Full-Time Degree Programs
The Budapest University of Technology and Economics offers degree programs in both Hungarian and English, and most students from abroad choose to study in English. This Bulletin describes all the programs and courses conducted in English throughout the university's eight faculties.
The programs taught in English generally lead to the B.Sc. degree in four years and to the M.Sc. degree in two additional years. The postgraduate Ph.D. program is individualised and requires min. three years of combined course work and research.
B.Sc. Degree
Taking into consideration that students arrive from many countries and a variety of backgrounds, all freshmen take a Placement Test in the second week of their academic program. Based on the results of this test, students will either be accepted into the first year of a B.Sc. program or advised to join the two-semester Pre-Engineering Course (see description in this bulletin).
The six engineering faculties offer B.Sc. degree program seven or eight semesters depending on the faculty. The programs provide the scientific fundamentals, such as mathematics, physics, computing, mechanics, engineering drawing and chemistry, needed for a chosen field of engineering. They also provide a thorough knowledge of practical engineering and offer opportunities for specialisation. Experimental work in well-equipped laboratories is emphasised.
The B.Sc. degree programs usually consist of opportunities for specialisation that differ from faculty to faculty. Faculties divide their programs into branches with compulsory electives and offer optional elective subjects as well. For details, see the individual faculty descriptions and their curriculum tables in this Bulletin.
The hours of instruction range from 26 to 32 hours per week. Some variation occurs from faculty to faculty and also during the last semester when students work on their final projects. Students typically take 5 to 6 exams each semester. In addition, students are required and encouraged to participate in active research and design in the project laboratories and to develop their abilities to do independent research.
On successful completion of the curriculum final exams and the final project, a student will be granted a B.Sc. degree, which certifies its holder's ability to be engaged in engineering production work.
M.Sc. Degree
Students who already hold a B.Sc. degree or its equivalent, can pursue an M.Sc. degree in the same field of study at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Acceptance and placement is based on the student's academic credentials and current level of knowledge (of English language, as well), which is assessed on the student's arrival. Some M.Sc. programs offer refresher courses or preparatory semesters so students can upgrade their knowledge in relevant engineering subjects. Applicants must submit transcripts and, if they have been employed since graduation, details of their professional experience.
Students generally follow an approved curriculum, but elective subjects allow for personal interests. Courses are run for small groups (min. five members) and the students are expected to work individually under the direction of a personal tutor. Students have free access to laboratories, research facilities and computers. M.Sc. program is generally 4 semesters, i.e. 2 years in duration and consists of 26 hours of instruction per week and 5 examinations per semester. After the successful completion of a thesis and final exams the M.Sc. degree is granted which enables its holder to do research and solve high level engineering tasks.
Ph.D. Programs
The Budapest University of Technology and Economics is a strongly research oriented university that has conferred doctoral degrees since the nineteenth century in various fields of engineering.
The academic staff of our University are doing research in almost all engineering disciplines, related applied sciences, and in a few areas of the social sciences as well. Ph.D. candidates are welcome to take part in this research work in order to prepare for the Ph.D. procedure.
A Ph.D. at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics is a degree that can be earned by sufficiently proving the candidate's ability for selfstanding scientific work that must be demonstrated by writing a thesis summarising the candidate's research results. Furthermore, it is necessary to pass a set of qualifying examinations in some basic and applied sciences related to the field of the submitted thesis. Candidates are to publish their results prior to the submission of their theses.
Applicants for the Ph.D. program must hold an M.Sc., M.Phil. or equivalent degree issued by an academic institution and must possess an overall understanding of, and a high competence in, their field of knowledge, and be familiar with cognitive disciplines. They must also be capable of using research techniques. Admission requirements include excellent grades (mainly or exclusively A's), an excellent M.Sc. (or equivalent) final project, and/or the achievement of good initial results in research – depending on the length of period between the obtaining of the Master's degree and the time of the application. Applicants working on their Master's project can be admitted conditionally. For applicants who have already spent a few years in scientific or engineering practice since their first postgraduate degree, their achievements during this time will be considered in addition to their graduation results. Besides their professional achievements, applicants should also demonstrate a sense of responsibility for the advancement of scientific knowledge.
Ph.D. candidates carry out their studies and research on an individual basis under the guidance of a professor or a senior member of the academic staff at the faculty concerned. This research work must contribute to scientific knowledge in general and it must be recognized as such by the international scientific community. In order to prove this, doctoral candidates must present their research results at national and international conferences and symposia and they are expected to publish the significant and major achievements of their works in internationally referred professional periodicals. (Conference proceedings papers are usually accepted only as partial fulfillment of the requirement to publish one's results properly.)
Besides the research work, the Ph.D. supervisor usually recommends the participation in various courses related to the research topic. In such a case, the appropriate examinations must be succesfully completed, the results of which will be documented in the transcripts of the candidate. Similarly, the advancement in individual study and research will be documented on a semester basis by the supervisor.
Work towards a Ph.D. degree requires at least 3 years (6 semesters) of study. This time might be considerably longer, depending on the topic and the candidate's personal diligence. It is possible to set individual Ph.D. study plans for candidates who spend a part of their preparation period at another insitution, e.g. their own original research oriented affiliation or another university.
Upon completing all necessary work for the Ph.D. thesis, this dissertation must be prepared according to the formal requirements in the Doctoral Code of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.
According to the procedural code of our university, every Ph.D. candidate must apply to the Doctoral Board of the specific faculty as an individual, although the recommendation of the supervising professor and department, including the attachment of the protocol of the departmental public presentation of the thesis (including the comments and recommendations of several departmental and/or internal referees, and other professional experts of the field) is a requirement.
The doctoral board will appoint an independent examination board for each candidate which consists of the President, two examiners and several jury members. Final decision lies on this board, which will hear the public presentation and defense of the thesis work and the subject's examination.
The conferred degree is declared and testified by a corresponding Ph.D. diploma at the next solemn ceremony of the university by the Dean of the faculty concerned.
Additional Academic Opportunities
In addition to full-time degree programs in all eight faculties, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics offers several other courses:
• One-semester programs, special interest courses, credit or non-credit programs can be organised for students who wish to study for just one semester. Special interest courses can be set up for groups of 10-15 students. A Hungarian and Central European Studies program is often organised for international students during a semester-abroad program (see description of courses under Hungarian and Central European Studies program in this bulletin).
• Language courses for regular students in English, Hungarian, French, German and Russian languages at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. The English course can be credited toward the Cambridge First Certificate and TOEFL (see Language Course descriptions under the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences).
• Two-semester Pre-Engineering Course (see separate description in this bulletin).
• One-semester or two-semester student exchange programs.