The doctoral degree (PhD) can be obtained through the doctoral procedure. A separate application must be submitted for the doctoral procedure.
The doctoral procedure must be initiated within three academic years following the completion of the comprehensive exam. This deadline can be extended by a maximum of one academic year in exceptional cases.
During the doctoral procedure, candidates submit and defend their doctoral dissertation.

Requirements for acquiring the Doctoral Degree:

• Certificate of absolutorium (pre-degree certificate)
• Final version of the doctoral dissertation
• At least an intermediate-level (B2) language exam in English or an equivalent document
• Fulfillment of the publication requirements (at least two refereed publications in the subject area of the dissertation)
• Uploading references to the publications to the MTMT database
• Public defense of the doctoral dissertation

Research Center Disputation:

Before the submission of the doctoral dissertation, the first step is a Research Center Disputation organized by the department (institute) of the candidate. The chair of the Research Center appoints the reviewers. They have two months to prepare the written reviews of the dissertation. The Doctoral School Administration only needs to be notified via e-mail (phd@inf.elte.hu) about the research center Disputation.

The Doctoral School Administration in exceptional cases may send the official invitations and the written record of the research center defense.

Following a successful research center Disputation, based on the reviewers’ evaluations, the doctoral candidate prepares the revised dissertation and thesis booklet and assembles the necessary documents for initiating the doctoral procedure.

For more information about the Research Center Disputation see here.

Application for the Doctoral Procedure:

Applications for the doctoral procedure need to be submitted during the academic year: September 1 – May 31 with a request delivered to the Doctoral School Administration.
The initiation of the procedure, the selection of reviewers, and the composition of the public defense committee are made by the Doctoral Council of Informatics.
The Doctoral School Administration invites the reviewers and committee members and sends the documents for review. Reviewers have a maximum of 60 days to submit their evaluations. After receiving the two supporting written reviews, the date of the public defense should be coordinated by the candidate.

Doctoral Defense:

The date of the public defense must be publicly announced three weeks (21 days) in advance and registered on the doktori.hu website.
The review committee consists of a chair, a secretary, three committee members, and two (or three) official reviewers.
Based on the result of the public defense, the Doctoral Council of Informatics decides to recommend the award of the PhD degree to the University Doctoral Council.
The University Doctoral Council then makes the decision regarding the award of the PhD degree, and the University organizes the doctoral graduation ceremony.

Relevant Sections of the University Doctoral Regulations for the Doctoral Procedure and the Doctoral degree: