Dokuz Eylül University, which aims to contribute to social development by bringing the intellectual power that improves in a wide range from health to economy, art to engineering with educational institutions, was founded on 20 July 1982 with the “Decree Law No. 41 on the Organization of Higher Education Institutions”.

In its foundation, it has been transferred from Ege University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology, School of Justice, Aydın School of Tourism Management and Hotel Management, Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports, Buca Faculty of Education, Denizli Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Theology, Demirci School of Education, Denizli School of Education, İzmir Vocational School, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, İzmir State Conservatory, Ankara Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences, Muğla School of Business Administration Dokuz Eylül University.

Along with the newly opened Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Institute of Social Sciences, Institute of Health Sciences, School of Marine Management and Management, School of Education and School of Art Education, our University has started its education studies with a total of 24 units.

While Atatürk’s Principles and History of Turkish Revolution Institute was founded in 1983, Art Education School was abolished. With the transformation of Manisa Finance Accounting School into the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences in 1987, Denizli Vocational School, Regional Development and Business Sciences Research and Application Center (BIMER) and Aegean Region Research and Application Center (EBAMER) were established. Marine Management and Management School in 1988, Muğla Vocational School in 1989, European Community International Relations Research and Application Center (ATMER), Health Services Vocational School and Theology Vocational School in 1990, Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Environmental Research and Application Center (ÇEVMER) in 1991.

Supporting the establishment of 4 new universities in the Aegean Region in 1992, our university was connected to Adnan Menderes University of Veterinary and Agricultural Faculties and Tourism Management and Hotel Management School in Aydın, Muğla University of Business and Vocational Schools, Muğla University of Economics and Administrative Sciences in Manisa, Demirci School of Education and Physical Education and Sports Department Celal Bayar University, Denizli Medical, Engineering Faculties and Education and Vocational Schools Pamukkale University.

In 1992, Torbalı Vocational School, Faculty of Business Administration, School of Nursing, School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Oncology Hemodialysis-Transplantation, Fine Arts Institute, Institute of Educational Sciences, Institute of Religious Sciences Research, and Faculty of Architecture were established.

Textile, Ready-to-wear and Paint Research Application Center (TEKBOYAM) was established in 1995, School of Foreign Languages in 1997, Caucasus-Central Asia Archaeology Research Center (Komer), Geothermal Energy Research and Application Center (JENARUM), Continuing Education Center (DEMEM) was established in 1998.

Earthquake Research and Application Center (DAUM), Statistics and Risk Analysis Research and Application Center(IRAMER), Water Resource Management and Waterborne Natural Disasters Control Research and Application Center (SUMER) in 2001, and Brain Dynamics Multidisciplinary Research and Application Center in 2002.

In 2004, Legal Research Center, Boat Production Technologies Research and Application Center, Shallow Geophysics and Archaeological Prospectus Research and Application Center, Fauna and Flora Research and Application Center, Dispute Resolution Research and Application Centers were established. In 2005, Surface Technologies and Damage Analysis Research and Application Center and İzmir Province Strategic Planning, Governance Research and Application Centers started to operate.

In 2006, Language Education Research and Application Center, Academic Emergency Medicine and Disaster Application and Research Center, Information Technologies Research and Application Center,

Quality Excellence Application and Research Center, Family Research and Application Center, Power Electronics and Sign Processing Technologies Research and Application Center,

Village Institutes and İsmail Hakkı Tonguç Research and Application Center, University Industrial Application and Research Center in 2007 and Occupational Health Research and Application Center in 2008 were established.

In 2009, Western Anatolian Ceramics Research and Application Center, Voice Recording Studio, Acoustic and Cognitive Musicology Application and Research Center, Symphonic Music Application and Research Center, Electronic Materials Production and Application Center, Women’s Rights and Problems Application and Research Center were opened. Sports Sciences and Technology School, Foça Reha Midilli School of Tourism Management and Hotel Management, Seferihisar Fevziye Hepkon Vocational School of Social Sciences were established. Marine Management and Management School has been transformed into Maritime Faculty.

In 2010, the name of the Faculty of Science and Literature was changed to the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Literature, Cardiovascular Diseases Application and Research Center and Distance Education Application and Research Center (DEUZEM) were established.

In 2011, Bone Cartilage Tissue Biotechnology Application and Research Center, Home Care Application and Research Center, Guidance and Psychological Counseling Application and Research Center, Balkan Research Application and Research Center, and Advanced Biomedical R&D Application and Research Center were established. The Research and Application Center for Power Electronics and Sign Processing Technologies was closed and transformed into the School of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing.

In 2012, Child Education Application and Research Center, Health Law Application and Research Center,  Palliative Care Application and Research Center, Sleep and Consciousness Technology Application and Research Center, Biomedical Metrology and Calibration Application and Research Center, National Clinical Infrastructure Network Application and Research Center, Transportation Safety and Accident Investigation Application and Research Center were opened and Bergama Vocational School was established.

In 2013, Entrepreneurship, Business and Economics Application and Research Center was established and Theological Vocational School, which was established under the Faculty of Theology, was closed.

In 2014, Ephesus Vocational School, Aegean Region Cultural Heritage Application and Research Center, Archaeometry Application and Research Center, Abdominal Membrane Cancer Application and Research Center and Reha Midilli Foça Tourism Management and Hotel School were closed and Reha Midilli Foça Tourism Faculty was established.

The name of the Advanced Biomedical R&D Application and Research Center has been changed to İzmir Biomedical and Genome Application and Research Center.

In 2015, an Individual-Specific Medicine and Pharmacogenomic / Genetic Application and Research Center, Mevlana Application and Research Center was established, and the name of the Hemodialysis-Transplantation Institute was changed to İzmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute.

The Faculty of Health Sciences was established with the publication of the decision annexed to the decree dated 13/06/2016 and numbered 2016/8969 in the Official Gazette dated 03/08/2016.

In 2016, the Textile, Apparel and Paint Research Application Center (TEKBOYAM) and Sound Recording Studio, Acoustic and Cognitive Musicology Application and Research Center (DABMER) were closed, Translation Application and Research Center and Criminal Law and Criminology Application and Research Center were established.

In 2017, the Academic and Personal Development Support Application and Research Center, the Yörük-Turkmen Culture Application and Research Center and the Bioizmir International Health Technologies Developer and Accelerator Application and Research Center were established, and the Sound Recording Studio, Acoustic and Cognitive Musicology Application and Research Center (DABMER) was closed.

In 2018, Dokuz Eylül University LYME Disease Research Application and Research Center and Dokuz Eylül University Traditional and Complementary Medicine Application and Research Center were established and Biomedicine and Genome Application and Research Center were closed. In the same year, the School of Sports Sciences and Technology was closed and the Faculty of Sports Sciences was established. The first Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Izmir was founded in 2018 within the body of our University.

In 2019, the Faculty of Dentistry was established.

In 2020, the Faculty of Health Sciences was closed and Fevziye Hepkon Sports Sciences and Athlete Health Application and Research Center was established.

In 2021, Oral and Dental Health Application and Research Center was established within our University. In the same year, Family Medicine Education Application and Research Center, Biomedical Metrology and Calibration Application and Research Center, Individual-specific Medicine and Pharmacogenomic/Genetic Application and Research Center, Translation Application and Research Center, Entrepreneurship, Business and Economy Application and Research Center, Sleep and Consciousness Technology Application and Research Center, Surface Technologies and Damage Analysis Application and Research Center, Shallow Geophysics and Archaeological Prospecting Application and Research Center, Western Anatolian Ceramics Application and Research Center, Criminal Law and Crime Application and Research Center, Geothermal Energy Research and Application Center, Symphony Music Application and Research Center, Boat Production Technologies Application and Research Center were closed. The name of the Cardiovascular Diseases Application and Research Center has been changed to “Dokuz Eylül University Cardiac Rhythm Disorders Application and Research Center”.

Again in 2021, the name of Reha Midilli Foça Faculty of Tourism was changed to Faculty of Tourism, the name of Seferihisar Fevziye Hepkon School of Applied Sciences was changed to School of Applied Sciences, the name of the Faculty of Sports Sciences was changed to Necat Hepkon Faculty of Sports Sciences, and the name of the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation was changed to Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation.

Dokuz Eylül University, which entered the ‘champions league of universities by giving a successful exam with its high performance in the evaluation made by the Council of Higher Education under 32 indicators under the titles of ‘Research Capacity’, ‘Research Quality’ and ‘Interaction and Cooperation, has received the title of ‘Research University’ with its extensive research opportunities offered as of 13.12.2021 and with its success in international and national projects.

In 2022, the Archaeometry Application and Research Center and the Caucasus-Central Asia Archaeology Research Center were merged and the name was changed to Archaeology and Archaeometry Application and Research Center. In the same year, the name of the Lyme Disease Research Application and Research Center was changed to “Dokuz Eylül University Multidimensional Infections and Lyme Disease Research and Application Center (DEBLAUM)”.

Dokuz Eylül University was awarded the “Institutional Accreditation Certificate” within the scope of the “2021 Institutional Accreditation Program” by the Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK) in June 2022 and the Institutional Accreditation Certificate was presented to our Rector by the Chairman of the YÖKAK at the ceremony held in July 2022.

Dokuz Eylül University continues its scientific research and higher education duties with a total of 49 Application and Research Centers including 10 Institutes, 18 Faculties, 2 Schools, 1 Conservatory, 6 Vocational Schools, 2 Application and Research Hospitals all over Izmir with a quality social service approach.

As of the Academic Year 2021-2022, more than 67 thousand students are studying at Dokuz Eylül University. These include nearly 4,500 international students from 105 countries. As of 2022, more than 3 thousand 100 academic and more than 5 thousand administrative staff are serving at DEU.

In 2023, Cosmetology Application and Research Center was established. Also in the same year, The Family Studies Application and Research Center, The Women’s Rights and Problems Application and Research Center, Yörük Turkmen Culture Application and Research Center, Balkan Studies Application and Research Center were closed. Instead of this centers, Women and Family Studies Application and Research Center and Turkish World Application and Research Center was established.
Currently, Dokuz Eylul University continues its scientific research and higher education mission with 48 Application and Research Centers, 10 Institutes, 18 Faculties, 2 Schools, 1 Conservatory, 6 Vocational Schools and 2 Application and Research Hospital regarding quality social service approach.
Dokuz Eylul University has aproximately 69.000 students and more than 4,600 of this amount is international students come from 105 different countries. More than 3,100 academic staff and more than 5000 administrative staff work within the university.