About the programme
Research in geography and earth sciences (geology, meteorology) has a long and internationally acknowledged tradition at the University of Szeged. The Doctoral School offers a broad range of research topics and courses. The Doctoral School ensures the appropriate infrastructural background for the research work: well-equipped laboratories with state-of-the-art laboratory and field equipment and IT facilities. The Institute of Geography and Earth sciences is committed to high standards of research, and the research fields are continuously evolving in response to new challenges in the subject.
Educational Programmes and sample research areas of the Doctoral School: Human Geography, Geomorphology, Geology, Geoinformatics and Geooecology.
Level of the programme: PhD
Duration of the programme: 4+4 semesters
Registered in: EU
Credits: 240
Who should apply?
The Doctoral Programme is open to MSc graduates, who are interested in the research programmes published on our website.
Application requirements: submitted online application form, MSc degree in related fields, a demonstrated proficiency in English (TELC/ECL B2, TOEFL IBT – 72, RPDT – 72, Cambridge FC B, IELTS – 5.5, LanguageCert B2 level), CV, 2 recommendation letters from recognised academic persons, and a recent medical certificate of satisfactory general health status (not older than 1 month); individual interview online, where the applicant's motivation and research proposal will be examined.
Please choose a topic proposal and contact the doctoral school and the supervisor before submitting your application.
Exemption from English language exam certificate: During the application to the programmes of the Faculty of Science and Informatics those applicants are not required to provide the English language exam certificates who are natives of one of the following countries and can officially demonstrate that their academic studies have been conducted in English. For the list of countries click here.
If the medium of instruction was English during the Msc studies, the MSc diploma can be accepted as language exam certificate for the entry requirement. For this purpose a document issued by the university has to be uploaded until the application deadline certifying that the medium of instruction was English during the master studies. If this document is missing or uploaded after deadline, the master degree cannot substitute the language exam certificate and the application will be rejected. In order to submit the dissertation at the end of the doctoral programme, the diplomas obtained outside the European Union must be acknowledged by the Hungarian Equivalence and Information Center (HEIC). The process to obtain this document is the student's responsibilty.
Start of the programme: February & September of each year
Tuition fee: 5000 EUR per semester
Application fee: 35 EUR
Entrance Exam fee: 100 EUR
Scholarship: Scholarships are available to cover the tuition fee (e.g. Stipendium Hungaricum, for details see the website of Tempus Public Foundation).
For further information contact Dr. Tamás Kovalcsik via e-mail at: mrkovalcsik@gmail.com or call +36-62-544-155.
*Academic Records: an official English version OR translation of your full Master’s transcript including an explanation of the grading system, and an official English version OR translation of your Master’s degree.
Dianne - Faculty of Science and Informatics
I am a PhD student and a Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship holder from the Philippines. I am currently pursuing my PhD in Environmental Science and I happen to be in my 3rd year of studies. I chose University of Szeged because its one of the top ranked research university in Hungary known for its good reputation in the fields of health and natural sciences. Coming from the Philippines with a warm climate, I had huge preference of Szeged for my studies, the city having the most rays of sunshine and considered to be the warmest place in Hungary. I would advise all the prospective students to join University of Szeged’s diverse and vibrant community! Don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone, try to find and establish your niche in a new place like what I did. I didn’t regret coming to Szeged as it continuously provides me an enabling learning environment for various reasons, has affordable cost of living, very safe and calm university town, organized transport system, beautiful and clean surroundings with the very sightly Tisza River which adds to its appeal, and also holds many festivals throughout the year. After graduation, I am planning to go back to my home institution and continue my teaching duties at the University of the Philippines Los Baños
Ahmad Adha - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
I am Ahmad Adha from Indonesia and currently a 3rd year student in Theoretical Linguistics PhD program. I chose the University of Szeged (SZTE) as my study destination because it is located in the center of the town and it is also the highest ranked university in Hungary. The university staff and the professors were very accommodating and understanding when I decided to change the program that suits my research topic. I am so glad that I can be a part of my current department, and of course SZTE, since it is also the Center of Pragmatic Research which aims to promote advanced linguistic pragmatic research with international collaborations. After graduating, I wish to continue to work in my academic field as a professor and a researcher. My advice for prospective SZTE students is to choose a university with a good academic reputation that fits their passion.