The Foundations Development Program

The Foundations Development Program consists of two important educational stages, Foundations Development Year (FDY) and the University Courses that constitute a mandatory core-curriculum for all Sabancı University students irrespective of their choice of program specialisation.

During FDY a condense English education program is performed, starting from basic, intermediate and upper-intermediate levels. FDY language courses and the related exams are offered by the School of Languages. To gain exemption from FDY, students should be successful in English Language Assessment Exam (ELAE) or Exemption Exams from the FDY. Students who gain FDY exemption become freshmen. All freshman courses are University Courses, there are also some other University Courses in later years of instruction. The Freshman University Courses which have to be taken by freshman students are one of the fundamental elements supporting the structure of our interdisciplinary approach in the absence of traditional departments. This mandatory core-curriculum structure introduces students the basics of science, academic skills, and knowledge about the world around them that would not only equip them for the challenges of the future but would also lay the foundations of an interdisciplinary approach that will be necessary in their faculty courses and informed choice of specialisation.