Program Overview

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Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences

The Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences offers a PhD program in Environmental Sciences, which aims to develop scientific skills necessary to identify and analyze environmental issues. The program is recommended to applicants who have a solid interest in environmental problems and have not yet decided on their specified field of scientific orientation.

Program Details

• Degree: PhD in Environmental Sciences
• Type: Degree program
• Level: Doctoral
• Accreditation number: OH-FRKP/406-3/2007
• Faculty: Faculty of Science
• Department: Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences
• Language: English
• Duration: 8 semesters (4 years)
• ECTS credits: 240
• Minimum number of students: 1
• Maximum number of students: 30

Mission Statement

The goal of this program is to develop scientific skills necessary to identify and analyze environmental issues. Students will learn critical thinking, problem-solving, and skeptical inquiry skills and use them to propose solutions to environmental problems.

Strength of Program

The Doctoral School offers specialized training in the following directions in environmental sciences: environmental biology, environmental chemistry, environmental physics, or environmental geosciences. Emphasis is on the application of the given discipline in complex research projects, such as water quality changes and management, risk analysis and mitigation in various human and natural environments, renewable energy research, etc.

Research Areas

The program covers a wide range of research areas, including:

• Environmental biology
• Environmental chemistry
• Environmental physics
• Environmental geosciences
• Water quality changes and management
• Risk analysis and mitigation
• Renewable energy research

Courses

The program includes a variety of courses, such as:

• Microbial ecology of waters and aquatic habitats
• Writing scientific papers in English
• Transboundary environmental impacts and the international environmental cooperation
• Environmental biophysics
• Sensory biophysics I.: Polarization sensitivity and its environmental optical aspects
• Interactions of the natural and social environment
• Sustainable energy management
• Cycling of Elements
• How to measure size and shape of nano- and micro size particles?
• Pedogenesis
• Groundwater Flow in Drainage Basins
• Chemistry and Physics of Flames
• Hyphenated Techniques for Element Speciation
• Ionizing radiation in the human environment, their biological and potential health effects
• International conventions on environmental protection and nature conservation
• Community Ecology of Tropics
• Interactions of the natural and social environment
• Data analysis in environmental science
• Vulneralibility and sensitivity of Karst systems
• Thermal water and geothermal energy
• Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction based on ostracod studies
• Tracking of palaeoceanographical changes with the help of palaeontological, sedimentological and geochemical methods

Career Opportunities

Our doctoral graduates find employment in various places, such as environmental companies and organizations, governmental bodies and agencies, international organizations dealing with cross-border environmental activities, and many others in education.

Job Examples

• Aerospace Engineer
• Anthropologist
• Architectural Historian
• Asbestos Abatement Manager
• Astronomer
• Atmospheric Dispersion Modeler
• Atmospheric Scientist
• Chemical Oceanographer
• Decontamination Technician
• Emergency Disaster Response Technician
• Environmental Biologist
• Environmental Biotechnology
• Environmental Chemist
• Environmental Data Analyst
• Environmental Engineer
• Environmental Geologist
• Environmental Health Safety Manager
• Environmental Health Safety Trainer
• Environmental Monitor
• Environmental Psychologist
• Environmental Sampling Technician
• Environmental Writer
• Fire Fuel Manager
• Fire Protection Engineer
• Fire Safety Specialist
• Forensic Biologist
• Forensic Scientist
• Geological Oceanographer
• Geologist
• Geomagnetist
• Geomorphologist
• Geophysicist
• Groundwater Sampling Technician
• Habitat Restoration Engineer
• Health Safety Engineer
• Herpetologist
• Historian
• Hydrogeologist
• Hydrologist
• Ichthyologist
• Immunologist
• Industrial Hygienist
• Integrated Water Resources Manager
• Invertebrate Biologist
• Lab Technician
• Land Acquisition Manager
• Lead Abatement Technician
• Mammalogist
• Marine Biologist
• Metallurgist
• Meteorologist
• Microbiologist
• Mineralogist
• Mining Engineer
• Mining Surveyor
• Molecular Biologist
• Nepa Ceqa Manager
• Oceanographer
• Ornithologist
• Paleobiologist
• Paleontologist
• Paleozoologist
• Petroleum Technician
• Physicist
• Primatologist
• Remote Sensing Specialist
• Seismologist
• Volcanologist
• Wildlife Biologist
• Zoologist

Tuition Fees

• EU/EEA students: HUF 1,000,000 per semester (if the research is performed at the Faculty) or HUF 300,000 per semester (if the research is performed outside of the Faculty)
• Non-EU/EEA students: EUR 4,000 per semester (if the research is performed at the Faculty) or EUR 1,500 per semester (if the research is performed outside of the Faculty)

Application Fee

• EU/EEA students: HUF 9,000 (non-refundable)
• Non-EU/EEA students: HUF 9,000 (non-refundable)

Admission Requirements

• Entry requirements: A master's degree in science is required.
• Language requirements: An internationally accredited language examination is required with at least a B2 CEFR level or equivalent result.

Documents to Submit with Application

• Online application form
• Bachelor-level degree (optional)
• Master-level degree
• Transcript of records
• CV
• Research plan
• Statement of Supervisor
• Language certificate
• Proof of application fee transfer
• Motivation letter (optional)
• Letter of recommendation (optional)
• Copy of the main pages of the passport (optional)
• Passport photo (optional)
• Medical certificate (optional)

Application Procedure

The application starts at 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. Well before the deadline, applicants should contact the supervisor whose topic they have chosen to find out if their knowledge and research experience are relevant to the subject. If so, the applicant needs to agree on the outlines of the research with the supervisor and is required to make a research plan approved by the supervisor.

Procedure of the Entrance Examination

The applications are examined by the Admission Board during May and June, and applicants are notified of the outcome of the selection in the online application system in July. Admission letters are sent out in the online application system until August 1. In case of February intake, admission letters are sent out in the online application system December 1.

Type of Entrance Examination

Oral, via Skype interview (Skype identifier is demanded)

Criteria for Ranking at the Admission Procedure

1. Previous university achievement (examinations, comprehensive examinations, qualification of degree)
2. Achievements related to previous research work (awards obtained in students' academic circles, publications in the particular professional area)

Program Leader

Prof. Tamás TURÁNYI, Head of the Doctoral School

Program Coordinator

Mr. Péter MOLNÁR, International Coordinator

More Information

Faculty website

Offered for the Next Academic Year

Yes

Start Program

September 1, 2026

Deadline for Applications - September Intake

May 31, 2026

Is There a February Intake

No