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Higher Education:
In Turkey, the higher education includes all the educational institutions after secondary education, which provide at least two years of higher education and educate students for associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree levels. Institutions of higher education consist of universities, faculties, institutes, schools of higher education, conservatories, vocational schools of higher education and application-research centers.
In Turkey, escalation of higher education to live up to the fully globalizing world, in terms of both quality and quantity, has been adopted as the primary goal. The plans and programs made have always reflected this perception.
The purpose of higher education is to train manpower within a system of contemporary educational and training principles to meet the needs of the country. It provides high level specialized education in various fields for students who have completed secondary education. Universities comprising several units are established by the state and by law as public corporations having autonomy in teaching and research. Furthermore, institutions of higher education, under the supervision and control of the state, can also be established by private foundations in accordance with procedures and principles set forth in the law provided that they are non-profit in nature.
The university is the principal higher education institution. It possesses academic autonomy and a public legal personality. It is responsible for carrying out high level educational activities, scientific research and publications. Each university consists of faculties and four-year schools, offering bachelor’s level programs, the latter with a vocational emphasis, and two-year vocational schools offering pre-bachelor’s (associate’s) level programs of a strictly vocational nature. Graduate-level programs consist of master’s and doctoral programs, coordinated by institutes for graduate studies. Master’s programs are specified as “with thesis” or “without thesis” programs. “With thesis” master’s programs consist of a specified course completion followed by a submission of a thesis whereas “without thesis” programs consist of completion of graduate courses and a term project. The duration of these programs is two years at least. Access to doctoral programs requires a master’s degree. Doctoral programs have a duration of minimum four years which consists of completion of courses, passing doctoral qualifying examination, and preparing and defending a doctoral thesis. Medical specialty training programs equivalents to doctoral level programs are, however, carried out within the faculties of medicine and the training hospitals owned by the Ministry of Health and the State Social Insurance Organization.
Universities, faculties, institutes and four-year schools are founded by law, while two-year vocational schools, departments, and divisions are established by the Council of Higher Education. Universities are free to determine the number of students to be admitted to graduate-level programs, as well as admission requirements, and the curricula and degree requirements of such programs, in line with the general rules and regulations adopted by the Interuniversity Council.
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Education System 
