Trakya University (TÜ)

Trakya University (TÜ) is a public university located in the city of Edirne, Türkiye. It was established on 20 July 1982. The university continues its educational and instructional activities across various campuses in Edirne and its surrounding areas.

The foundations of Trakya University trace back to units that began admitting students under Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine. The university was officially established on 20 July 1982 by Decree-Law No. 41. Following its establishment, new faculties, schools and institutes were gradually added over the years, expanding its academic structure. During this process, some existing academic units were divided or restructured to form new faculties.

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Trakya University conducts its educational and research activities across multiple campuses located in Edirne and its vicinity. Major campuses include the Balkan Campus, Ayşekadın Campus, İsmail Hakkı Tonguç Campus, Kosovo Campus and Prof. Dr. Ahmet Karadeniz Campus. These campuses house various academic units, student dormitories, libraries, sports halls and social facilities.

Trakya University’s academic structure consists of faculties, institutes and schools. These units offer various undergraduate and associate degree programs in the fields of Health Sciences, Engineering and Architecture, Social and Human Sciences, Art, Design and Education.

• State Conservatory
• Faculty of Dentistry
• Faculty of Pharmacy
• Faculty of Letters
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Fine Arts
• Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences
• Faculty of Theology
• Kırkpınar Faculty of Sports Sciences
• Faculty of Architecture
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Applied Sciences

• Balkan Research Institute
• Institute for Romanian Language and Culture Studies

• Keşan Hakkı Yörük Health School
• Keşan Yusuf Çapraz Applied Sciences School
• Uzunköprü Applied Sciences School
• School of Foreign Languages

• Arda Vocational School
• Edirne Social Sciences Vocational School
• Edirne Technical Sciences Vocational School
• Havsa Vocational School
• İpsala Vocational School
• Keşan Vocational School
• Health Services Vocational School
• Martyr Painter Hasan Rıza Fine Arts Vocational School
• Tunca Vocational School

A total of 41,587 students are currently enrolled at Trakya University.^【1】 Turkish citizens are placed in programs based on their scores in the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) organized by the Measurement, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM). International students are admitted based on the Foreign Student Examination (YÖS) and international diploma grades.

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Trakya University offers undergraduate and associate degree programs through its faculties and schools.

Undergraduate programs are offered by faculties and schools. Health-related programs are provided not only by the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy but also by the Faculty of Health Sciences through departments such as Nutrition and Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nursing, Audiology and Health Administration.

Departments within the Faculty of Letters include Archaeology, History of Art, History, Turkish Language and Literature, as well as Translation and Interpretation in German, Bulgarian and English. Additionally, programs focused on Balkan languages are available in Albanian, Bosnian and Contemporary Greek Language and Literature. The Faculty of Education offers programs in German Language Teaching, Science Education, Primary Mathematics Education, English Language Teaching, Preschool Education, Special Education, Guidance and Psychological Counseling, Classroom Teaching, Social Studies and Turkish Language Teaching.

The Faculty of Science houses departments in Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Information Security Technology and Software Development, while the Faculty of Engineering offers programs in Computer Engineering, Electrical-Electronics Engineering, Genetic and Biomedical Engineering, Food Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. The Faculty of Architecture provides education in Interior Architecture, Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

The Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences offers programs in Labor Economics, Econometrics, Economics, Business Administration, Finance, Political Science and Public Administration, and International Relations. The Faculty of Applied Sciences includes programs in Finance and Banking, Tourism Management and Management Information Systems. The Faculty of Fine Arts offers Communication and Design, the Kırkpınar Faculty of Sports Sciences offers Sports Management, and the Faculty of Theology offers Theology. At the school level, departments such as Nursing, Emergency Aid and Disaster Management, Banking and Insurance, Customs Operations, Public Relations and Advertising, and International Trade and Finance are available at the Keşan and Uzunköprü schools.

Associate degree programs are delivered through vocational schools. The Health Services Vocational School offers programs in Oral and Dental Health, Operating Room Services, Anesthesia, Disinfection Sterilization and Antisepsis, Digital Health Systems, Electroneurophysiology, Physiotherapy, First Aid and Emergency Care, Audiometry, Orthopedic Prosthetics and Orthotics, Pathology, Radiotherapy, Medical Documentation, Medical Imaging and Medical Laboratory Techniques.

The Edirne Technical Sciences Vocational School offers technical programs in Computer Programming, Biomedical Devices, Digital Agriculture, Electricity, Electronics, Garment Production, Cartography and Cadastre, Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, Unmanned Vehicle Technology, Occupational Health and Safety, Mechanical Engineering, Mobile Technologies, Radio-TV, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, and Aircraft Technology.

The Edirne Social Sciences Vocational School offers programs in Banking and Insurance, Office Management, Foreign Trade, Public Relations and Promotion, Logistics, Accounting and Tax Applications, Marketing, Social Services and Tourism and Hotel Management. The Arda Vocational School provides training in Culinary Arts, Pharmacy Services, Food, Chemistry and Laboratory Technology, and the Oil Industry.

The Martyr Painter Hasan Rıza Fine Arts Vocational School includes departments in Traditional Handicrafts, Graphic Design, Jewelry Making, Architectural Decorative Arts, Architectural Restoration, and Ceramic and Glass Design. The vocational schools located in Havsa, İpsala, Keşan and Uzunköprü offer programs such as Justice, Child Development, Mechatronics, Automotive, Local Governance, Finance and Business Management. Tunca Vocational School delivers Computer Programming and Web Design and Coding through distance learning.

Trakya University implements international exchange programs as part of its internationalization goals. Student and staff mobility is promoted through the Erasmus+ and Mevlana Exchange Programs. Additionally, the university establishes bilateral cooperation agreements with universities in various countries to carry out joint research projects and academic events.

Academic and scientific work conducted at Trakya University has been recognized by various institutions.

Faculty of Science Institute “Best Thesis Awards”: The university has awarded prizes for graduate theses that have resulted in high-impact publications (Q1, Q2, Q3) and patents. Graduate students Deniz Kızılkaya and Hakan Çamoğlu, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Gökhan Kaçar, received recognition for their Q1 publications. Doctoral student Nebiye Pelin Türker, supervised by Prof. Dr. Elvan Bakar, received an appreciation certificate for her patent application. In 2022, the Best Master’s Thesis Award was won by İlker Selvi (Mechanical Engineering) under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinçer Akal, and the Best Doctoral Thesis Award was won by Engin Şenel (Mathematics) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Figen Öke. In 2023, the Best Doctoral Thesis Award was awarded to Ozan Yörük (Chemistry) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Yüksel Bayrak.^【2】

YÖK Outstanding Achievement Award: At the 2021-2022 Academic Year Opening Ceremony, Arş. Gör. Dr. Çağatay Akdoğan and his thesis supervisor Prof. Dr. Ayşe Akyol were awarded the YÖK Outstanding Achievement Award for their study titled “Analysis of Advertising Effectiveness through Functional, Cognitive and Genetic Responses of Subjects Exposed to Different Advertising Content.” Additionally, Dr. Houman Bahmani Jalali and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Nizamoğlu received awards in the field of Science and Engineering, while Dr. Sema Arısoy and Prof. Dr. Tansel Çomoğlu were honored in the field of Health Sciences.^【3】

THE Impact Ranking: In the Times Higher Education (THE) 2024 Impact Ranking, Trakya University scored 52.8 points in the category of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG17 – Partnerships for the Goals), placing it in the global 1001+ band.^【4】

Accessible University: As part of the university’s digital transformation vision, the “Campus 4.0” mobile application was enhanced with features such as voice commands for visually impaired users, real-time subtitles for hearing impaired users, and accessible route maps for users with physical disabilities.^【5】

Teknofest Finalist: The “Tekno Trakya” team, composed of students from the Faculty of Science Physics Department, became a finalist in the 2024 Teknofest Assistive Technology category with their eye-controlled wheelchair project. Their project was exhibited at Teknofest Akdeniz.^【6】