Istanbul Okan university

 Turkish Okan University is one of the most advanced universities in Turkey. It always seeks to develop and grow to become a world-class university that contributes to improving the nation and its commercial life.

To learn more about the study system at Okan University in Istanbul, the most important specializations, and the costs of studying there, follow us through this article of the New Horizons guide for Istanbul Okan University.

About Okan University

Okan University was established in 1986 as an institution of culture, education and sports, with the aim of paying attention to sports, social and cultural activities.

The activities of the Okan Foundation for Culture and Sports remained active in conducting research and studies in these areas until 1999.  

At the beginning of 2003, the Okan Foundation transformed into one of the most important and largest universities in Türkiye, İstanbul Okan University.

The Faculties of Economics and Administrative Sciences, the Faculty of Arts, and the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture were among the first faculties at Okan University in the academic year 2003-2004.  

Since then, Okan University has continued to grow and expand until the number of its colleges today become more than 10 colleges, and includes 3 vocational schools and 20 research centers.

Where is Okan University located in Istanbul?

Istanbul Okan University has three campuses distributed around Istanbul:

1. Okan University main campus

• It is located in the Asian section of Istanbul, in the Tuzla region.
• It contains study halls equipped with all means, modern laboratories, research centers and clubs. 
• It contains the College of Engineering, the College of Law, the College of Architecture and Design, the College of Languages, and the College of Science and Health.

2. The second sanctuary in Mecidiyekoy

The Mecidiyekoy campus has the Faculty of Dentistry and the Okan University Dental Hospital.  

3. The third sanctuary in Kadikoy  

It is located in the Kadikoy area, which is one of the best areas in Istanbul, and contains vocational schools.

Istanbul Okan University vision and values

Vision 

To be a leading institution in education and research, recognized both nationally and internationally.

Values 

• Upholding ethical standards in education and research.
• Promoting a diverse and inclusive environment for students and staff.
• Encouraging community engagement and social awareness among students.
• Believing in the importance of continuous learning and personal development.

Okan University accreditations and recognitions

Okan University has official recognition from the European Union countries, in addition to the university’s contracts with many universities in various European countries, through the student exchange system.  

There are also many international organizations that accredit Okan University, as mentioned on the Okan University official website in Istanbul.

• MUDAK: Engineering Assessment and Accreditation Foundation. An independent organization working with the aim of contributing to improving the quality of engineering education.  
• ABET: It is the board accredited in the United States of America to accredit college and university programs in applied sciences, computing, engineering, and technology.  
• FEDEK: Accreditation, evaluation and information services for university programs in the Faculties of Mathematical, Natural and Social Sciences.  
• TEPDAD: The purpose of TEPDAD is to contribute to the assessment of the quality of medical education.
• World Directory of Medical Schools: The mission of the World Directory of Medical Schools is to list all the medical schools in the world, with accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information about each school.  
• Pearson is a foreign language teaching certificate from the British Language Institute.

Okan University is one of the recognized universities in many Arab countries such as:  

• Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine and Jordan.  
• It is also accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education in Türkiye
• Okan University is proud to have obtained the ISO quality certificate several times in a row in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019.

Istanbul Okan University in numbers

• 10 colleges  
• 3 vocational schools  
• 43 associate degree programs  
• 56 Bachelor's degree programmes  
• 124 Master's programs  
• 21 PhD programmes
• 3673 fellowship students  
• 9565 bachelor’s degree students  
• 2333 master’s students  
• 475 doctoral students  
• The total number of Okan University graduates until 2015 is 3,500  
• 255 students from Jordan  
• 143 students from Iraq  
• 56 students from Egypt  
• 26 students from Palestine  
• 23 students from Germany  
• 17 students from Algeria  
• 7 students from China
• 650 is the total teaching staff  
• 128 university doctors  
• 45 Associate Professor  
• 48 Research Assistant  
•  Sports facilities  
• 20 sports teams  
• 76 sports club  
• 10 research center

Istanbul Okan university ranking

According to the Webometrics global university rankings website, Istanbul Okan ranking is as the following:

• Okan University global ranking is 3294.  
•  Okan University's ranking locally is No. 108 on the list of all Turkish universities.

Istanbul Okan University Global Partnerships

• The Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) is one of the most important sectors on which the Turkish economy depends.  
• Turkish Airlines.  
• Turkish Travel Agencies Association TURSAB.  
• Turkish Council for Foreign Economic Relations.

Advantages of studying at Okan University

1. The official language of instruction at the university is English, and the university provides students with opportunities to learn other languages such as Turkish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese.
2. Istanbul Okan university attracts many highly experienced European academics to improve the quality and level of education within the university.
3. Providing private housing for its expatriate students, with the housing divided into a part for girls and a part for boys.
4. The university is distinguished by its strength in the majors of automotive engineering, architecture, and business administration, as well as the availability of these majors in English.
5. Istanbul Okan University's fees are considered reasonable as it ranges from $4,000 on average for different specializations.
6. Okan University is a member of the Erasmus program, which is an international student exchange program between universities that allows the exchange of students around the world. This program is supported by the European Union. 
7. It is the first Turkish university to obtain the award and provides its students with student exchange opportunities with more than 450 institutions around the world.
8. The university adopts the credit hour system (ETCS), which is common in all European countries, which facilitates the student exchange system between universities for students.
9. The university includes a large number of university-specific training centers and research centers.
10. It pays special attention to students with special needs and offers them the opportunity to register to study at the university. The matter is not limited to that only, but it also creates a special unit for them to provide all solutions and practices appropriate to their health and educational conditions so that they can go through their academic experience in the easiest way.

Advantages of studying human medicine and dentistry at Okan University

The Faculty of Human Medicine and Dentistry was opened in 2013 at Istanbul Okan University of Education and Training. It joins the list of the first 100 medical colleges in Turkey.

Okan University owns university hospitals where students of human medicine and dentistry can receive their practical training. These hospitals are considered among the largest Turkish hospitals.

These hospitals include:

• Training and practice hospitals of the Faculty of Dentistry, one hospital on the Tuzla campus and another in Mecidiyekoy.  
• Istanbul Okan University Hospital (Tuzla).  
•  Acıbadem Polyclinic Complex.  

Advantages of studying engineering sciences at Okan University

Okan University is distinguished in the study of engineering as it has a large number of engineering science laboratories and laboratories that provide the best opportunities for study and training in the engineering specialty, and these laboratories are:

• Computer laboratories  
• CAD/CAM computer-aided design and manufacturing laboratories  
• Advanced electronics and communications laboratories  
• Civil engineering laboratories  
• Automotive laboratories  
• Robotics laboratories  
• Laboratory for applying transportation technologies and smart car systems.

Research centers at Istanbul Okan University

Istanbul Okan University hosts several research centers that focus on a variety of fields, promoting academic research, innovation, and collaboration.

1. European Union Research Centre

The center focuses on promoting Turkish-European relations and enhancing research cooperation between researchers to share their work, research, and scientific experiences. This provides students and researchers at the university with many opportunities to travel, study, and work in the European Union.

2. Computer and Application Research Center

It aims to provide all means of support for programs and devices related to the educational, administrative, academic and research activities of Okan University. 

3. Social Studies Research Center

The center helps conduct advanced scientific research on contemporary societal problems and challenges, such as racism and discrimination based on gender and sexuality.

4. Center for Financial Risk Research and Application

The Financial Risk Research Center helps students study and analyze the most prominent financial market risks and how to deal with them, and how the latest technologies and tools can be used to manage these risks and achieve financial market stability.

5. Center for Tourism Research and Applications

Turkey has many tourist places, so it is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the worl.

That makes the establishment of the Center for Tourism Research and Applications at Istanbul Okan University a must.

The Center studies the tourism sector in all its details, its economic, social and political aspects, the challenges and obstacles it faces, and attempts to find solutions to those obstacles, in addition to contributing to the development of the tourism industry.

University housing at Istanbul Okan University

Okan provides its students with 4 housing places divided into 2 for girls and 2 for boys. Okan University housing is located on the Tuzla campus, the main campus of the university.

• Okan University Istanbul offers five fully-equipped residence halls on its main campus in Tuzla accommodating 1,600 students.
• There are many options available such as single, double or four-person rooms for the student to choose what suits him.
• There are restaurants and cafeterias that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.  
• Gym membership.  
• The residential buildings contain classrooms, TV rooms and a medical centre. Daily laundry and cleaning services are also provided.  
• In addition to the security systems available 24 hours a day to keep students safe and protected.

Documents required to register residence in university housing

• Passport copy translated into Turkish  
• A copy of the residence permit, if any   
• Criminal record from E-devlet application  
• Proof of payment of university housing expenses form.

Faculties and specializations of Okan University

The university has 10 colleges that offer about 63 university programs. The university includes an institute for graduate studies that offers about 41 master’s programs and 13 doctoral programs, in addition to two vocational institutes, an institute for foreign languages, and an institute for the Turkish language.

Faculties 

• Faculty of Medicine  
• Faculty of Dentistry  
• College of Education  
• Faculty of Law  
• College of Business Administration  
• College of Humanities and Social Sciences  
• College of Engineering and Natural Sciences  
• College of Health Sciences  
• College of Arts, Design and Architecture  
• College of Applied Sciences

Education Centers at Istanbul Okan University

Okan University provides free education centers and schools at the university for several specializations such as:  

1. Culinary Arts Centre

This center helps students gain practical experience in the field of culinary arts and provides them with professional experience and knowledge to be qualified to work in the most famous institutions.

The university is distinguished by having obtained the APICIUS certificate, which is an international quality certificate in cooking education from the best cooking school in Italy, which is affiliated with the University of Florence, and is recognized in all European Union countries.

2. Confucius Institute

The Confucius Institute is the result of the agreement between Istanbul Okan University and the International Council for the Chinese Language (HANBAN).

This center offers many services such as:

• Translating literary works from Chinese to Turkish.
• It serves students of the Department of Chinese Translation and Interpretation at Okan University in Türkiye.  
• It allows students to implement any joint scientific projects or research with Chinese universities, such as joint scientific cooperation with Peking University.

3. Foreign language centers

An institute for learning many languages such as Russian, Arabic, English, Chinese and many language proficiency tests such as: 

• Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK)
• Chinese Speaking Test (HSKK).

The most important academic specializations at Okan University

• Studying Business Administration at Istanbul Okan University
• Human Medicine at Okan University
•  Automotive Engineering and Mechatronics at Okan University
•  Study civil engineering at Okan University  
• Aviation Management Study System from Okan University
•  Psychology at Okan University
• Studying software engineering at Okan University
•  Studying architecture at Okan University
• Studying industrial engineering at Okan University

Postgraduate studies at Okan University

You can complete your studies and obtain master's and doctoral degrees at Okan University, as the university offers a wide range of programs in various fields.

Istanbul Okan University Master's programs

Specialty	Degree	Language of studying	Tuition fees
MBA with thesis		English	$6,600
Sports Physiotherapy	Master	Turkish	$5,000
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation	Master without a thesis	Turkish	$4,000
Interior Architecture and Environmental Design	Master with a thesis	Turkish	$5,000
Geomatics Engineering	Master with a thesis	Turkish	$5,000
Automotive Mechanics and Smart Vehicles	Master's degree with a thesis	English	$7,000

Istanbul Okan University admission requirements

• High school certificate  
• A copy of the passport.  
• A copy of proof of identity.  
• Foreign language passing certificate such as TOEFL English language test certificate and YOS Turkish language test certificate.

Istanbul Okan University Tuition fees

Major	Degree	Language of studying	Tuition fees
Medicine	Bachelor's	English	$22,500
Dentistry	Bachelor's	English	$18,000
Architecture	Bachelor's	English	$4,500
Fine Arts, specialization in interior design	Bachelor's	Turkish	$3,500
Engineering, majoring in software engineering	Bachelor's	English	$4,500
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation	Bachelor's	English	$4,500
Business administration	Bachelor's	English	$4,500
Aviation Management	Bachelor's	Turkish	$3,500
Psychology	Bachelor's	English	$4,500
Education	Bachelor's	Turkish	$3,500

  Okan University discounts and scholarships

• When applying through New Horizons, you will receive additional discounts or scholarships regardless of the total tuition fees for existing majors.
• Additional discounts based on program preference and high school GPA.  
• 10% discount for siblings.  
• 5% discount when paying in cash.

Student exchange at Istanbul Okan University

Okan University seeks to improve the quality of education and expand students’ perceptions by enhancing the European dimension of higher education in Turkey by encouraging cooperation between participating universities, which is what the Erasmus Student Exchange Program offers.

Erasmus consists of many different activities:  

• Exchange of students and teachers  
• Joint development of study programs (curriculum development)  
• Intensive international programmes  
• Thematic networks between faculties and departments across Europe  
• Language Courses (EILC)  
• European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Some of the countries that the university has contracted with:  

• UK
• Denmark
• Finland, Ireland
• Sweden
• Iceland
• Luxembourg
•  Norway
• Germany
• Austria
• Belgium
• France
•  Cyprus
• Holland
• Spain
• Italy
• Malta
• Portugal
•  Greece Bulgaria
•  Czech Republic
• Estonia
• Croatia
• Latvia and Lithuania
• Hungary 
• Macedonia
• Poland
• Romania 
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia

The average required for admission into the Erasmus program.  

• For Bachelor's degrees, the GPA must be at least 2.20/4.00  
• For Masters, the cumulative grade point average must be at least 2.50/4.00.

How can New Horizons help you to study at Istanbul Okan university?

New Horizons platform provide many services which can help you to study in Türkiye and provide all facilities you need during your educational journey abroad, such as:

• Providing study services in Türkiye with the best quality.
• Preparing the academic documents and documents required for the application process at Okan University.
• Fill out the online application form and submit all required documents accurately.
• Follow up on your application until you obtain final acceptance from the university
•  We help you obtain a visa by following the required procedures and preparing all the necessary documents.

Conclusion 

After you have learned all the information regarding studying at Istanbul Okan University in Türkiye, all you have to do now is apply to this unique university; By communicating with the New Horizons Educational Services team