Program Description

BA in Cultural Studies was launched in 2000-2001, MA degree in Cultural Studies in 2006-2007 and Phd degree in Gender Studies in 2017-2018. From its inception, the Cultural Studies Program at Sabancı University has been at once an intellectual endeavor and a medium of public involvement and engagement. Language of instruction is English

Program Objectives

The Cultural Studies Program is committed to addressing the critical relations between culture, power, and history through multi-disciplinary engagement, innovative research, methodological openness, and critical pedagogical practice. Combining the strengths of the humanities and social sciences, the MA Program in Cultural Studies seeks to become a unique center of research and debate on culture and politics in Turkey and the world. It also aims to contribute to the ongoing critical self-reflection of the humanities and the social sciences through local and international initiatives. Particular areas of research include Memory and Cultural Heritage; Conflict, Violence and Trauma; Media, Law and Public Spheres; Nationalism and Transnationalism; and Gender and Sexuality.

Qualification Awarded

The Master 's Degree in Cultural Studies ( second cycle in Cultural Studies) is awarded to the graduates who have successfully completed all courses in the curriculum.

Level of Qualification

Second Cycle

Specific Admission Requirements

The general requirements explained in “Quotas and Admissions” of Instruction Letter For Sabancı Unıversity Graduate Programs for admission of students.

Qualification Requirements and Regulations

Students must obtain a grade point average of at least 3.00 out of 4.00 and successfully pass all courses on the programme.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Exemptness from the courses which are included in transfer and student exchange programs are regulated by the related articles in Information on the Instruction Letter For Sabancı Unıversity Graduate. At Sabancı University, apart from formal education institutions, there is no recognition process for informal-based or experience-based (in-formal and non-formal) learning.

Common Outcomes of Masters Programs:

  1. Develop the ability to use critical, analytical, and reflective thinking and reasoning
  2. Reflect on social and ethical responsibilities in his/her professional life.
  3. Gain experience and confidence in the dissemination of project/research outputs
  4. Work responsibly and creatively as an individual or as a member or leader of a team and in multidisciplinary environments.
  5. Communicate effectively by oral, written, graphical and technological means and have competency in English.
  6. Independently reach and acquire information, and develop appreciation of the need for continuously learning and updating.

Common Outcomes for Institute:

  1. Develop a thorough knowledge of theories, concepts, and research methods in the field and apply them in research design and data analysis.
  2. Assess the impact of the economic, social, and political environment from a global, national and regional level.
  3. Know how to access written and visual, primary and secondary sources of information, interpret concepts and data from a variety of sources in developing disciplinary and interdisciplinary analyses.

Program Specific Outcomes:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the different approaches, concepts, and theoretical legacies in the interdisciplinary field of Cultural Studies.
  2. Identify interconnections of knowledge within and across the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, literature, visual studies, philosophy, and psychology.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of the multiple methodologies used in cultural analysis; in particular, ethnographic fieldwork, participant-observation, interviewing, oral history, focus group discussions, textual criticism, and visual analysis
  4. Cultivate a critical approach to the study of culture, articulating the relations between culture, power, and history; exploring cultural diversity and socio-cultural change at the local, national and global level; and exploring the corresponding demands for rights and social justice.
  5. Be able to conduct original research and develop sound analysis of phenomena in the realm of cultural production, consumption, and representation; develop and present advanced oral and written evaluations of one's research and arguments.

Occupational Profiles of Graduates

  1. The cultural sector: museums, cultural centers, publishing, tourism and media industries
  2. The private sector: especially advertising, public relations, marketing
  3. The public sector: government funded projects; local government initiatives, as well as E.U. and other international projects
  4. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) community work and action research, particularly in the areas of cultural policy, social policy, education, human rights, women’s rights, refugees and asylum seekers
  5. MA and PhD track: Graduates interested in research or academic careers will be competitive candidates for MA and PhD programs in the social sciences and humanities, specially in the fields of Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Sociology and Communication Studies.

Access to Further Studies

The general requirements explained in “Quotas and Admissions” of Information on the Instruction Letter For Sabancı Unıversity Graduate Programs for acceptance of the students to be taken to the graduate programs.

Exam Regulations and Assessment & Grading

The evaluation and grading of each course is included in “Examinations & Academic Assessment and Grades” of Information on the Instruction Letter For Sabancı Unıversity Graduate for admission of students.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation requirements are explained in the Instruction Letter For Sabancı Unıversity Graduate for admission of students.

Mode of Study

Full-Time

Program Coordinator

Sibel Irzık-sibel.irzik@sabanciuniv.edu