Aydın Adnan Menderes University (ADÜ)

Aydın Adnan Menderes University (ADÜ) is a public university located in the city of Aydın, Türkiye. The university was established by Law No. 3837 dated 3 July 1992 and is named after Adnan Menderes, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Türkiye. Located in the center of Aydın Province and across various districts, the university continues its higher education and research activities.

History

At its establishment, the university began operations with faculties and higher schools transferred from existing higher education institutions. These included the Faculty of Education, Faculty of Science and Letters, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and Faculty of Agriculture, which formed the university’s initial academic structure.

Over the years, the university expanded its academic units by establishing new faculties, institutes, higher schools, and vocational higher schools. Since its founding, ADÜ has continued its physical development, constructing its main campus, the Aytepe Central Campus.

Image of Aydın Adnan Menderes University (Aydın Adnan Menderes University)

Campuses

Aydın Adnan Menderes University has a campus structure spread across the provincial center and various districts of Aydın.

• Aytepe Central Campus: The main campus located in the Efeler district. The rectorate building, numerous faculties, institutes, the library, and social facilities are situated here.

• Other Important Campuses: Nazilli Sümer Campus, Söke Campus, Çine Süleyman Pekgüzel Campus, Didim Akbük Campus, and Karacasu Muzaffer Özuysal Campus.

Academic Units

Faculties

• Faculty of Dentistry
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Nursing
• Faculty of Theology
• Faculty of Communication
• Faculty of Human and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Maritime Studies (Kuşadası)
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Fine Arts (Nazilli)
• Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences (Nazilli)
• Faculty of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Political Sciences
• Faculty of Business (Söke)
• Faculty of Architecture and Design (Söke)
• Faculty of Sports Sciences
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Tourism
• Faculty of Applied Sciences
• Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
• Faculty of Agriculture

Institutes

• Institute of Natural Sciences
• Institute of Health Sciences
• Institute of Social Sciences

Higher Schools

• Higher School of Foreign Languages

Vocational Higher Schools

• Atça Vocational Higher School
• Aydın Vocational Higher School
• Aydın Health Services Vocational Higher School
• Bozdoğan Vocational Higher School
• Buharkent Vocational Higher School
• Çine Vocational Higher School
• Didim Vocational Higher School
• Germencik Yamantürk Vocational Higher School
• Karacasu Memnune İnci Vocational Higher School
• Koçarlı Vocational Higher School
• Köşk Vocational Higher School
• Kuşadası Davutlar Vocational Higher School
• Kuyucak Vocational Higher School
• Nazilli Vocational Higher School
• Nazilli Health Services Vocational Higher School
• Söke Vocational Higher School
• Söke Health Services Vocational Higher School
• Sultanhisar Vocational Higher School

Student Profile

The university admits students based on results from the centralized examination conducted by the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM). Aydın Adnan Menderes University has a total student population of 48,360, encompassing undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students. ^【1】

Image of Aydın Adnan Menderes University (Aydın Adnan Menderes University)

Departments

Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate programs are offered by the university’s faculties and higher schools. The Faculty of Education offers programs in Science Teaching, Primary Mathematics Teaching, Preschool Teaching, Special Education Teaching, Guidance and Psychological Counseling, Classroom Teaching, Social Studies Teaching, Turkish Language Teaching, and English Language Teaching.

The Faculty of Science includes departments of Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. The Faculty of Human and Social Sciences offers programs in German Language and Literature, Archaeology, Philosophy, French Language and Literature, English Language and Literature, Psychology, Art History, Sociology, History, and Turkish Language and Literature.

Undergraduate programs in health sciences are offered by the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine, as well as by the Faculty of Health Sciences, which includes departments of Nutrition and Dietetics, Child Development, Midwifery, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, and by the Faculty of Nursing, which offers the Nursing program.

The Faculty of Engineering offers programs in Computer Engineering, Electrical-Electronics Engineering, Food Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, all taught in English. The Faculty of Agriculture includes programs in Horticultural Crops, Plant Protection, Biosystems Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Biotechnology, Field Crops, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, and Zootechnics.

In the field of economic and administrative sciences, programs such as Labor Economics, Econometrics, Economics and Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Political Science and Public Administration, International Relations, International Trade and Finance, and Management Information Systems are offered by the Faculty of Political Sciences, the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences (Nazilli), and the Faculty of Business (Söke).

Other undergraduate programs include Journalism, Visual Communication Design, Public Relations and Advertising, and Radio Television and Cinema at the Faculty of Communication; Travel Agency Management, Tourism Management, Tourism Guiding, and Food and Beverage Management at the Faculty of Tourism; Sports Management at the Faculty of Sports Sciences; and Theology at the Faculty of Theology.

Associate Degree Programs

Associate degree programs are delivered through vocational higher schools located in the central campus and districts. In the health sector, programs offered by the Aydın, Nazilli and Söke Health Services Vocational Higher Schools include Operating Room Services, Anesthesia, Environmental Health, Dialysis, Home Patient Care, Physiotherapy, First Aid and Emergency Care, Podology, Medical Documentation and Secretarial Services, Medical Imaging Techniques, Medical Laboratory Techniques, and Elderly Care.

The Aydın Vocational Higher School offers technical and social programs such as Printing and Publishing Technologies, Computer Programming, Office Management, Child Development, Construction Technology, Business Administration, Fashion Design, Accounting and Tax Applications, Automotive Technology, Marketing, and Artificial Intelligence Operator.

Vocational higher schools located in districts with high agricultural and livestock potential—Sultanhisar, Koçarlı, Çine, and Atça—offer programs in Smart Greenhouse Technologies, Plant Protection, Digital Agricultural Technologies, Food Technology, Laboratory Technology, Organic Farming, Landscape and Ornamental Plants, Greenhouse Farming, Milk and Dairy Products Technology, and Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.

Vocational higher schools in tourism regions—Kuşadası and Didim—offer programs in Culinary Arts, Catering Services, Tourism and Hotel Management, and Tourism and Travel Services. Other district vocational higher schools provide sector-specific programs such as Alternative Energy Sources, Banking and Insurance, Foreign Trade, Electricity, Real Estate Management, Public Relations, Logistics, Machinery, Mechatronics, Architectural Restoration, and Land Registry and Cadastre.

Awards and Achievements

• 2024 Academic Performance Evaluation: The 2024 Academic Performance Award process, conducted by the University Senate, was completed in October 2025 through the evaluation of academic staff members’ scholarly activities. ^【2】

• Disability-Free University Awards (2024): Under the 2024 Disability-Free Universities Awards organized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), the university’s Faculty of Medicine and the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Disability-Friendly Library were awarded the “Orange Flag” in the “Accessibility in Space” category. The award was granted due to compliance with TS 9111 standards and international accessibility criteria. ^【3】

• TÜSF Medal Rankings and FISU Summer Universiade (2024–2025): According to data published by the Turkish University Sports Federation (TÜSF), the university completed the 2024–2025 season with a total of 58 medals—28 gold, 16 silver, and 14 bronze—becoming the third university in Türkiye with the most medals. Additionally, at the FISU 2025 World University Summer Games held in Germany, Özlem Becerek from the Faculty of Sports Sciences won gold in discus throw with a distance of 61.15 meters, Mehmet Çelik won bronze in the 800 meters race, and Kubilay Encü won bronze in the 4x400 meters relay. ^【4】

• BlueSky Awards Aviation Award (2024): The PUSAY Aviation Team within the university received an award in the “Firsts and Achievements in Aviation” category at the International Aviation Awards (BlueSky Awards) held in November 2024. The award was granted for the team’s project titled “UAV Supported Emergency Lighting System (For Rescue and Security).” ^【5】

• TÜBA and TÜBİTAK Science Awards (2022): At the 2022 TÜBA and TÜBİTAK Science Awards ceremony held under the auspices of the Presidency, Professor Dr. Özge Çevik of the Department of Medical Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine was honored. The award recognized her internationally acclaimed research in biochemistry and pharmacology on cancer drug mechanisms, innovative drug delivery systems, and biomarkers. ^【6】

• THE Impact Rankings (2025): In the Times Higher Education (THE) “Impact Rankings 2025,” which assess universities’ contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the university ranked between 401–600 globally and 14–18 nationally. In subcategories, it ranked 35th globally in “Quality Education,” 201–300 in “Good Health and Well-being,” and 101–200 in “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.” ^【7】

• Webometrics World University Ranking (2025): In the Webometrics 2025 ranking, which analyzes the digital visibility and academic impact of higher education institutions, the university ranked 2,034th globally and 54th nationally. The ranking is determined based on criteria such as citation impact of scientific publications and open access policies. ^【8】

International Activities

In line with its internationalization goals, the university participates in various international exchange programs. The primary programs supporting student and academic staff mobility are Erasmus+ and the Mevlana Exchange Program. Through these programs, participants gain exposure to different cultures, enhance foreign language skills, and strengthen academic knowledge at an international level.