Study Pharmacy in Nicosia (Lefkoşa), North Cyprus

About Bahçeşehir Cyprus University

Bahçeşehir Cyprus University (BAU Cyprus) was founded in 2017. The university describes itself as the fifth member of the BAU Global education network, which also includes Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul. Since 2020, teaching has taken place on the Alayköy campus on the western edge of Nicosia (Lefkoşa). According to the university, around 92% of its students are international, coming from more than 76 countries.

BAU Cyprus has seven faculties: Architecture and Engineering; Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences; Educational Sciences; Health Sciences; Law; Pharmacy; and Tourism, plus a Vocational School of Health Sciences. There is no faculty of medicine or dentistry. In the health field, the university offers an English-taught pharmacy degree (the faculty opened in the 2023–24 academic year), a bachelor's in nursing and a two-year associate programme in first and emergency aid. Its programmes are accredited by YÖDAK, the higher education authority of Northern Cyprus, and the university is also recognised by YÖK, the Turkish Council of Higher Education.

Important for 2026: recognition

Only Turkey recognises Northern Cyprus as a state. As a result, a BAU Cyprus degree is not recognised in several countries, including North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Morocco. This has nothing to do with the teaching; it comes down to political status. If you study at BAU Cyprus and plan to work in one of these countries or in the EU, moving to a recognised university in Europe is often the safer route, and we can guide you through it.

• Pharmacy: 5 years (10 semesters), English, with laboratory practice, compulsory internships in pharmacy, hospital or industry, and a double-degree option with BAU Istanbul.
• Nursing (Bachelor): 4 years, 240 ECTS, English, with practical components and a compulsory internship.
• First and Emergency Aid (Associate): 2 years, English, practice-oriented with laboratory and hospital experience.

Programme structure

Pharmacy (5 years)

The pharmacy degree takes five years (ten semesters) and is taught entirely in English; with the English preparatory year it takes six. It combines compulsory and elective courses, laboratory practice and a two-part graduation project, along with compulsory internships in community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy or industry. A bilateral agreement with the BAU Faculty of Pharmacy in Istanbul allows students to earn a double degree.

Nursing (4 years)

The English-taught bachelor's in nursing runs for four years and 240 ECTS. The first year covers foundations such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and psychology, followed by advanced nursing courses with practical components and a compulsory internship.

First and Emergency Aid (2 years)

This associate programme at the Vocational School of Health Sciences lasts two years and is practice-oriented, with hands-on experience in laboratories and hospital clinical settings.

We do not place students at BAU Cyprus

Medschool Experts does not arrange places at Bahçeşehir Cyprus University, because its degree is not recognised in many countries. BAU Cyprus does not offer medicine or dentistry in any case.

Planning to study medicine or dentistry? Take a look at the alternatives at our partner universities.

Already studying at BAU Cyprus? Then the next step is a transfer to a recognised university in Europe. Book a free consultation and we will look at your options together.

Tuition fees and cost of living

The official BAU Cyprus fee list (as of September 2026) shows US$5,800 per year with a 50% scholarship for international pharmacy students, which is roughly €5,000. On top of that come a US$400 bench fee (pharmacy only) and a US$300 registration and social fund fee per year. For bachelor's and associate programmes such as nursing, the list shows US$4,200 with a 50% scholarship, roughly €3,600. All amounts include 5% VAT. Conversions use the September 2026 rate (€1 ≈ US$1.16).

For rent, food and everyday costs in Nicosia, budget approx. €550 per month, or more depending on your accommodation.

Example: what your remaining years cost

Say you have completed two of the five pharmacy years. For the remaining three years you would pay around €5,600 per year in fees (including the bench and registration fees) and around €6,600 per year in living costs, about €36,600 in total. It makes sense to compare this figure with the cost of studying at a recognised university, where your degree will not face political barriers later on.

Degree recognition: the political problem

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is recognised as a state only by Turkey. In 1983, UN Security Council Resolution 541 declared its proclamation legally invalid. Universities in the north are overseen by the TRNC authority YÖDAK, and BAU Cyprus is also recognised by YÖK in Turkey. Outside Turkey, recognition depends on each country.

• North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia: These countries do not recognise Northern Cyprus as a state. From our placement work in 2026 we know that they neither recognise degrees from Northern Cyprus nor accept transfers from universities there.
• Morocco: Since May 2024, equivalence for degrees from Northern Cyprus has been frozen on the instruction of the foreign ministry. According to Morocco World News (March 2026) and Yabiladi (April and July 2026), around 3,000 to 3,500 Moroccan students and graduates are affected, pharmacy included. There were protests in Rabat in 2026.
• Other countries: A Cyprus Today report from December 2020 stated that Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and the UAE no longer recognise higher education institutions in Northern Cyprus.

Under Directive 2005/36/EC, pharmacy and general nursing qualifications from EU member states are recognised automatically across the EU. Northern Cyprus lies outside the EU legal framework in practice, because EU law is suspended in the north of the island. The Republic of Cyprus in the south is a different case. The problem is not the quality of teaching but the political status.

Living in Nicosia

The BAU Cyprus campus is in Alayköy, on the western edge of Lefkoşa, the northern part of Nicosia. You can sit outside for most of the year: daytime temperatures are around 17°C in January, rise above 25°C from May, and summers are very hot and dry. The beaches near Girne (Kyrenia) on the north coast are about half an hour away by car.

The nearest airport is Ercan (ECN), east of the city. Most international connections run via Istanbul, with airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and AJet.

Lefkoşa is the northern half of the island's divided capital, with an old town, narrow lanes, the Selimiye Mosque and plenty of small cafés. Living costs are lower than in most of Western Europe, and the student population is very international. The campus has a library, football pitches, tennis courts and a café, among other facilities.