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PhD programme in Applied Linguistics

The Doctoral School of Linguistics offers an English language programme in Applied Linguistics.

The programme consists of three main components:

  1. courses
  2. weekly consultations with a supervisor
  3. supervised research, leading to the writing of a PhD dissertation
  1. Obligatory and elective courses include the following:
    Applied linguistics, Language pedagogy, Qualitative research methods, Quantitative research methods, Academic English, Language testing and assessment, First language acquisition, Second language acquisition, Language technology, Corpus linguistics, Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, Psycholinguistics, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Statistics, etc.
    Courses are taken during the first two years of the training, which period is concluded by a complex examination.
  2. Consultations with the supervisor take place from the first to the fourth year of the programme.
  3. Additional credits must be earned through research activities: conference presentations and research publications.

The current programme plan, with sample course descriptions, is available here: Study plan of the Applied Linguistics doctoral programme

Introductory overview of the AppLing Programme in pdf (2024)

The doctoral training takes place in buildings of the university in downtown Budapest, close to the river Danube:
https://btk.ppke.hu/elerhetoseg
https://btk.ppke.hu/elerhetoseg-2


Application information

The school has published the following calls for PhD research proposals: https://btk.ppke.hu/nydi-for-prospective-students

Research proposals not falling within the published topics can also be considered if they are accepted by a prospective supervising professor. Applicants can approach professors on an individual basis with their research proposals (contacts available at the link above).

For nationals other than Hungarian, the deadline for receiving applications is 17 March 2025, unless they apply through the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme.
For Hungarian nationals, the deadline for receiving applications is 15 May 2025.
Interviews will take place between April and June.

Scholarships:
  • Hungarian state scholarships (including a tuition waiver) are available in this programme on the same general conditions as in Hungarian language PhD programmes.
  • Applications are also invited in the frame of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship programme.

If you apply for a tuition fee waiver and stipend in the Stipendium Hungaricum programme, your application package must be uploaded by 15 January 2024. For more information:
http://stipendiumhungaricum.hu/

Formal requirements:
  • an MA degree, or an equivalent university diploma
  • a B2 level English language exam certificate, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (if you have an English-medium university degree or one in English studies, it will automatically count as a language certificate)
    If the degree is graded (on a system of grades such as "excellent", "good", "ordinary", "sufficient"), then it cannot be worse than the second best grade.
  • if you apply outside the Stipendium Hungaricum programme: payment of an application fee of HUF 40 000 (= cca. EUR 100) to the university’s bank account no. 11707024-20460004 (name of bank account holder: Pázmány Péter Catholic University). For an international transfer, please use the following IBAN bank account number: HU81117070242046000400000000; the BIC/SWIFT code of the bank is: OTPVHUHB). In the ‘Notes’ field of your transfer, insert your name and the following text: “doktori felveteli eljarasi dij”).
  • sending the application package by the application deadline via the online application form
The application package must be sent via an online application process, and it must contain:
  • the filled-in application form, available here: https://btk.ppke.hu/nydi-for-prospective-students
  • a copy of your university (MA) degree and its English translation
  • a copy of the transcript of records (courses you passed in the MA programme) and its English translation
  • a copy of your English proficiency certificate (unless you have an English-medium degree or one in English studies)
  • a copy of your passport
  • your professional CV in English; all the following are also to be in English:
  • a motivation letter
  • your research plan (recommended length: 2-5 pages)
  • your list of publications and presentations (if applicable)
  • a copy of a letter of recommendation written by a university lecturer/professor or other academic
  • a copy of a letter/email by a prospective PhD supervisor in this doctoral school stating that s/he is willing to supervise your PhD research
  • a copy of a document certifying that you have paid the application fee (e.g., a printout that certifies the bank transfer)

The Doctoral Office will be in touch with applicants regarding all further matters, including the oral interview.

The oral interview:

Hungarian nationals are interviewed (either in person or over an online videochat platform) between 20 May and the beginning of July. For international applicants, including those in the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme, interviews take place online during April.

At the interview, applicants’ professional background and research proposal are discussed, while their level of English is also assessed.

Tuition fee:

The tuition fee, which is due after the Doctoral School has accepted the application, is HUF 975000 (cca. EUR 2500) per semester. The tuition fee is waived both for Hungarian state scholarship holders and for Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship holders.

Contact:

For further information, please contact us:

You can download a summary of this page here. (to be updated)