Study Master in Turkmenistan 2025
Study in Turkmenistan
Education in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan’s official center for higher education is Turkmen State University in Ashgabat. The primary program is education, and graduates are encouraged to teach at other schools throughout the country. Within the university system is the Turkmen State Medical Institute, the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute, the Turkmen State Institute of Transport and Communication, the Turkmen Institute of National Economy, the State Arts Academy and the National Institute of Tourism and Sport of Turkmenistan.
Each program has its own specialties, such as the State Academy of Arts that offers courses in painting, graphics, architecture, carpets, jewelry, ceramics and sculpture. The Turkmen State Institute of Economics includes programs in accounting, auditing, municipal management, labor, marketing, financial market and quality management and leadership.
Students can also pursue scientific programs through the Academy of Science of Turkmenistan, or other programs through the National Institute of World Languages and the Institute of History.
Some academic programs tie directly to key industries, such as the Institute of Oil and Gas and a variety of other scientific research councils and institutes.
Students also can attend the International Turkmen-Turkey University, which has been open since the early 1990s. The primary areas of focus are teacher training and engineering, plus a dozen departments including computer engineering, international relations, civil engineering, textile technology, mathematics and English.
The university includes four research centers: Great Rival Era; Turkmen-Turkish cultural research and dissemination; textile products and computer engineering; and information technology and global studies.
The Turkmen Polytechnic Institute has a strong focus on skills and disciplines involved in the petrochemical industry, such as geology, chemistry, oil exploration and mining.
Prior to traveling to Turkmenistan, prospective students must receive a letter of invitation from the Government of Turkmenistan. This allows you to apply for a visa at the Embassy of Turkmenistan or at the Ashgabat Airport. The price varies depending on the length of stay. You’ll also be required to purchase an immigration card which is required to be held during your visit.
The government also has restrictions on what areas foreigners can travel in and their choice of transportation.
Until 2003, higher education was free for all residents, but this program was abolished because of an internal shifting of budgets. However, students who are deemed to have high academic or social potential such as doctoral or post-doctoral candidates often still can receive grants and stipends.
One program designed to stimulate education and bring in foreign students is called TEMPUS. It allows students and faculty at colleges and universities in the European Union to come to Turkmenistan to teach and work on specific projects, including language translation, public finance, information technology, and energy development.
In addition to bringing in the specialized expertise of outside academics, Turkmen peers are encouraged to learn from them and receive new teaching methods and materials.
Students who take part in the TEMPUS program can earn the equivalent of a master’s degree through their respective EU universities.
U.S. students are welcome to visit Turkmenistan via a variety of scholarship and exchange programs including the Fullbright programs.
The American Council also offers an accredited study abroad course based in Ashgabat through the Eurasian Regional Language Program. Participants receive 15 hours of classroom instruction a week in a specific language, plus general information about culture, history, and literature. The immersive course also includes cultural trips, stays with a host family, and volunteer opportunities.
Basic monthly living cost
Rent in a shared flat
370Share of utilities
Sample lifestyle cost
Fast food combo
16Pint of local beer
Turkmenistan is a Central Asian republic that was part of the Soviet Union for most of the 20th century. Literacy has been traditionally high, but some education officials say that standards and funding for schools have fallen in recent years because of other projects that have diverted funds.
The country also creates a unique opportunity for foreign students to study abroad, especially those who are interested in learning more about Turkmen culture.
About 80-90 percent of Turkmenistan is desert, and much of its native population has been herdsmen for generations. The country borders the Caspian Sea to the west, Iran and Afghanistan to the south, and Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to the north. Efforts have been made to create a system of canals to move commerce, dams to irrigate the area, and pipelines to export oil. The country is home to the Karakum Canal, considered the longest channel of its kind in the world. However, some capital projects have been halted because of deteriorating dams, its own internal economic problems, and challenging relationships with Russia and neighboring countries. Separate pipelines connect with China and Iran.
Population: 5.24 million
Capital: Ashgabat, population 574,000
Exports: Petroleum (gas/oil), cotton, textiles including silks and carpets
Agricultural products: Grain, livestock, cotton
Languages: The official state language is Turkmen, but Russian is also a familiar tongue. Much of the population speaks Uzbek, the language of neighboring Uzbekistan.
Though the Russian authority no longer completely controls Turkmenistan as it did in the USSR days, the country still has an influence as a trading partner. Memories are still vivid however, and steps have been taken to remove Russian influences, such as changing the alphabet from Russian Cyrillic style to a Roman style, rewriting the textbooks, or redubbing and translating TV programs produced in Russian before they are shown to Turkmen.
The religious population is primarily Muslim and Eastern Orthodox.
As nine-tenths of Turkmenistan is desert, it’s warm. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the average temperature is in the high 50s F and low 60s F. Summer conditions can be in the high 90s, but winter weather can drop far below O F. The country also receives light moisture, 3 inches annually in the desert to 12 inches in the mountain areas.