14 - Hungary - Progression of students

Progression of Students

The students’ schedule for studies and examinations  is determined by the institutions of tertiary education.

The majority of institutions of tertiary education have been providing credit based education. On 1 September 2003 all institutions of tertiary education were obliged to introduce the credit based system in an upward arrangement.

Concerning bachelor (undergraduate) studies it is possible to acquire tertiary qualification and vocational training between 6 and 8 semesters, and in the case of master courses between 2 and 4 semesters.

In case the student accumulates the appropriate number of credits and fulfils the compulsory training and output requirements for receiving a degree earlier than the specified education and training time, (after the minimum education and training period prescribed by the Act on Higher Education) the diploma may be issued.

In a further specialization in accordance with the training and output requirements of the field a number of already completed courses and its credits as well its study time may be taken into account. When studying parallel in two study programmes, fulfilling requirements, students may ask for an accumulation of credits of programmes.

For those conducting studies in the credit based system, the training and output requirements specify the proportion of credit points for individual areas of training linked to compulsory, compulsorily chosen, and freely chosen subjects compared to the full credit level of the entire training time. Students may design their own schedule of studies for each term selecting from the subjects offered by the institution, may choose their own pace of progress, and may do certain subjects in other faculties, in other institutions (or even abroad).

With the introduction of the credit based system in Hungary the re-taking/repeating a termlost its meaning. The subject in which the examination was unsuccessful must be entered in the individual study schedule of the next term.

To help students create individual study schedules, institutions usually launch their most important basic subjects in both the autumn and the spring term. If the student failed to complete one of the compulsory subjects, they must do so by all means by taking it up a second time. Students may not be given a degree without completing the compulsory subjects. If the unsuccessfully attempted subject is an optionally selectable one, then the student will not have to do necessarily the same subject for the next time, but may choose additional one(s) to ensure the sufficient number of credit points for the degree.

Institutions have regulations in place to ensure that studies should not drag on for too long. Usual rules are as follows: a student may take up a subject in no more than three terms, and if they fail even at third attempt, they will be dismissed for deficient performance. The number of attempts to pass an examination in a particular subject is likewise limited (the usual number is 5-6). During their studies, the student may do active terms, i.e. ones for which they design their own schedule, and a limited number of passive terms where they take up no subjects, and their student’s legal relationship is suspended. It is a requirement that students must collect a minimum of 60 credit points in the first 2 or 4 active terms.

Students may progress at a pace faster than the average, in which case their actual study time will be shorter than the model training time.

It happens more frequently that students make progress more slowly than the average (so their actual study time will be longer than the standard training time). For that case the most frequent type of solution of various institutions’ Regulation of studies and examinations is that students’ study time may not exceed 1.5 times the training time.

The government decree on supporting students also places at a disadvantage students progressing more slowly than the average. The specific regulation is that students studying on state funding will not lose the support for 2 terms following the end of the training time.

The Act on Higher Education enables students who failed to pass their final examination until the end of their student’s legal relationship, to pass it on any later date. It is also possible for a student to request recognition of a subject taken up in another course in another institution.

Students may take up second and even further courses, in the same educational cycle, but the condition of state funding is that the requirements of the two study programmes have to be fulfilled in parallel. Conditions to admission to parallel training and continuing studies are determined by the institution of tertiary education in which the students wish to acquire their second or further degree.

The students can conduct partial studies in tertiary institutions both in Hungary and abroad. In Hungary students can start partial studies in a tertiary institution with permission. A tertiary institution can deny permission if the credits of the other institution cannot be counted into the student’s studies.

Interrupting studies at the student’s request may be done by permission of postponement.

Students may request being transferred to another institution of tertiary education, another, programme and course or to a part-time course (e.g. correspondence course). The conditions of such transfer – including the possibility of stipulating the passing of an entrance examination (or aptitude test) – are determined by the institution of tertiary education in which the student wishes to continue their studies following transfer.

In doctoral training the time available for completing academic obligations and the period during which state support is disbursed is three years. The university ( egyetem) may permit the interruption of studies for a maximum of three times, and for a total of three years (suspension). For the first time the permission must be granted. After the end of the 72nd month following admission, the doctoral student will be deleted from the students register.

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Date: 2009
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