The Department of Turkish Literature at Bilkent University (Ankara) is pleased to invite applications for its MA programme. Incoming students will begin coursework in the Spring 2019 term.

The Department of Turkish Literature at Bilkent University has been an internationally-recognized center of excellence for teaching and research on Modern Turkish Literature since its establishment by Prof. Dr. Talât Halman in 1998. In recent years, building upon its rich history and pursuing the vision of its founder into the 21st century, our department has developed a particular focus on comparative and transnational approaches to Modern Turkish and late Ottoman literature and culture.

In addition to modern Turkish and comparative literature, our areas of strong teaching and research focus include late Ottoman literature, the cultural and literary production of non-Muslims in the late Ottoman and early Republican periods, literary contacts between Turkey and Western Europe (mainly Britain and France), gender studies, masculinity studies, migrant writing, travel literature, translation studies, media studies and others.

With a full-time faculty (Mehmet Kalpaklı, Zeynep Seviner, Peter Cherry, and Etienne Charriere) trained in prestigious universities in the United States and the United Kingdom, our department stands out among its peers for its bilingual curriculum, for its focus on graduate education, and for the excellent level of both financial and academic support it offers to its students, many of which have pursued doctoral studies and academic careers both in Turkey and abroad after graduating from Bilkent.

Students admitted in the program typically receive very generous financial support and complete preparatory coursework (intensive Ottoman and literary theory courses) in the first two semesters of their course of study. They subsequently take courses chosen among a rich elective pool that currently include, among many other offerings, East and West in Turkish Literature, World Fiction, Fictions of Migration, Gender and Fiction, Travel Writing, The Turkish Novel and Regional Contexts for Turkish Literature.

International applicants with a good command of Turkish are especially encouraged to apply. Strong English reading skills are expected from all applicants.

Deadlines for application:
-November 23 (Spring 19)
-late May 2019 (Fall 19)