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.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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