History

 

Yildiz Technical University is a state university founded in 1911 by the name "Conductors (Technicians) School of Higher Education". Today, it is offering academic activities with 10 Faculties, 2 Graduate Schools, 3 Vocational Schools and 41 Departments.

The graduate education in our university started in 1959 (The name of the university was Istanbul Technical School back then) by the name "Specialty Division". The Graduate School of Science and Engineering currently has 26 Depertments and 133 Graduate Programs (MSc. and Ph.D.). The medium of instruction is Turkish in 122 of these programs and English in 11 of these programs. 56 of the programs whose medium of instruction is Turkish are MSc., 16 of them are Non-Thesis MSc. and 50 of them are Ph.D. programs. 6 of the programs whose medium of instruction is English are MSc. and 5 of them are Ph. D. programs

 

For a list of graduate programs, please click here.

For detailed information regarding Non-Thesis MSc. programs, please click here.

 

The Conductors (Technicians) School of Higher Education (1911-1922)

The Kondüktör Mekteb-i Âlisi/Conductors (Technicians) School of Higher Education was founded in 1911 in order to meet the “science officer” (known previously as conductors, and today as technicians) requirement of the Municipality Public Works Section. The school was modelled on the syllabus of the “Ecole de Conducteur” and was affiliated with the Ministry of Public Works. Enrolment began on 22 August 1911.

The School of Public Works (1922-1937)   

The name of the school was changed to Nafia Fen Mektebi/School of Public Works in 1922 and the duration of education was increased to 2,5 years in 1926 and 3 years in 1931.

 

The Istanbul Technical School (1937-1969)

Following the increase in public facilities and the requirement for technical services, a new law was published on 19 December, 1936. According to the new regulation (law no:3074) which came into effect on 1 June 1937 the Nafia Fen Mektebi was closed and the Technical School was established to supply workforce for the gap between technical officers and professional engineers. The school had a 2-year program for technical officers and a 4-year program for engineering. The school was given buildings, which are still in use today, from the Yıldız Palace annexes and moved here.


In the early period the school had Construction and Mechanical Science departments educating students as technical officers and engineers. From the 1942-1943 semesters on, Electricity and Architecture departments were founded as part of the department of engineering. The Law dated 26 September 1941 on the transfer of the Istanbul School of Professional Engineers and the Technical School to the Ministry of Education transferred the school from the Ministry of Public Works to the Ministry of Education. The decree of the Ministry of National Education dated 7 June 1949 founded the Cartography and Land Survey Engineering Department and began education in the 1949-1950 semesters as the first institution for engineers in Turkey in this field. In the 1951-1952 semesters the department for the education of technicians was closed. In the 1959-1960 semesters a department of specialization was opened at the Istanbul Technical School which awarded the titles of professional engineer and professional architect after a year’s study. 

 

Architectural Academy Period (1969-1982)

The school was established as an autonomous higher education and research institution with a new law (Law no. 1184) of State Engineering and Architectural Academies published on 3 June 1969. Law no. 1472 ruled for the closing of special vocational schools in 1971, and engineering schools were affiliated with the Istanbul State Engineering and Architectural Academy.

 

The Yıldız University Period (1982-1992)

The Istanbul State Engineering and Architectural Academy and affiliated schools of engineering and the related faculties and departments of the Kocaeli State Engineering and Architecture Academy and the Kocaeli Vocational School were merged to form Yıldız University in 1982. The new university incorporated the departments of Science-Literature and Engineering, the Vocational School in Kocaeli, a Science Institute, a Social Sciences Institute and the Foreign Languages, Atatürk Principles and the History of Revolution, Turkish Language, Physical Education and Fine Arts departments affiliated with the Rectorate.

 

The Yıldız Technical University Period (1992-)

Our university was renamed into Yildiz Technical University in 1992. The Engineering Faculty was divided into four faculties and restructured as the Electrical-Electronics, Construction, Mechanical and Chemical-Metallurgy Faculties and also included the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences within its organization. The Kocaeli Faculty of Engineering and the Kocaeli Vocational School were released from our university to be restructured as Kocaeli University.

Today our university has 11 Faculties, 2 Graduate Schools, the Vocational School of Higher Education, the Vocational School for National Palaces and Historical Buildings, the Vocational School for Foreign Languages and more than 35.000 students.