Location: Istanbul / Level: Bachelor / Duration: 4 Years / Language of Instruction: Turkish / Mode of Study: Full Time, On-Site / Tuition Fee: USD 4.000 / Discounted Fee: USD 2.500

The Department of Philosophy has been grounded in 2000 with the contributions of our university. The department has first admitted students to the graduate program at Graduate School of Social Sciences in 2002-2003 and to undergraduate program at Faculty of Science and Letters in 2004-2005. The aim of the department is to facilitate the students to be able to look at the relations of human-world-knowledge from a philosophical perspective.

In accordance with the vision of our department, the education of philosophy is not composed of solely the history of philosophy; it has rather a systematic approach to philosophy which is encouraged; that is why our students can multi-dimensionally think about philosophical concepts, questions and problems. In accordance with the scope of the philosophy teaching program, our students both should meet humanities and social sciences, and mathematics. The department of philosophy emphasizes on the social, historical and cultural dimensions of human-being. Thus, the program leads the students to get acquaintance with the common heritage of humanity and contemporary requirements of being able to use an information technology. The department motivates its students to take non-departmental foreign language courses, so that they can use at least one foreign language sufficiently in verbal and written levels. The program includes both departmental and non-departmental elective courses since the program takes the interdisciplinary approach seriously as an educational policy.

Our department frequently guides its students to attend in both double major and minor degrees; thus, various briefings to students are delivered at the department.

Philosophy Department has bilateral agreements in Farabi (National Exchange Program for Students and Academics) and also with many European Universities in Erasmus. The department has been realizing exchanges since 2005-2006.

The applications of the courses are being practiced in the schools of Maltepe County as a part of the graduation project by students. Additionally voluntary training opportunities for students in publishing companies, private education firms and TV channels are promoted which results in meeting labor to market.

The department highly supports all student clubs as a result of a departmental consciousness on the significance of the topic which is a requirement of Bologna Process and also motivates Philosophy Club and philosophy students’ in scope of “lifelong learning” policy and departmental experiment on the subject. Philosophy Club celebrates World Philosophy Day and organizes many conferences, seminar series in cooperation with the Department and takes part in national students club’s facilities.

The graduates of the program, in general, can be employed as Philosophy-Group teacher, and additionally as

Guide teacher in private educational institutions, life coach and philosophy counselor in guiding firms, producer in massive communication channels, and in diversified prestigious levels as executive, author, and reviewer. Students who are subject to learn the advanced language using abilities along the program will be able to be employed as editors when they are graduated. The department intimately monitors the achievements of its first graduates, 2007-2008. Those graduates are doing their post-graduate studies both in Turkey and abroad. Some of them are employed as research assistant in universities, and some works in private education firms, massive-communication channels, education and counseling centers, human resources and publishing companies. On the other hand, the students that are graduated with a Double or Minor degree can use the advantageous of their diplomas and are being able to employed in different branches.

The members of the department are composed of well-known names in their fields; and they are the academicians who have added unique contributions to philosophical thinking and increasing philosophical knowledge both in national and international levels. Our academic staff develops our students’ self-confidence, since the members of our department are not only a part of attending and supporting associate, graduate and post-graduate educational activity, they also intensively correspond public and social demands such as conferences, reporting, etc… The members of the department make contribution to the Human Rights Application and Research Center and they significantly hold a place in the scientific and administrative activities of Turkish Philosophy Society. Those considerable activities of our staff are sustained in international level by taking administrative roles in International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP). The members of our department also support the improvement and pervading of philosophical reasoning and knowledge through attending/producing TV and radio programs. Some of our faculty staff is also member of UNESCO National and Profession Commission of Turkey and Human Rights Profession Commission. Our staff works in many projects and they include our students into those projects. The members of our department follow an intimate academic cooperation with Philosophy Group Teachers who work in secondary schools level and make contributions to their in-service educations.

Our department’s relation to non-governmental organizations is not limited by the Turkish Philosophy Society. The faculty is in cooperation with various associations, and charities, particularly with the foundational charity of our University: IMEV. The staff of our department takes place in many national and international projects considering ethics, human rights, philosophy education, education for thinking, philosophy for children, critical-rational and creative thinking. Our department has also an organic tie to UNESCO Philosophy and Human Rights Chair which is founded through the support of our University in 2009.

Our department is the first in the university which had the right to deliver PhD degree in philosophy at the Graduate School of Social Sciences in 2007-2008. Our department is well known due to the activities in education, research, organizing and conducting national/international social responsibility and public projects. The motto of the Department of Philosophy is “to be both young and experienced.”

Mission
Make a contribution to educating individuals who analyze the basic concepts, questions and problems of philosophy, who can view the human, social and the world problems in respect to ethical values and human rights; to strengthen the knowledge-society connection through new discussions and studies.

Vision
To make education of philosophy widespread, which contributes to the improvement of philosophical view, to try to make ethical values and especially human rights the foundation of all kinds of human relations, to constitute mutual graduate programs with national and international universities through increasing interdisciplinary cooperation, to guide our students to do post-graduate studies and to encourage them to participate in social-public works.