Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University (AHBVÜ) is a public university located in Ankara, the capital of Türkiye. The university derives its name from the Sufi mystic Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, who lived in Ankara. The institution has a structure focused on social sciences and the arts.

Historical Development

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University was established on 18 May 2018 by Law No. 7141, through the separation of certain academic units from Gazi University. Among the academic heritage transferred to the university are institutions dating back to 1934.

Most of the faculties and schools that constitute AHBVÜ had operated for many years within Gazi University prior to its establishment. For example, the foundation of the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences lies in the Ankara Academy of Economic and Commercial Sciences (AİTİA), established in 1955. The Faculty of Communication was founded in the 1967–1968 academic year under the name Başkent Journalistic School, while the Faculty of Letters traces its origins to the Faculty of Statistics and Basic Sciences, opened in the 1978–1979 academic year. These units were consolidated under the AHBVÜ umbrella in 2018.

Academic and Administrative Structure

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University conducts its educational and teaching activities through nine faculties, three colleges, three vocational schools, one conservatory, one institute, and 31 research centers.

Mission and Vision

The university’s mission is to generate knowledge through science, culture, and art, and to make it available for public service. Its vision is to become a university that leads societal development in the fields of social sciences, culture, and art. The institution’s core values include research orientation, pioneering role in social change, innovation in education, student-centeredness, transparency, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, and commitment to national and spiritual values.

Academic Units

The academic units within the university are as follows:

Faculties

• Faculty of Letters: Established in 1978, this faculty includes departments of Archaeology, Western Languages and Literatures, Contemporary Turkish Dialects and Literatures, Philosophy, Translation and Interpretation, Psychology, Russian Language and Literature, Art History, Sociology, History, Turkish Language and Literature, and Turkish Folklore. Within the faculty, two intangible cultural heritage museums affiliated with the Turkish Folklore Research and Application Center and a Psychology Application and Research Center operate.

• Faculty of Fine Arts: Established in 2005, this faculty includes departments of Painting, Sculpture, Visual Communication Design, Photography and Video, Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, and Basic Art Sciences. The Department of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage is the only such department in Türkiye offering undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. The Department of Visual Communication Design is the first of its kind established within the fine arts faculties of state universities.

• Faculty of Law: Established in 1992, this faculty comprises departments of Private Law and Public Law. It houses the Turkish Criminal Law Application and Research Center (TURK-CE-MER).

• Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences: This faculty is the continuation of AİTİA, which began instruction in 1955. It offers education in the departments of Labor Economics and Industrial Relations, Econometrics, Economics, Business Administration, Finance, Health Management, Political Science and Public Administration, International Relations, and International Trade.

• Faculty of Communication: Established in the 1967–1968 academic year, this faculty includes departments of Journalism, Public Relations and Advertising, and Radio, Television, and Cinema. Within the faculty, a student-run newspaper called "ilet@isim" is published to provide practical experience, alongside radio and television studios, fiction workshops, and a photography studio.

• Faculty of Islamic Sciences: Established in 2013, this faculty comprises departments of Basic Islamic Sciences, Islamic History and Arts, and Philosophy and Religious Studies. The duration of education is four years, excluding a mandatory one-year Arabic preparatory class.

• Polatlı Faculty of Science and Letters: Operational since the 2010–2011 academic year, this faculty includes departments of Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Turkish Language and Literature, and History.

• Faculty of Art and Design: This faculty traces its origins to the Ertik Teacher Training School, established in 1934–1935, and adopted its current name in 2009. It includes departments of Handicrafts, Traditional Turkish Arts, Visual Arts, Graphic Design, Jewelry and Gemstone Design, Fashion Design, and Textile Design. The Department of Jewelry and Gemstone Design is the only department at the faculty level in state universities offering a four-year program.

• Faculty of Tourism: Founded in 1956, this is Türkiye’s oldest tourism faculty. It offers education in the departments of Tourism Management, Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, Recreation Management, Travel Agency Management, and Tourism Guiding. The faculty houses Türkiye’s first “molecular gastronomy kitchen.”

Colleges

• College of Banking and Insurance: This college, originally established in 1968 and reorganized in 2008, provides education in Banking and Insurance.

• College of Land Registry and Cadastre: Established in 2011, this college includes the departments of Land Registry and Cadastre, and Real Estate and Property Management. It is the only college of its kind in Türkiye.

• College of Foreign Languages: Established in 2019, this college provides a mandatory one-year preparatory program in English, Arabic, French, and Russian for students enrolled in undergraduate programs where instruction is fully or partially in a foreign language. Its primary aim is to develop students’ core language skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—to ensure successful completion of their undergraduate studies.

Vocational Schools

• Justice Vocational School: Established in 2010, this school includes the departments of Justice and Criminal Justice and Security Services.

• Polatlı Social Sciences Vocational School: Established in 2014 through the merger of various vocational schools, it includes departments of Child Care and Youth Services, Finance-Banking and Insurance, Audiovisual Techniques and Media Production, Accounting and Taxation, Architecture and Urban Planning, Hair Care and Beauty Services, and Textile-Garment-Footwear and Leather.

• Polatlı Technical Sciences Vocational School: Established on 22 September 2000 and affiliated with Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University on 18 May 2018, this school currently has no active departments or enrolled students.

State Conservatory

• Turkish Music State Conservatory: The first Turkish music conservatory established in Ankara in 2010, it offers education in the departments of Musicology, Instrumental Education, and Vocal Education.

Institute

• Graduate School of Education: This institute consolidates all graduate programs of the university under one roof. It manages 58 doctoral, 112 master’s, and 38 non-thesis master’s programs across seven main fields and 40 subfields. Interdisciplinary programs such as Alevi-Bektashi Culture and Women’s Studies are also available.

Teaching and Learning Approach

Educational and teaching activities at the university are conducted on a semester basis according to the academic calendar approved by the Senate. Students are required to attend at least 70% of theoretical courses and 80% of practical courses. Successful students are offered opportunities to pursue double major programs leading to dual degrees or minor programs leading to certificates. Horizontal transfers within and between institutions are carried out in accordance with relevant regulations.

Student and Staff Statistics

As of 21 June 2025, the total number of active students at the university is 27,741. Their distribution by level of study is as follows:

• Associate Degree: 2,789
• Bachelor’s Degree: 20,165
• Master’s Degree: 1,666
• Doctorate: 1,605

The university has 1,277 academic staff and 954 administrative staff.

Campus Facilities and Services

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University provides various services to its students and staff.

• Library Services: A central library is located in the Rectorate building, and reading rooms and libraries are available within the Faculties of Law, Art and Design, and Theology. The library collection includes 33,544 printed books, 7,085 periodicals, and 2,597 theses. Additional services include interlibrary loan (KİTS, OCLC-ILL), document delivery (TÜBESS), and plagiarism detection systems (Turnitin, iThenticate, İntihal.net).

• Social and Cultural Facilities: The university has ten conference and meeting halls, including the 5,000-seat Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University Congress Center, the 1,600-seat Itri Hall, and the 600-seat Celal Abadan Hall.

• Student Organizations: There are 85 active student organizations operating in professional and cultural fields.

• Sports Services: At the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences Campus, there is an indoor sports hall, a fitness center, and saunas. At the Gölbaşı Campus, outdoor basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts, as well as a walking trail, are available.

• Other Services: Nutritional services are provided for students and staff. Meal scholarships are offered to successful and financially needy students. Part-time employment opportunities are available for students wishing to utilize their free time. Counseling services are provided for students with disabilities.

Research and Internationalization

Scientific Research Projects (BAP)

The Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit (BAP) manages the evaluation, approval, funding, and monitoring of scientific research projects conducted by university faculty members.

International Exchange Programs

The university implements national and international collaborations through its Exchange Programs Coordination Offices. Three main exchange programs are currently active for students and academic staff:

• Erasmus+: A European Union project promoting student and academic exchange among higher education institutions.

• Mevlana Exchange Program: Aims to facilitate student and academic staff exchange between higher education institutions in Türkiye and abroad, without geographical restrictions.

• Farabi Exchange Program: Covers student and academic staff exchange among higher education institutions in Türkiye at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.