Kadir Has University

About Kadir Has University

Kadir Has University operates as a Turkish foundation university: privately governed and nonprofit rather than a state institution. Founded in 1997, it remains active in 2026, with current admissions information, academic units, student services, and doctoral activity shown across its official sites. Its structure includes five faculties covering Art and Design; Communication; Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences; Engineering and Natural Sciences; and Law, alongside an Institute of Graduate Studies. The institution’s defining physical feature is its Cibali Campus. The main complex occupies a repurposed tobacco factory near the Golden Horn, combining preserved industrial architecture with classrooms, laboratories, an information center, performance spaces, and student facilities. This creates a compact urban academic setting rather than a secluded residential campus. The university reports that its female residence opened in 2024–2025, while additional accommodation is available through public and private dormitories nearby. Prospective students should approach KHAS as a multi-field university with distinct domestic and international entry routes. Turkish undergraduate placement and associated discounts are tied to the national ÖSYM system, whereas international undergraduate applications are handled through the International Office. Graduate admission is administered separately. Program language, scholarship conditions, and total cost can vary, so applicants should confirm the specific curriculum and offer terms before accepting admission.

International undergraduate applicants must have completed high school, or complete it before enrollment. The published document list includes a high-school diploma, transcript, passport copy, and English-proficiency evidence where applicable; reference and motivation letters are listed as conditional items. Admission also depends on the university’s country- or credential-specific high-school diploma criteria, which applicants should check before submitting. For English-medium undergraduate study, KHAS accepts several proficiency routes. Its page reflects the revised TOEFL iBT scale introduced in January 2026 and lists a minimum score of 4 on that scale; it separately states that TOEFL iBT results from before 21 January 2026 require at least 72. Cambridge, PTE Academic, Linguaskill, and Oxford tests are also listed. Applicants can alternatively take the KHAS English proficiency examination. Those who cannot establish sufficient proficiency must attend at least one year of English preparation, with separate fees. Turkish-medium programs require accepted C1-level Turkish evidence. Graduate applicants need an undergraduate degree for master’s entry and an undergraduate or master’s degree, depending on the route, for doctoral entry. The official requirements list transcripts, diploma, passport, statement of purpose, two references, and English evidence, with a CV and GRE, GMAT, or ALES results where applicable. Published minimum degree GPAs differ by level. Deadlines and program-specific requirements were not established from a single current university-wide page, so applicants should rely on the live application portal and program notice for their intended 2026–2027 intake.

KHAS offers study at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Its five-faculty organization supports disciplines ranging from law, economics, business, psychology, international affairs, and communication to architecture, design, engineering, molecular biology, and related fields. The university reported 24 undergraduate, 33 master’s, and 15 doctoral programs for 2024–2025; applicants should use the live academic catalog to confirm which programs are admitting for 2026–2027. The official curriculum site also documents double-major and minor options across the faculties. Examples include double majors in Law, Economics, Business Administration, Psychology, International Relations, Computer Engineering, Electrical-Electronics Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Architecture, and communication fields. Minor choices span disciplinary and cross-disciplinary areas, including climate and law, global studies, data engineering and law, bioinformatics, media psychology, and design culture. Availability and eligibility depend on university rules and the student’s home program, so these should be viewed as structured options rather than automatic entitlements. The university describes a common Core Program that brings students from different departments into a shared curriculum during their first academic term. It also emphasizes project-based work and collaboration with external partners. Language requirements remain program-specific. Students entering English-medium undergraduate study without accepted proof of proficiency may take the KHAS proficiency examination; those who do not meet the standard must complete the English Preparatory Program before beginning their degree courses.

Key Highlights

• Operating nonprofit foundation university founded in Istanbul in 1997
• Five faculties plus an Institute of Graduate Studies
• Urban Cibali Campus occupies a restored former tobacco factory beside the Golden Horn
• Separate application routes for international undergraduates and graduate students

Student Life & Environment

Student life is coordinated in part through the Campus Life Office, which works with student clubs and organizes conferences, discussions, training, concerts, and other cultural activities. The official club directory includes academic, artistic, civic, cultural, and interest-based organizations. Students can also seek places on university sports teams; KHAS lists activity in more than 20 branches, including basketball, volleyball, football, swimming, rowing, tennis, sailing, martial arts, and table tennis. Support services extend beyond clubs. The Dean of Students brings together the Campus Life, Career, Alumni, and Erasmus and Exchange offices, while psychological counseling and guidance is also identified among student-facing services. These offices give students routes for personal support, exchange planning, campus participation, and career preparation. Housing is available but should not be assumed to cover every student. The university’s female dormitory opened in the 2024–2025 academic year with 69 beds and is immediately behind the Cibali Campus. It offers accessible, double, and triple rooms plus study, lounge, kitchen, and laundry areas. KHAS also points students toward nearby private and Ministry of Youth and Sports dormitories. Applicants should request current 2026–2027 availability, eligibility, and prices directly, especially because scholarship-supported housing and ordinary paid accommodation follow different arrangements.

Location & Surroundings

The university’s central address is in Cibali, within Istanbul’s Fatih district, close to the Golden Horn and the city’s historic peninsula. This is a dense metropolitan environment with access to Istanbul’s cultural institutions, businesses, public spaces, and transport network. Students should expect the opportunities and practical complications of living in a very large city, including variable commuting times and significant differences in housing cost by neighborhood. The Cibali Campus is itself part of the location’s character. Its main buildings adapt the former Tekel Cibali Tobacco Factory, while the campus also incorporates courtyards, laboratories, social areas, performance halls, and the Rezan Has Museum. The university describes the site as open to public visitors for parts of its cultural and heritage offer. For housing decisions, proximity matters. The university residence for women is directly behind the campus, and KHAS identifies other public and private dormitories in the surrounding accommodation market. Students considering off-campus rooms should independently compare commute, contract conditions, deposits, utilities, and building safety rather than relying only on distance shown in listings.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Costs differ sharply by applicant category. For Turkish students first enrolling in 2026–2027, the official domestic fee table lists program-specific cash prices in Turkish lira and distinguishes discounted from full-fee places. Published examples range from TRY 676,500 after a 50% discount to full prices of TRY 1,495,000; installment payment adds 15% to the stated cash amount. These are tuition figures, not a complete cost of attendance. The international undergraduate page lists annual tuition of USD 20,000 and says scholarships are available, but it does not label that figure with an academic year. International applicants should therefore obtain a dated written fee and scholarship offer for 2026–2027. The graduate school explicitly sets 2026–2027 international tuition at USD 20,000 per year for thesis master’s and doctoral study, and USD 20,000 per program for non-thesis master’s study. Housing, food, transport, insurance, residence-permit costs, preparation study, and personal expenses should be budgeted separately. No verified university-wide graduate salary or employment-rate data were found, so career outcomes should not be inferred from the support services alone. The Career Office provides counseling, CV review, interview simulations, company visits, career events, and internship and job listings. It also supports compulsory and voluntary internship processes. Students can use these services to build experience, but access to support does not guarantee a placement or job.