It is an agreement between the student and the lecturers on the conditions of completing a course in a different time frame (e.g. partial full exemption from attendance) or with different specifics. In short, it is a special permission that allows you to follow your classes despite the fact that you cannot be present. In order to gain this exemption, you need the teacher’s approval, who is teaching the given subject. If they agree, the teacher gives you an individual study plan, so they explain how you can learn the material of the course and follow the classes. They explain where you find the material, what tasks you have to complete week by week, what exactly you have to do to receive a grade. They might ask you to submit extra assignments to make up for the missed classes. It is your responsibility to discuss the requirements with the teachers. Teachers may also reject your request if they find that the course in question cannot be completed without full attendance.

Students can submit the request only under special circumstances (listed below). It is important to emphasize that the personalised instruction for exceptional cases is NOT equivalent to the online or distant education. Students are responsible for keeping in contact with the teachers and progressing with the courses. The personalised instruction does NOT give you exemption from following the classes.

The regulations controlling the personalised instruction are specified in ELTE Academic Regulations (=HKR), Section 74. Please scroll down to the relevant section and read it through carefully.

The possible reasons for granting a personalised instruction are specified in Section 74. (2) of HKR. Among other reasons, you can refer to severe illness, outstanding academic performance or difficulties with entering Hungary (e.g. due to visa delay/COVID restrictions…etc.). Please note that you can request personalised instruction due to visa delay only once during your studies. Further request with this reason will be rejected. In every case, you have to submit an official document that justifies your reason.

The exemptions and allowances are specified in Section 74. (4) of HKR. Most teachers give permission for:

• permission to be absent from all or some classes and

• permission to complete the requirements of the training programme in a different time frame or with different specifics.
   

The deadline to submit the request is always the end of the course registration period of the given semester. The request is evaluated by the Faculty Educational Committee.
You can check the end of each semester’s course registration period HERE. Switch to English in the upper-right corner, find the relevant semester, find BTK’s row and the “First-come, first-served registration period” column. You also find the deadlines in the Academic calendar.

Step 1.: Register for the courses in Neptun within the course registration deadline (which you can check the same way as described above).You can submit the request ONLY if you are registered for the course in Neptun! To be able to submit the request, you must register for your courses at least 24 hours prior to the submission!

Step 2.: Prepare the compulsory attachments! You have to attach the following documents to the Neptun request:

1. Official document that proves your need for the personalised instruction (eg. medical certificate, certificate of visa delay…etc)

2.  Approval from each teacher (1/each course): contact them via email and attach a print-screen of the correspondence.

3. Approval of the Head of Department/Institute: contact them via email and attach a print-screen of the correspondence.

Please, attach each document only ONCE!
Make sure that the approvals contain the code and title of the course in question and that the approvals state clearly that your request is supported!

How to contact the teachers and the Head of Department/Institute?

• Go to “Menu/Subjects/Taken courses” in Neptun. You find the teacher’s name in the “Lecturer” column:

• You find their email by typing their name in Google and add “ELTE BTK”. Select the result with the university logo, and the faculty website. You will find their email under that page. E.g.:

• You find the email addresses of Heads of Institutes/Departments HERE, by clicking on the relevant institute’s/department’ name

The response message of the teacher should clearly state whether the teacher will grant permission for a PIEC; which course exactly the response is for, and a brief description of what was discussed, how the course can be completed. If you do not find a teacher’s email, you can contact your coordinators for help. (iso@btk.elte.hu or kertesz.emese@btk.ele.hu) 

Step 3.: Submit the request in Neptun under Menu/Administration/Requests/Request fill. Do not forget to upload all the necessary attachments! Upload each document only ONCE!

Step 4.: If there is something missing, the Office of Educational Affairs may ask you to attach the missing items to your Neptun request. In this case, the request will be re-opened and you will be given a new deadline to submit the missing documents. Missing this deadline will lead to the rejection of your request!

Step 5.: Wait for the decision of the Educational Committee, but stay in touch with the teachers and follow the courses, so that you do not miss anything.
 

No answer from the teachers – What should I do?
What should I do if the deadline is approaching and I have not received the answer from all the teachers and/or Head of Department/Institute?

Submit the request without the approval by the deadline!

It is very important that you submit the request in Neptun by the deadline, even if some documents are missing. In this case, you will be given a new deadline to upload the missing documents later.  If you do not submit anything by the deadline, you will not be able to request personalised instruction for the semester.

You have to attach the following documents to the Neptun request:
1. Official document that proves your need for the personalised instruction (eg. medical certificate, certificate of visa delay…etc)
2. Approval from each teacher (1/each course): contact them via email and attach a print-screen of the correspondence
3. Approval of the Head of Department/Institute: contact them via email and attach a print-screen of the correspondence

Please, attach each document only ONCE!
Make sure that the approvals contain the code and title of the course in question and that the approvals state clearly that your request is supported!
 

After you submitted all necessary documents in Neptun, your request will be forwarded for decision to the Educational Committee. You can follow your request status under Menu/Administration/Requests/Submitted requests.

In case of positive decision, you have to follow the agreements set with the teachers to complete the courses. It is your responsibility to be in constant contact with the teacher, and to ensure the necessary accesses to the university platforms (e.g. Neptun access, ELTE email address, Teams, Moodle, or Canvas access, proper internet connection).

Conditions of submitting a request:

(1) At the request of the student, the Faculty Educational Committee, considering the opinion of the organisational units responsible for the programme and subject specified in the request may grant students permission to continue their studies in a personalised instruction for exceptional cases.
(2) Reasons for granting a personalised instruction for exceptional cases may include:

1. exceptionally good academic performance;

2. persistently good academic and professional work, including at academic student workshops, study circle membership, tutoring and honoratior status;

3. persistently good academic performance and active involvement in the University’s public life;

4. academic scholarship abroad or work abroad (for a duration that does not exceed the duration of the semester) that can be recognised as internship credit on the basis of a preliminary credit review,

5. reasons related to childbirth and child care,

6. the continuous, severe illness of the student or their direct family member,

7. sporting activity in a major league, membership in a national team

8. participation in an outside internship under the curriculum,

9. if entry into the country is made impossible in the case of an international student

You can request a personalised instruction with this (i) reason only once during your studies!
 

(3) Students shall not be granted a personalised instruction for exceptional cases for working while pursuing their studies, or for completing a language course abroad.
(4) Requesting a personalised instruction for exceptional cases is possible on the basis of paragraph (2) a-c), if 50 credits are completed, and two successfully completed semesters with the exception of study circle members, who can request a personalised instruction for exceptional cases, independent of the criteria above, after having gained a study circle membership. The Faculty may set and publish the uniform evaluation criteria for academic performance in advance.

Submission process:

(5) The request for the personalised instruction for exceptional cases must include the student’s plan of the study schedule for each subject and the special permission the student requests, furthermore, the request verifying documents and other documents must be attached.
(6) The preliminary support of the lecturer overseeing the personalised instruction for exceptional cases must be attached to the Student’s request for each subject, complete with the specific preference ensured for the Student’s completion of the various subjects. 
(7) The student studying in a personalised instruction for exceptional cases is entitled to the following special permission:

1. permission to be absent from all or some classes;

2. permission to take exams outside the exam period (This option is not available at ELTE BTK.);

3. permission to complete the requirements of the training programme in a different time frame or with different specifics

4. other preferences (e.g. concurrent completion of subjects built on one another, completion of a complementary subject or research, the completion of courses in a distance education setting, etc.).

(8) A personalised instruction for exceptional cases can be permitted for no more than one semester, but may be repeated an unlimited number of times.