Applicants to the organised doctoral training of the Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School (JNPDS) may be Hungarian or foreign citizens who hold a Master’s degree and professional qualification obtained at a Hungarian or foreign higher education institution, or an equivalent university-level degree and qualification, or who will obtain such a degree in the year of admission. The classification of the degree, or the expected date of its acquisition, must be documented. In the case of a degree obtained abroad, a certified translation must also be submitted in accordance with the applicable university regulations.
Organised doctoral training may be pursued in full-time or part-time form. Full-time training may be state-funded or self-financed, while part-time training, which may be completed alongside employment, is self-financed. The admission procedure and assessment criteria are the same for applicants to both full-time and part-time doctoral training.
Admission to doctoral training requires language proficiency appropriate for conducting research in the selected discipline. Applicants must have adequate command of the language of instruction, which is also assessed by the admission committee during the admission procedure. In the case of Hungarian-language doctoral training, applicants must possess the foreign-language competence required for the relevant field of research in one of the languages specified in the Rules of Operation of the JNPDS. If the applicant’s certified foreign-language proficiency is in a language other than English, the admission committee also assesses whether the applicant has sufficient English-language competence to conduct research in the relevant discipline.
Application
Applicants must apply for an announced doctoral research topic under the supervision of an approved supervisor of the JNPDS. In accordance with the current university and disciplinary regulations, the application must include, in particular:
- a professional curriculum vitae, including a list of publications and conference presentations;
- documentation of previous scientific activities, particularly publications, conference presentations, and participation in TDK/OTDK student research activities;
- the title of the proposed research topic and a research plan of no more than two pages, approved and signed by the prospective supervisor;
- the supervisor’s written assessment of the applicant’s professional suitability;
- a copy of the university degree certificate, or a signed declaration indicating the expected date of obtaining the degree;
- documentation certifying the applicant’s language proficiency;
- evidence that the selected doctoral research topic has been officially announced in the national doctoral database at doktori.hu;
- proof of payment of the currently applicable admission/registration fee.
The original copies of all submitted documents must be presented at the admission interview.
The general application deadline is 15 May, while the deadline for cross-semester admission is 15 November.
Admission Procedure and Assessment
Applicants participate in a professional admission interview conducted by an admission committee of at least three members organised by the JNPDS. During the interview, the committee assesses the applicant’s professional preparedness, research aptitude, plans concerning the proposed doctoral research, previous academic performance, and scientific activities. Applicants are subsequently ranked on the basis of their overall performance.
A maximum of 100 points may be awarded during the admission procedure:
- professional preparedness and aptitude: maximum 40 points;
- degree classification and previous academic performance: maximum 30 points;
- previous scientific activities, including TDK/OTDK work, publications, presentations, etc.: maximum 30 points.
If the applicant obtained the degree more than two years previously, obtained it abroad, or the degree does not include a classification, the degree and academic performance are not assessed separately; the corresponding points are redistributed between the assessment of professional aptitude and previous scientific activity. The minimum score required for admission is 60 points, although reaching this threshold does not in itself guarantee admission.
The final admission decision is made by the Doctoral Council of Natural Sciences and Engineering. Admission is granted to a specific doctoral school and the decision also identifies the applicant’s supervisor. The deadline for admission decisions is 15 July in the regular admission procedure and 15 January in the case of cross-semester admission.
Individual Preparation
In addition to organised doctoral training, doctoral degree acquisition may also be pursued through individual preparation in exceptional and particularly justified cases. This route is intended primarily for applicants who already hold a Master’s degree and have substantial teaching and/or research experience as well as documented scientific achievements of an appropriate standard.
Applicants seeking admission through individual preparation must also participate in the admission procedure and must submit a written statement from their prospective supervisor confirming that, on the basis of the applicant’s previous scientific activity, the doctoral dissertation can reasonably be submitted within two years. The detailed requirements for individual preparation are specified in the Rules of Operation of the JNPDS.
Further details of the application and admission procedure, current doctoral research topics, and any additional doctoral-school-specific requirements are set out in the Rules of Operation and current admission announcement of the Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School, as well as in the currently effective Doctoral Regulations of the University of Debrecen.
Further information for foreign applicants
- About language requirements, and fees
- Default admission deadline: each year 15th May and 15th November (Note that deadlines for applying Scholarships may be different, typically earlier dates)
- Contact: Éva Bessenyei, phd-ttk@science.unideb.hu, Phone: +36 52 512 900/62890
- Download the application form
- Please note that application to the School can be done only by choosing one of the topics announced at doktori.hu. After selecting a topic contact the supervisor of that topic. Application can be done only if the supervisor accepts the student.
The date of the entrance exam: to be announced
Stipendium Hungaricum Full Scholarship Programme
The Hungarian government provides the Stipendium Hungaricum academic scholarship for international students. Stipendium Hungaricum full scholarship includes:
- Free tuition for the entire duration of studies
- Monthly grant for students of Bachelor, Master or PhD programmes
- Contribution to accommodation
- Free medical insurance for the entire duration of a BSc, MSc or PhD programmes
You find the official call here: stipendiumhungaricum.hu
The online application platform: apply.stipendiumhungaricum.hu
Details of available doctoral study programmes of the University of Debrecen can be checked here: https://edu.unideb.hu/page.php?id=85.