Curriculum of the Preliminary semester 

Starting university in a new country, with a different culture and away from your family, can be very challenging. You will also study in English instead of your native language, which can make academic work even harder. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to students having weak results or even leaving university without a degree. In previous years, around 6–12% of new students could not finish their studies.  

Most Hungarian universities have noticed this problem and try to help international students adapt to their new environment and the higher academic expectations. Since the academic year 2019/20, the ELTE Faculty of Informatics has offered a Preliminary Semester to support students at the beginning.  

In the Preliminary Semester, you can improve your basic mathematics and IT knowledge and attend free English classes. 

Fix groups in the Preliminary semester 

• Fixed groups are set up for the Preliminary semester and than for the Computer Science BSc 1st and 2nd semester.  

• Mandatory Hungarian courses are registered automatically for scholarship holders. Self-financed international students are welcome to join if there is space.  

• If you arrive late for the semester due to visa issues or other vis maior reasons, you can join classes online, until you arrive. Your fixed group spot will be reserved.  

• All your classes are compulsory, and you cannot deregister. If you would like to retake the preliminary programme, you are free to do so, but let your coordinator know in advance. You will be registered for the fixed group subjects and charged a second registration fee.  

Please note: you will be automatically registered for your fixed group subjects if, and only if you register for the semester until the 15th of January / the 10th of July.  

Transferring Credits from Another University 

• If you would like to transfer credits and thus have subjects accepted, inform your coordinator in advance. The Education Office will review your documents, and once they find everything correct, they will deregister you from the relevant subjects. 

• From the next semester, you will not be registered for subjects through the fixed group system, but you will need to register for them individually, by yourselves. 

Continuing to the Bachelor’s Programme 

• We recommend that you complete at least 18 credits before you move on to the BSc programme. You will be recommended to continue on to the BSc programme based on the subjects you have completed. Essential subjects include Topics in Mathematics (IP-18fPRETMG, 8 lessons, 8 credits) and Introduction to Computational Thinking (IP 18fPREFICTG, 4 lessons, 4 credits ).  

• If not recommended to continue to the BSc programme based on your achievement in the preliminary, you can still do so, but at your own risk. Our experienced professors can assess a student's capabilities, their advice is valuable and they wish the best for their students. Please note that poor performance may result in loss of scholarship for scholarship holders or additional fees for self-financed students. If you join the BSc programme at your own risk, you will not be registered for your subjects automatically, will not be able to join the fixed group system, and you will have to register for your subjects yourself. 

• Students in the same fixed group will stay together.