Description of the admission procedure
The Translational Medicine PhD Program connects biomedical research with clinical practice. Below you’ll find the key eligibility rules, evaluation system, required documents and the step-by-step application process.
Who can apply?
- Applicants with a university degree (MSc/MA). (Proof is not required during admission, but it is required to start studies.)
- With proof of excellent research results, PhD may also be started with ongoing MSc/MD studies or in the final two years of undivided programs.
Division / program / topic selection (TMP)
Upload a brief (1-page) research plan with your application. It helps:
- match applicants without a supervisor to a suitable expert, and
- determine the Doctoral Division assignment.
The final topic is agreed jointly with your supervisor. If you don’t have a specific question yet, the CTM team will help you select one.
General admission requirements (oral interview)
Interviews (15–20 minutes) are organised by the Centre for Translational Medicine. Topics: prior studies, research activity (e.g., student research), and your proposed research (topic, aims, international relevance, methods, feasibility).
Evaluation – 60 points total:
- Previous achievements – up to 28 pts
- University GPA – up to 8 pts
- Prior scientific work – up to 14 pts
- Other merits (e.g., advanced English exam, second degree) – up to 6 pts
- Admission interview – up to 32 pts
- General professional knowledge & suitability – up to 16 pts
- Topic-oriented knowledge & suitability – up to 16 pts
Anonymous scoring sheets are aggregated; the final result = pre-existing points + averaged interview score.
Language requirement
English proficiency sufficient for research (e.g., at least B2 exam; or a certificate from the University’s Institute of Specialized Languages; or a supervisor’s statement).
How to apply (3 steps)
- Pre-registration at CTM
- CTM educational coordinator contacts the applicant
- Submit the official online application
Documents to upload
1) CV (1–2 pages)
2) Copy of diploma(s) (+ authenticated translation/equivalence if needed; without MSc: transcript & credit proof)
3) Proof of English (B2 exam, or Institute certificate, or supervisor’s statement, or English-medium university studies)
4) Short research plan (2–3 pages) – if applying to a specific topic/supervisor
5) Publication list (if any)
6) Application fee payment proof
7) Documents for additional points (awards, publications, etc.)
8) Written recommendation for “untrained” program (not available for the cross-divisional TMP)
Application fee
Standard: HUF 9,000 (online card via SimplePay, or bank transfer based on invoice).
Cross-divisional TMP non-EU or bilateral applicants: EUR 75 (bank transfer; invoice request: tmk@semmelweis.hu).
If paying by transfer, upload the payment proof; provide personal or company data to request the invoice as required.
Dates & deadlines
General: Application period: year-round; entrance exam typically in early July.
Academic year 2025/2026 (TM Program)
Registration start: 1 Jan 2025
Webinar: 17 Apr 2025, 1:00 PM (CEST)
Pre-application: 1 May 2025
Completing registration: 18 May 2025
Interviews: 1–3 Jul 2025
Acceptance by: 6 Jul 2025
Program start: 25 Aug 2025
Before you start
- Enrollment in person at the Doctoral Office (clean criminal record within 3 months required)
- Activate Neptun semester & register courses
- Apply for student ID
- Self-funded students: pay tuition fee
- Cross-divisional TMP: sign the cooperation agreement (CTM–supervisor–student–organizational unit)
Contact
Director: Prof. Dr. Péter Hegyi — hegyi.peter@semmelweis.hu
Deputy Director General: Prof. Dr. Gábor Varga — varga.gabor@semmelweis.hu
Educational coordinator: Réka Kaltenecker — kaltenecker.reka@semmelweis.hu, Phone: +36 30 016 4407
Central e-mail: tmk@semmelweis.hu