INFORMATION ON CHANGES OF THE DOCTORAL TRAINING IN 2025

Dear Doctoral Student,

Dear Supervisor,

We would like to inform you that as of June 2025, a new regulation on the restructuring of doctoral training has entered into force. Its aim is to better align the training with students’ chosen career paths and expand the opportunities for obtaining a doctoral degree.

Based on the National Higher Education Act and the relevant government decrees, the Doctoral Student Union and the University Doctoral Council have prepared a comprehensive amendment to the Doctoral Regulations, which was adopted by the Senate on August 31, 2025. The new regulations are effective from August 31, 2025.

Key changes in the regulation of doctoral training:

• Credit Requirements
  Students starting their studies from September 1, 2025, must still complete 16 academic credits during the first four semesters. However, research credits will no longer be displayed in Neptun for these students, so the total credit requirement for completing studies is modified to 16 credits.
• Shortened Deadlines in the Degree Awarding Procedure
  The formal review deadline is reduced from 3 weeks to 2 weeks, and the opponent review deadline is reduced from 2 months to 1 month.
• Evaluation of Research Work
  Students starting from September 1, 2025, will have their research performance evaluated at the end of each semester in Neptun by their supervisors using the following ratings: “unsatisfactory,” “moderately satisfactory,” “well satisfactory,” and “excellent.”
• Reclassification Rules Regarding Financial Status
  If a student receives a “moderately satisfactory” rating for two consecutive semesters, they may be reclassified from state-funded to self-funded status. If they receive “well satisfactory” or “excellent” ratings in two subsequent semesters, reclassification back to state-funded status is possible.
• Procedure in Case of “Unsatisfactory” Research Evaluation
  Before a supervisor/CTM rates the research work as “unsatisfactory” or refuses to sign off, the Research Management Working Group may mediate between the supervisor/CTM and the doctoral student upon request. If the signature is still refused, the Appeals Committee will make the final decision.
• Reporting Obligation
  Students starting from September 1, 2025, must submit a report on their research progress and results at the end of the first academic year, in the format specified by the doctoral division.
• Pre-doctoral Status
  A new pre-doctoral status is introduced, with extended publication affiliation requirements and simplified rules for the pre-doctoral scholarship.
• Postponement Due to Childbirth
  A postponement of up to 3 years is now permitted in case of childbirth. The decision is made by the Head of the Doctoral Council.
• Possibility of Tuition Waiver
  If a student is placed in a self-funded program solely due to lack of capacity, the Chair of the Doctoral Council may authorize a full waiver of tuition fees.
• Stricter Course or Publication Requirements
  Stricter requirements than those defined in the Doctoral Regulations may only be applied if they are recorded in the training contract at the start of the doctoral training.
• Contracts Related to Doctoral Training
  The Doctoral Student Union has the right to consent to training contracts (template agreements) related to doctoral programs.
• Teaching Activities of Doctoral Students
  If a doctoral student undertakes teaching duties, they must be compensated with at least the proportional part of twice the minimum wage.
• Degree Awarding in Less Than Four Years
  State-funded students who had student status on June 20, 2025, or started their studies thereafter, are entitled to receive the remaining portion of their scholarship calculated for the four-year program.
• Impact Factor Requirement in Case of Shared First Authorship
  In case of shared first authorship, if only one author uses the article for their dissertation (with a declaration from all involved), the article’s impact factor does not need to be divided among the first authors.
• Supervisor/Program Change or CTM Entry/Exit
  Changes in supervisor, program, or division (including entry into or exit from TMP) must be approved by the Chair of the University Doctoral Council. The application must include opinions from both the former and new supervisors and the TMP leader.

New Training Formats :

• Cooperative Doctoral Training

A new opportunity in doctoral training with the following conditions:

• • The student must be employed at least 20 hours per week at their workplace:
  • The work must take place at a legally defined workplace,
  • The employer must provide a monthly scholarship supplement until the completion of the absolutorium, raising the total scholarship to HUF 250,000/month.

• Research Excellence Doctoral Training
  •  Awarded within the framework of the National Excellence Research Program (NKKP),
  • Salary must be at least twice the minimum wage,
  • Student status is self-funded,
  • Salary and tuition are covered by the NKKP grant,
  • Admission is possible mid-semester.

Information on Publicational Requirements:

Students who began their training in September 2023 or later must fulfill their PhD publication requirements in journals classified as Q1 or Q2.

Doctoral Office Opening Hours:

From the 2025/26 academic year, the Doctoral Office will be open until 17:00 on Tuesdays under duty schedule, to better support student administration.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the staff of the Doctoral Office via email, phone, or in person during office hours:
https://semmelweis.hu/phd/en/doctoral-office-hours/

Sincerely, 

Prof. Dr. Zoltán Benyó
Head of the Doctoral Council