History

Sabancı University’s Graduate Program in History concentrates on Ottoman and Modern Turkish History. It aims to foster fresh, unbiased and critical visions of the Ottoman-Turkish past that are informed by novel theoretical insights and comparative sensibilities characterizing leading-edge practice in historical studies. In its innovative and comprehensive approach to Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies, the History Programs benefits from the wide- ranging professional capabilities of its academic staff as well as from the interdisciplinary make-up of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The separate MA and PhD trajectories in the program are envisaged as constituting a total and integral course of study that promotes research in diverse areas ranging from political and legal to intellectual, social and cultural history, as well as nationalism studies.

History MA Program Objectives

The aim of the History MA program is to provide an opportunity for all students with diverse undergraduate backgrounds to acquire a solid academic basis on Ottoman and modern Turkish history. Students aiming to later do a PhD in Ottoman, Balkan or Middle Eastern history, are strongly encouraged to select the MA program with thesis.

Program Specific Outcomes of Master of Arts in History

By completing the program, students will

• Develop the ability to use critical, analytical, and reflective thinking and reasoning;
• Learn to reflect on social and ethical responsibilities in their professional life;
• Gain experience and confidence in the dissemination of project/research outputs;
• Work responsibly and creatively as an individual or as a member or leader of a team and in multidisciplinary environments;
• Learn to communicate effectively by oral, written, graphical and technological means and reach a high level of competency in English;
• Reach and acquire information independently, and develop appreciation of the need for continuous learning and being up-to-date with regard to developments in their field of inquiry.
• Develop a thorough knowledge of theories, concepts, and research methods in the field and apply them in research design and data analysis.
• Assess the impact of the economic, social, and political environment at the global, national and regional level.
• Learn how to access written and visual, as well as primary and secondary sources of information, interpret concepts and data from a variety of sources in developing disciplinary and interdisciplinary analyses.
• Demonstrate command of comparative perspectives, which may include the ability to compare the histories of different societies or cultures with an awareness of continuity and change over extended time spans.
• Construct concepts and theories derived from the humanities and social sciences.
• Analyze evidence based on research in order to support a historical argument in answer to a research question.
• Apply a critical perspective to evaluating historical arguments, including the quality of the sources, the validity of the interpretations of those sources, and the soundness of the argument's use of evidence to support a historical interpretation.
• Develop and sustain historical arguments in a variety of literary forms, formulating appropriate questions and utilizing evidence.

History PhD Program Objectives

Sabancı University's PhD Program in History concentrates on Ottoman and Modern Turkish History. It aims to foster fresh, unbiased and critical visions of the Ottoman-Turkish past that are informed by the novel theoretical insights and comparative sensibilities characterizing leading-edge practice in historical studies. In its innovative and comprehensive approach to the field of Ottoman and Modern Turkish field of studies, the History Programs benefits from the wide-ranging professional capabilities of its academic staff as well as from the interdisciplinary make-up of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

History PhD Program Outcomes

Students who complete the program will

• Develop, deepen and advance the current knowledge in the field with original thought and/or research, coming up with original and innovative definitions and theories.
• Conceive interdisciplinary methodologies in their interaction with the field; come up with original solutions by using knowledge requiring proficiency in the analysis and synthesis of new and complex ideas.
• Evaluate and use new information with a systematic approach.
• Develop innovative methodologies, design and/or practice or adapt already familiar knowledge, methods, design and/or practice to another field; research, conceive, design, adapt and implement an original subject.
• Develop skills in critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation of new and complex ideas.
• Gain advanced skills in the use of research methods in their chosen field of study.
• Contribute to progress in their field with innovative ideas, skills, designs and/or practices or with adapting an already known idea, skill, design, and/or practice to a different field independently.
• Broaden the borders of knowledge in their chosen field by producing an original work, or interpreting one in an original way, or publishing at least one scientific paper in the field in national and/or international refereed journals.
• Demonstrate leadership in contexts requiring innovative and interdisciplinary problem solving.
• Develop new ideas and methods in the field by using high level mental processes, such as creative and critical thinking, problem solving and decision making.
• Put forth original views when exchanging ideas in the field with professionals and communicate effectively and competently.
• Acquire the ability to communicate and discuss orally, in written form, and visually, with peers by using a foreign language at least at the level of the European Language Portfolio C1 General Level.
• Contribute to the transition of the community to an information society and to its sustainability by introducing scientific, technological, social or cultural improvements.
• Demonstrate functional interaction by using strategic decision making in solving problems encountered in the field.
• Address social, scientific, cultural and ethical problems in the field and support the development of values based on these.

Research Areas

• Political History 
• Social and Economic History 
• Political Culture 
• Cultural History 
• Urban History 
• Nationalism 
• Ottoman-Greek Studies 
• Ottoman Literature
• Language and Literacy 
• Modern and Premodern State Construction 
• Early Modern Ottoman History
• Balkan History 
• Migration 
• Ottoman Minorities 
• Ottoman Gender History 
• Books and Reading Culture
• History of Art and Architecture 
• Modern Greek History 
• History of Iran and Central Asia 
• Persian Literature 
• Ottoman Law 
• Modern Turkey 
• History of Islam
   

Faculty Members

• Abdurrahman Atçıl 
• Akşin Somel 
• Ayşe Ozil 
• Bratislav Pantelic 
• Cemil Koçak
• Emre Erol 
• Ferenc Péter Csirkés 
• Hakan Erdem 
• Hülya Canbakal 
• Tülay Artan

Alumni Stories

• Nazan Maksudyan (History PhD, 2008): Einstein Guest Professor at the Friedrich-Meinecke-Institut at the Freie Universität Berlin and Research Associate at the Centre Marc Bloch (Berlin). 
• Muhammed Talha Çiçek (History PhD, 2012): Assistant Professor of History, İstanbul Medeniyet University. 
• Selçuk Dursun (History PhD, 2007): Selcuk Dursun, our first PhD teaches at the History Department, METU since graduation. 
• Harun Bekir Küçük (History MA, 2005): Associate Professor, Department of History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania; ((MA History, Sabancı University (2005); PhD History and Science Studies, University of California, San Diego (2012)).
• İbrahim Kaya Şahin (History MA, 2000):Associate Professor, Department of History at Indiana University Bloomington (MA History, Sabancı University (2000); PhD History, The University of Chicago (2007)).
• Melis Taner (History MA, 2009): Assistant Professor of Architecture, Özyeğin University (BA Social and Political Science, (Sabancı University (2009); MA Medieval History, Central European University (2007); PhD History of Art, Department of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University (2016)).

Application Requirements

• Official Transcript 
• Statement of Purpose 
• Two Letters of Recommendation 
• Sample Work 
• CV 
• ALES, GRE or GAT scores 
• English Proficiency Exam (TOEFL IBT, PTE Academic, CAE, CPE, YDS, e-YDS or YÖKDİL)
   

Graduate Scholarships

Scholarship evaluations for the candidates are made as part of their acceptance into their SU program. Graduate scholarship recipients are proposed by the Admission Jury based on the students’ academic history and performance in the examination; and they are then evaluated by the related Graduate School Administrative Board. Please click here for detailed information.

Contact

For further information about Graduate Program, please contact History Program Coordinator 

Ferenc Péter Csirkés 

ferenc.csirkes@sabanciuniv.edu