Branches of study
Hungary introduced the Bologna three-cycle degree structure in pilot projects in 2005, followed by the phased-in introduction of the Bachelor and later Masters Programmes (tThese mainly replaced the formal, traditional 4-, 5- or 6-year programmes). Any higher education institution compatible with accreditation requirements is entitled to launch a Master programme. The length and structure of Master programmes are regulated by the Higher Education Act and related legal regulations. There are 12 branches of study (with the following ECTS credits): agriculture [120], humanities [120], social sciences [120], IT [120], law [120], economics [120], engineering [90-120], medicine and health [90-120], teachers’ training [90]; sports [120], science [120] and arts [120]. Religious Master programmes are provided by private government-dependent (church funded) higher education institutions. The National University of Public Service (NUPS) provides education in the field of Public Administration, National Protection and Military services [120] However, there is a separate law and a set of government decrees on the NUPS, its programmes and its operation.
A typical Master programme lasts for 2 years and is of 120 ECTS credits but in some fields of study there are programmes lasting for 3 terms (one and a half years) with 90 ECTS or for 2 terms (1 year) with 60 ECTS. These require obtaining fewer credits because they are built on Bachelor programmes with a higher amount of credits. The programmes are included in the official list of degree programmes issued in the framework of a government decree. In terms of output, Master programmes belong to the second cycle of the qualifications system developed for the European Higher Education Area and represents level 7 of the National Qualification Register (which is compliant with level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework, based on the Referencing Report of Hungary approved by the Advisory body of the EQF). These general outcomes (standards) as well as programme specific outcomes based in learning outcomes are regulated in a ministerial decree taking the descriptor categories of the Hungarian National Qualification Register into account. Both the specific outcomes of the programmes and the programmes to be launched are accredited. The accreditation procedure is mainly for checking whether the necessary resources are available for launching a programme.
There are no centrally defined regulations on the internal phases of the programmes. However, the framework regulation of the programmes defines some key elements of the qualifications (such as subject and science fields,) and allocates credit ranges to them in order to give guidance for programme planning. Furthermore, a legal act sets out that if, within a programme, there is an option for specialisation or a module which may lead to a separate vocational qualification, these modules or specialisations must also be subject of an accreditation procedure.
Admission requirements
The procedure, central organisation, publicising and registration of admission to Master programmes are the same as to Bachelor programmes. However, admission requirements are entirely different.
Pursuant to the Higher Education Act, only Bachelor degree holders can be admitted to Master programmes. However, additional admission requirements are set by the institutions themselves, provided that they apply the same requirements to all applicants (irrespective of where applicants have obtained their Bachelor degrees).
Applicants are given scores based on their performance and extra scores may be granted for outstanding performance, disadvantaged or multiply disadvantaged status, disability and applicants with young children. All this and the admission requirements are specified in the internal regulations of institutions. Institutions have varying procedures ranging from considering the results of Bachelor studies to conducting written or oral examinations or aptitude tests. At the same time, given that there are many programmes on offer, among which the number of applicants is divided, and thus a significant proportion of the available master’s programmes are underrepresented, they strive to enroll as many students as possible.
Programme completion and exit requirements specify the skills and competences to be acquired in the first cycle, which also have a number of credits allocated to them. During the admission procedure, institutions have to check whether applicants to a Master programme graduating from dissimilar Bachelor programmes have acquired these competences. If they did not, it may be compulsory for them to acquire these prior to or during their Master studies. The admission procedure offers scope for the recognition of prior learning.
The minister responsible for Higher Education determines the number of state-funded places for each branches of study on the basis of the needs and capacity of institutions and also takes into account labour market trends.
Applicants can apply to several institutions and programmes ranking them in the order of their preferences on the application form. They will be admitted to the highest ranking programme of their list whose requirements they meet.
There are no alternative access routes at present. Information on admission (including programmes to be launched by institutions and the expected number of entrants) is provided by the Educational Authority which also handles applications and operates the abovementioned computerised system (calculates the scores of applicants and ranks them). The Educational Authority also records and manages official data.
There are currently no alternative access routes or enrollment methods, but there is a reference in the concept of the government’s higher education strategy to the possibility of continuing studies after the bachelor’s programm automatically, without any admission procedures.
There are no current data available from the institutions on the validation of previously obtained learning outcomes during the admission procedure.
Curriculum
The regulatory framework of the training programmes is not institution-specific but rather focuses on the programmes. The minister responsible for Higher Education determines the exit requirements (expected outcomes) of the second cycle (in accordance with the HQF level 7). A regulation framework (description of learning requirements and learning outcomes) is developed for each Master programme by higher education institutions indicating the relevant standards. Based on the above, the learning requirements and learning outcomes of a programme must be elaborated by the institution in cooperation with the stakeholders. These learning requirements and learning outcomes contain the name and credit value of the programme, the exit requirements (in terms of learning outcomes), the main fields of studies to be taught, the specific requirements of the final thesis, foreign language requirements and traineeship requirements. The Hungarian Accreditation Committee gives its opinion on the draft learning requirements and learning outcomes. Afterwards, the minister responsible for Higher Education publishes them in a decree and includes them in the Qualifications Register. This process is referred to as the Programme Creation Procedure. The learning requirements and learning outcomes of a programme are applicable to all higher education institutions that wish to launch such a programme – they can develop the curriculum and programme documentation accordingly, with some room for manoeuvre provided by the legal framework. Institutions usually prefer to draft the framework of their programmes (adjusted to their own profile). This practice results in several programme variations in the Qualifications Register. However, well-defined, clear aspects are not available to filter these during the accreditation procedure. Therefore, the negotiations within the Hungarian Accreditation Committee shape the decisions on the content of the programmes.
Institutions elaborate their curriculum based on the training and outcome requirements of the programme and the relevant legal framework. The law regulates the minimum number of contact hours per term (200) and the general rules of credit allocation (in accordance with the ECTS). The accreditation guidelines of the Hungarian Accreditation Committee specify the minimum requirements for resources (e.g. minimum number of full-time staff, staff with PhD title, capacity and infrastructure). These regulations have a significant impact on the curriculum and the actual implementation of degree programmes. The programme package (curriculum and programme documentation) is assessed by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee in a preliminary programme accreditation procedure. Afterwards, the Educational Authority registers the programme in the central register and the programme can be launched.
It is possible to offer degree programmes in a foreign language or develop degree programmes to be launched in a foreign language. Their number is growing thanks to an extensive governmental campaign and financial support for internationalising the higher education provision better. 11 joint master degrees have been established in cooperation with foreign higher education institutions, the annex 4 includes the list of these studies.
However, due to the known accreditation difficulties, dual degree courses are more common, but joint courses under Erasmus+ and its successor programmes will be subject to a simplified procedure from 1 July 2020.
For the registered German minority of Hungary a master programme with an academic profile (german language and literature) has also been established.
Teaching methods
There are no central (governmental/ministerial) guidelines for teaching methods and learning environment – and they are often not regulated at institutional level either. With regard to the learning environment, accreditation requirements contain some infrastructural-technical criteria (concerning the availability of a library, computers, etc.). The most popular and traditional way of teaching is giving lectures for large audiences, organising seminars or lab practices for small groups of students. New teaching and learning management methods as well as innovative technology are used at the initiation of individual academic staff or teams of colleguaes., However, according to research studies, they seem to be fragmented and isolated even within an institution.
The characteristics of organising degree courses are closely related to the forms of learning, e.g. sandwich courses and blended learning techniques are more often applied in case of part-time courses. It is part of the autonomy of academic staff to choose the teaching methods and learning management methods they use. Thus, usually there are no standardised, across-the-board approaches. Academic staff is also free to choose the teaching aids, textbooks and reference books used for teaching. However, during the preliminary programme accreditation procedure and the institutional accreditation, the list of teaching aids and bibliography are also reviewed. In recent years, several ESF-funded projects have been launched for developing teaching methods, teacher training and using cutting-edge (usually digital) content with several institutions participating in the development and sharing the end product through a joint, public database. A centrally organised, ESF-funded project is currently preparing a central competence assessment test for all higher education students.
As a consequence of crowded higher education, it is possible to measure the level of students’ knowledge after admission, to offer leveling courses, or to form groups of different levels from a given subject. According to the Higher Education Act, HE institutions are required to measure student competencies at the beginning and the end of their studies. As the framework and method of this measurement are not clear yet, actual measurement has only been made in a few insitutions. A few institutions have been experimenting with the assessment of student competencies.
Talent support is receiving more and more focus in Master programmes. In the network of students’ scholarly circles, talented students are involved in research activities and their achievements are presented within their university/college and nationwide. Students’ specialist colleges are self-governing associations based on self-education. There are currently about 130 registered students’ specialist colleges in Hungary. Knowledge gained in these forms of learning may be recognised in the ECTS credit system.
Progression of students
The central and institutional regulations do not make a difference between bachelor's and master’s degrees in terms of tracking students’ progression.
Students previously had great flexibility in accomplishing studies, which has been restricted by the new Higher Education Act introduced in 2011. The legislators introduced certain measures to ensure faster progression and to reduce dropout rates and overextended studies. Such measures include defining the length of studies for full or partial state scholarships and the expulsion of students who do not complete their studies within the prescribed time frame, in which case they are also obliged to repay the state scholarships received. There is an increasing number of bottom-up initiatives focusing on this issue aiming at decreasing the number of drop-outs.
With regard to students’ rights and obligations, the act enables students to obtain the number of credits necessary for their degree in a shorter or longer time than the length of the programme they are enrolled in. Provisions concerning grants/scholarships for students do not have an adverse impact on students progressing slower than the average but aim at reducing unjustified overextended studies. The state-financed period for obtaining a given degree may be extended by a maximum of 2 terms. The higher education institution may extend the state-financed period of students with disabilities by a maximum of 4 terms. Furthermore, the law stipulates that institutions ensure that students are granted the opportunity to enrol for optional course units for up to five percent of the credits required for the award of the diploma and are offered a range of credit-earning course-units to select from at least twenty percent in excess of the total number of credits required. Furthermore, students have the opportunity of taking 10% more credits than the total number of prescribed credits of their study regime without having to pay extra tuition fee and of taking at least 10% of the required credits in a foreign language. After that, students can still continue their studies but at a fee-paying place.
The Act on Higher Education declares that a student’s study duration should not be infinitely long. The higher education institution shall terminate, by unilateral declaration, the student status of the student, who fails to fulfill his/her obligations to progress in studies as set in the study and examination rules and curriculum, fails to apply for the next semester 3 times in a row, or not continue his/her studies after an interruption, as long as the student has been notified in writing in advance to comply his/her obligations within the given deadline, and he/she is also informed about the consequences of the omission. The higher education institution shall also terminate, by unilateral declaration, the student status of a student whose total number of failing remedial and repetitive exams from the same unit is five. (If a student pursues muliply programmes at the same institution, the studies in which he/she has failed his/her obligations should be terminated.)
Underperforming students at state-funded places are transferred to fee-paying places. In line with the Act on Higher Education, the student is reclassified to a fee-paying status, if he/she exceeded the number of terms financed by the state (that is defined as the officially determined programme period plus two terms), he/she has failed to obtain at least 18 credits in two subsequent terms or he/she did not achieve the minimum level of performance (grade average) defined by the institution. Furthermore, if the student withdraws his/her statement that, within twenty years after acquisition of the degree, he/she will enter into and maintain employment or other work-related status resulting in social insurance with an employer under Hungarian jurisdiction or undertake entrepreneurship under Hungarian jurisdiction for a duration of the period during which he/she received (partial) state grant. The state-funded status of underperforming students is filled by fee-paying students with good academic performance.
Students can progress faster than the average and thus accomplish their studies in a shorter time than the usual length of the programme. After accomplishing the first term, it is also possible to suspend one’s studies for a maximum of two terms at one go; the maximum total length of suspension is regulated by the institutions. The proportion of students progressing slowly or dropping out is significant. Several institutions do not have any information on whether students enter the labour market or continue their studies elsewhere (e.g. abroad). Due to the unclear methodological approach, the institutions do not collect data about these various study strategies. Therefore, there are only estimates about the extent of dropping out and overextended studies estimating it about 20%. The Educational Authority has started analysing data on student drop-out in the central higher education database (FIR) and feedbacks them to institutions for further considerations.
Pursuant to the law, higher education institutions have to provide information and counselling for their students. Therefore, learning management services as well as study and career planning counselling are offered. The systematic introduction thereof has started but the degree of implementation varies from institution to institution.
Employability
Hungary has started the introduction of the post-graduation career tracking system (DPR). The Higher Education Act stipulates that higher education institutions participate in the national career tracking system and provide data for the system. The methodology and the central elements of the system were developed in a central major project. In addition, several higher education institutions were awarded a grant for developing their own career tracking system. DPR is carried out based on central and institutional data collection as well as on data gathered by linking various national databases (taxation, employment and social security) with higher education databases.
The introduction of the multi-cycle system constitutes a significant step towards improving employability. The education and output standards of a high proportion of Master programmes include obligatory traineeships. In addition, several institutions experienced that Master students are interested in practical knowledge and skills, which in many cases have led to the modification of programmes. Career offices have been set up with EU co-funding through regional development programmes. At present, there are career-consulting servics at nearly all universities and colleges. Career-consulting service providers develop networks and in-service trainings, offer personal advices, and organise job fairs and other events where students can meet employers. These events are held regularly at universities and colleges.
Since September 2015, dual programmes have been offered in the fields of engineering, IT, agriculture, social sciences and business in Masters Programmes also. The main features of these programmes were defined centrally and are based on the cooperation between higher education institutions and the business sector. After term-time, students gain work experience at the companies engaged in the cooperation under the guidance of a mentor. Chances are high to be offered a permanent position upon graduation. The government supports these cooperation programmes by providing targeted grants and tax benefits to the institutions and the involved companies. The Dual Training Council ensures the quality assurance and the assessment of the work-based learning component of dual trainings. Presently, institutions and enterprises offer a few dual Master programmes, andonly a few students attend.
Student assessment
There is no policy on student assessment at either national or institutional level. Although some institutions have started developing such a policy, it is generally the competence of academic staff. Institutions only regulate conditions related to the degree thesis and the final exam.
Traditionally, oral examinations are held at the end of the terms in the exam periods but where the number of students is high, written examinations and in-process evaluations are also common. In case of small-group classes (seminars, laboratory practices), there is usually continuous assessment of students. The Act on Higher Education explicitly refers to the acknowledgement of non-formal and informal learning. Only at least 30% of the credits required for the student to obtain his/her degree (diploma) - even in the case of the recognition of credits taken in the given institution or in programmes taken earlier, as well as knowledge acquired earlier- must be obtained in the home institution (credit transfer and recognition as well as the validation of non-formal and informal learning). Research shows that institutions do not have policies for assessing and recognising prior learning; recognition and evaluation of credits is subject to informal negotiations between professors and students. This may be due - among many other circumstances - to a lack of clarity of interests and a lack of of government incentive policies, nor a clear pressure from students that would result the spread of validation.
The 5-point scale evaluation (5 – excellent, 4 – good, 3 – satisfactory, 2 – pass, 1 – fail) is the most common. This scale system is not applied on a relative scale (ensuring that each year about the same proportion of students achieve each score). In fact, the requirements are nearly the same each year; therefore, the evaluation is of absolute nature.
Certification
It is the state that defines and recognises degrees (including Masters Degrees) through the government and the Ministry responsible for higher education. Degrees can only be awarded by state recognised (accredited) higher education institutions.
Degree programmes are defined by qualification and outcomes based on requirements/standards issued in a ministerial decree. The Higher Education Act regulates the granting of degrees, the conditions to be fulfilled before a final examination and the main elements of final examinations. (may contain several elements defined by the institution: defence of the thesis, oral exam, written exam, work-based exam) and the members of the final examination committee (it has to have at least three members, at least two of them with a doctoral degree and at least one of them has to be external, i.e. not employed by the higher education institution). Higher education institutions regulate the way of registration for the final examination, the rules of organising and holding the final examination and the method of calculating the results. They administer the final examination and, based on the results, issue the official certificate (referred to as diploma) certifying the degree as well as a diploma supplement. The diploma is a public document and has to be registered accordingly.