Hungary is located in central Europe with Hungarian as its national language, with other minor languages such as German, Croatian, Romani, Slovak, Romanian, Serbian, and Slovene. The current nursing education in the country was established through suggestions of advisers from the USA. The former nursing training was converted to a bachelor’s degree that is structured as a 4-year program. The first program was started as a 3-year program at Semmelweis University and later on, as a 4-year program at other medical colleges and universities in 1993.
The first master’s degree in nursing was offered in the country in 2000 that runs for 3 semesters. Doctorate programs in nursing are also offered in institutions with master’s programs starting in 2006. The Bologna system was not integrated into the educational system until 2006. A detailed competency of the nursing profession was issued in 2016 by the Ministry of Human Capacities, further advancing and strengthening the nursing program in the country.
One of the biggest development in Hungarian nursing education is the transition from high-school-based nursing training to university education. In recent years, more and more colleges and universities in the country are offering nursing programs and vocational training in nursing that was previously discontinued was re-introduced in 2016. In this article, we will be looking at the best universities for nursing in Hungary!
Top Nursing Schools in Hungary
1. Semmelweis University
Semmelweis University is one of the best nursing schools in Hungary and offers its nursing program under the Faculty of Health Sciences. The faculty was founded in 1975 as the College of Health Care and was the first to offer training for healthcare professionals at the college level. In 2000, it was integrated into Semmelweis University. It has established a wide array of partnerships across Europe, Asia, and America. Under the Erasmus exchange program, students and the teaching staff enrich their learnings abroad. International conferences and short training programs are available and offered to its students.
The nursing department first offered part-time courses in 1990, with full-time courses offered in 1991. The first 4-year program was first offered by the university in the country and the Master’s was offered in 2002. Bachelor’s in nursing runs for 4 years, offered on a part-time or full-time basis, and has been using English as the language of instruction since 2011. Master’s in nursing runs for 3 semesters and can be taken in 3 specializations: geriatric, community, and emergency nursing.
Tuition for undergraduate nursing is US$3,728 per semester and US$3,615 per semester for the Master’s program.
2. University of Pécs
The University of Pécs offers its nursing program under the Faculty of Health Sciences. It is the first university and one of the leading schools for nursing in Hungary that was founded in 1367. It has an internationalized student body coming from diverse origins and backgrounds which is due to its courses that are offered in various foreign languages and its multiple advanced studies programs. It also offers programs at the Ph.D. level. In 2016, short training programs were offered to international students in a summer ‘trimester’ structure.
Faculty of Health Sciences is a young faculty established only in 1990, and was initially a part of the Medical University of Pecs in 1989, but was later on given autonomy by the university. Master’s programs in nursing were offered in 2000 and have established partnerships with international institutions for clinical placements. It has campuses in Pécs, Kaposvár, Szombathely, and Zalaegerszeg, where collaborations with local hospitals for clinical exposure have also been established.
Tuition fee for undergraduates is US$2,824 per semester, US$3,954 per semester for Master’s taken for 2 years, and US$3,389 per semester for Ph.D. taken for 4 years.
3. University of Szeged
The University of Szeged is a public university that offers its nursing program under the Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies. The university was ranked the best Hungarian university in 2020 and is among the top 9% of universities in Europe, Asia, and the world. In addition to that, the University of Szeged is a recognized institution for nursing in Hungary because of the high-quality nursing programs offered to its students. It holds EU accreditations and houses educators that are excellent in their respective fields including a Nobel prize holder. It also has an outstanding reputation in research and grants scholarships to its international students.
The faculty was initially founded as a health visitor training institute in the early 1900s and was given independent status by the university in 2000. It was only until 1973 that the training institute was converted to a college education level that emphasized basic and foundational health subjects such as anatomy, physiology, and others. In 1992, the former 3-year program was changed to 4 years together with the expansion of subjects and courses. The nursing program was established in 1993 that was taught in both English and Hungarian. The tuition fee for the program is US$3,500 per semester.
4. University of Debrecen
The University of Debrecen offers its program in nursing under the Faculty of Health. It is a leading nursing university in Hungary and one of the largest universities in the country with over 4 campuses: Debrecen, Böszörményi street, Ótemető street, Kassai street, Hajdúböszörmény, and Szolnok. Its history goes back to the 1600s, playing a big role in the education system in the country. In 2007, the university was the first in Hungary to receive the Higher Education Qualification Prize, awarded only to reputable institutions in the country.
The university adopts the Bologna process, thus, its certificates and diplomas are accepted in countries under the European Union. The faculty offers not only training for nursing but also training for social workers. Professional training for nurses was started 4 years after its foundation. Research has also been integrated into its curriculum and has participated in research projects both local and international for over 15 years.
In 2000, the faculty collaborated with Nyíregyháza and Debrecen training centers for its students. The Bachelor’s and Master’s programs were offered in 2007 with the adaptation of the Bologna Process. The tuition fee for the undergraduate nursing program is US$6,500 per year.
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