Message from the Head of Department
Dear Students,
Political science is a discipline dedicated to understanding political power, political behavior, and political thought, as well as analyzing the relationships between them. Public administration is a sub-discipline of political science that focuses on public policy and state administration. As the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, our goal is to teach you both the theoretical questions and methodologies of political science, alongside the more concrete structures, problems, and solutions of public administration. We aim to raise you as highly competent experts in this field. To achieve this, we have designed a multidisciplinary curriculum that encompasses the knowledge and skills a specialist in political science and public administration must possess. We structured our curriculum and course content to cultivate individuals who can critically comprehend political and administrative thought, processes, and institutions; scientifically evaluate cause-and-effect patterns; and develop and apply new ideas by taking current developments into account.
Our curriculum consists of mandatory and elective courses fully aligned with the Bologna Process. During your first year in our department, you will take foundational introductory courses aimed at equipping you with the core skills required of all social science students. In the second year, field-specific courses will be added to your schedule. During your third and fourth years, alongside advanced compulsory courses in Political Science and Public Administration, you will have the opportunity to choose electives tailored to your personal interests. By the end of this journey, you will graduate not only with expertise in Political Science and Public Administration but also with fundamental competencies in neighboring disciplines such as law, history, sociology, and statistics.
Our department utilizes the "flipped learning" model, shaped by the opportunities provided by advancements in educational technology. Within this framework, digitally enriched course materials are shared with students before class via our online learning platform, UZEM, allowing class time to be dedicated to more interactive discussions and student-centered work. Many of our first- and second-year compulsory courses, as well as our electives, are taught using this flipped learning approach. Thanks to this robust infrastructure, we were able to quickly and seamlessly adapt to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic that began in the Spring 2020 semester, successfully navigating that period.
Our greatest strength as a department is our academic staff. Our entire core curriculum is delivered by our full-time faculty members, while courses specific to law, sociology, international relations, and other closely related fields are conducted with the support of other faculties and departments. You can review the resumes and publications of our faculty members—who possess expertise and international experience in political theory, political and administrative history, Turkish political life, comparative politics, Europeanization, governance, and public administration—on our academic staff page. Our department has a highly research-oriented academic team, and our faculty members have carried out, and continue to carry out, numerous national and international projects.
As a department, we continuously strive to organize and participate in various scientific and social events aimed at connecting our students with prominent figures in the field and allowing our faculty and students to discuss current issues. As the Head of the Department, I highly recommend that our students actively participate in these events. Additionally, students in our department can gain real-world business experience through the CO-OP Program, or they can have a relevant internship they secure on their own counted toward course credit.
Finally, I would like to highlight two of our department's most exciting opportunities for students. The first is the option to participate in Double Major and Minor programs. Students who meet the necessary requirements can enroll in a Double Major program in another department at our
university, graduating with two diplomas. Alternatively, they can complete a more focused Minor program to gain expertise in a second discipline of their interest. The second feature is the Erasmus exchange program. Through the Erasmus Agreements our department has signed, students with sufficient English proficiency can participate in exchange programs in Germany, Spain, Italy, and other European countries, continuing their education at a university of their choice for up to one year.
We wish our prospective students the best of luck during their university selection period, warmly welcome those who will enroll in our department, and look forward to meeting you all.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Adil USTURALI
Head of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration