PhD in Business Administration

Faculty of Business and Economics

Developed on the basis of the Hungarian PhD program of the Doctoral School of Business Administration, it is as such nationally accredited.

Head of program: Dr. Iván BÉLYÁCZ


Degree
PhD in Business Administration
Duration of Training
4 semester educational period + the research period

Language
English
Intake
Fall

Deadline of Application

Next Starting Date
Fees
Tuition fee: 1. semester: 4 000 EUR
2-4. semester: 3 000 EUR/semester
5-8. semester: 1 500 EUR/semester
Complex examination: 1000 EUR
Application fee: 100 EUR
Registration fee: -
  • Description of the program
  • Application procedure
  • Application requirements
  • More information

The International PhD Program is aimed at professionals in business or public administration with several years of experience in their field, but not necessarily in research or education. The program combines the advantages of contact-based and distance-based education, drawing on the contribution of recognized national and international experts. In its design, the program combines two major international traditions in doctoral education such as the American tradition (where several years of formal education is needed to get the PhD) and the European tradition (with a usually limited number of classes and a strong emphasis on independent dissertation research).

Program Structure
The program consists of two (preferably overlapping) parts:

  • the period of organized study (4 semesters) and
  • independent research phase

The study period provides the students with the opportunity to divide their studies into two parts: intensive study period spent at the Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE), UP and extensive home study. This approach combines the advantages of the contact-based and distance-based methods.
In each of the four semesters, students spend approximately 10 days on the premises of the FBE UP and follow lectures, attend seminars, have dissertation consultations with their dissertation advisors and may also do research in the Faculty Library.
Individual work is supported by the guidance of an experienced Faculty consultant (dissertation advisor). At the end of the sessions, students return home and continue their studies and research using the written study materials (books and scientific papers) provided or recommended by the instructors/dissertation advisor. Lecture materials are available on the Faculty and/or Program Intranet that students can access from home.
Instructors of the various modules and dissertation advisors are available via electronic mail, should the students need advise or help during the home study period.
Should the students need advice or help during the home study period, instructors of the various modules and dissertation advisors are available via electronic mail. Evaluation is based on class papers (homework assignments or in-class exams) in each module; topics are designated by the individual instructors.

 

Graduation Requirements
In order to receive the PhD degree, students must accomplish the following: receive grades in all modules, pass the Doctoral Examination (Comprehensive Exam); have at least 30+ credits of publication that cover the area of dissertation research; prepare the PhD Dissertation; defend the PhD Dissertation.

Suggested research topics:  https://ktk.pte.hu/en/students/studies/phd-programs/iphd-program-busine…;

 
Discipline
Business and Management
Academic Level/Type
PhD

The Application Process

  • We confirm the receipt of application materials via e-mail.
  • The Assessment Board reviews and evaluates every application and makes a decision within 15 working days after receiving the application fee.
  • Every applicant is informed of the decision of the Assessment Board immediately via e-mail.
  • If the applicant meets the requirements and is informed of her/his acceptance s/he must then pay the tuition fee and send us the payment receipt.
  • After receiving the tuition fee, the applicant will be provided with an official Acceptance letter with which s/he can contact the Hungarian Embassy and apply for a Visa.

Selection Criteria in English doctoral programs at the UP FBE

1. Checking FORMAL REQUIREMENTS of application documents

Applicants must meet the following formal criteria to start the training:

Applicants must have attained the age of 18 by the date of commencement of training and must provide the following documents in full:

  1. a valid passport;
  2. a MA/MSc certificate and a certified translation into English, which entitles the applicant to enter into a doctoral program in the applicant’s home country;
  3. an official transcript of results of the completed MA/MSc program and a certified English translation thereof;
  4. a certificate of proficiency in English of no older than 2 years, on at least a CEFR level B2, obtained at an internationally recognized (accredited) language examination institution;
  5. an official medical certificate in English stating that the applicant has received the required vaccines and is free of communicable diseases;
  6. CV;
  7. a research plan;
  8. a list of publications (if the applicant has publications), other certificates.

To apply, an electronic copy of the required documents must be submitted via the online interface designated by the Doctoral School, and their original copies must be submitted upon enrolment.

2. The oral part of the admission procedure

During the admission procedure, the heads of the English programs, the international coordinator, the administrators of the English programs, and the IT system administrators shall cooperate. The heads of programs call the members of the admission committees to conduct the interviews, the system administrators prepare the interview room, IT systems and online platforms (Skype, DreamApply). The international coordinator and the administrators prepare the academic evaluation (Evaluation Form), schedule and organize the interviews. If, for any reason, an interview does not take place at an organized time, the applicant has the opportunity to repeat it once.

UP FBE reserves its right to record the interview after informing the applicant about the recording.

3. Admission criteria:

The following criteria are considered during the admission procedure:

Criteria Results breakdown Max points

1. Learning outcomes:

GPA of the applicant’s last two years in the MA/MSc training

0 point: If applicant’s GPA is below 50 %

10 points: If applicant’s GPA is 50 % or above

20 points: If applicant’s GPA is 70 % or above

25 points: If applicant’s GPA is 85 % or above

 25

2. Quality and content of the research plan

Relevance of topic selection, quality of literature review, well-founded and advanced research hypotheses, relation of expected results with hypotheses and literature, planned structure of research, appropriateness of form, research methodology, linguistic quality, overall review.

0 point: The research plan contains nothing specific, no professional goals are set, the plan is plagiarized;

10 points: In its structure, the plan is not well elaborated, moderately worded. Conspicuously short research plan, unrelated to choice of subject, most of the selected literature has been published more than 5 years ago, or the chosen literature does not fit the subject. The research hypotheses are difficult to interpret, and the relation of the expected results to the hypotheses and the chosen literature is difficult to reveal. The planned structure of the research does not comply with the formal requirements and methodology, and based on the form of the research plan, the applicant's knowledge of the technical language and vocabulary is far below the academic expectations.

20 points: The chosen topic of the research plan is relevant, but the literature review, research hypotheses, and expected results are not sufficiently developed. The structure of the research generally conforms to the formal requirements, and the format of the research plan requires that the applicant's knowledge of the technical language and vocabulary be improved.
35 points: The chosen topic of the research plan is relevant, and the literature review is based on current studies and research. The hypotheses and the expected results are not well explained yet, the planned structure of the research is in compliance with the formal requirements, and according to the form of the research plan the applicant's knowledge of the technical language and vocabulary corresponds to the requirements of the field.

50 points: The chosen topic of the research plan is relevant and the literature review is based on current and internationally recognized studies and research. The research hypotheses and the expected results are elaborated and substantiated, and the planned structure of the research meets the formal requirements and methodology. Based on the format of the research plan, the applicant's language and technical language skills meet the requirements of scientific research and presentations.
60 points: The chosen topic of the research plan is a relevant, previously unexplored topic, and the literature review is based on current and internationally recognized studies and research. The research hypotheses and the expected results are well-established, well-founded, and can significantly contribute to the recognition of UP FBE and the Doctoral School, with an impact at national or international level. The proposed structure of the research meets the formal requirements; its methodology is particularly novel. Based on the form of the research plan, the applicant's language and technical language skills meet the requirements of scientific research and presentations.

 60
3. Motivational interview

0 point: the applicant cannot communicate with the interviewer, not even the most basic communication acts (greeting, identity issues);

5 points: the interview is lagging, the applicant only communicates in short answers, mostly answers yes or no questions;

10 points: : the applicant is fluent in general topics, his or her professional motivations are not fully elaborated;

15 points: the applicant is fluent in both general and basic professional topics, has determined professional goals and can express his or her professional motivation.

 15
Total 100
Extra points*
Certified, relevant professional experience

0 points: the applicant does not have any professional experience;

9 points: the applicant has certified professional experience in academics (university lecturer) or in a non-profit organization or non-governmental organization related to the training. (3 points per year up to 9)

 9
CEFR level C1 language exam certificate in the instruction language

0 point: the applicant has only a level B2 language exam certificate in the instruction language;

5 points: the applicant has an internationally recognized CEFR level C1 language exam certificate obtained no earlier than 2 years in the instruction language.

 5
Relevant publications​

0 point: the applicant does not have relevant publications in peer-reviewed papers.

9 points: the applicant has relevant publications in peer-reviewed papers. (3 points per publication up to 9 points)

 9
Total 23

*Applicants may be awarded a maximum of 23 extra points in total, according to the criteria listed, but the total number of admission points, including the extra points, must not exceed 100.

4. The admission decision

The minimum requirement for admission is that the candidate

a) obtains more than zero points for each of the four main criteria [(10) a), b), c)], and

b) the total score, of at least 40, without extra points.

Recruitment decisions will be made by the head of the Doctoral School, taking into account the applicant’s score (the ranking based on the points of applicants) and the capacity of the training program applied for.

In order to be considered for the program, the Applicant must hold a master degree (MA or MSc in a relevant field or MBA). Prospective students who do not possess a master degree in Economics are required to complement their studies with a Master of Business Administration degree at an accredited institution.

Applicants who are still conducting their studies at the time of application must submit an official letter from their institution indicating the date of graduation. Students cannot enroll at the Program until they have successfully completed their studies at the Master's level.

The applicant has to submit the following documents by uploading them to the online application portal of the University of Pécs:

  • Preliminary Research Proposal (2-3 pages long)*
  • Curriculum Vitae in English
  • Completed Application Form (available on the website)
  • Official Copies of (Degree) Certificates
  • Certified Translations in English
  • Transcript of Records in English
  • List of Publications (if any)
  • passport-size photographs.
  • Copy of the photo-page(s) of your passport
  • Medical certificate, Vaccination card and HIV test
  • Motivation letter,

Preliminary Research Proposal*

A 2-3 page written statement of the research design that includes an explanation of the purpose of the study and outlines the research methodology.
It should consist of the following parts:

  • The intended title of the dissertation
  • The aim of the underlying research as well as the clearly stated motivation for the research
  • Literature review, i.e. review of the state of the art in the literature
  • List of references

5​/A. § The doctoral School applies the following admission procedure for foreign nationals applying for foreign language doctoral training programs:

(1) This admission procedure applies to all applicants who do not have Hungarian citizenship or Hungarian dual citizenship, regardless of whether they have applied for a scholarship program or a private placement at the Doctoral School.

(2) The applicant must be 18 years of age or older.

(3) Documents to be submitted with the application are:

  1. a valid passport;
  2. a MA/MSc certificate and a certified translation into English, which entitles the applicant to enter into a master’s program in the applicant’s home country;
  3. an official transcript of results of the completed MA/MSc program and a certified English translation thereof;
  4. a certificate of proficiency in English of no older than 2 years, on at least a CEFR level B2, obtained at an internationally recognized (accredited) language examination institution;
  5. an official medical certificate in English stating that the applicant has received the required vaccines and is free of communicable diseases;
  6. CV;
  7. research plan;
  8. list of publications (if the applicant has one), other certificates.

To apply, an electronic copy of the required documents must be submitted via the online interface designated by the Faculty, and their original copies must be submitted upon enrolment.

(4) The Doctoral School measures language skills and professional motivation of the applicant in an admission interview. The language of the interviews will be English.

(5) Admission interviews are scheduled and published on the Faculty's English-language web pages at least two weeks before the time of the interview.

(6) The head of the Doctoral School shall appoint the lecturer members of the Admission Committees (hereinafter referred to as "the Committee"). The Committee shall consist of two lecturer members and a secretary. The secretary may be a non-teaching/research staff member of the Faculty.

(7) Admission interviews are conducted in person and/or online. If the interview is conducted online, the Doctoral School needs to provide an interface for online chat, which is primarily the Skype availability provided by the Doctoral School. If the applicant is not able to use Skype in his or her country due to local laws, the interview will take place on an online interface chosen jointly by the Doctoral School and the applicant.

(8) Video recording of the online interview will be saved and archived for one year from the date of the interview.

(9) The secretary of the Committee shall draw up minutes of the interview, which shall be kept by the Doctoral School in accordance with the rules on records.

(10) Applications are ranked in a 100-point system according to the following criteria:

a) Learning outcomes: maximum 25 points

b) Research plan: maximum 60 points

c) Motivational interview: maximum 15 points

d) Extra points: maximum 23 points

Extra points may be awarded for relevant professional experience, CEFR level C1 language examination and publication in the field of studies. The total score, including extra points, cannot exceed 100 points.

(11) Minimum eligibility criteria for admissions  

a) obtains more than zero points for each of the four main criteria [(10) a), b), c)], and

b) the total score, of at least 40, without extra points.

(12) Recruitment decisions will be made by the head of the Doctoral School, taking into account the applicant's score (the ranking based on the points of applicants) and the capacity of the training program applied for.

 

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Maria LAJOS
International Coordinator
E-mail: lajos.maria@ktk.pte.hu
English website of the Faculty