Facts & figures
Central European Studies Expert
Institute of Historical Studies
English
Program
The ELTE Master’s Program in Central European Studies is a good choice if you want to gain an in-depth understanding of Central Europe’s place in European history, the changing relations between the region and the great powers, the factors that connect and divide the region, and its specific characteristics and developmental differences, along with the reasons behind them. By choosing this program, you can also acquire solid knowledge about the role and significance of the nationality question, the specific features of nation-building processes – their successes and failures – as well as the phenomena of multiculturalism in Central Europe.
Sample Course Offerings
• Introduction to the history and culture of Central Europe
• Minorities and minority policies in Central Europe in the 19th-21st centuries
• Political geography of Central Europe: political systems of the Visegrád countries after 1990
• Cities of Central Europe: urban development, architecture, heritage, and culture
• Literatures of Central European peoples from the 19th century to the present day
Program Details
Graduates of the program are capable of performing tasks related to Central Europe in areas such as foreign policy analysis, economic analysis, research, representation, intercultural mediation, cultural diplomacy, and organizational work. These competencies can be applied in academia, the media, diplomacy, the corporate sector, minority organizations, and various cultural communities. The program also prepares students for the continuation of their studies at the doctoral level.
Specializations:
International relations - diplomacy
Professors teaching in the program are thoroughly embedded internationally in both university and research networks. All professors have studied and/or guest-taught in Western Europe, North America, and in various institutions of higher education around Central and Eastern Europe. Professors’ lists of publications include several monographs and edited volumes in English, French and other languages; they have been publishing in highly ranked, peer-reviewed international as well as Hungarian journals. They are involved in numerous research project as well. To cite only a few instances:
Erika Szívós, Program Director of Central European Studies and Head of the Department of Economic and Social History, is member of the International Commission for the History of Towns (ICHT) and European Association of Urban Historians (EAUH); she contributes to the ERC research project Continuity / Rupture: Art and Architecture in Central Europe 1918-1939 (CRAACE) as advisory board member; she is founder of an exchange scheme between McGill University (Montreal) and ELTE. Gábor Farkas Kiss, besides being Chair of the Department of Old Hungarian Literature, is Head of the internationally well-connected Humanism in East Central Europe research group. Andor Mészáros, bohemist, historian and an erudite specialist in Central European cultures and post-1990 political geography, is responsible for CEEPUS, A Central European academic cooperation network. Gábor Sonkoly is Head of the Doctoral School of History at ELTE’s Faculty of Humanities, member of the International Board of EAUH, leader of the Problem-Solving Systems Research Group and head of what was launched as ELTE’s first Erasmus Mundus consortium, involving the Paris-based École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS, the Prague-based Charles University, the University of Catania and ELTE. Balázs Ablonczy, formerly the head of the Hungarian Institute in Paris, is a widely acclaimed historian specializing in the post-World-War-I peace treaties and their consequences; he is head of a major research project Trianon 100 based at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
In recent years, all these projects have yielded important volumes and academic relations regionwide and beyond. On major strength of the program is thus its professors’ academic distinction and their networks of international relations from which students can also benefit. Another major strength of Central European Studies is the uniquely rich variety of languages taught at ELTE and the university’s impressive number of diverse philology departments specializing in regional languages, cultures and literatures. A further plus is certain professors’ practical work experience in international relations and cultural diplomacy.
Structure
Career
Cultural diplomacy, foreign affairs, public administration; regional NGOs and foundations; doctoral programs and academia international multinational companies or institutions where Cemtral-Europe-specific language skills, regional local knowledge are an advantage or an explicit expectation.
Cultural institutes of other countries operating in Central European states; Central European foundations, domestic and foreign research institutes, universities, non-profit organizations, companies and organizations operating in various fields of cultural tourism or economy; private companies and corporations (including trade and commerce) operating in Central Europe or similar companies elsewhere with a Central European clientele.
program manager or coordinator at a cultural institute or foundation; analyst or research fellow at a research institute; journalist; grantee of a doctoral program; area manager/specialist at a trading company
Admissions
| EU/EEA students | Non-EU/EEA students | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fee/semester | 2,500 EUR | 2,500 EUR |
| Application fee |
The application fee is discounted for Early Bird applicants: EUR 100 (non-refundable) between 01/10/2026 - 30/11/2026 and between 01/02/2027 - 31/03/2027;
The regular application fee is: EUR 150 (non-refundable) between 01/04/2027-31/05/2027
|
The application fee is discounted for Early Bird applicants: EUR 100 (non-refundable) between 01/10/2026 - 30/11/2026 and between 01/02/2027 - 31/03/2027;
The regular application fee is: EUR 150 (non-refundable) between 01/04/2027-31/05/2027
|
| Entrance exam fee | 100 EUR | 100 EUR |
| Other cost |
Entry requirements:
Applicants must hold a bachelor (BA) degree in the following fields of humanities: History, Hungarian, Ethnography, Slavonic Studies, Roma Studies, Liberal Arts, Germanic Studies (Specialized in German Studies and German as Ethnic Minority Studies), Romance Philology and Cultures (Specialized in Romanian or Italian Studies); and in the following fields of social sciences: Sociology and Social Sciences Studies.
Applicants holding bachelor’s degrees in other fields are also considered for admission if they have completed a sufficient number of relevant courses (50 credits, 30 for admission) in the fields of history of philosophy, aesthetics, economics- and social studies, international relations studies, political science, Roma studies, communication studies, modern and contemporary history, theory of literature, linguistics, Germanic studies and Slavonic Studies.
The educational and outcome requirements are defined by the Ministry of Human Capacities, Regulation No. 18/2016. (VIII. 5.). Details of the application and admission process are defined by the Organisational and Operational Regulations of ELTE.
Language requirements:
English
or
German
Admission to the Master’s program requires a state-recognized (IELTS/TOEFL/Cambridge) intermediate-level (B2), complex-type language examination in English or German, or an equivalent secondary school leaving certificate or university diploma.
TOEFL IBT: 72-94
IELTS (International English Language Testing System): 5.5 minimum
Document | Comment |
Secondary school certificate (graduation certificate) | Notarized copy only on request. |
Bachelor-level degree | An official copy of your completed Bachelor degree |
Transcript of records | |
CV | Curriculum Vitae including applicant’s previous achievements (scholarships, publications, conference presentations, cultural projects, business experience, voluntary work, etc.) |
Motivation letter | A maximum of 500 words indicating why the applicant wishes to start the program, and what her special field of interest is. |
Research work plan | Optional document A preliminary research proposal for a proposed thesis project with a study and research plan (detailed outline of your field of interest), a preliminary bibliography (indicating what the applicant has read already). |
Copy of the main pages of the passport | Scanned, in colour all personal details and expiry date must be shown. Passport must be valid. |
Copy of application fee payment receipt | |
Copy of the Entrance exam fee payment receipt | |
Language certificate | Official test result or certificate must be provided; |
Optional documents for admissions
Letter of Reference
Also called “Letter of recommendation”: From a former instructor and/or employer
Application deadlines:
The deadline for application means the deadline of submission of the full and complete application package in the online system.
Period 1 (with Early Bird discount): 01/10-30/11/2026 23:59 (CET)
Period 2 (with Early Bird discount): 01/02-31/03/2027 23:59 (CET)
Period 3: 01/04-31/05/2027 23:59 (CET)
The application procedure includes 3 periods in order to give the applicants the freedom to submit their application when it’s most suitable for them. The applicants of each period have the same chance to get admittance for the programme. However, please note, that the Faculty of Humanities ELTE reserves the right to cancel the entrance periods in case the number of the admitted applicants reaches the limit during the previous entrance periods.
Procedure of the application:
The application starts in the online application system. Students need to register in the system, fill in the online application form, upload the required documents and follow the instructions during the application process.
Applications will only be processed if the application fee (non-refundable) has been paid on the University’s online payment platform.
Before making the payment please visit the Faculty’s website (go to section Application and Entrance Exam fees) for detailed guidance on how to use the payment platform.
Payment platform: https://epay.elte.hu/
The programme is not available for Hungarian citizens.
Results and the official decision will be announced within a month after the entrance exam date, in the application system.
For more information about the application procedures, please visit the Faculty's website.
Entrance examination and selection process:
When the university receives the full application package and it is checked by the Department of International Affairs an entrance exam date option will be sent no later than the application deadline for the relevant period. Please, check your messages in the application system, and the e-mail address that is linked to the account regularly. The applications are examined by the Admission Board no later than after each application period and applicants are notified of the outcome of the selection in the online application system after the decision is official. Admission letters are sent out in the online application system within a few days.
Procedure of the entrance examination:
Written Stage
Applicants must submit a motivation letter of 2-3 pages in length. The score for the written stage is based on the evaluation of this motivation letter.
Oral Stage
The oral examination consists of an admissions interview, during which the committee assesses the applicant’s knowledge of the Central European region (19th-21st centuries), including its history, literature, and culture.
Further details of selection and evaluation:
The ranking is based on a total evaluation of the academic excellence (based on the submitted documents) and the results of the entrance exam.
Contacts
Dr. Erika Szívós
Institute of Historical Studies, Department of Economic and Social History, Head of Department
Admission
Department of International Affairs
International admission coordinator
E-Mail: admission@btk.elte.hu
Find the detailed structure of the program on the website of the Faculty.
18-22 credits: Knowledge aimed at deepening the level required for the master’s degree, including subjects such as the history, society, and cultural-historical background of Central Europe; the economics of Central Europe; cultural studies (ethnography, philosophy, literature, cultural history); theories of Central Europe as formulated by major world powers; and training in academic literature, source analysis, and research methodology.
28-32 credits: Subjects that provide professional expertise and applied skills, including Central Europe in the 19th-21st centuries (history, literature, arts, philosophy, ethnography, linguistics, contemporary economics, politics, and society), minority and nationality studies, academic literature and source analysis, research methodology, and foreign language training in one of the region’s languages.
42-46 credits: Elective specialization modules, such as cultural studies, minority studies, the economics of Central Europe, and diplomacy.