Istanbul Program

Program Information

Read below for more information about the next program dates, application deadline, curriculum, admissions requirements and other details about KU Law's study abroad program in Istanbul.

Program Dates and Application

The 2026 program is scheduled for July 13 - August 1, 2026.

The application deadline is Feb. 15, 2026. 

Istanbul program application

Location: Bahçeşehir University

Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, Turkey, is a foundation university that was established in 1998. Bahçeşehir has quickly established itself as a progressive, dynamic educational institution. The school's modern facilities are on the European side of the Bosphorus coast in the heart of Istanbul. With a population of more than 15 million, Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey. It is the only city in the world located on two continents, Europe and Asia. Its rich history dates back some 5,000 years. Students will enjoy a unique learning experience in this vibrant, cosmopolitan city.

The program contact for the Istanbul Study Abroad Program is Feridun Yenisey, a professor of law at Bahçeşehir University. Professor Yenisey is the country's foremost expert on international and comparative criminal law.

Curriculum

Students will earn three credit hours granted by the University of Kansas School of Law upon completion of the program. Courses offered each summer vary based on the faculty director's expertise.

Courses planned for summer 2026 include:

• Constitutions of the World (1 credit) (McAllister)
• Transnational Dispute Resolution: Civil Litigation, Arbitration, Mediation and Settlement Negotiation (1 credit) (Ware)
• Transnational Criminal Procedure (1 credit) (Yenisey)

There are no prerequisites for any of the courses. All classes are taught in English. No Turkish language skills are necessary for participation in the program. Two courses are taught by KU faculty and one course is taught by a local professor with close connections to KU Law. Students from Bahçeşehir University and perhaps other international universities attend classes with KU Law students.

Course Descriptions

Please check back for more information.

Program Faculty

Stephen McAllister is the E.S. & Tom W. Hampton Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Kansas. Prior to joining the KU Law faculty in 1993, Stephen McAllister clerked for Justices Byron White and Clarence Thomas at the Supreme Court of the United States and Judge Richard Posner at the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He also was in private practice in the Washington, D.C., office of the Los Angeles law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. 

A respected teacher, scholar and appellate lawyer, he received the Dean Frederick J. Moreau Award in 1997, a W.T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence in 1999 and the Steeples Award for Service to Kansans in 2008. He served as the first and only Solicitor of the State of Kansas from 1999 to 2003 and was dean of the law school from 2000 to 2005. He also served as the Solicitor General of Kansas, assisting the attorney general's office with constitutional litigation, including briefing, arguing and winning for Kansas the case of Kansas v. Ventris (U.S. 2009). 

In November 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court appointed McAllister to defend the judgment below in Bond v. United States, No. 09-1227. In that capacity, McAllister filed a merits brief, and he presented oral argument to the court on Feb. 22, 2011.

In 2013, McAllister assisted the Kansas Attorney General in Kansas v. Cheever​ (U.S. 2013), which Kansas won 9-0 in the Supreme Court. In October 2014 McAllister will argue for Kansas in the case of Kansas v. Nebraska and Colorado (U.S.).

Also in 2013, McAllister taught a Landmark Supreme Court Cases course with Justice Clarence Thomas through a study abroad program in Innsbruck, Austria. 

From 2018 to 2021, he served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas.  

Stephen Ware was named the Frank Edwards Tyler Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Kansa in 2019. He is the author of four books, over 50 law review articles and many other publications. His writings have been cited by the Supreme Court of the United States and in at least 36 other cases. Ware teaches and writes on:

• Arbitration, Mediation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution,
• Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Debt Collection,
• Contracts and Commercial Law, and
• Judicial Selection,

each with an international or comparative dimension.

Ware has testified before both houses of the U.S. Congress, several state legislatures and, as an expert witness, in court. He is a frequent guest lecturer and speaker at academic and professional conferences—having given such presentations throughout the U.S. and in several other countries. He has appeared on numerous television and radio stations and been quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Financial Times, National Law Journal and many other news outlets. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI) and has served, at various times in his career, on the editorial board of the Journal of Legal Education and as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.

Feridun Yenisey is a professor of law at at Bahçeşehir University where he also served as dean and founding chairman of the Institute for Global Understanding of the Rule of Law. He was also the diirector of the Joint Research Group of Bahçeşehir University and Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law on European Criminal Law.

Yenisey studied Law at the University of Istanbul. He has conducted research in Austria and Germany, and has taught courses on comparative criminal law in the United States (Syracuse University College of Law; South Texas College of Law Houston; William Mitchell College of Law; University of Kansas School of Law; Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School; Georgia State University College of Law). He is the author of several books and articles on criminal law.

Admission Requirements

This program is open to all KU Law students who have completed the first-year curriculum in good standing. 

Available grades are:

• A (4.0)
• A- (3.7)
• B+ (3.3)
• B (3.0)
• B- (2.7)
• C+ (2.3)
• C (2.0)
• C- (1.7)
• D+ (1.3)
• D (1.0)
• D- (.7)
• F (0)

Tuition and Costs

Visit the Istanbul program page on the Office of Study Abroad and Global Engagement website for a breakdown of costs for this program.

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from Turkey. Airlines provide a variety of reduced fare plans and early booking can result in substantial substantial savings. As summer flights tend to fill quickly, early travel arrangements should be made. Students, however, should not book travel until they receive an acceptance package and submit the financial contract.

Housing

Students will stay at a new hostel operated by the university with convenient access to the campus. Students will have single rooms and access to shared kitchen and laundry facilities. See photos of the BAU Vista Pension in this YouTube video (in Turkish). The cost of housing is included in the cost of the program.

Cancellation

Students must notify the University of Kansas through their online application, by letter or by email of their intent to withdraw from the program. If a student withdraws after signing the financial contract they received with their acceptance materials, the student will be liable for any non-recoverable expenses incurred on the participant's behalf. Students are responsible for any and all costs arising out of their own voluntary or involuntary withdrawal from the program prior to its completion, including withdrawal caused by illness or disciplinary action by representatives of the University of Kansas. The sponsoring school reserves the right to cancel the program for any reason including insufficient enrollment. In the unlikely event of a cancellation, notices will be sent to all students and all money will be refunded.

Financial Aid

For information about financial aid and scholarships for this study abroad opportunity, contact Dana Hill with KU Study Abroad & Global Engagement at dana.hill@ku.edu. Students may also book a virtual appointment with KU Study Abroad.

Health and Liability Insurance

KU Law is not responsible for student's medical care or expenses in case of illness or accident. All students participating in a study abroad program are required to be covered by health insurance that the participant has determined to be adequate and satisfactory for any injury or illness that might befall them.

Students with Disabilities

Facilities in Istanbul are generally not as accessible to individuals with disabilities as are facilities in the United States. Individuals with special needs should contact the program director to arrange for special accommodations.

State Department Travel Information

Information about travel advisories and warnings for Turkey is available on the U.S. Department of State website.

KU Contact

Professor Stephen Ware
University of Kansas School of Law
1535 W 15th Street, Lawrence, KS 66045
Phone: 785-864-9209
ware@ku.edu

Bahçeşehir Contact

Professor Dr. Feridun Yenisey
Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi 
34353 Besiktas/Istanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90 212 381 03 56
feridun.yenisey@law.bau.edu.tr