Private Turkish university in Europe admits law students with high-school degree, no exam required
A Turkish foundation's university in North Macedonia is admitting law students with merely a high-school degree and does not require any university entrance exam result, as long as the annual tuition of 4,500 euros is paid. Despite this, graduates of International Balkan University's law program can have their degree accredited by Turkey's higher education authority YÖK.
Serkan Alan - DUVAR
A university founded abroad by a Turkish foundation is admitting students into a law program with merely a high school degree, and the annual tuition of 29,500 Turkish Liras, also payable as 4,500 Euros.
Founded by the Üsküp Education and Culture Foundation in 2006, the International Balkan University (IBU) is located in North Macedonia, but offers a law degree that is admissible in Turkey.
"We don't have any pre-requisites for the law degree. You can enroll after presenting a high school diploma," a school official said on the university's WhatsApp line.
Students can receive an accreditation from Turkey's Council of Higher Education (YÖK) for their law degree, but might need to take a few extra classes, the school's information line said.
However, IBU's law program wasn't listed in the list of programs introduced to students by Turkey's Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) in 2020.
The university listed some 231 available slots for the upcoming freshman class for all of its faculties, but only 23 students enrolled at the programs.
Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop is the honorary chair of IBU's Board of Trustees.
In the meantime, Turkey's legal landscape has been undergoing changes with the system of multiple provincial bar associations being implemented, as well as constant legislative reforms like the social media law.
Turkish lawyers have recently protested the opening of new law programs in Turkey, noting that "unqualified programs without qualified academics" shouldn't exist.