denklik and registration requirements are separate from admission. Under an agreement with StudyU, we help prepare the agreed application and equivalence documents; the university decides admission and the competent authority decides equivalence. Start 6–9 months ahead to allow time for the university’s published procedure and document checks.