Işık University

About Işık University

Işık University began instruction in 1996 and was established by the Feyziye Schools Foundation, an educational foundation whose institutional history dates to 1885. It is legally organized as a Turkish foundation university rather than a public institution. Official 2026 information shows that it remains active, with registration underway for associate, undergraduate and graduate students in the 2026–2027 academic year. The university’s structure includes three faculties, a vocational school, a Graduate Education Institute and a School of Foreign Languages. Its official university overview lists 22 undergraduate programs, 46 master’s programs and six doctoral programs, although figures on some other university pages differ slightly. Students should therefore verify the live program catalogue before applying rather than relying on a single headline count. Işık has two Istanbul campuses with substantially different settings. The 490,000-square-metre Şile campus is on the Black Sea coast and includes teaching space, undergraduate housing, a library, sports facilities and social amenities. Maslak is an urban campus in one of Istanbul’s principal business districts. Campus assignment matters: the university explicitly places its vocational-school programs in Maslak, while the School of Foreign Languages is listed in Şile. Applicants should confirm where their specific degree is taught and whether movement between campuses will be necessary.

Admissions routes depend on applicant category and study level. Domestic undergraduate candidates generally enter through Türkiye’s national ÖSYM/YKS placement system. The university’s 2026 YKS registration page directs placed students through a university pre-registration step and then registration procedures, including e-government registration where eligible. Applicants should use the current ÖSYM guide for program-specific scores, quotas and binding national dates. International undergraduate applicants submit an online university application. The official page requests a high-school diploma or qualifying international examination result, high-school transcript, passport identification page and an English-language examination result if available. Eligibility is governed by Turkish higher-education rules, and minimum academic evidence varies by country. Incomplete applications are not considered, and applicants are told not to email or post documents during the application stage. Admission to an English-taught program may also require proof of proficiency or preparatory study. International graduate applicants use a separate online process. Required evidence and academic thresholds vary between thesis master’s, non-thesis master’s and doctoral programs. The international page available during research still labels detailed requirements as 2025–2026, so those documents should not be treated as definitive for a 2026–2027 application. Candidates should obtain the current program announcement directly from the Graduate Education Institute before submitting. No single universal application deadline should be inferred across all applicant categories or degree levels.

Academic offerings are concentrated in three faculties. Engineering and Natural Sciences includes English-taught bachelor’s programs such as computer, electrical and electronics, industrial, mechanical, mechatronics and software engineering. Arts, Design and Architecture covers architecture, interior architecture and environmental design, industrial design, visual communication design, and cinema and television. Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences includes economics, business administration, psychology, international relations, international trade and finance, and management information systems. Language of instruction is program-specific. Many engineering, business and social-science degrees are taught in English, while several design, media and vocational programs are taught in Turkish; some subjects have both language options. The School of Foreign Languages supports preparatory and other language study. Applicants should consult the individual program entry rather than treating the database’s “Local” language value as applying university-wide. Graduate education includes thesis and non-thesis master’s routes in English and Turkish, plus doctoral study. The current international program page lists English-language doctorates in business administration, computer engineering and electronics engineering, as well as a Turkish doctorate in art science. It also lists numerous English master’s options in engineering, economics, management and international relations. Accreditation is not uniform across the portfolio. The international program page states that six listed engineering bachelor’s programs, excluding biomedical engineering, have MÜDEK accreditation through 30 September 2027. Applicants should verify the status of their precise program, particularly where an accreditation period is close to expiring.

Key Highlights

• Established in 1996 by the Feyziye Schools Foundation
• Legally organized as a Turkish foundation university
• Operating in 2026–2027 with active undergraduate and graduate registration
• Two Istanbul campuses: coastal Şile and urban Maslak

Student Life & Environment

Student experience differs noticeably between the two campuses. Şile is the larger, residential setting, positioned on the Black Sea coast. The university describes on-campus undergraduate and associate-degree housing, dining and retail outlets, a library, health provision, student clubs, and indoor and outdoor recreation. Maslak offers a more urban environment and has its own food services and sports facilities, but the university’s international housing information identifies the dormitories as being at Şile. The university’s campus-life page reports more than 55 student clubs and a broad range of sports facilities, including football, tennis, basketball and volleyball areas and a fitness and sports centre. The 2025–2026 student handbook lists academic, professional, cultural and recreational organizations, including robotics, artificial intelligence, Model United Nations, music, theatre, volunteering and an International Students’ Club. Club availability and activity can change by year, so students should check the current orientation programme. For 2026–2027, applications for Şile dormitories were scheduled to begin near the end of summer, with instructions sent after university registration. Housing is limited to associate and undergraduate students, requires a separate refundable damage deposit, and must be paid before move-in. Graduate students and anyone studying principally in Maslak should plan for off-campus accommodation unless the university confirms another option.

Location & Surroundings

Işık University is based in Istanbul but does not have a single-city-centre campus. Şile Campus is at Meşrutiyet Mahallesi on the Asian side, beside the Black Sea. Its large coastal site offers a comparatively self-contained residential environment with academic buildings, dormitories, sports areas and daily services. Şile is geographically removed from central Istanbul, so applicants should examine current transport arrangements and journey times before choosing accommodation or employment away from campus. Maslak Campus is on Büyükdere Avenue in the Pınar neighbourhood, on Istanbul’s European side. Maslak is a dense business district, giving students a setting closer to corporate offices and the urban transport network. The vocational school is explicitly listed at this campus. The two locations offer materially different routines: Şile suits students seeking a residential campus, while Maslak places students in a major commercial area. They are also on opposite sides of metropolitan Istanbul. Prospective students should confirm the teaching location of every required course and avoid assuming that the campuses are interchangeable or quickly walkable from one another.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Costs vary by nationality, program, scholarship status and payment method. For domestic candidates, the official 2026–2027 fee table publishes program-level prices in Turkish lira and separate figures for bank transfer, credit-card payment and instalments. It also shows multiple scholarship or discount categories. Because the amount can differ substantially by degree and placement status, applicants should calculate their own net charge from the live table and written award terms rather than use a university-wide tuition estimate. The international tuition page is labelled for 2026–2027 but instructs undergraduate and associate applicants to contact International Admissions for the current fee. Its visible graduate fee table is marked for spring 2025–2026. Older international prices should therefore not be presented as current 2026–2027 tuition. International candidates should request a dated offer or invoice covering the exact program and intake. Şile housing is an additional cost. The 2026–2027 dormitory page publishes room-specific annual charges and requires a separate refundable TRY 3,600 damage deposit. Housing is available only to associate and undergraduate students, and the annual fee and deposit must be paid before move-in. Meal-inclusive choices cost more than accommodation alone. Career support includes appointment-based counselling and coaching, career planning, career days, employer or industry introductions, internship and job postings, résumé guidance, interview preparation, seminars and meetings between students and alumni. These services are useful infrastructure, but the university does not provide sufficiently current, independently verified salary or placement outcomes on the cited pages.