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Hungarian and East European Studies BA

London, Bloomsbury

Hungarian, spoken by approximately 13 million native speakers worldwide, is a member of the Uralic language family. This programme offers the opportunity to gain excellent language skills and a profound knowledge of Hungarian literature, history and culture that will prepare you for a wide variety of careers in Europe.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
4 academic years
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£9,250
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£29,800
Programme starts
September 2025
Application deadline
29 Jan 2025
UCAS course code
R783
Apply via UCAS

Entry requirements

A levels IB Diploma Other qualifications
Grades
ABB
Subjects
No specific subjects. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
GCSEs
English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4.

Contextual offer information

Grades
BBB more about contextual offers
Subjects
No specific subjects. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
GCSEs
English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
Points
34
Subjects
A total of 16 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.

Contextual offer

Points
32 more about contextual offers
Subjects
A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 30 credits at Distinction, 12 credits at Merit and 3 credits at Pass in the Level 3 units.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF - teaching from 2016) with Distinction, Distinction, Distinction.

D3,M1,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects

ABB at Advanced Highers (AB at Advanced Higher and BBB at Higher)

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades ABB.

International applications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

Access and widening participation

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.
Check your Access UCL Scheme eligibility

Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.

English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 3

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Course overview


Your degree will train you to the highest level of proficiency in speaking, writing and understanding in your chosen language, whether you begin with no prior knowledge or already have a good command of the language. As you progress through the degree, compulsory language modules are tailored to your existing knowledge. You will also take a compulsory literature module each year.

Your third year is spent abroad. This will not only bring the language and culture you are studying to life, but also strengthen your resourcefulness and self-reliance. You will spend this year studying at a university in your chosen country.

What this course will give you

Learning Hungarian is an intellectually stimulating experience in itself—it entails an encounter with unfamiliar information as well as a new grammar and vocabulary.

The UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES) is the largest national centre in the UK for the study of Central, Eastern and South-East Europe and Russia. The SSEES Library contains over 400,000 books, journals and film resources.

You will benefit from frequent visits and lectures by prominent political, artistic and academic figures — prime ministers, foreign ministers, professors and writers.

You will be able to make the most of the huge benefits of studying in London, a global city with sizeable east European communities. This city hosts a wide range of cultural events with an east European dimension.

Teaching and learning

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BA (Hons) in Hungarian and East European Studies.

Modules

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Your degree will train you to the highest level of proficiency in speaking, writing and understanding in your chosen language(s), whether you begin with no prior knowledge or already have a good command of the language. As you progress through the degree, compulsory language modules are tailored to your existing knowledge. You will also take compulsory modules on literature and culture.

Year 1: Language modules (either Level 1-ab initio or Level 2 with existing knowledge), compulsory cultural modules, optional modules from a wide range of options.

Year 2: Language modules (either Level 2 or Level 3), compulsory cultural modules, optional modules from a wide range of options.

Year 3: Your third year is spent abroad at a partner university in the country where your language is spoken. This will not only bring the language and culture you are studying to life, but also strengthen your resourcefulness and self-reliance. You

Year 4: Language modules at Level 3 or a Freestanding Dissertation, compulsory cultural modules, optional modules from a wide range of options.

You will be encouraged to develop and pursue your own interests by choosing your optional modules from within three pathways, but it is not compulsory to stay on the same pathway throughout all years of the programme:

Language and Literature
Social Science
History

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Compulsory module(s)

You will take 30 credits of compulsory Hungarian language in each year of study, accompanied by credits in literature/culture. 

Optional modules

Optional modules include culture, literature and cinema across SSEES and SELCS as well as a choice of interdepartmental modules 

Guidance and resources on SSEES modules and programme structure can be found in the SSEES handbook. 

Compulsory module(s)

You will take 30 credits of compulsory Hungarian language in each year of study, accompanied by credits in literature/culture. 

Optional modules

Optional modules include culture, literature and cinema across SSEES and SELCS as well as a choice of interdepartmental modules 

Guidance and resources on SSEES modules and programme structure can be found in the SSEES handbook. 

Year abroad

Your third year is spent abroad, split between two countries where your chosen languages are spoken. This will not only bring the language and cultures you are studying to life, but also strengthen your resourcefulness and self-reliance. You will normally spend this year studying at a university in your chosen countries, but alternatives, such as work placements, may be possible. Information on the SSEES Year Abroad can be found at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/study-us/undergraduate-programmes/ssees-year-abroad 

Compulsory module(s)

You will take 30 credits of compulsory Hungarian language in each year of study, accompanied by credits in literature/culture. 

Optional modules

Optional modules include culture, literature and cinema across SSEES and SELCS as well as a choice of interdepartmental modules 

Guidance and resources on SSEES modules and programme structure can be found in the SSEES handbook. 

Your learning

We have dedicated resources for language teaching, including technological support through computer-aided language learning facilities, video and DVD materials, and the Internet. The methods we will use to teach and assess you are varied, to ensure that they are best suited to the knowledge and skills being imparted or measured.

Each student will engage in 1200 learning hours every year, made up of teaching time (lectures, seminars and workshops), independent study, assessment and feedback.

Assessment

Assessment will include written, oral and aural examinations, presentations and extended essays. 

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

History, Politics and Economics Information Session

Watch this video to find out more about UCL's History, Politics and Economics programme, entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.

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Online - Open day

Politics and Sociology Information Session

Watch this video to find out more about UCL's Politics and Sociology programme, entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.

Watch on demand event

The foundation of your career

With developed skills in critical reasoning, independent thinking and application of theoretical concepts you will be strongly placed to find employment in international organisations, particularly careers which cross international boundaries and use languages. Career prospects are likely to include finance, media, diplomacy, education, translation, research, and consultancy.

Employability

The programme is designed to equip you with language fluency, cultural competence, historical knowledge and social understanding. Your ability to consider issues from an international perspective will be greatly enhanced and you will learn how to conduct research and to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £9,250
Tuition fees (2025/26) £29,800

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2024/25 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2024/25 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library as hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions. If you choose to study abroad, travel in year 3 is an additional cost to be aware of. The cost of travel is subject to change and dependent on your destination, when you book and the intended mode of transport. 

In addition, please note that if you study abroad during your programme at UCL, this is likely to incur additional costs. Studying abroad may cost between £200–£1,000 per month depending on where you choose to study. The cost of studying abroad can be difficult to predict as it will depend on your priorities and choices. There is more information available on the UCL Study Abroad website.

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding your studies

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Next steps

Your application

We are looking for applicants who express a genuine interest in studying languages and culture and who can evidence independent engagement with the subject. We are interested in hearing your own views and opinions. For instance, if you have undertaken additional reading, tell us what you thought about the topic discussed. Relevant skills include: communication, critical evaluation, creative thinking.

How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

If you are successful in obtaining an offer, you will normally be invited to an applicant open day, comprising introductory talks about SSEES and your degree, as well as a tour of UCL. You will also meet with a member of the teaching staff for your chosen degree programme.

Apply via UCAS
Application guidelines
Download prospectus

Got questions? Get in touch

SSEES - School of Slavonic and East European Studies
SSEES - School of Slavonic and East European Studies

ugadmissions@ssees.ucl.ac.uk

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