As science, technology and social structures advance day by day, the world needs more qualified individuals who possess the knowledge and skills required to pursue a career anywhere in the world. Aware of this pressing issue, in 1994, the Sabancı Group decided to establish a “world university” led by the Sabancı Foundation.

Instead of choosing a university as a template or replicating existing examples and institutions, a new and unique university was designed during the foundation phase of the university. Having begun accepting students in 1999, Sabancı University sets an example to many universities today.

Sabancı University makes a difference with its unique educational system.

Academic programs of Sabancı University are innovative and interdisciplinary. As the conventional system of “departments” is seen to be hindering a true interdisciplinary approach at times and causing too early and restricted specialization in any given field, Sabancı University does not have academic divisions.

The education system of the university is based upon the common Foundations Development Year, which all students must complete regardless of their subsequent program choices or plans. Students who complete the Foundations Development Year successfully become individuals capable of critical thought, interdisciplinary interaction and problem-solving, who are endowed with the knowledge base required to complete the program they choose. In the second phase of Foundations Development, students are free to choose the introductory courses to their preferred diploma program and choose one of 11 programs to continue their education.

Faculties
There are three faculties at Sabancı University: the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences (FENS), the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and the Faculty of Management (FMAN). All faculties offer undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs.

The FENS offers undergraduate programs in Computer Science and Engineering, Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Electronics Engineering and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, and graduate programs in Information Technologies, Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Physics and Mathematics.

The undergraduate programs of the FASS are Economics, Management, Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design, Cultural Studies and Social and Political Sciences, in addition to the graduate programs in Economics, Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design, Political Science, Political Science-Conflict Resolution, Cultural Studies, History and European Studies.

The FMAN offers undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs in Management, Management for Executives degree programs, and graduate programs in Finance and Information Technologies in Management. The Executive Development Unit (EDU) offers executive development programs for professionals.

The university places great emphasis on industry relations and offers an Industry Leaders graduate program. Conducted jointly by the FENS and the FMAN and supported by industry partners, this program confers two graduate diplomas.

Graduates
More than 2,600 graduates of Sabancı University are pursuing successful careers in academia or the business world.

Seventeen percent of Sabancı University graduates continue their postgraduate studies with scholarships at the leading universities of the world, including Harvard, Stanford, Brown, MIT, Yale, Cornell, CalTech, Cambridge and Chicago. 93% of students find jobs within one year of graduation.

Sabancı University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center
Established by Sabancı University with the support of the State Planning Organization in 2009, the Nanotechnology Research and Application Center is the first interdisciplinary nanotechnology center in Turkey. The Center will lead advanced and interdisciplinary research and projects that will be rapidly adopted by the industry in the application of nanotechnology to physics, electronics, mechatronics, materials science, chemistry and biology. The Center aims to improve the university’s international competitive advantage in intellectual property portfolio and contribute to progress in leading research.

A campus that lives and breathes
The Sabancı University campus is a haven away from the bustling city, yet it has everything to meet the everyday needs of its students. The campus abounds with amenities from the Performing Arts Center to a Sports Center, Health Center, supermarket and movie hall. Sabancı University has the best housing unit to student ratio among universities in Turkey.