The Doctoral School of Sociology is the doctoral school of the Faculty of Social Studies at Eötvös Loránd University. Founded in 2000, it has been providing doctoral training in Hungarian ever since, and in English since 2016, at programmes named Interdisciplinary Social Research, International Studies, Sociology, and Social Policy. 

For further details please see: https://tatk.elte.hu/en/studies/phd/intro

The doctoral diploma will contain the inscription “Sociology” with the programme in brackets (e.g. Interdisciplinary Social Research).

The training consists of two main phases, both lasting 4 active semesters respectively:

1. Study and research phase (semesters 1-4) and

2. Research and thesis writing phase (semesters 5-8).

The first phase includes regular training, ending with the comprehensive exam. The second phase ends with the research centre disputation (unofficially also called pre-defence).

Principally, the Doctoral School of Sociology expects applicants with a master’s degree in the Social Sciences. Other requirements of each doctoral programme are given on the admission information sheet.

You need a language exam in any living language (level B2 at least). State recognised language exams taken in Hungary are accepted as well as language exams that can be nationalised in Hungary. If you have a certificate of secondary or tertiary studies conducted in a language other than Hungarian (e.g. a high school diploma), that will suffice as a language exam, too.

The language exams nationalised in Hungary are on this list (in Hungarian, but the names of the exams are international): https://nyak.oh.gov.hu/doc/honositas/honositas_tabla1.asp?strID=AAangol 

Yes, it is possible to do the doctoral training if you have a full-time job, but please make sure to keep your Mondays free during the Study and research phase (the first four semesters), because all mandatory and some elective classes are held on Monday. There may be classes held on other days, but they are all electives. During the Research and thesis writing phase, you need to have regular individual consultations with your supervisor, which do not entail a fixed day every week.

Yes, it is possible to do individual training under very special circumstances, when the applicant has previously had enough (documented) professional achievements to correspond to the official requirements. In that case, they have to apply for a habitus investigation first. Once it is complete, they have a comprehensive exam. For a successful habitus investigation, please submit certificates of the following: 

• teaching at college or university,

• participation in conferences, and/or managing workshops,

• scientific publications, and

• doctoral courses completed at other institutions.

It is possible to apply to participate in the comprehensive exam at the same time as applying for the habitus investigation, as you are required to complete your habitus investigation before having the comprehensive exam, not before applying to participate in the exam. Nevertheless, you may find it useful to submit your application for a habitus investigation well before. 
Documents needed to apply for a comprehensive (complex) exam:

• an application form,

• your supervisor’s approval,

• a chapter of your future thesis, and

• a research plan.

Please find all details and forms here: https://tatk.elte.hu/en/doctoralschool/sociology-en/complex. Please mind the deadlines. All documents should be sent in one e-mail to doktori@tatk.elte.hu. The date and topics of the comprehensive exam will be sent to you at least 21 days before the exam. 

The comprehensive exam in the 2025-26 academic year costs 100.000.- HUF, the habitus investigation costs 60.000.- HUF. Please send the amount before submitting the application, by bank transfer, to the account of ELTE: 10032000-01426201-00000000 (Magyar Államkincstár/ELTE), with “name_TáTK_habitus inv. and comp. exam” in the notice field. Please attach the receipt to the e-mail in which you register for the comprehensive exam.

If you pass your comprehensive exam successfully, your student status will start with the beginning of the following semester. Warning: doctoral studies without organised training are always self-funded.

Based on the recommendations of the admission committee, the programme leaders propound the supervisor and the length of training time required to TTDT (Doctoral Council of the Field of Social Sciences). If you need less than 4 semesters for your studies, please submit a request to TTDT with your reasons.

If you do not fulfil the requirements of individual training during the time allotted, you will be reclassified as a full-time self-funded student.

All Hungarian citizens have the right to receive a state grant, as well as those referred to by §39 of the National Law of Tertiary Education. If you are a citizen of any country within the EU, or you have a permanent residence permit in Hungary, you are entitled to submit your application for a state grant on the same website and in the same admission period (usually in March) as Hungarian citizens. 

In the 2025-26 academic year the state grant is 140.000 HUF/month in the Study and research phase, and 180.000 HUF/month in the Research and thesis writing phase. The amounts may change during the training period.

Self-funded students having started their studies in the 2025-26 academic year pay 320.000 HUF if they are Hungarian citizens, 1.200 EUR if they are EU citizens, and 2.000 EUR if they are non-EU citizens. The university may not raise the amount valid at the time of your admission. For those starting their studies in the future, the amount may change.

Yes. As a foreign citizen of Hungarian descent, you are entitled to Diaszpóra Ösztöndíj. 

However, this scholarship is not managed by Eötvös University. Please find the details here: https://diasporascholarship.hu/en/ 

Non-EU citizens are entitled to Stipendium Hungaricum, a scholarship offered by Tempus Foundation. Technically, such students will become self-funded, but their studies are not financed by themselves but by Tempus. Please mind that Tempus is completely independent from the University, so they have their own criteria for accepting or rejecting an application, which the Doctoral School has no influence on. Please find the details here: https://stipendiumhungaricum.hu/