The Gevher Nesibe Medical Faculty, which was opened as an affiliation with Hacettepe University in 1969; and Kayseri Business Administration Faculty, which   opened in 1977, constituted an independent university under the name of The University of Kayseri in 1978. In 1982, the other two Higher Education Institutions in Kayseri were incorporated into the same university as Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Theology. Then its name was converted into Erciyes University.

The name of the university has an inspiration from Mount Erciyes, which is 15 kilometres to the south-west of the university, and is 3917 metres high. Today, besides a campus in Kayseri’s city-center, the university runs its activities in Central Anatolia,  which provides education in 17 faculties, 14 vocational high schools, 4 institutions and 9 research centers, and a highly developed research hospital   with 1,000 beds.

The university faculties are listed as follows. Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Engineering, and Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The following these faculties were  added after  1992; in 1992 Faculty of Architecture and Fine Arts, in 1993 Yozgat Architecture and Engineering Faculty,  in 1995 Faculty of Veterinary in Kayseri, and Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and Faculty of Arts and Sciences in Yozgat and in 1997 Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration) in Nevşehir were established.

These  colleges provide a four-year education: Vocational School of Physical Education and Sports, Atatürk Health College, School of Foreign Languages Civil Aviation College in Kayseri, School of Tourism and Hotel Management, Nevşehir Health College in Nevşehir and Yozgat Health College in Yozgat.

Vocational Schools provide a two year education. and  they are: Kayseri Vocational College, Halil Bayraktar Health Services Vocational College, Safiye Çıkrıkçıoğlu Vocational College and Kocasinan Vocational College in Kayseri and Yozgat Vocational College in Yozgat and Nevşehir Vocational College in Nevşehir.

At Erciyes University,  postgraduate studies have begun to increase, particularly since 1984. Currently there are  1114 Master of Arts and Sciences and Social Sciences, students  and 248 Doctorate students  continuing their education in the Institutes of  Sciences, Health Sciences and Social Sciences.   Since the beginning of the current academic school year (2004-2005) a total of 27,303 students are studying for their bachelor’s degree; 7,337 students are  attending  evening programmes, and there are 309 students from the New Turkish Republics We hope that the number of the students will increase in the following  years.

The number of the teaching staff at the  university has reached a desired level and currently there are 205 professors, 86 associate Professors, 274 assistant professors, 164 lecturers, 171 instructors, 47 experts and 602 research assistants. We employ a  total of 1549 academic personnel and 1488 administrative personnel.

Despite the fact that it is a new educational institution, Erciyes University is highly developed and thus well  organized compared to the standards of our country. Moreover, it caters to the needs of its neighbourhood, particularly in the field of education and health and it has united with it.

Some important parts of sub-structures and service facilities of Erciyes University have been built by the charitable businessmen in the vicinity. Some of the faculties have already been completed and they are in use at the moment and others are under construction.  

PERIOD OF STUDY

a)      Vocational Colleges:

            A vocational college  degree can normally be obtained after completion of  2 academic years (4 semesters). These colleges are Kayseri Vocational college, Halil Bayraktar Health Services Vocational College, Safiye Çıkrıkçıoğlu Vocational College, Yozgat Vocational College and Kocasinan Vocational College. After the completion of 2 academic years (4 semesters), if a student, who is currently studying at Erciyes University, faces dismissal from the university due to failure or other reasons in the following academic years, he can be given a Vocational College degree if and  when the students demands.

  b)      Bachelor’s Degree (Undergraduate Education):

            The undergraduate education at our university is carried out in 17 faculties and 7 colleges. The length of undergraduate education in Faculty of Medicine is twelve semesters; in the Faculty of Veterinary   ten semesters and in the other faculties eight semesters. The length of study is eight semesters, in the School of Tourism and Hotel Management, Health College in Nevşehir, Physical Education and Sports College, Atatürk Health College in Kayseri, and Health College in Yozgat.

  c)      Postgraduate Education

             Postgraduate (instruction) at our university is carried out in the Institutes of  Science, Health Sciences and Social Sciences. The boards of the Institutes determine their course length.

                  Academic Duration

a)      Undergraduate Education: Undergraduate education is completed in a period of four semesters (2 years) and given in the following vocational colleges: Kayseri Vocational College, Safiye Çıkrıkçıoğlu Vocational College, Yozgat Vocational College and Kocasinan Vocational College. Students of vocational colleges completing four semesters successfully are awarded an undergraduate certificate even if they aren’t successful in the following two years.

b)      Graduate Education: Graduate education is given in 17 faculties and 7 colleges. The academic durations of the Medical Faculty and the Veterinary Faculty are 12 and 10 semesters respectively. In the other faculties it is 8 semesters. It is also 8 semesters in Nevşehir Tourism Administration and Hotel Management, Physical Education and Sports College, Kayseri Atatürk Health College,Civil Aviation College, Nevşehir Health College, and Yozgat Health College.

c)      Post-graduate Education: There are post-graduate and Ph.D. Programs in the Institutes of  Sciences and Health Sciences and  Social Sciences at Erciyes University. The boards of the institutes determine the academic duration of these programs.