civil engineering has been around since the beginning of human life.

The first
examples of civil engineering are the pyramids and ziggurats built in the Ancient
Egypt and Mesopotamia between BC 4000 and BC 2000. The first place in the
world where a civil engineering lesson was ever given - thus marking the
emergence of civil engineering as a separate field of science - was a French
institution that took the name "National School of Bridges and Highways" after
leaving the French Army's Corps of Bridges and Highways in 1747. The first set
of courses offered in this school's educational program was hydraulics, machine
mechanics, and materials. The Chamber of Civil Engineers was founded in
London in 1818, and in 1820 Engineer Thomas Telford became its first
president. This institution was royally accepted in 1828 upon the recognition of
civil engineering as a profession. At the time, civil engineering was described as
follows:

"(Civil engineering) is the art of steering the vast power resources in nature
toward the use and benefit of humanity such as in the construction of roads,
bridges, canals, and piers for both internal and external trade and internal
interactions and shopping; in the construction of harbors, docks, breakwaters,
and lighthouses; in the art of circulation powered artificially for the purpose of
trade; in the construction and application of machines; in the drainage systems
of cities and towns; and as a means of production and transportation in
countries.

Why Department of Civil Engineering in Turkey?

Owing to its highly advanced construction industry, Turkey has been
implementing titanic projects both at home and in a large number of foreign
countries. The construction sector accounts for 30% of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). The growth performance of the construction sector is
determined 80% by the private sector, and 20% by the public capital
investments. Intensive construction works undertaken by Turkish companies in
so many regions of the world, and particularly in the Russian Federation,
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Algeria, and Kazakhstan provide ample employment
opportunities for civil engineers. In fact, in the last two quarters of 2010, the
construction sector came out the fastest growing sector in Turkish economy.
Although the project-based incentives of public research centers are limited
when it comes to the construction sector, students training to be civil engineers,
thanks to the magnitude of the private sector, can easily take part in a large
number of major projects, where they can develop themselves.

Civil Engineering Education

In the Civil Engineering graduate and undergraduate education programs,
certain departments focus on certain subjects. The Department of Construction
Engineering deals with hydraulics in developing transportation and housing,
structural and geotechnical design, and issues regarding planning and
implementation. The Department of Coastal Engineering is related to the
management of coastal areas. For the establishment and operation of harbors,
it conducts wave analyses for harbor breakwaters and designs breakwaters. The
Department of Transport Engineering improves the designs of secure
transportation routes, and constructs roads, highways, railroads, and junctions
according to the proper standards. The Department of Hydraulic Engineering is
concerned with the construction of waterways and water structures. It conducts
static and dynamic analyses of weirs, dams, water pipes, canals, and galleries.

In graduate education, one year (ranging from 6 to 8 courses) of preparatory

training must be taken if the student has graduated from a different
department.

Qualifications Required of Students and Job Opportunities

To determine the level of the necessary educational infrastructure for entry into
all engineering departments in Turkey, student candidates are tested for their
mathematical and scientific skills and knowledge. Other criteria taken into
account prior to a four-year engineering program are the ability to think
analytically in three dimensions and an aptitude for mechanical systems and
mathematical expressions. Why these qualities are sought in the student
candidates is that they greatly facilitate them through the basic courses on
mathematics, physics, and chemistry given in all engineering departments
throughout the program, and through engineering courses such as statics,
material, resistance, dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer,
and automatic control.

The work areas of civil engineers may be enumerated as follows: examining the
construction plots to prepare appropriate construction plans and projects;
finding out the estimated cost of the construction by calculating the costs of the
materials and equipment needed for the construction; preparing a tender
dossier at the request of the related units in case of major construction projects
and putting the project out to tender in accordance with the tender regulations;
preparing merit reports after checking the compliance of the tendered works
with the project; ensuring the completion of the construction in line with the
regulations enjoined by Public Works; acting as an expert regarding
construction-related issues. Those who graduate from Civil Engineering
departments may be employed in the public and the private sector alike. They
can also set up their own companies.

ternational students will encounter with rich culture, deep-rooted history and unique nature in
addition to a quality education in Turkey. Turkey is one of the best choices for education with its
reasonable cost of living and its hospitable people as well as the natural and historical treasure.

Official Name: The Republic Of Turkey

Capital City: Ankara
Largest Cities: İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Adana, Antalya, Konya, Bursa, Kayseri, Samsun, Trabzon,
Erzurum, Eskişehir, Kocaeli, Diyarbakır, Sakarya, Mersin, Gaziantep.
Area: 814.578 km
Coastal Length: 7.200 km
Coastal Borders: Mediterranean Sea at south; Aegean Sea at west; Black Sea at north
Language: Turkish
Neighboring Countries: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Iraq, Armenia, Iran, Syria
Currency: 1 € = 2,37 TL (Turkish Lira), 1 $ = 1,78 TL
Population: 74.724.000 (31 December 2011)
The Number of Cities: 81
Population Growth Rate: % 1,2
Life Expectancy: 73,7 (Male: 76,1 – Female: 71,5)
Time Zone: GMT +2; CET +1
Office Hours: In Turkey, working days are from Monday to Friday. Most of the banks, government
offices and the majority of private companies are open between the hours of 09:00 and 17:00.
Food-Beverage: Turkish food is known as healthy and delicious. (For more info you can look up
Food & Beverages section)
National Holidays: There are two types of holidays in Turkey. The first one is national holidays
which are held on the same day every year (Such as 1 January, 23 April, 1 May, 30 August, 19 May,
29 October) and the other one is religious holidays which are held on different days every year
accordingly to lunar calendar.
Water: Tap water is perfectly safe to drink.
Electricity: 220V. Standard European type double plug is used.
Health Services: There are international private hospitals and high quality state hospitals in the cities
and main touristic towns.
Visa: The foreigners visiting Turkey or travelling as a tourist can obtain a visa at the border gates or
from the Turkish embassies in other countries. Some people may be eligible to be exempted from
visa depending to the type of the passport they hold. However, if the purpose of the travel is
education, research or work, it is an obligation to have an “annotated visa” that should be obtained at
the Turkish Embassies or Consulates in the country of origin.
Communication Services: There are 3 GSM operators which have approximately 95% of coverage
area and each has 3G services. Internet access is available across the country.
International phone code: +90