Social Work in Turkey

Social Work in Turkey (Sosyal Hizmet) is a four-year bachelor's taught in Turkish, usually in a faculty of health sciences, that prepares professional social workers through theory, social policy and long supervised field placements. Published bachelor's fees on this page run from $3,500 to $4,958 a year, with 2026/27-labelled lists between $4,000 and $4,500, and Üsküdar also offers a master's with or without a thesis.

The same Turkish degree appears in English under two names: some universities translate Sosyal Hizmet as Social Work, others as Social Services. Both are four-year bachelor's programmes; do not confuse them with the two-year associate programme Sosyal Hizmetler, which trains assistant staff rather than social workers.

Social work in Turkey is closely tied to hospitals, schools, municipalities, child-protection services and migration NGOs. Because casework is done with Turkish-speaking clients, a strong command of Turkish is essential by the time placements begin.

The final-year placement is the core of the degree. Ask which agencies the department works with, how many days a week you spend there and whether a qualified social worker supervises you on site.

• School-leaving certificate and transcript above the university's minimum; Üsküdar lists 3 out of 5 for Russian, Kazakh, Tajik and Turkmen attestats.
• Turkish proficiency, typically B2 from a university TÖMER or the Yunus Emre Institute for undergraduate entry, or a pass in the university's Turkish exam; otherwise a one-year Turkish preparatory programme.
• Passport and translated documents; the high-school equivalence certificate (denklik) is obtained through a Turkish embassy or, in Turkey, a provincial directorate of the Ministry of National Education.
• For master's entry, a bachelor's diploma, transcript and the university's Turkish requirement for a Turkish-taught programme.

Diplomas earned through distance education are a known problem: İstinye does not accept them for international quotas, and Üsküdar notes they cannot receive the equivalence certificate. If your school years were partly online, check this before paying any deposit.

1. A year or more before. Start Turkish seriously; placements with Turkish-speaking clients need a solid level by the third year.
2. Six to nine months before. Collect school documents and confirm that your diploma was not earned through distance education.
3. Application. Apply online; the university decides admission.
4. After acceptance. Pay the deposit shown in the letter and apply for a student visa; the consulate decides.
5. On arrival. Register, take the Turkish placement test, obtain denklik and apply for the residence permit, which the migration authority decides.

• Placement network. Hospitals, municipalities, family and social services units, schools and NGOs should all appear on the list.
• Supervision. Ask how many field supervisors are qualified social workers and how often academic staff visit placements.
• Staff background. A department with lecturers holding social work degrees, not only sociology or psychology, teaches practice better.
• Specialisms. Medical social work, child protection, migration and addiction are strong areas at different universities.
• Graduate route. Üsküdar runs thesis and non-thesis master's programmes in social work.

Sources: İstanbul Gelişim University, İstanbul Medipol University, Üsküdar University, Nişantaşı University. Medipol lists two Social Services bachelor's programmes at different fees, one in its School of Health Sciences and one in its college on the Haliç campus.

Tuition does not cover a Turkish preparatory year, transport to placement sites, housing, insurance or the residence permit.

Social workers work in hospitals and psychiatric services, child-protection and family services, schools, prisons and probation, elderly and disability care, municipalities, and humanitarian and migration organisations. International organisations and NGOs working with refugees in Turkey value graduates who speak Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Russian or other community languages.

Many public social-work posts in Turkey are filled through national civil-service recruitment, so international graduates more often join NGOs, private care providers or return home. If you plan to practise abroad, check how the social-work regulator in that country assesses foreign degrees and field-practice hours; keep your placement records and supervisor evaluations.