Faculty of Tourism | Department of Tour Guiding

Last Updated: 21/09/2026

The Department of Tour Guiding, which began accepting its first students in the 2013-2014 academic year, was established within the Faculty of Tourism at Anadolu University through the Council of Ministers’ Decision (2011/2605) published in the Official Gazette on January 10, 2012. The program admits students through the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) conducted by ÖSYM, based on Foreign Language Scores (English). The language of instruction in the program is Turkish.

The curriculum of the Department covers the courses determined by the Tour Guidance Professional Law No. 6326 and its associated regulations as compulsory courses. In addition, students can take elective and vocational courses to become professional tourist guides and find jobs in travel agencies and other tourism-related businesses.

Students take compulsory English courses for eight semesters and acquire proficiency in a second foreign language—German, French, or Russian—over the same period.

The elective and professional elective courses are designed to help students develop expertise in different areas of tour guidance. Additionally, the program offers elective management, economics, marketing, and administration courses to prepare students for careers in travel agencies, airlines, transportation companies, accommodation businesses, and other tourism enterprises.

Courses help students prepare for the industry through technical trips and field applications related to course content, projects, assignments, and presentations.

To graduate from the Tour Guidance Bachelor’s Program, students must complete a total of 240 ECTS credits over eight semesters and complete a 60-day internship in businesses that meet the requirements outlined in the Anadolu University Faculty of Tourism Internship Directive. Students fulfilling these requirements receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Tour Guidance. To become a licensed tourist guide, they must fulfill the foreign language proficiency requirements specified by the relevant laws and regulations and complete the practical tours.

The Vision of the Tour Guidance Department:

To become a nationally and internationally recognized department that produces scientific knowledge and creates value for the region and the country while adhering to ethical principles, providing innovative, high-quality education, and focusing on lifelong learning.

The Mission of the Tour Guidance Department:

To train qualified human resources with practical knowledge in tourism and tour guidance who can follow developments in the country and the world, contribute to their region and country with their knowledge and experience, and develop original ideas, research, and projects through analytical thinking skills.

Core Values:

To realize its vision and mission, the Department is committed to core values of transparency, accountability, fairness, human-centeredness, innovation, creativity, reliability, and universality.

Program Educational Objectives:

The Tourism Guidance Department aims to train tour guidance experts who:

Can practice the profession of tour guiding either independently or within travel agencies,
Can work in travel, transportation, accommodation, and yacht-marina businesses within the tourism industry,
Can work as a tour guide or in various roles at museums and archaeological sites.

Admission to the programme is based on the relevant higher education legislation and the central placement procedures administered by the Centre for Assessment, Selection and Placement (ÖSYM). Candidates who are offered a place in the programme must complete their registration within the deadlines announced in the University's academic calendar and registration announcements, in accordance with the applicable legislation. To complete final registration, candidates must satisfy all general and programme-specific admission requirements. Admission through horizontal transfer is conducted in accordance with the relevant legislation and the principles established by the relevant academic unit. The application and admission procedures for international students are carried out in accordance with the applicable legislation.
1. Graduation from secondary education institutions recognized by the Ministry of National Education or equivalent foreign institutions and meeting the admission requirements for higher education undergraduate programs.2. Placement in the relevant undergraduate program through a central exam conducted by the Measurement, Selection, and Placement Center (ÖSYM) according to procedures and principles determined by YÖK.3. Placement in related undergraduate programs through the Vertical Transfer Exam (DGS) conducted by ÖSYM for associate degree graduates.

Recognition of prior learning is carried out in accordance with the relevant higher education legislation, the University's regulations governing education, examinations and assessment, and the institutional principles for exemption and credit transfer. Students may apply, within the specified deadlines, for exemption and credit transfer based on courses successfully completed at another higher education institution or on equivalent prior learning. Applications are evaluated by the relevant board or commission with due consideration of course content, credit/ECTS values, grades obtained, and their compatibility with the curriculum and learning outcomes of the relevant programme.
Depending on the degrees awarded, theoretical or practical courses taken as part of a degree (completed or not completed) may lead to recognition of these as prior learning by the programme administration. The students who have taken courses in another institution in Türkiye or abroad can ask for credit and grade transfer. The executive boards of relevant programme will decide on the courses to be transferred covering students' entire academic program once and for all with the condition that the request for transfer be made within the first week of the academic year, the requests cannot be repeated.

All students enrolled at Anadolu University are assigned a faculty academic advisor to provide guidance and support throughout their studies. Academic advisors offer counselling from the beginning of the student's academic programme until graduation, assisting students with academic, administrative, and other matters related to university life. In particular, advisors provide guidance during course registration and course selection processes, monitor students' academic progress, and support them in making informed decisions regarding their educational pathways.
For further information, please refer to the Academic Advising Directive of Anadolu University.

The programme is delivered in face-to-face / blended mode. Students are enrolled on the programme as (full-time / part-time) students. Teaching and learning activities are conducted in accordance with the programme curriculum, including the semester structure, scheduled class hours, practical components, and, where applicable, online learning environments.

A variety of assessment methods such as mid-term(s), assignment(s), exercise(s), project(s), practice(s), and a final exam are implemented in the programme. Assessment methods may include classical test(s), multiple-choice test(s), homework(s), performance evaluation(s), and product evaluation(s). In order to graduate from the programme, cumulative GPA must be minimum 2.00. A course grade is constituted by evaluating the above stated elements and given by using letters. Letter grades and their associated coefficients are as follows;

Grade	Coefficient
AA	4,0
AB	3,7
BA	3,3
BB	3,0
BC	2,7
CB	2,3
CC	2,0
CD	1,7
DC	1,3
DD	1,0
FF	0,0

A student is required to successfully complete the designated program of courses meet a minimum of 240 ECTS credit requirement and have a minimum GPA of 2.00/4.00 and no FF, DZ or YZ grades.
Students are required to successfully complete the designated program of courses meet a minimum of 240 ECTS credit requirements, and have a minimum GPA of 2.00/4.00 and no FF, DZ or YZ grades.In addition, students must complete a 60-day internship in businesses that meet the requirements outlined in the Anadolu University Faculty of Tourism Internship Directive.

To be awarded a Bachelor's Degree, students must successfully complete all compulsory and elective courses specified in the curriculum of the programme in which they are enrolled, together with any required internship, practical training, project, or other academic requirements. To qualify for graduation, students must successfully complete at least 240 ECTS credits, have no failed courses, achieve the minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) specified in the relevant regulations (at least 2.00 on a 4.00 scale), and fulfil all other graduation requirements prescribed by the programme.
To graduate from the Tour Guidance Bachelor’s Program, students must successfully complete compulsory, elective, and vocational elective courses specified in the course plan, corresponding to 240 ECTS credits, and fulfill a 60-day internship obligation. Students must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 out of 4.00 and have no FF, DZ or YZ grades.

Students who successfully fulfil all programme requirements are awarded a Bachelor's Degree Diploma in Department of Tour Guiding Graduates obtain a Level 6 (Bachelor's Degree) qualification within the Turkish Qualifications Framework (TQF).

Graduates of the Tour Guidance Bachelor’s Program can pursue various career opportunities, including:

Becoming certified professional tourist guides authorized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism after passing required exams and completing practical training.
Working as middle- or upper-level managers in travel, accommodation, and yacht-marina management businesses.
Being employed in public institutions after obtaining adequate scores from the Public Personnel Selection Exam (KPSS).
Pursuing academic careers with relevant scores from the Academic Personnel and Postgraduate Education Entrance Exam (ALES) and foreign language exams.
Teaching after completing pedagogical formation training.
Working in museums, archaeological sites, and cultural institutions.

Graduates of the programme are eligible to apply for Master's Degree programmes (with or without a thesis) in accordance with the relevant legislation governing graduate education and the admission requirements of the receiving higher education institution.


PROF. DR. GÖKÇE YÜKSEK
ASSOC. PROF. DR. DUYGU YETGİN AKGÜN
ASSOC. PROF. DR. İNCİ OYA COŞKUN
PROF. DR. GÖKÇE YÜKSEK