Study in Hungary: Education in Hungary

The education system in Hungary has represented academic excellence for more than 600 years. Many colleges are directly affiliated with a university and operate as college faculties of the university. Universities in Hungary generally award courses at both the college and university levels. Starting in 2005, schools in Hungary started the transformation toward the regulations of the Bologna Process. In this new system, both colleges and universities in Hungary may launch bachelor's, master's, and PhD programs if the necessary requirements are fulfilled. This also means that all awarded degrees are equivalent and transferable throughout the EU and many other countries.

The education system in Hungary is divided between colleges and universities:

• College education: generally lasts for 4 years
• University education: lasts for 4 to 6 years depending on the course undertaken.
• Vocational curriculum: usually lasts 2 years, they are opened to secondary vocational school's graduates and eventually vocational school students.
• University PhD courses: usually take 3 years to complete.

The Hungarian academic year runs from September to June with long holidays in July and August. The public higher education system in Hungary includes universities and other higher education institutes that provide both education curricula and related degrees up to a doctoral degree. Some also contribute to research activities. As in many other countries, some qualifications are not available at the bachelor level within the education system in Hungary but instead start with the award of a master's degree. Examples of such qualifications are medical studies, veterinary science, pharmaceutical studies, and architecture.

Today there over 60 higher education institutions in Hungary ranging from minor colleges to top research universities. These institutes are financed either by the state, private organizations, or a church.

Types of degrees in Hungary

Degrees earned from higher education in Hungary follow the international standards set by the Bologna Process. This means that, apart from certain vocational degrees awarded by non-university and college institutions in Hungary, degrees conform to the standard of Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD degrees. This makes qualifications from Hungarian universities more widely comparable on the international market, and that students have the option to pursue a master’s degree in a different field than that of their bachelor's. 

In certain, more vocationally-directed courses in Hungary such as medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine, the first degree awarded is a master’s degree after five to six years of study. Hungary’s EU membership also means that degrees awarded in medicine, veterinary studies, and architecture are directly transferable and accepted for professional purposes in other EU countries.

Being part of the education system in Hungary will be an adventurous opportunity that will open many doors in the future.