The Faculty of Political Science of the University of Ankara (, more simply known as "SBF") is the oldest faculty of social science in Turkey, being the successor of the "Mekteb-i Mülkiye" (also known as the "Mülkiye") which was established in Istanbul on February 12, 1859, under the reign of Sultan Abdulaziz, then moved to Ankara in 1936 under a new name, and was incorporated to Ankara University on April 3, 1950, under its current name. The Faculty of Political Science provides higher education in the fields of Social Science, Public Finance, Economics, Public Administration, Labor Economics, Business Administration and International Relations. It is considered to be one of the most influential institutes in the political life of Turkey. History The faculty was founded in Istanbul as a community college in 1859 and has undergone series of changes since the establishment. It was named Mekteb-i Mülkiye-i Şahane under the Ministry of Internal Affairs but in 1918 the name was changed to "Mekteb-i Mülkiye" under the Ministry of Education. After the founding of the Republic, at the request of Atatürk, the school was moved to Ankara, and named the School of Political Science. The length of study was also increased to 4 years. On March 23, 1950, the school was placed under Ankara University, and its name was changed to Ankara University, Faculty of Political Science. The school has been a symbol of freedom of expression and organization. Holders of every different political view have found there an environment in which they could freely express themselves on a democratic platform as an important difference between Mülkiye and other universities. Masters and Doctorate programs were implemented in the 1955-56 academic year. In 1982, the faculty adopted the new framework, increasing the number of specialization departments to six: International Relations, Political Science and Public Administration, Economics, Public Finance, Business Administration, Labor Economics and Industrial Relations. Since the 2008-2009 academic year, Foreign Language Preparatory School has been mandatory. Staff and Alumni The faculty currently has 172 academic staff (42 professors, 33 associate professors, 34 assistant professors, 18 research assistants with doctorates, 35 research assistants pursuing doctorate degrees, four lecturers and six experts) and 78 administrative staff. The faculty's alumni, who are also called Mülkìyelìler, are employed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Public Finance and in public institutions including banks and private companies. A number of alumni have served as prime ministers,