Department Updates

Bilkent University Graduate Exchange Program

About the Program

Established in Fall 2005, the WIU Department of History's Graduate Student Bilkent Exchange Program offers select students the opportunity to study for one semester at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey. The exchange program exposes graduate students of history to an area of the world rich in multicultural civilization and historical importance. A semester spent at Bilkent's award-winning Department of History allows WIU graduate history students the opportunity to pursue historical topics of interest in an international setting, as well as the opportunity to evaluate, analyze, and compare/contrast the global record of human experience first hand.

About Bilkent University

Located in the city of Ankara (Turkey's capital), Bilkent University was founded on October 20, 1984. A private research university, Bilkent's goal is to create a center of excellence in higher education and research. "Bilkent" is an acronym of bilim kenti, Turkish for "city of science and knowledge".  In addition to WIU, Bilkent University has exchange programs with the University of California system, Purdue, Johns Hopkins, University of Maine, University of Texas at Austin, University of Missouri, Bowling Green State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Carthage College, Franklin and Marshall College in the US; University of Laval and McGill University in Canada; and Tel-Aviv University in Israel.  All courses are taught in English.

Bilken Exchange Student

The faculty consists of academic professionals from 43 different countries. Most worked in prominent universities in North America and Europe when they received offers from Bilkent University. According to ISI Citation Indexes, Bilkent continues to be first in Turkey in number of published papers per faculty member and ranks high internationally. Bilkent's library is extensive, with over 20,000 journals and 500,000 books in English, as well as electronic resources and an English-speaking staff.

Bilkent University's Department of History focuses on graduate studies, offering M.A. and Ph.D. programs in the areas of Ottoman, European, and American history. Begun in 1993, the Department boasts an international faculty trained at some of the leading universities in Europe, North America, and Turkey. The Department serves an international student body with students from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania, Turkey, and the United States currently enrolled.

How to Apply

Students should download the application form and submit it along with the necessary accompanying documents (indicated on the form) to the Graduate Studies Director, Department of History, Western Illinois University. Appropriate semester deadlines are on the form. A copy of the exchange agreement, containing student requirements, fees, and expectations can be obtained from the Graduate Director.