Application Guide
History (PhD) in English
About the programme
The Doctoral School is built on four different programmes: Ancient History, Medieval Studies, Modern History, and Comparative and Contemporary History. The programmes focus on: the history of the Roman Empire and ancient India, the history of Hungary in the pre-medieval era and the Middle Ages, the history and archaeology of the Eurasian Steppe, early-modern Hungarian history, Habsburg and Ottoman relations, the history of the Mediterranean world and contemporary social and political history. Research areas cover cultural studies, paleography of scripts in several languages, history of popular culture, history of ideas, history of political thought, historiography.
Many of our graduates achieved fellowships at various universities, research centres and in departments of different universities; others hold highly valued positions in government offices and in public education.
Language of the program: English
Level of the programme: PhD
Duration of the programme: 4+4 semesters
Registered in: EU
Credits: 240
Who should apply?
We expect applicants to be interested in the modern approaches of the research of history. We recommend our programmes to students who have proficiency in the classical and modern languages and have thorough knowledge in intercultural relations.
Application requirements
MA degree, a demonstrated proficiency in English (B2/Intermediate) and in the chosen language of the program (B2/Intermediate), a letter of motivation, research plan, and/or other languages as required by the specific sub-programme and an individual interview online. Letter of acceptance from the future supervisor is required.
Start of the programme: September of each year
Tuition fee: 3500 EUR (Please kindly note that after being accepted, non-EU applicants will need to pay 2 semesters' tuition fee together for the first academic year. For further informaiton, you can contact us at: international@primus.arts.u-szeged.hu)
Other fees: 35 EUR application fee (non-refundable) and 250 EUR entrance exam fee (non-refundable)
For further information please contact Dr. Péter Vukman at vukmanpeter@gmail.com or call (+36) 62 544464 regarding the application process or details of the programme.
History (PhD) for Hungarian Students
Basic information in relation to the entrance procedure
The Doctoral School of History at the University of Szeged announces admission to its 2+2-year, full-time doctoral training in 2024 too, as well as to its 2-year training period to obtain the doctoral degree as an individual trainee.
Deadline of application: May 15, 2024
(Cross-semester training is not offered by the Doctoral School of History!)
Application to the training is online. Online application can commence one month before the deadline (April 15, 2024) on the following sites:
Application for 2+2-year doctoral training
Application for the 2-year training period to obtain the doctoral degree as an individual trainee
SZTE students can fill in the application form by using their Neptun (formerly ETR) ID code.
https://modulo.etr.u-szeged.hu/Modulo2/szteportal
“External” applicants (who do not have a student contractual relationship with the University of Szeged) can register and then fill in the form.
https://modulo.etr.u-szeged.hu/Modulo2/e-szte
Technical help is available at the following mail address: doktori(dot)jelentkezet(at)hszi(dot)u-szeged(dot)hu
The Doctoral School of History kindly asks the applicants to submit the required supplements in print (on paper) too, by mailing it by post to the Doctoral Institute of the University of Szeged (13 Dugonics Sqr. Szeged H-6720) by May 15, 2024 the latest.
The conditions of the admission to the doctoral school, the documents required for the admission and the admission procedure in the case of applying for the 2+2-year doctoral training
The conditions of application
- Master degree (MA, MBA, MD, MJr, MPharm, MSc) or a student status certificate of being in the last year of master training / 5-year teacher training.
- Hungarian personages (Croatian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian, and Ukrainian) under the effect of Act LXII of 2001 (2001. évi LXII. törvény) (so-called Law of Favour) can participate in the doctoral admission procedure with the same conditions, so they can also obtain Hungarian state scholarship if they reach the required amount of points in the admission procedure.
- According to Point 25, Chapter IV of the Regulation SZEGEDI TUDOMÁNYEGYETEM (u-szeged.hu), the citizens of the European Union (EU) have the same rights as Hungarian citizens.
- Within the framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum system of scholarships the doctoral school may give state scholarship to students who arrived from a non-EU member European country and from countries outside Europe: http://www.tka.hu/english
For the general conditions of the admission, see: http://www.u-szeged.hu (under the BTK PhD header in the menu).
Documents required for the application
- Filled-in application form (available for download at: https://www.u-szeged.hu/dokint)
- Curriculum vitae
- In the case of application for Antiquity Program, Doctoral Program of Medieval Studies, and Modern Age Program: Letter of motivation, wich includes the preliminary research plan (maximum: 3 pages)
- In the case of application for Contemporary History Program: Letter of motivation (2800–3000 characters)
- In the case of application for Contemporary History Program: Research plan (8000–10,000 characters)
- Neptun list
- Copy of the diploma supplement, or the certificate of the average grade of the diploma issued by the Office of Study Affairs
- Copy / copies of the diploma / diplomas
- Copy of the certificates validating language knowledge (if you have one)
- Copies of certificates of attendance at conferences, national and international trainings, summer schools, intensive courses (if the candidate participated at one)
- Copy of the Master Thesis
- List of academic papers (a simple list of publications in Microsoft Word)
- Offprints or photocopies of already published articles / papers / books
- Certificates of attending scientific students’ conference(s) and the obtained place(s), special prize(s)
- Document attesting that the candidate has been awarded the Fellowship granted by the Republic
- Two letters of recommendation by two, invited academic supporters
- One, normal size (11×16 cm), stamped envelope with the June address of the applicant ∙ where he/she could be reached in June, as well as a normal-size and a middle-size (16×22 cm), stamped envelope, with the June–August address where he/she could be reached in the period between June and August
- Official Certificate of good conduct (for those who do not finish their studies in the given semester at the University of Szeged)
- Other documents that are deemed necessary for the application
- When applying for the Contemporary History Program: completed supervisor’s statement and program manager approval Témavezetői nyilatkozat és programvezetői jóváhagyás (Jelenkor program)
Admission procedure
The applicants do an entrance examination in the second half of June, 2024, the date of which will be sent to them by mail by the Faculty of Arts.
The entrance examinations of the Doctoral School of History are conducted by examination committees organised by the four directors of the programs (Antiquity, Medieval Studies, Medieval Studies Archaeology, Modern Age, Contemporary Age). An examination committee consists of at least three members.
The applicants are evaluated on the basis of the application material and the oral performance at the entrance exam.
During the oral exam, a general professional discussion will take place in connection with the student’s thesis and planned research topic.
The maximum number of point that can be obtained during the admission procedure is 100.
On the basis of the points obtained, the Council of the Doctoral School of History ranks the applicants, and then in accordance with the ranking list it proposes an admission suggestion to the Disciplinary (Faculty) Doctoral Council, which forwards the list of those who are recommended for admission. This body decides on the number of positions funded by state scholarship and the places to be financed by tuition fee.
The applicant has to make a statement whether he/she wants to hand in his/her application only for the training that is funded by state scholarship or he/she intends to conduct his/her doctoral studies from a position financed by tuition fee (for example, as he/she has a full-time job), or if there were any remaining place funded by state scholarship, he/she wishes to begin his/her studies in this form, but if not, then he/she still undertakes to start his/her studies in the tuition fee form.
The applicants are officially informed about the positive outcome of the admission procedure (and its form: state scholarship / tuition fee) or its rejection during the summer.
The legal relationship and allowances of the applicants who gained admittance to the 2+2-year doctoral training of the doctoral school
In order to begin the training, the applicants successfully admitted to the school must enrol at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (they have to do so in all the 8 semesters!), about the date and deadline of which they will be informed by the Faculty.
The enrolled students (except for the cases regulated by the law) enter into a full-time student contractual relationship, thus they are also entitled to have a student ID card and other student allotments.
Those who have been admitted to positions funded by state scholarship obtain scholarship the sum of which is 140.000 HUF in the first two years from September 2024 and 180.000 HUF in the second two years respectively.
The tuition fee for those students who have been admitted to the places financed by individual tuition in the Hungarian training 325.000 HUF. The sum of the tuition fee can be reduced in accordance with an individual request with regard to the extent the doctoral student obliged to pay is willing to participate in university instruction and research activities.
Information on the actual sums of the training tuition fee of the Doctoral School of History can be obtained from dr. Zsuzsanna Tóth (Deans Office of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences):
E-mail address: btkdokt@arts.u-szeged.hu
Tel.+36 (62) 544-362
In order to complete the absolutorium the student has to collect 240 credits in the 2+2-year period and has to successfully pass the complex exam at the end of the second year. The details of these vary with in the case of each subprogram. For further details and the outlines of the topics in subject see at the introduction of the given subprogram!
The doctoral dissertation must be submitted within the period of three years after passing the complex exam.
For further details on the admission procedure and the students, see the webpage of the Doctoral Institute of the University of Szeged: http://www.u-szeged.hu/dokint, and the Organisational and Operational Rules (SZMSZ) of the Doctoral School of History, as well as the Regulation of Obtaining the Doctoral Degree and the Doctoral Training of the University of Szeged: http://www.u-szeged.hu/szabalyzatok
In case you need more information, feel free to contact the Secretary of the Doctoral School of History, Dr. Szabolcs Felföldi at Felfoldi(dot)Szabolcs(at)antiq(dot)u-szeged(dot)hu, or at the following telephone number: +36 (62) 549-040.
The conditions of the admission to the doctoral school, the documents required for the admission and the admission procedure in the case of applying for the doctoral training as an individual trainee
The conditions of application
In addition to skipping the first two years, one can obtain the doctoral degree by the so-called “individual” preparation. In this case, the candidate directly enters into the second part of the doctoral training, into the so-called research and dissertation phase. However, the professional knowledge and scholarly achievements necessary for this stage must be mostly gained and mastered individually.
The Doctoral School of History recommends this form of obtaining the doctoral degree to those who have many years or decades of professional past, and due to their scholarly publications, conference presentations or other scientific activity etc. they can be regarded as renowned researchers of their discipline and research field, and they can verify it to the fullest extent by their documents.
The conditions of application in the case of individuan trainees are defined by the given programs on their own (on the basis of particular consideration), but these conditions must not be less than the minimal requirements necessary for obtaining the doctoral degree in history. The admission of the individual trainees is first decided by the council of the doctoral school upon the advice of the director of the program (who invites the applicant for a personal interview), then by the disciplinary doctoral council. The applicant is informed about the outcome of the admission procedure by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in an official letter.
The application can be conducted on the webpage below:
Application for obtaining the doctoral degree in the 2-year “individual” training
Here applicants can register and then can fill in the application form. They can ask for technical help at the following email address: doktori(dot)jelentkezes(at)hszi(dot)u-szeged(dot)hu.
Otherwise, further conditions of the application are mostly the same as in the case of those applicants who applied for the 2+2-year training:
- Master degree (MA, MBA, MD, MJr, MPharm, MSc)
- Hungarian personages (Croatian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian, and Ukrainian) under the effect of Act LXII of 2001 (2001. évi LXII. törvény) (so-called Law of Favour) can participate in the doctoral admission procedure with the same conditions.
- According to Point 25, Chapter IV of the Regulation SZEGEDI TUDOMÁNYEGYETEM (u-szeged.hu), the citizens of the European Union (EU) have the same rights as Hungarian citizens.
Documents necessary for the application
- Filled-in application form (available for download at: https://www.u-szeged.hu/dokint)
- Curriculum vitae
- Copy/copies of diploma(s) / degree(s)
- Copy of the Master Thesis
- Copies of certificates documenting language knowledge (if you have one)
- Copies of certificates of attendance at conferences, national and international trainings, summer schools, intensive courses (if the candidate participated at one)
- List of academic papers (a simple list of publications in Microsoft Word)
- Offprints or photocopies of already published articles / papers / books
- One, normal size (11×16 cm), stamped envelope with the June address of the applicant where he/she could be reached in June, as well as a normal-size and a middle-size (16×22 cm), stamped envelope, with the June–August address where he/she could be reached in the period between June and August
- Official Certificate of good conduct
- Other documents that are deemed necessary for the application
- When applying for the Contemporary History Program: completed supervisor’s statement and program manager approval Témavezetői nyilatkozat és programvezetői jóváhagyás (Jelenkor Program)
The Doctoral School of History asks the applicants to submit the required document in print / on paper too, by May 15, 2024 the latest, sent by mail to the address of the Doctoral Institute of the University of Szeged (13 Dugonics Square, Szeged, H-6720).
Procedural Arrangement for the Training of Individual Trainees
By accepting the application the institution affirms the minimum number of credits set as a condition for admittance to the complex exam (90 credits out of the total 240). However, upon the request of the candidate, further credits can be affirmed (but at least one third of the credits, that is, 80 credits have to be earned at the institution).
After receiving a positive notice on admission, the candidate registers for the complex exam at the scholarly competent doctoral school. After successfully passing the complex exam, the candidate obtains the contractual legal relationship of being a doctoral student, and enrols in the actual semester as a fee-paying student.
As in the case of those who applied for the 2+2-year training, in the following 2 years the candidate has to obtain 240 credits necessary for gaining the absolutorium. In possession of the absolutorium, the candidate can submit his/her dissertation and initiate the evaluation procedure.
The doctoral dissertation must be submitted within a period of three years after passing the complex exam.
The tuition fee for those students who have been admitted to the fee-paying places in the Hungarian training 325.000 HUF. The sum of the tuition fee can be reduced in accordance with an individual request with regard to the extent the doctoral student obliged to pay is willing to participate in university instruction and research activities.
Information on the actual sums of the training tuition fee of the Doctoral School of History can be obtained from dr. Zsuzsanna Tóth (Deans Office of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences):
E-mail address: btkdokt@arts.u-szeged.hu
Tel.: +36 (62) 544-362
For further details on the admission procedure and the students, see the webpage of the Doctoral Institute of the University of Szeged: http://www.u-szeged.hu/dokint, and the Organisational and Operational Rules (SZMSZ) of the Doctoral School of History, as well as the Regulation of Obtaining the Doctoral Degree and the Doctoral Training of the University of Szeged: http://www.u-szeged.hu/szabalyzatok
In case you need more information, please contact the Secretary of the Doctoral School of History, Dr. Szabolcs Felföldi at the following address: Felfoldi(dot)Szabolcs(at)antiq(dot)u-szeged(dot)hu, or at the following phone number: +36 (62) 549-040.
Double degree, co-tutelle
The University of Szeged offers the possibility to obtain a joint doctoral degree in cooperation with a foreign university. Information about co-tutelle training and the guidelines for the contracts are available on the website of the SZTE Doctoral Institute:
https://u-szeged.hu/dokint–/–oktatoknak/kettos-fokozatszerzes?folderID=13185&objectParentFolderId=13185