FAQ

Where to go for various administrative matters

The Office of Student Affairs deals with all aspects of contracts with students, from beginning to end, with teaching and classes, and with a significant part of the activities related to academic programmes on the Buda Campus.

This includes, among other things:

registration (on paper, in person, upon enrolment)
receiving and processing requests (submitted via Neptun, by post, or during office hours)
preparation for final exams (in collaboration with the Dean’s Secretariats)
reclassification (due to either academic reasons or the end of grant period)
providing information in connection with academics, etc.
student loan issues
student ID cards, issue of validation stickers
scholarship disbursement
issue of certificates
documents (diplomas, attachments to diplomas, etc.)
changes to students’ personal information (in cases where changes cannot be made via Neptun)
editing class schedule
faculty-related issues in student information
setting up timetables and allocating classrooms.

The secretariats of the Dean’s offices of each faculty are responsible for the following student-related issues:

admissions
transfer procedures (for SZIU students, requests to transfer must be submitted at the Office of Student Affairs, who will forward the request)
holding final exams (in conjunction with the Office of Student Affairs)
drafting the timetable for the academic year (in conjunction with the Office of Student Affairs), allocating field practice sessions;
organising internships.

The Student Government is responsible for the following student-related issues:

consulting with regards to academic requirements;
processing need-based grant requests and dormitory applications;
participation in faculty committees relating to student affairs (Academic Committee, Transfer Credit Committee, Student Well-Being Committee).

Where can I find the information I’m looking for?

You can find all important information either at the Office of Student Affairs’ website or on the websites of the faculties (http://budaicampus.szie.hu/en, http://food.sziu.hu, http://hort.sziu.hu, http://tajk.szie.hu/en).

We generally notify students of current tasks, deadlines, grant application processes and other opportunities on the websites and via Neptun messages. For this reason, it is especially important to check the websites and your Neptun account frequently, and to make sure that the email address you enter on Neptun is one that you read often.

When do I have to register?

After admission/transfer, the student’s contract with the university enters into effect upon registration. After completing the admissions process, you must register (and thus create a student contract), even if, for some reason of force majeure, you must begin your studies with a semester registered with a “passive” status. You may register at the time and place specified in the notification of admission which was sent to you. Students may also authorise another person to register for them or may register at another time, subject to prior consultation with their academic advisor. Registration must be completed, at the latest, by the term statistical deadline for the semester in which the student was admitted (October 15 or March 15), otherwise, admission will be revoked. Students must always register by filling in and signing a registration sheet on paper (students who are paying tuition must also sign a studies contract).

Related content: For first-year students

When do I have to enroll?

Students must enroll (designating their semester as active or passive) during the enrollment period, which is usually the first week of the semester. For exact dates, please see the timetable for the academic year or Neptun. The obligation to enroll must be performed via the Neptun system. If you fail to enroll during the enrollment period, you may still submit a request for active or passive status via Neptun up until the statistical deadline for the semester (October 15 or March 15). Late notification of an active semester is subject to a fee, and the student’s request to this effect will not be processed until the fee has been paid. Students enrolled with an “active” status may still submit a request for passive status via Neptun up until the statistical deadline for the semester (October 15 or March 15).

How can I add or drop courses?

You can do this during the registration period, which is during the enrollment week of the semester and the first week of classes. After registration period, there is a four-week period in which you may submit for late course add/drop requests. No changes may be made after this time.

What are my financial obligations towards the University and what happens if I fail to perform these obligations?

Students enrolled in paying programmes must pay tuition fees. Students may be required to pay special procedural fees in the event that they request services from the University that are subject to fees or if they are late in performing certain tasks. Make-up exams and repeat final exams are also subject to fees. The SZIU Schedule of Student Fees and Benefits lists all of the fees to be paid by students.

Most frequent fees for special procedures:

late registration for active semester;
unjustified absence from exam;
fee for repeat registration for a subject;
late adding and dropping courses;
repeat make-up exam;
recognition of transfer credit procedure fee.

A student may only enrol as “active” for a given semester if s/he has no outstanding payment obligations due to the University. Students who have unpaid debts to the University are also barred from registering for courses and exams.

If a student has outstanding debts owed to the University for an extended period of time, the University will begin by verifying whether these payment obligations are justified. Any items erroneously charged to the student shall be deleted from the student’s record. However, the student will be notified through Neptun and by post of any justified payment obligations. Failure by the student to respond to this warning may result in the termination of his or her study contract; furthermore, the University shall then be entitled to recover the outstanding amounts through legal proceedings.

Related content: Student financial matters

When will my contractual relationship with the University be terminated?

The University shall terminate, by a unilateral statement, its contractual relationship with any student who:

does not meet his or her obligations specified in the academic and examination regulations, in the curriculum, in the training and graduation requirements with regards to progress in his or her studies (e.g. if the student has exhausted all opportunities for make-up exams in a given subject (if after the total of 6 possible supplemental exams no further leniency can be granted) or if the student has exhausted all possibilities of registering for a given subject and if no further leniency can be granted there either);
if he or she has, for the third time, failed to enrol as “active” for the following academic term;
if, after the student contract is terminated, s/he does not begin his or her studies;
if, in the case of student contracts entered into in the 2016/2017 academic year or thereafter, his or her number of active terms exceeds twice the prescribed duration of the programme.

How may I terminate my student contract if I do not wish to continue my studies?

The contract may also be terminated upon the student’s request. A request to terminate the studies contract must be submitted by the student on paper, addressed to the dean and signed by the student, to the Office of Student Affairs, or posted to the Office of Student Affairs. The student request for terminating the studies contract is also available on Neptun under the Administration – Requests menu point.

How do I terminate my student contract if I have completed the study programme?

Once the student has met all of the academic requirements of the study programme, i.e. has been granted a final transcript (abszolutórium), the student’s contract with the university will automatically be terminated. If the student writes a final examination in the term in which the final transcript was granted, the student’s contract with the university shall be terminated on the date of the last final exam. If the student does not write a final examination in the term in which the final transcript was granted, the student’s contract with the university shall be terminated on the last day of the final exam period. If the student obtains a final transcript after the final exam period of the term has already started, the student’s contract with the university terminates on the last day of the final exam period of the term.

There are subjects that I have already completed. How can I get these recognised?

Students may submit a request for the recognition of their previous studies. A request for transfer credit recognition may be submitted through Neptun.

How can I defer a term?

Students have the right to suspend/defer their studies, i.e. by enrolling as “passive” for a term. Students may keep the “passive” status for two consecutive terms. Students may enroll as “passive” on Neptun during the registration period, or may request this status after registration period. Please note: The first term after admission to the University may only be declared “passive” in the case of an event of force majeure (e.g. giving birth, accident, illness, or other unforeseeable event). In this case, a request must be submitted on paper, addressed to the Associate Dean of Studies, signed, with documents justifying the request attached.

How can I add or drop courses after the deadline?

Courses may be added or dropped for a period of 4 weeks after the usual course registration period, by filling out and submitting the relevant request form, which can be found on Neptun.

How many credits do I have to take each term?

The specified curriculum for the study programme clearly specifies which compulsory courses and electives (depending on the specialisation or module) the student must take, and when these should be taken. Based on the model curriculum, it is usually recommended that students take between 27 and 30 credits per semester. Where can I check pre-requisites for subjects? The table of pre-requisites attached to the curriculum shows the sequence of courses. These documents can be found on faculty websites. The pre-requisites for certain subjects are also shown on Neptun.

When and how do I write exams?

As a general rules, exams are only written during exam period. You can only register for exams via Neptun.

Is there anything that I have to do after exam period?

After exam period, there is a two-week period for submitting grievances. We strongly recommend that during this time, all students verify their grades entered on Neptun and to submit a grievance report if necessary.

How many credits do I have to accumulate before I can sign up for final exams?

Students must have a total of 210 credits at the bachelor’s degree level, 120 at the master’s level, 120 for vocational training programmes, 60 completed credits for two-semester certificate programmes, 90 credits for three-semester programmes, or 120 completed credits for four-semester programmes in order to be granted a final transcript and authorisation to register for final exams. However, merely having the required number of credits is not enough in itself – students must also have successfully completed all of the courses required by the programme, including electives required under the given specialisation.

How many optional elective credits do I have to take?

In order to obtain the final transcript, students generally have to take 5% of their total number of credits in optional elective credits (i.e. 11 credits at the undergraduate level and 6 credits at the master’s degree level). The exact number of credits however is always specified in the model curriculum for the given study programme.

What happens if I have too many credits at the end of my studies?

If upon completion of a study programme, a student has accumulated excess credits amounting to more than 10% of the required number of credits, s/he must pay an excess credit fee for all credits over the 110% threshold. Thus, an excess credit fee will be levied if a student has over 231 credits at the undergraduate level, or 132 credits at the master’s level. This fee will be waived in the event that the excess credits are caused by the recognition of credits obtained through an Erasmus study exchange or as a result of the performance of particular subjects required for master’s degrees (credit recognition procedure).

I have received my final transcript, but have not yet handed in my thesis/diploma project. How soon must I hand it in after getting my final transcript? When and how do I write my final exams?

All students who began their studies after the 2012/2013 academic year may do so during any exam period within five years from the date of their final transcript and termination of their studies contract, in accordance with the current regulations of their study programme. After two years have elapsed from the date of the final transcript, the University may impose conditions upon students wishing to take their final exams. Students who began their studies after September 2012 may not write final exams after the fifth year following the termination of their studies contract.

For students who began their undergraduate or master’s studies before the 2012/2013 academic year, there is no limit on the time between the date of the final transcript and the final exams. However, if five years have elapsed since the date of the final transcript, the institution may require the student to meet certain conditions in order to take the final exam.

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