The goal of SzEEDSM is to enable PhD candidates to become leaders of change in their communities both in academia and in the praxis by offering them, with the active participation of noted international scholars, a program that is up-to global international standards.

(1) Admission to the doctoral program is organized through the annual admission process. 

• Regular Admission for Students applying from Hungary  – CLOSED (Application period: May 1- May 31, 2026)
  
  
• Regular Admission for Students applying from abroad  – OPEN: February 2 - May 31, 2026
  
  
• Individual preparation admission (complex exam) – OPEN: March 2 - April 30, 2026

In case of any questions please contact: szeeds@sze.hu

(2) Applications to the Doctoral Program have to be submitted via website of the Doctoral Program by the announced deadline. The application must include a fully completed application form and the proof of payment of the administration fee.

(3) Degrees earned abroad may have to be accepted in accordance to the applicable law before applying. University students who will sit for their final MSc exams after the application deadline, must enclose a copy of their transcripts with their application forms. The admission of these students will be pending as conditional.

(4) Required documents for upload:

• REGULAR ADMISSION:
  • certificate of Master Degree
  • certificate of language knowledge (B2 (intermediate) level complex language exam or a certificate of identical language knowledge in one of the following languages: English, German, French, Italian, Russian or Spanish)
  • research proposal in English (general description of research topic)
  • publication list (if any)
  • professional CV including work experience and prior education in English
  • motivational letter in English (program impacts on career)
  • academic recommendation letter in English
  • other documents to prove scientific background (if any)
  • other certificates, diplomas (if any)
  • record of paid application fee (for Hungarian applicants)
  • for HUNGARIAN APPLICANTS, the fee of the Admission is 9,000 HUF, 
    

    to be transferred to the following account number:
    Bank Account number: 10300002-10801842-00014908
    IBAN: HU76 10300002-10801842-00014908
    Name of Bank: MBH Bank Nyrt.
    Beneficiary: Széchenyi István Egyetem
    In the notice please include the following two pieces of information:
    1. Applicant’s name, 
    2. DRKELD002T

    INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS: PLEASE VISIT ADMISSIONS.SZE.HU FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON TUITION-FEES.

• ADMISSION WITH COMPLEX EXAM (INDIVIDUAL PREPARATION):
  • the extended abstract of your research proposal
  • publication list
  • certification of a minimum of three years' work experience
  • certificate of Master Degree
  • certificate of language knowledge (B2 (intermediate) level complex language exam or a certificate of identical language knowledge in one of the following languages: English, German, French, Italian, Russian or Spanish)
  • professional CV including work experience and prior education in English
  • academic recommendation letter in English
  • motivational letter in English (program impacts on career)
  • other certificates, diplomas (if any)
  • record of paid application fee (for external applicants) of the Complex Exam, 32,500 HUF, to be transferred to the following account number:

    Bank Account number: 10300002-10801842-00014908
    IBAN: HU76 10300002-10801842-00014908
    Name of Bank: MKB Bank Nyrt.
    Beneficiary: Széchenyi István Egyetem
    In the notice please include the following two pieces of information:
    1. Applicant’s name, 
    2. DRKELD002T

  • Further information: https://szeeds.sze.hu/comprehensive-exam

(5) The Secretary of the Doctoral Program will notify the candidates about the exact date and time of the admission interview.

(6) The admission interviews are free-flowing conversations, lasting up to an hour per applicant, where the Admission Committee intends to get to know the person behind the many data and details filed in the system. The admission interview is also a forum where the applicants can defend and clarify their views and convince committee members about the relevance of their research proposals. The committee attempts to assess the applicants’ fit and judge their future success with the Doctoral Program. In its evaluation, the committee considers four broad categories: prior education/experience and recommendations, cover letter (explaining the applicant’s view about how the program may impact their career), and the committee’s assessment and impressions during the interview.

(7) Regarding the SzEEDS^M Program the admission committee will evaluate the candidates according to the following general principles (max. points 100):

(8) The candidates will be ranked by the Admission Committee and the Doctoral Council will make the final acceptance or rejections decisions.

(9) The Program Director will inform the candidates about the decision in writing by email.

(10) The tuition fee for self-funded students is 1 200 EUR per semester. Applicants from Non-EU countries are required to pay the fee for the first two semesters after the successful admission exam.