The Department of International Trade and Finance, which operates under the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Afyon Kocatepe University, has the distinction of being the first department established with its current name among state universities in Türkiye in 2006. Since its establishment, our department has taken as its basis economic and academic developments in Türkiye and around the world, as well as new trends and practices in higher education, and aims to educate specialists equipped with the most up-to-date and latest knowledge in the fields of international trade and finance. In this context, undergraduate and graduate education is provided to our students.
In line with the objective of ensuring that our students receive a strong undergraduate education, the undergraduate curriculum of the Department of International Trade and Finance covers a broad range of courses from various fields (finance, economics, and business administration), and offers students up-to-date courses related to international trade and finance. Thus, our students are supported in graduating with a strong foundation in the areas in which they wish to specialize after completing their undergraduate education. The applied courses included in the undergraduate program both facilitate rapid adaptation to professional life after graduation and contribute to the development of analytical thinking skills and idea generation. In addition, our students have the opportunity to study abroad for one or two semesters through the Erasmus Program, and to study at different universities within Türkiye through the Farabi Program. Moreover, provided that they meet the general academic success requirements, our students may, within quota limits, have the opportunity to obtain a second diploma or certificate through Double Major and Minor programs offered in other departments of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. In addition, through an application implemented across our university, all second-year students take one Non-Departmental Elective Course in both the fall and spring semesters. Within this framework, it is aimed to enable students to gain knowledge about different disciplines by selecting courses offered by faculties outside the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. In our department, nearly half of the total course load consists of elective courses, thereby making it possible for students to make choices in line with their career goals and academic development. In this direction, seminars, events, and meetings that may be needed are also organized throughout the education period. In order to graduate from the department, students are required to successfully complete courses totaling 240 ECTS credits.
Graduates of the Department of International Trade and Finance may be employed in national and international companies, in foreign trade, foreign marketing, and finance departments, as well as in banks’ foreign transactions and fund management units. In addition, they have employment opportunities in relevant public institutions such as the Undersecretariat of Treasury, the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye, Borsa İstanbul, the Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade, Capital Markets Institutions, and in all fields in which graduates of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences may work.
In addition to undergraduate education, a thesis-based master’s program in International Trade and Finance has been established under the Institute of Social Sciences at Afyon Kocatepe University, and students have been admitted to this program since the fall semester of the 2018–2019 academic year.
The language of instruction in the department’s courses is Turkish. Educational, administrative, and academic activities are carried out by a total of 11 academic staff members—3 Professors, 1 Associate Professor, 4 Assistant Professors (Doctor Faculty Members), and 3 Research Assistants—and 1 administrative staff member (secretary).