Facts & figures
Philologist in Portuguese Language, Literature and Culture
Department of Portuguese Language and Literature
Institute of Romance Studies
Portuguese, International
Program
ELTE’s MA in Portuguese Language, Literature and Culture is an excellent choice if you wish to gain comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of the principal areas of European, Brazilian and African Portuguese literature and culture. The programme provides a deeper understanding of the Portuguese language, literature and culture, together with the research methods required to study them. You will also become familiar with the latest developments in literary, linguistic and cultural research, equipping you with the knowledge needed to develop future research strategies and participate in research collaborations. The programme is recommended for graduates who wish to further develop their proficiency in Portuguese after completing their bachelor’s degree, while broadening their knowledge of literature, culture and linguistics through academically rigorous study.
Programme details
Graduates of the programme acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture, supported by a solid grounding in linguistics, literary studies and cultural history. They also gain a thorough understanding of the culture, history and political systems of Portuguese-speaking countries.With a high level of proficiency in Portuguese, a strong familiarity with the cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world, and well-founded academic and professional knowledge in linguistics and literary studies, graduates are well prepared for positions requiring advanced specialist expertise in Portuguese. Their training equips them to explore new academic and professional fields and provides a solid foundation for undertaking research. They are also able to apply their knowledge in practice through language mediation and intercultural communication in a wide range of sectors, including tourism, business, the media, journalism, public administration and the cultural sector.
Note that the program does not offer teaching qualifications.
The aim of this Portuguese MA-program is to train specialists in Portuguese linguistics, literature who would like to pursue a scientific career at a high level in the future and prepare them for PhD studies. The instructors of the courses carefully monitor the progress of the students, who can study one semester in a Portuguese University (in the Erasmus mobility) and can study with the “visiting professors” who give lectures at the Department of Portuguese Language and Literature.
This program trains specialists in Portuguese linguistics or literature for their academic or non-academic career. Students have the possibility to study for one semester at an Erasmus+ partner university in Portugal and they regularly meet visiting professors. The department has close contact with the Embassy of Portugal and the Brazilian Embassy in Budapest, too.
Note that the program does not offer teaching qualifications.
Structure
Career
Our graduates finish the program with a high level of Portuguese knowledge. Many of them work as language teachers in public schools or language schools, as editors or literary translators, others find positions in the tourism industry, media and marketing, at governmental institutions or ministries, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Foreign Trade, and at international companies.
- Language teacher
- Editor
- Translator
- International officer
Admissions
| EU/EEA students | Non-EU/EEA students | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fee/semester | 2,500 EUR | 2,500 EUR |
| Application fee |
The application fee is discounted for Early Bird applicants: EUR 100 (non-refundable) between 01/10/2026 - 30/11/2026 and between 01/02/2027 - 31/03/2027;
The regular application fee is: EUR 150 (non-refundable) between 01/04/2027-31/05/2027
|
The application fee is discounted for Early Bird applicants: EUR 100 (non-refundable) between 01/10/2026 - 30/11/2026 and between 01/02/2027 - 31/03/2027;
The regular application fee is: EUR 150 (non-refundable) between 01/04/2027-31/05/2027
|
| Entrance exam fee | 100 EUR | 100 EUR |
| Other cost |
Entry requirements
Applicants must hold a university bachelor’s degree (or an equivalent college degree) in the fields listed below. Full credit acknowledgement is only given for a Bachelor’s degree in Romance Philology, Specialized in Portuguese Studies.
In case of any other degree, each diploma will be considered individually. The applicant must have at least 50 credits in the field of Portuguese studies (Linguistics, Literature and Culture) to enter the programme. Transcripts from your bachelor's degree as well as course descriptions will be requested.
The educational and outcome requirements are defined by the Ministry of Human Capacities, Regulation No. 18/2016. (VIII. 5.). Details of the application and admission process are defined by the Organisational and Operational Regulations of ELTE.
Language requirements
C1 level Portuguese language proficiency.
Applicants must hold a state-recognised C1 (advanced) comprehensive certificate in Portuguese, or an equivalent secondary school leaving certificate or higher education qualification, as a prerequisite for admission to the master’s programme.
The language of instruction for the entire program is Portuguese.
Accepted language certificates at C1 level (CEFR):
— DAPLE
— DUPLE
— Celpe: Avançado Superior
Depending on its (academic) profile, the applicant might be offered preparatory courses if this level of proficiency has not been reached yet.
English is the language of administration for all international courses at ELTE Faculty of Humanities. All communication in administrative matters will be conducted in English. It is therefore recommended that all applicants speak a minimum of A2 level of English, even if it is not the language of tuition of their chosen programme.
| Document | Comment |
|---|---|
| Online application form | - |
| Secondary school certificate (graduation certificate) | Notarized copy only on request. |
| Bachelor-level degree | An official copy of your completed Bachelor degree |
| Transcript of records | |
| CV | In English, in MS Word format with one low resolution photo |
| Motivation letter | A maximum of 500 words. |
| Copy of the main pages of the passport (needs to be valid) | Scanned, in colour all personal details and expiry date must be shown. Passport must be valid. |
| Copy of application fee payment receipt | |
| Copy of the Entrance exam fee payment receipt | |
| Language certificate | Official test result or certificate must be provided; see program specific proficiency requirements. |
| Other: An official English translation of the certificates and the records if the language of the original is not English |
Optional documents for admissions
- Research Proposal
Please consult with the coordinating department for more information - Letter of Reference
Also called "Letter of recommendation." From a former instructor and/or employer.
Application deadlines
The deadline for application means the deadline of submission of the full and complete application package in the online system.
Period 1 (with Early Bird discount): 01/10-30/11/2026 23:59 (CET)
Period 2 (with Early Bird discount): 01/02-31/03/2027 23:59 (CET)
Period 3: 01/04-31/05/2027 23:59 (CET)
The application procedure includes 2 periods in order to give the applicants the freedom to submit their application when it’s most suitable for them. The applicants of each period have the same chance to get admittance for the programme. However, please note, that the Faculty of Humanities ELTE reserves the right to cancel the entrance periods in case the number of the admitted applicants reaches the limit during the previous entrance periods.
Procedure of the application
The application starts in the online application system. Students need to register in the system, fill in the online application form, upload the required documents and follow the instructions during the application process.
Applications will only be processed if the application fee (non-refundable) has been paid on the University’s online payment platform.
Before making the payment please visit the Faculty’s website (go to section Application and Entrance Exam fees) for detailed guidance on how to use the payment platform.
Payment platform: https://epay.elte.hu/
Entrance examination and selection process
When the university receives the full application package and it is checked by the Department of International Affairs an entrance exam date option will be sent no later than the application deadline for the relevant period. Please, check your messages in the application system, and the e-mail address that is linked to the account regularly. The applications are examined by the Admission Board no later than after each application period and applicants are notified of the outcome of the selection in the online application system after the decision is official. Admission letters are sent out in the online application system within a few days.
Procedure of the entrance examination
The entrance exam contains a discussion about the motivation of the applicant. Successful applicants must have a good command of Portuguese to pass the entrance exam. The format of the entrance exam is an online interview. Ranking is based on the overall evaluation of academic excellence (based on the submitted documents) and the results of the entrance exam.
Results and the official decision will be announced in the application system. Admission letters are sent out also in the online application system within a few days.
Oral examination
The oral examination is designed to assess the applicant’s proficiency in Portuguese. During the interview, applicants will discuss a range of topics relating to linguistics, literature and the civilisation of the Portuguese-speaking world. To help candidates prepare for the oral entrance examination, a list of examination topics and the readings included in the recommended reading list are provided.
Examination topics
A. Linguistics
1. The Portuguese sound system: vowels, diphthongs and stress.
2. The Portuguese sound system: consonants.
3. The morphosyntactic properties of articles, demonstrative pronouns and possessive pronouns.
4. The morphosyntactic properties of the nominal system.
5. The morphosyntactic properties of personal pronouns.
6. The morphosyntactic properties of relative and interrogative pronouns.
7. The Portuguese verbal system: regular and irregular verbs, and the phonological and morphological properties of verb forms.
8. The use of the tenses of the indicative mood.
9. The use and tenses of the subjunctive mood.
10. The classification of complex sentences, conjunctions, and the use of non-finite verb forms as a means of clause reduction.
Recommended reading
• Cunha, Celso – Lindley Cintra, Luís Filipe: Nova Gramática do Português Contemporâneo. Lisbon: Sá da Costa, 1990.
• Teyssier, Paul: Manual de Língua Portuguesa. Coimbra: Universidade de Coimbra, 1989.
• Vázquez Cuesta, Pilar – Mendes da Luz, Maria Albertina: Gramática da Língua Portuguesa. Lisbon: Edições 70, 1971.
B. Literature
1. Medieval Portuguese poetry and prose: Galician-Portuguese lyric poetry, historical and didactic prose, and the chivalric romance.
2. Sixteenth-century Portuguese literature: Gil Vicente and Portuguese theatre, travel literature, lyric poetry, and Camões’ epic The Lusiads.
3. Romanticism in Portuguese literature: Almeida Garrett, Alexandre Herculano and Camilo Castelo Branco.
4. The Geração de 70 and Portuguese Realism (Eça de Queirós).
5. Portuguese literature in the first half of the twentieth century: from Post-Symbolism to Neo-Realism, and Fernando Pessoa’s influence on Portuguese poetry.
6. The contemporary Portuguese novel: the works of José Saramago, António Lobo Antunes and Lídia Jorge.
7. Brazilian literature during the colonial period.
8. Nineteenth-century Brazilian literature: the role of Romanticism in the development of national independence.
9. Innovative trends in twentieth-century Brazilian literature: the Modernismo movement and its revolution in the 1920s.
10. The Northeastern Brazilian novel, the poetry of the Geração de 45, and Concrete Poetry.
Recommended reading
• Bosi, Alfredo: História Concisa da Literatura Brasileira. São Paulo: Cultrix, 1979.
• Pál, Ferenc (ed.): Crestomatia da Literatura Brasileira. Budapest: Tankönyvkiadó, 1995.
• Reis, Carlos (ed.): História Crítica da Literatura Portuguesa, Vols. I-IX. Lisbon: Verbo, 1998-2005.
C. History and Civilisation
1. The history of Portugal from the foundation of the state to the Age of Discovery and overseas expansion.
2. Portuguese expansion: the maritime voyages, and the discovery and colonisation of Africa, India and Brazil.
3. The history of Portugal in the modern era.
4. The history of Brazil from independence to the twentieth century.
5. The history of Portugal’s African colonies.
6. Contemporary political, economic and cultural developments in Portugal, Brazil and the Portuguese-speaking African countries.
7. The history of Portuguese and Brazilian art.
8. The history of Portuguese theatre and cinema.
9. Portuguese myths: Viriatus, the Battle of Ourique, and Sebastianism.
10. The history of the cultural and historical relations between Portugal, Brazil and Hungary.
Recommended reading
• Marques, A. H. de Oliveira: History of Portugal. New York-London: Columbia University Press, 1975.
• Pál, Ferenc – Marinho, Marcelo (eds.): Cartas Vincadas, Letras no Espelho. Campo Grande: Letra, 2004.
Contacts
Admission
Department of International Affairs
E-mail: admission@btk.elte.hu
Address: 1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 4.
More information
Website
Dr. István RÁKÓCZI
Head of Department of Portuguese Language and Literature
Find the structure of the program on the webpage of the Faculty.