Acıbadem University Master’s Programs: Scholarships and Requirements

Contents

1. What master’s programs does Acıbadem University offer?

2. Who can apply, and which scores are required?

3. How do you apply to an ACU master’s program?

4. Which documents should you prepare?

5. How do ACU graduate scholarships work?

6. English-taught or Turkish-taught: which program fits you?

7. Why do program pages show different requirements?

8. What should you do next?

9. Real-World Examples

10. Frequently Asked Questions

11. References

12. Legal Notice

Introduction

Acıbadem University master’s programs are offered by four graduate units of Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University (ACU) in Istanbul. ACU’s quota table for the 2026–2027 fall second application round lists 36 master’s program entries: 30 with thesis and 6 without thesis. Admission generally combines a bachelor’s degree, a language score, an ALES result for thesis programs, and an interview, while scholarships are decided during admission.

Searches for “Acibadem masters” or “ACU graduate school” refer to the same university, renamed from Acıbadem University by Law No. 7033 in July 2017, according to ACU’s history page. Its graduate schools, not the hospitals sharing the Acıbadem name, handle admission.

This article covers which programs exist, the entry requirements, the application calendar and how scholarships are awarded and kept. It relies on official ACU documents: the 2026–2027 quota table, graduate school announcements, program pages, the graduate regulation of 29 January 2017 and the scholarship directive of 2 June 2021. Quotas, scores and dates are set for each round, so treat the figures as a snapshot as of October 2026.

What master’s programs does Acıbadem University offer?

Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University offers master’s programs through four graduate units, with most programs in health and life sciences. ACU’s 2026–2027 fall second-round quota table lists 50 graduate program entries, of which 36 are master’s entries. The Graduate School of Health Sciences runs the largest group, followed by the Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, the Graduate School of Social Sciences and the Senology Research Institute.

A graduate school is the academic unit within a Turkish university that runs graduate education and manages application and enrolment procedures. At ACU, each graduate school publishes its own application conditions, interview schedule and results, so applicants deal with the graduate school rather than with a central admissions office.

The program families in the 2026–2027 table, published by ACU in August 2026, fall into clear groups:

• Health Sciences: nursing specializations, nutrition and dietetics, sports nutrition, physiotherapy, forensic sciences, healthcare management, medical education, medical biotechnology, genome studies, biophysics and medical microbiology

• Natural and Applied Sciences: biomedical engineering, biomaterials, chemistry, and molecular biology and genetics

• Social Sciences: clinical psychology, cognitive neuropsychology and health sociology

• Senology Research Institute: general senology, and breast imaging techniques and technologies

Most entries are research-based. A master’s with thesis is a graduate program completed through coursework and the preparation of a thesis. The 2026–2027 table shows 30 thesis entries across all four units. A master’s without thesis is a coursework-focused graduate program completed with a term project instead of a thesis. The table lists 6 non-thesis entries: forensic sciences, nutrition and dietetics, management in the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare management, sports nutrition and health sociology.

The program list changes between rounds. The Graduate School of Social Sciences 2025–2026 announcement gave its four master’s entries no international quota; the 2026–2027 second-round table shows international seats in three of them.

Who can apply, and which scores are required?

Applicants to an ACU master’s program generally need a bachelor’s degree in a related field, a language score, and, for thesis programs, an ALES result. ACU’s graduate regulation sets the ALES floor for thesis master’s programs at 55 in the relevant score type, and individual programs may set higher minimums. Non-thesis programs do not require ALES, according to the same regulation and the Graduate School of Health Sciences FAQ.

ALES is the centralised examination administered by the Student Selection and Placement Centre (ÖSYM) and used in applications to graduate programs and in academic staff recruitment in Turkey. International applicants to several ACU programs may submit a GRE or GMAT result instead, as program pages for Healthcare Management, Health Sociology and Medical Education stated for the 2026–2027 fall second round.

It is not required to have taken ALES for applying to Master’s Degrees without thesis.
— Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Frequently Asked Questions (accessed 23 October 2026)

Language requirements are set per program. Accepted results include the Foreign Language Examination (YDS) and the Higher Education Institutions Foreign Language Examination (YÖKDİL), both run by ÖSYM, as well as TOEFL iBT. Applicants without a score can usually sit ACU’s own language proficiency exam. The graduate school FAQ adds that applicants without a YDS, YÖKDİL or equivalent score cannot apply to doctoral programs, which makes the institutional exam a master’s-level option.

Minimum scores differ across programs, as the program pages for the 2026–2027 fall second round show:

Applicants with a doctorate or a medical, dental, veterinary or pharmacy specialization are exempt from ALES, according to the Graduate School of Health Sciences FAQ; a Senate-set benchmark of 65 applies to them instead. International applicants should also note that program pages ask for a foreign diploma from a university recognized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).

How do you apply to an ACU master’s program?

You apply online through ACU’s Student Information System (OBS) application portal during the window announced by the graduate school, then sit a language exam if needed, attend an interview, and register in person if admitted. For the Graduate School of Health Sciences 2026–2027 fall second round, online applications ran from 6 August to 28 August 2026 at 17:00.

The full sequence for that round, as published in the Graduate School of Health Sciences announcement in August 2026, ran in this order:

1. Submit the online application and upload all documents through the OBS portal by 28 August 2026, 17:00.

2. Sit ACU’s foreign language proficiency exam on 1 or 2 September 2026, if you do not hold an accepted score; results were posted online on 4 September.

3. Attend the oral interview, and the written exam where the program holds one, between 8 and 10 September 2026; interview results were posted on 15 September.

4. Pay and complete final registration on 16–17 September 2026.

5. Watch the waitlist: on 18 September 2026, seats left by admitted applicants who did not register were offered to reserve candidates.

The interview carries real weight. Some programs add a scientific assessment, which is a written or oral evaluation of subject knowledge administered by a university as part of its graduate admissions; it is not a centralised examination and its scope varies by program. Health Sociology, for example, required a written exam score of 70 or higher before the interview in the 2026–2027 round, then ranked thesis applicants with ALES at 50%, undergraduate grades at 20% and the written and interview average at 30%.

Exam rooms listed in the Graduate School of Health Sciences schedule for September 2026 were on campus, and two programs held sessions at Acıbadem Maslak Hospital. The schedule did not mention remote participation, so applicants abroad should ask the graduate school before booking travel.

Timing also varies by graduate school. The Graduate School of Social Sciences ran its 2025–2026 round from 5 May to 30 June 2025, months earlier than the Health Sciences second round.

Which documents should you prepare?

ACU master’s applications generally require an application form, transcript, diploma or graduation certificate, statement of purpose, CV, two reference letters, an ID or passport copy, exam results and a language certificate. Program requirement pages for the 2026–2027 fall second round list these items, and incomplete files are not accepted, so the document set deserves early attention.

Reference letters need the most lead time. ACU program pages ask for two letters, sent in a sealed envelope to the department head or emailed directly by the referee to the graduate school address shown on the page. The Healthcare Management and Biomedical Engineering pages for 2026–2027 state that applicants whose letters are missing at the interview stage cannot register. Health Sociology asks that at least one letter come from a faculty member.

Use this list to prepare, based on the 2026–2027 program pages:

• Download your official transcript from your bachelor’s institution

• Obtain your diploma, or a temporary graduation certificate if you are finishing your degree

• Confirm that your foreign university is recognized by YÖK

• Write a statement of purpose explaining why you want this master’s program

• Update your CV with research, clinical or work experience

• Ask two referees to send letters directly to the graduate school before the interview

• Book ALES, GRE or GMAT for a thesis program, if the program requires it

• Book TOEFL iBT, YDS or YÖKDİL, or register for ACU’s language exam during the online application

• Book a Turkish proficiency test if your program is taught in Turkish

• Scan your passport and one recent photograph

Applicants who have not yet graduated can often apply with proof of expected graduation. The Biomedical Engineering page for 2026–2027 accepted applicants able to graduate by September 2026, while the Health Sociology page asked for the graduation certificate by the exam date.

Male Turkish applicants also submit a military service document, which the Health Sociology page excludes for international applicants.

How do ACU graduate scholarships work?

ACU graduate scholarships are awarded at admission: the interview jury recommends recipients based on academic background, and the Rectorate makes the final decision, according to the 2026–2027 Healthcare Management requirements page. Every seat in ACU’s 2026–2027 second-round quota table is listed in a scholarship column, with full and partial scholarship levels, and the fee-paying column is empty for every program.

For thesis master’s and doctoral students, a separate framework applies. The Thesis Master’s and Doctoral Scholarship Directive, adopted by the ACU Senate on 2 June 2021 (decision 2021/23), describes three routes. All three include a full tuition exemption and meal support, according to the directive; the assistantship routes add part-time duties.

Candidate lists move through several bodies. The directive states that each Department Board proposes candidates, the Institute Executive Board approves the list, and the Rectorate decides. Assistants are reviewed at the end of each semester, and an unsatisfactory evaluation can end the scholarship.

Approved health leave or a registration freeze of up to one semester pauses the scholarship rather than ending it; the paused time is added back to the scholarship period. The directive also allows ACU’s Board of Trustees to restructure scholarship scope when needed.

The directive leaves the scholarship decision to university bodies at each stage, so the outcome of one round says little about the next. Two limits deserve attention. The 2021 directive covers thesis-based programs only, so non-thesis seats follow the quota table alone. The directive also does not mention nationality, so international applicants should confirm with the graduate school which routes are open to them in a given round.

English-taught or Turkish-taught: which program fits you?

The choice between English-taught and Turkish-taught programs at ACU usually comes down to your language scores. ACU’s 2026–2027 second-round table marks 9 thesis master’s entries as English-taught: five in the Graduate School of Health Sciences and four in the Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences. Turkish-taught programs ask international applicants for a Turkish certificate in addition to the English score.

An international student is a person who is not a citizen of the Republic of Turkey and who is admitted to a higher education institution under international student status. An international student quota is the application quota reserved for international students in higher education programs, separate from the general quota. At ACU, the 2026–2027 table shows that 18 master’s entries carried such a quota, derived from the international seat column.

English-taught master’s entries in the 2026–2027 table were Biophysics, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Genome Studies, Medical Biotechnology and Medical Education in Health Sciences, plus Biomaterials, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Molecular Biology and Genetics in Natural and Applied Sciences. These programs ask for English scores only; the Medical Education page for 2026–2027 did not mention a Turkish certificate. ACU’s graduate regulation states that programs taught entirely in a foreign language do not require Turkish proficiency.

Turkish-taught programs such as Healthcare Management and Health Sociology asked international applicants for a Turkish level of B2 or higher in 2026–2027. TÖMER is the common name for the Turkish language teaching centres attached to Turkish universities, which provide Turkish courses and issue certificates of Turkish proficiency. A Certificate of Turkish Proficiency is the document showing an applicant’s level of Turkish and required for admission to Turkish-medium programs; the accepted level varies between universities.

The program type changes the requirement set as well:

How thesis and non-thesis entry rules differ at ACU

For Health Sociology in 2026–2027, the thesis track ranked applicants on ALES, undergraduate grades and the written and interview results. The non-thesis track dropped ALES and ranked applicants on grades and the interview or aptitude assessment, giving the interview the larger share. Healthcare Management also dropped ALES for its non-thesis track but kept the same language minimums as its thesis track, so the language score remains the deciding document for both tracks.

Applicants with a strong English score and no Turkish will find the English-taught thesis programs the most direct route.

Why do program pages show different requirements?

ACU program pages sometimes show two sets of requirements because older application notices remain on the page beside the current one. On several pages checked in October 2026, the English section described an earlier round while the Turkish section described the 2026–2027 fall second round. The most recent academic year named on the page is the one to follow.

The Biomedical Engineering requirements page illustrates the pattern. It showed the 2026–2027 second-round conditions alongside a 2020–2021 fall notice with different quotas and eligible fields. The Medical Microbiology page carried a 2021–2022 English section next to a 2026–2027 Turkish section, and only the Turkish section mentioned a Turkish certificate for international applicants. A reader who stops at the first block can prepare for the wrong requirements.

Three checks reduce the risk. First, find the academic year and round printed on each block. Second, compare the program row in the quota table for the same round, which ACU published in August 2026 for 2026–2027. Third, read the graduate school’s own announcement, which carries the exam and interview dates.

Scholarships cause a second kind of confusion. The quota table’s scholarship columns describe the tuition support attached to each admission seat. The 2021 directive describes education and assistantship scholarships for thesis students, with duties and grade conditions. These are separate instruments, and a seat listed with a scholarship does not by itself make a student a teaching or research assistant.

Where pages and announcements disagree, the graduate school is the authority. The Graduate School of Health Sciences FAQ states that application conditions, quotas and exam dates are announced each semester within the academic calendar, so a direct question to the graduate school settles any conflict.

What should you do next?

Your next step is to pick one or two ACU master’s programs, confirm the requirements for the round you are targeting, and line up your scores and documents before the application window opens. In the 2026–2027 cycle, the Graduate School of Health Sciences second round gave applicants about three weeks, from 6 to 28 August 2026, to apply online.

A practical sequence for the months before the next window:

• Shortlist programs by language of instruction and by thesis or non-thesis track, using ACU’s latest quota table.

• Check the program page and confirm the academic year printed on the requirement block you are reading.

• Plan exams early: ALES for thesis programs, an English score, and a Turkish certificate for Turkish-taught programs.

• Contact your referees at least a month before the window opens.

• If you are applying from a different field, prepare for a possible scientific preparatory program.

A scientific preparatory program is a set of completion courses that a student admitted to a graduate program from a different field must complete before beginning the main program. ACU’s graduate regulation limits it to two semesters at most, and the time spent does not count toward the master’s duration.

Scholarship planning belongs in the same timeline. Under ACU’s 2021 directive, teaching and research assistantship candidates need at least 80 out of 100 in the interview, so interview preparation matters as much as test scores. Keep in mind the semester GPA of 3.30 out of 4.00 that thesis master’s assistants must maintain.

Dates, quotas and minimum scores are set again for each round. Before you apply, check ACU’s announcements section for the current graduate school notice, and confirm anything unclear with the graduate school directly.

Real-World Examples

The examples in this section are illustrative scenarios created to explain situations applicants may encounter.

Amina, a biology graduate with a TOEFL score. Amina holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and a TOEFL iBT result, but no Turkish. She shortlists the English-taught thesis programs listed in ACU’s quota table, such as Molecular Biology and Genetics and Medical Biotechnology. Because these are thesis programs, she also plans a GRE sitting as her alternative to ALES, after confirming on each program page that the graduate school accepts it for international applicants. She asks her two professors to email their letters directly to the graduate school two weeks before the application window closes, so the file is complete before the interview.

Daniel, a hospital administrator weighing two tracks. Daniel works in hospital administration and wants a healthcare management degree while keeping his job. He compares the thesis and non-thesis tracks on the Healthcare Management page. The non-thesis track does not ask for ALES and takes up to three semesters, which fits his schedule. The program is taught in Turkish, so he enrolls in a Turkish course at a TÖMER center months ahead and books a proficiency test with enough time to reach B2. He notes that the 2021 assistantship directive does not cover non-thesis students and plans his funding accordingly.

Leyla, a final-year student applying before graduation. Leyla is in the last semester of a nutrition degree and wants to start a thesis master’s straight away. The requirement page she reads shows two blocks, and she checks the academic year on each before preparing. The current block accepts a document showing expected graduation, so she requests one from her registrar. She also schedules ALES early, since the thesis track needs it, and practices for the interview, knowing that ACU’s directive requires at least 80 out of 100 in the interview for assistantship candidates.

Tomás, an engineer moving into biomedical research. Tomás studied mechanical engineering and is interested in ACU’s Biomedical Engineering master’s. The program page lists mechanical engineering among eligible fields, so he can apply directly. He knows an interview jury may still find gaps in his biology background, and that a scientific preparatory program of up to two semesters is possible under ACU’s graduate regulation. He reviews introductory physiology before the interview and asks the graduate school how preparatory courses would affect his timeline and scholarship period.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Mezun Kampüsü
Mezun Kampüsü is a platform that brings together the graduate programs, application calendars and academic announcements of universities in Turkey. Applicants interested in Acıbadem University master’s programs can compare health and life sciences programs through Atlas, follow graduate school application windows and interview dates, track scholarship and quota announcements, and start a free application through the Universities section.

Legal Notice

This article provides general information about master’s programs, admission requirements and graduate scholarships at Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University. It is not personal academic, legal or financial advice. Regulations, quotas, minimum scores, scholarship conditions and application dates can change over time, and the conditions of each program are set separately for every application period. Before applying, confirm all details with the relevant ACU graduate school and with the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) where diploma recognition is involved. The article draws on the Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University Graduate Education, Training and Examination Regulation and the Thesis Master’s and Doctoral Scholarship Directive.