In connection with the application process, please find some important information and key guidelines below:
1. General Overview of the Stipendium Hungaricum Application Process
Applying for the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship involves several key stages coordinated between the applicant, the sending country, and Hungarian institutions:
Check Eligibility & Find Programmes: Review the official Stipendium Hungaricum Call for Applications on the Stipendium Hungaricum Website to ensure you are eligible and that doctoral programmes are available for citizens of your country.
Contact Your Sending Partner: In parallel with the online submission, applicants must usually also apply through the responsible authority of their home country. Each sending partner has its own internal procedures and deadlines.
Online Application Submission: Applications must be submitted through the official online application system (DreamApply) operated by the Tempus Public Foundation by the official annual deadline (typically in mid-January). You can select up to two programmes.
Institutional Entrance Examinations: Nominated applications are forwarded to the Faculty of Education and Psychology at ELTE. The Doctoral School conducts professional entrance examination interviews for shortlisted candidates during the spring (usually April).
The criteria of the evaluation of the research plan and the entrance exam
Weight | Admission criterion | Brief explanation |
Highly important | Professional grounding, literature integration, development, and feasibility of the research proposal. | Literature embedding, coherence, and feasibility within the training period. |
Fit and feasibility of the topic within the doctoral training program. | Connection to current topic calls (www.doktori.hu). | |
Availability of a research supervisor with a scientific degree. | The supervisor must hold a scientific degree; for foreign supervisors, a domestic co‑supervisor is also required. Dual supervision is advisable. | |
Availability of necessary conditions at the research site to implement the program. | Necessary infrastructure and personnel must be available or secured. | |
Applicant’s deep theoretical and methodological familiarity with the topic. | During the interview it should be clearly evident that the candidate understands the scientific background and methodological foundations. | |
The candidate’s willingness to debate and openness to scientific discourse during the interview. | Quality of argumentation and response in the interview. | |
Important | Previous academic record at university. | Considered, but not in itself decisive. |
Can be an advantage | Previous research achievements (e.g. publications, TDK thesis, participation in a professional college, participation in a research group). | Strengthens research commitment and experience. |
Knowledge of several foreign languages (other than English). | Facilitates participation in the international scientific community. | |
Suitability for teaching (involvement in research). | Useful for future teaching tasks. |
Final Results: After evaluating the applications and entrance exam results, the Tempus Public Foundation informs applicants of the official results by the end of June/mid-July.
2. The Mandatory Supervisor Statement
A signed Supervisor’s Statementis a strict, mandatory requirement for the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship.
Although the online application system technically allows you to submit your application without an uploaded supervisor statement, such applications are not considered complete. During the preliminary institutional screening, applications missing the supervisor’s statement are automatically rejected.
The Doctoral School cannot assign supervisors, intervene in academic decisions, or request that a faculty member reconsider a previous refusal. Finding a supervisor is entirely the applicant’s responsibility.
3. How to Find a Supervisor & Contact Guidelines
Browse Available Topics: Review the list of available research topics and academic staff members whom you may contact via the following link: ELTE PPK Psychology PhD Research Topics.
Targeted and Thorough Contact: Select potential supervisors whose research interests match your proposed topic. Before reaching out, it is strongly recommended that you familiarise yourself with the supervisor’s previous research, publications, and current academic focus.
What to Include in Your Email: When contacting a potential supervisor, always briefly introduce your research proposal, explain how it relates to their area of expertise, and include a detailed professional CV and a well-structured research proposal. Generic or incomplete inquiries without a concrete research plan will not be considered.
Contacting Multiple Supervisors: Applicants are welcome to contact more than one potential supervisor whose research interests match their proposed topic.
Faculty Capacity Limits: Our supervisors make every effort to respond to applicants, but their capacity is strictly limited. They can only accept as many candidates as they can responsibly supervise throughout the entire doctoral training period. Therefore, they may not be able to take on additional students even if your research topic is relevant. If none of the listed supervisors can accept your request, the application unfortunately does not meet the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship’s formal requirements.
4. The Admission Process and the Role of the Doctoral School of Psychology
While the Doctoral School evaluates candidates and recommends them for admission based on professional standards and supervisor support, the final decision rests with the Tempus Public Foundation.
Securing a supervisor’s statement is essential for the application, but it does not automatically guarantee the award of the scholarship, even if the admission interview is successful. Due to the Tempus Public Foundation’s final authority and capacity limits, it may be that even a supported applicant who successfully passes the entrance exam interview cannot ultimately be admitted.
Beyond the information and links provided above, the Doctoral School is unable to offer further assistance with securing a supervisor.
If you have any further administrative questions regarding the application process, please feel free to contact us at pdi@ppk.elte.hu.