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The academic reform of Hungarian higher education is inseparable from the Bologna Process. The most important challenge of the following years is to integrate Hungarian higher education into the European space reserved for higher education. In 1999, 29 European countries joined the Bologna Declaration, the recommendations of which included a number of tasks set up for Hungary. The aim of the Bologna Process is the innovative harmonisation of European higher education. The most important objectives of the Bologna Declaration include
Our purpose is to establish a system of higher education answering to high quality requirements and ensuring open, modern and competitive degrees alongside the Bologna Process. The new Education Act passed through the Parliament 1 st of March in 2006.
Hungarian higher education system has twofold types of institutions: university and college ones. Some colleges are associated with universities and known as "college faculities" of those universities. Institution legally may offer both level of courses leading to graduated or ungraduated diplomas depending on the accreditation by the Hungarian Accredited Committee. All institutions may offer university and college level courses, too. The Hungarians higher education system there is a coherent uniform system accepted by the Bologna Committee of European Union member states. Duration at ungraduated, so called college level courses leading to BSc., BA level is a minimum of 3 year plus one or half year in practice. At graduated level corresponding to MSc., MA level courses are 2 years with the exception of medical universities, where courses last for 6 years. Courses may be full time, correspondence, or distance learning. In addition to state higher education there are private and religious institutions.
International Institutional Co-operation
Foreign Higher Education Institutionsin Hungary
(Education Act Chapter 28., Section 110):
(1) A foreign higher education institution may conduct regular graduate education, specialised postgraduate education, or doctoral education (independently, within the framework of another organisation, or in co-operation with one), and may issue foreign degrees if
a) in the country where it is based, the institution is officially recognised as a higher education institution, and the degree issued is recognised as a higher education degree, and if it can prove this convincingly;
b) the Minister Education, considering the viewpoint of the Hungarian Accreditation Committee, has authorised such operation of the higher education institution.
(2) A Hungarian higher education institution may conduct joint graduate, specialised postgraduate, and doctoral education with a foreign higher education institution insofar as the co-operating foreign higher education institution satisfies the conditions mentioned in Para. (1), Item a) above. Such co-operation must be reported to the Minister of Education.
(3) The Minister shall frame a decree concerning the nostrification and Hungarian equivalency of foreign degrees issued on education authorised by the Minister of Education and conducted based on Para. (1). This decree gives an annex with the list of the institutions and programmes which the decree shall apply to.
For more information about possible co-operation:
Szent István University , Virtual Training Centre - VIT
What qualifications do I need in order to be admitted to a higher education institution in Hungary?
Besides the secondary school certificate, admission is based on the results of competitive entrance process (oral or written) in the given field, and occasionally on the results of a language test in the language of the given programme. Programmes of study in the fields of music and arts require applicants to demonstrate their particular artistic abilities. As most institutions have their own admission systems with their own conditions and deadlines for application, for details please refer to the section on admission criteria of the Campus Hungary database and/or the institution in which you wish to study. If you wish to obtain a PhD degree in Hungary, the basic requirement is that you hold a university degree which is equivalent to a Master's degree gained at a Hungarian university.
For help you may wish to contact the Szent István University , Virtual Training Centre - VIT ( http://www.abk.szie.hu/VIT/) or National Higher Education Admissions Office www.felvi.hu. For details on the admission criteria for the particular programmes of study, consult the following web pages:
Further information on the recognition of foreign secondary school leaving certificates, vocational training documents, graduate and postgraduate degrees can be found on the web page of the Hungarian Equivalence Centre, www.naric.hu.
Do I need a visa? If so, how do I apply for one?
Foreign students from outside the European Union planning to stay in Hungary for a period longer than 90 days, or with the purpose of employment or other income-earning activity, are required to apply for visa. The application may be submitted at the Hungarian diplomatic mission or consular post in the country of your permanent or habitual residence. If there is no such mission there, you can turn to any other Hungarian diplomatic mission or consular post. (Note, however, that the Hungarian honorary consular offices are not entitled to issue visas, but they have all the necessary forms, and may also accept visa applications that they forward to the nearest diplomatic mission or consular post.) When applying for a visa, you are supposed to submit either a certificate of your status as a student, or a work permit. The process of issuing the visa may take one month.
Once you have a valid visa, you will also need a residence permit, for which you should apply within 15 days of entering Hungary submitting the application together with the visa, a letter of acceptance from the Hungarian HEI you wish to attend, a registration of residence, a statement on the personal finances and a certificate of health insurance. The procedure is usually organized centrally by the university office dealing with foreign student affairs. Note that the process may last for up to two months.
Students from the European Union and the European Economic Area do not need a visa to enter Hungary, they may apply directly for the residence permit upon arrival to Hungary if their prospected stay exceeds the period of 90 days. For application for a residence permit please follow the same procedure as described above.
The web site of the diplomatic missions of the Republic of Hungary is www.mfa.gov.hu. For further visa and immigration information, see the web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary: www.kum.hu. On Hungarian customs regulations see www.vam.hu.
What studying opportunities (degrees and qualifications) are offered?
The Hungarian higher education system operates consisting of universities and colleges. These institutions grant degrees in a binary pattern. Universities can offer both Bachelor and Master (as well as PHD/DLA) degrees, while colleges depending the course accreditation can offered the same, namely Bachelor and Master degrees.
The duration of training for a Bachelor degree is 3. In that case where is offered by the institution graduated courses leading to a Master degree plus 2 year, with the exemption of medical and jurist training. The academic year is divided into 2 semesters including 14-15 weeks of lectures and seminars followed by a 6-week examination period. In addition to full degree courses, HEIs offer shorter programmes too, such as summer universities and partials training.
The programmes of study offered in foreign languages include medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, engineering, economics, natural sciences, humanities, arts, and music.
Strength of Hungarian higher education lies in its PhD programmes offered in an equally large variety of subjects. The doctoral degrees granted by Hungarian institutions - just as the Hungarian Bachelor and Master degrees - can easily get recognized in Europe.
The full range of Bachelor's, Master's and PhD degree courses and programmes offered by Hungarian HEIs can be found on the programmes menu.
Are the programmes of study offered for foreigner students accredited?
The Hungarian higher education system consists of 74 HEIs - including state universities and colleges, church universities and colleges, as well as private institutions - accredited by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (HAC). The HAC, established in 1993 and being an independent agency and member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), is responsible for accrediting and evaluating the quality of teaching and research carried out in the HEIs. Quality assurance is based on a periodically repeated assessment of the curricula, the requirements, and the qualification of the academic staff in each study programmes of the institutions.
There are further institutions having other accreditation than that of HAC, in these cases, it is advisable consulting the content of the given accreditation.
The list of the 74 higher education institutions accredited by HAC can be downloaded from www.om.hu/education.
How can Hungary further my career?
During the past decades, Hungary has become a most convenient choice for international students. Every year nearly 10.000 foreign students reside in the country, 3.000 of them participating in programmes of study offered in foreign languages. According to a recent survey carried out by the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), in terms of programmes of study provided in English, Hungary is the sixth most popular destination in Europe. The Bachelor, Master, and doctoral degrees granted by Hungarian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can easily get recognition in all European Union countries, as well as vice versa. In the case of architecture, and the medical and veterinary sciences, mutual recognition of degrees for professional purposes is automatic. While the large variety of Hungarian programmes of study offered in various languages in Hungary meet the same standards as those in many Western-European countries, tuition fees and costs of living are considerably lower in Hungary.
Are my credits gained in Hungary transferable?
As Hungary is now a member of the European Union, the Hungarian higher education institutions are part of the European Higher Education Area, and the credits and degrees gained in Hungary are transferable to other European institutions. An ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) equivalent system was introduced in Hungary in September 2003 to be applied in all higher education institutions. The minimum credit number for a Bachelor degree is 180, for a Master degree is 120, while for a doctoral degree it is 180.
The main objective of the introduction of the credit system was to harmonize different country's education systems and to facilitate student mobility. As a result of this harmonization, higher education institutions in Europe will recognize your credits earned in a Hungarian institutions and vice versa.
Do I need to speak fluent Hungarian?
You do not need to, because a large variety of programmes of study in English, German, French and Russian, for Bachelor's, Master's or doctoral degrees, are offered by the various HEIs in Hungary. Details can be found on: www.campushungary.hu.
You may, however, decide to learn Hungarian either for private everyday use for the time you stay in Hungary, or to join a university course in Hungarian. You choose Hungarian as the language of your studies, you will be required to prove your proficiency in Hungarian before you start your studies.
Preparatory course before they start their higher-level studies in Hungarian
Szent István University , Virtual Training Centre - VIT
Hungarian can be learnt at a number of places. A one-year-course is provided by the Balassi Bálint Institute and Szent István University for those who need it as a preparatory course before they start their higher-level studies in Hungarian ( www.bbi.hu). This institute also offers shorter language courses at several levels, as well as various programmes, such as exhibitions, cultural events, and conferences, aimed at preserving and promoting Hungarian culture.
Foreign Languages Courses
Szent István University , Virtual Training Centre - VIT
Language courses are available at various other institutions, such as the Centre for Foreign Languages ( www.itk.hu) or the Hungarian Language School ( www.hls.hu). Summer university courses in Hungarian language and cultural studies are organised among other places at the University of Debrecen (www.nyariegyetem.hu), Pécs University (www.isc.pte.hu), and Pázmány Péter Catholic University ( www.btk.ppke.hu/sumuni).
...more information:
MOST POPULAR COURSE FIELDS FOR FOREIGN LEARNERS IN THE VIT AT SZENT ISTVÁN UNIVERSITY
INFORMATION ABOUT SZENT ISTVÁN UNIVERSITY
REGULATIONS FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE DOCTORAL DEGREE (PhD)
APPLICATION FORM (download in PDF format)