The journey of psychology education in Turkey: challenges and opportunities

Psychology in Turkey follows the scientific trajectory of its Western counterparts with a sharp increase in the number of departments and accepted students over the last two decades. The US model of curriculum is still predominant with a large variation in the number of required or core courses across departments. Although education rather than research is still prioritized in many departments, large-scale studies, indigenous theories, and across-the-board research collaborations, especially after the 1990s, have made psychology in Turkey more international. Especially due to rapid social changes and urbanization, psychology currently is by far the most in-demand discipline in social sciences in Turkey. However, underrepresentation of emerging areas of psychology in many departments’ curricula, lack of effective quality assurance standards, particularly in graduate education, and absence of overarching legislation regulating the practice of psychology are among the major challenges facing psychology in Turkey. Establishment of an independent Undergraduate Accreditation Board initiated by the Turkish Psychological Association is a critical step in the right direction. This chapter reflects upon the-state-of-the art in psychology education in Turkey and discusses critical challenges.