Facts & figures
Philologist in Romanian Language, Literature and Culture
Department of Romanian Philology
Institute of Romance Studies
English
Program
ELTE’s MA in Romanian Language, Literature and Culture is an ideal choice if you wish to develop a structured and in-depth understanding of Romanian language, literature and culture as a whole. The programme is designed for students who seek to apply their knowledge of linguistic, literary and cultural phenomena through original perspectives and approaches, while acquiring the information and research methods necessary to understand and interpret the deeper connections within Romanian language, literature and culture.
Programme details
The aim of the programme is to train specialists with a comprehensive knowledge of Romanian language and culture, who are capable of meeting the practical requirements of the profession and possess specialised expertise and proficiency in Romanian language and culture.
Graduates are familiar with the culture, history and political system of Romania. They are able to apply their acquired knowledge in practice by performing language mediation and intercultural communication tasks in a wide range of fields, including tourism, business, the media, journalism, public administration and cultural life. The programme also prepares graduates to continue their studies at doctoral level.
The Department of Romanian Philology was founded in 1863. It was the first chair of the Romanian language and literature in Europe. The Department has several contracts with universities (University of Bucharest, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj Napoca, University of Oradea) and academic institutions (George Bariţiu Academic Institute of History) from Romania. Degrees issued by the Faculty, based on European regulations and the Romanian-Hungarian bilateral agreements, are recognized in Romania and also in Europe.
Interesting facts about the programme
The present-day Department of Romanian Philology was established in 1863 as the first department of Romanian language and literature founded outside Romania in Europe. It has cooperation agreements with numerous Romanian universities and academic research institutes. In accordance with EU regulations and the framework agreements between the two countries, degrees awarded by the Department are also recognised in Romania. The Department offers bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes, as well as teacher training and Romanian nationality teacher training programmes.
Structure
Career
Those who graduate from our department can pursue a master program, or can find employment. Here are some examples where those who have graduated from us, work: publishing, journalism, school education, ministry of foreign affairs, cultural relations, self-government state government , tourism etc.
Publishing, journalism, school education, ministry of foreign affairs, cultural relations, self-government, state government, tourism etc.
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 (Entrance exam fee) | 100 EUR (Entrance exam fee) |
| 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 Romanian 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 Romanian 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
Romanian: CEFR B2
Applicants must hold a state-recognised B2 (upper-intermediate) comprehensive certificate in Romanian, or an equivalent secondary school leaving certificate or higher education qualification, as a prerequisite for admission to the master’s programme.
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
After the university receives the full application package and it is checked by the Department of International Affairs, applicants will be invited to an oral entrance exam. 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.
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 Romanian 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.
The oral examination
The oral examination is designed to assess the applicant’s level of proficiency in Romanian. During the interview, candidates will discuss various topics related to linguistics, literature and civilisation. Preparation for the oral entrance examination is supported by the examination topics provided, as well as by the readings listed in the recommended bibliography.
Examination topics
1. Romanian and Hungarian scholars of Romance studies and their theories: Hasdeu, Densusuşianu, Philippide, Puşcariu, Rosetti, Lajos Tamás, László Gáldi, André du Nay.
2. Romanian parts of speech and the formal and semantic characteristics of words belonging to each category.
3. Morphological and syntactic word structures.
4. The definition of the sentence and the classification of sentence types.
5. The history of Romanian orthography.
6. Genres of Romanian folklore (colindă, ballad, doina, folktale, anecdote).
7. The characteristics of early Romanian literature (16th-18th centuries).
8. Romanian Romanticism and Caragiale.
9. Romanian literature between the two World Wars (Rebreanu, Sadoveanu, Eliade, Sebastian, Petrescu, Blecher, Blaga, Arghezi, Bacovia).
10. Trends in Romanian literary theory and criticism (Maiorescu, Manolescu, Călinescu).
11. Romanian ethnogenesis (theories and perspectives).
12. The Reformation, Counter-Reformation and the Orthodox Renaissance.
13. Phanariotism, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Liberalism and revolutions.
14. The birth of Romania (1866-1918).
15. Romania in the twentieth century.
Recommended reading
• Boia, Lucian: Istorie şi mit în conştiinţa românească. Bucharest: Humanitas, 1997.
• Călinescu, George: Istoria literaturii române de la origini până în prezent [1941]. Bucharest: Editura Fundaţiei Culturale Române, 2002. Online edition:
ecartea.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/calinescu-george-istoria-literaturii-romane-cartea.pdf
• Coşeriu, Eugen: Introducere în lingvistică. Cluj-Napoca: Dacia, 1995.
• Dicţionar general de Ştiinţe. Ştiinţe ale limbii (ed. Liliana Ionescu-Ruxăndoiu). Bucharest: Editura Ştiinţifică, 1997.
• Irimia, Dumitru: Gramatica limbii române. Iaşi: Polirom, 2008.
• Manolescu, Nicolae: Istoria critică a literaturii române, Vol. 1. Bucharest: Minerva, 1997.
For more information about the application procedures, please visit the Faculty’s website
Contacts
Admission
Department of International Affairs
E-mail: admission@btk.elte.hu
Address: 1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 4.
More information
Website
Dr. Levente NAGY
Head of the Department of Romanian Philology
Find the structure of the program on the webpage of the Faculty.