The Department of Economics where the medium of instruction is English was founded in 1985 as a new part of the Faculty of Economics. The main function of the department is to provide our graduates with a through understanding of economic fundamentals. To this end our curriculum embodies a rigorous treatment of the major fields in economics and mathematics. The program secondly aims at broadening
the intellectual scope of our students by providing them with a range of electives that they can choose from, depending on personal interest and aptitude. In designing the program the department has taken care to keep the number of required courses within the minimum university requirements so as to provide our students with different options and not to overburden them. Instruction in a language other than the native tongue of the students has both advantages and disadvantages. The students are required to make much more effort than their peers who are instructed in Turkish. We believe, however, that the benefits outweigh the costs of such a program. English is currently regarded as the universal medium in today’s global community. Familiarity with this language makes it possible to access and make use of world wide resources. Moreover, the students get the chance to acquire reading, comprehension and writing skills in English as a by-product of this education. This in turn leads to an open door of opportunity for our students. They become eligible to earn graduate degrees in English, which further enhances the students’ opportunities. As Turkey enters the 21st century, its integration with global markets, in particular the European market, will inevitably expand. Turkey will be more equipped and better able to function in this arena the greater its number of citizens who have a basic understanding of economic fundamentals and of the universal business language of English. Therein lies the importance of an Istanbul University Economics Department that offers a comprehensive program with instruction in English.
