Literary Theory and Cultural Studies

Head of the Program: Dr. Attila Simon 

E-mail: simon.attila@btk.elte.hu

Announcers of doctoral thesis topics in the program: Dr. Tibor Bónus, Dr. Ernő Kulcsár Szabó, Dr. Zoltán Kulcsár-Szabó, Dr. Tamás Lénárt, Dr. Gábor Tamás Molnár, Dr. Attila Simon, Dr. Ábel Tamás

The specific role of the Literary and Cultural Studies in the current - strongly moving and rearranging - disciplinary structure of humanities is to emphasize the fact that humans create (and to a large extent inherit) themselves and their environment in the network of cultural relations. In other words, we only ever come into contact with the world with the help of a mediatory agent, and one of its cultural techniques is literature. Consequently, literary studies needs a strong interdisciplinary orientation. The main components of this orientation are philosophical issues (above all the philosophy of language, philosophical anthropology, philosophy of culture, theories of perception and media, and biopolitics). These complex issues can only be conceived in an interdisciplinary way. These fields of science are the problems of memory, performativity, the body or the affect; the relations between man and politics (community), man and technology, man and media; translation (the mediation of linguistic and cultural strangeness in general) or even questions of visual culture. At the same time, this complex, interdisciplinary character and the strong theoretical orientation serve primarily to expand, articulate and methodologically ground the questions, methods and techniques of access to literature, starting from the conviction that scholars of literature must first and foremost enter into an interpretative relationship with literary texts understood as products of linguistic art. In other words, the above-mentioned orientations (which can be extended) can only play their role properly if they are embedded in the performative practice of rhetorical and poetic reading of literary texts. We welcome applications from students who wish to place their research within this framework.

 

Comparative Literature

Head of the Program: Dr. Zoltán Kulcsár-Szabó 

E-mail: kulcsar-szabo.zoltan@btk.elte.hu

Announcers of doctoral thesis topics in the program: Dr. László Bengi, Dr. Tibor Bónus, Dr. Kornélia Deres, Dr. Zoltán Kulcsár-Szabó, Dr. Tamás Lénárt, Dr. Ferenc Vincze.

The comparative literature program of ELTE’s Doctoral School of Literary Studies was founded by Professor Mihály Szegedy-Maszák in 1993 at the Department of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. Since 2016 the program has been led by Zoltán Kulcsár-Szabó, the current chair of the Department. From the beginnings, roughly 60 successful thesis defences took part within the program’s frames. Several researchers who earned their doctoral (PhD) degree in comparative literature at ELTE found their way to the literature departments of Hungarian universities, some of them teaching as faculty members of ELTE, while others have reached leading positions at national cultural institutions.  

Within the frames of the former, now expiring three years curriculum, the program’s focus was shaped by the classical subject areas of comparative research: examining significant oeuvres and historical developments of Hungarian literature from a comparative angle, foregrounding the contacts with great Western literary cultures (English, French, German) in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Among the methodological and conceptual frames, especially the issue of literary canonization, the comparative history and theory of genres, and interart studies shaped the spectrum of individual thesis proposals. Over the years, these became more and more influenced by developments of the field usually subsumed under the category of “cultural studies“ – a category that left a significant impact on the self-understanding of comparative literature as a discipline, too. This can be shown by the increased number of proposals dedicated to research focusing on various phenomena of non-literary cultures understood in a broad sense. The profile of the program remained, on the other hand, enduringly defined by thesis topic proposals offered in fields such as the theory of literary translation or the history and theory of Hungarian and European theatre.   

In recent years – now within the frames of the current two plus two years curriculum that leaves more space for individual project work – the mentioned subject areas have been joined by thesis proposals with thematic focuses on comparative lyric history and theory (with special emphasis on modernism in poetry), approaches to literary phenomena from the angle of media history and theory as well as critical investigations into diverse fields of popular culture. The program supports thesis proposals which aim at the analysis of emerging issues and problems of contemporary societies from the viewpoints of philosophy or cultural theory.

Students of the program have the opportunity of participating in the work of research communities connected to the Department (e. g., projects conducted by the Research Group of Online Critical Edition and the Association for the Study of General Literature). The doctoral elective courses regularly offered by the program, also open for students of parallel programs of the Doctoral School, enable the presentation and critical discussion of the hypotheses and results of individual research projects within the frames of the doctoral curriculum. The program accepts applications of students who earned their graduate degrees in literary and cultural studies and modern philology disciplines, further in aesthetics, philosophy, and theatre studies. Depending on capacities, the program also offers thesis topics for research projects to be carried out in foreign (English and German) languages.

 

The Hungarian and European Renaissance

Head of the Program: Dr. Gábor Kiss Farkas 

 E-mail:  kiss.farkas.gabor@btk.elte.hu

The 'Hungarian and European Renaissance' programme of the Doctoral School of Literary Studies is part of the Department of Old Hungarian Literature of the Hungarian Institute of Literature and Cultural Studies, and most of our authors are current or former faculty members of the department. The doctoral programme 'Hungarian and European Renaissance' has a broader scope than the classical interpretation of the Renaissance: doctoral theses have been written on all periods from the beginning of the Middle Ages until around 1600. The disciplinary background of the programme is similarly broad: the programme is interdisciplinary and plurilingual, so we do not only deal with Old Hungarian literature. In the past decades, we have also collaborated with doctoral supervisors from other disciplines (e.g. historians and art historians), and we do not only support comparative approaches to Hungarian literature, but also to other literatures, including medieval Greek, medieval and Renaissance Latin, Old French, Provençal, and other medieval and early modern literatures, provided that a suitable supervisor is available within the doctoral programme. The tutors of the programme also welcome enquiries on topics related to the cultural history of literature in old Hungary, book history, the history of reading, the history of printing and publishing.

Among the areas researched by the programme's tutors are the manuscript sources of Hungarian literature in the 16th century, paleography, Renaissance textology and manuscript transmission, church history (Borbála Lovas), the history of medieval and Renaissance lyric forms, poetics, medieval literary databases, Hungarian verse texts before 1600, the image of Hungary in European literature (Levente Seláf), medieval and Renaissance Latin texts in the Hungary and in Central Europe, Hungarian and Latin literature until 1600, epic and lyric poetry in medieval and early modern Hungary (Gábor Kiss Farkas), the development of lyrical love phraseology in Europe and Hungary (Gyula Laczházi). Please consider the following examples of dissertation topics defended in our programme in recent decades: Apocalypticism in the sermons of Péter Bornemisza; The early history of bilingual text editions, The mecenature of János Vitéz, The textology of the sermons of György Enyedi, The exemplums of the Érdy Codex, The cult of Mary in preaching in Hungary before 1400; Ancient sources of the political ideology of John of Zredna (Vitéz), The library of Nicasius Ellebodius, Liturgy in the sermons of Pelbár Temesvári, The reception of the visions of George Chrysaphanius, Literary networks in 16th century Hungary.

Our doctoral programme is open to cooperation with other universities and research institutions, and several doctoral theses have been written and defended in co-tutelle form (e.g. with the Sorbonne or the University of Vienna). Each year, the programme's lecturers announce their topics through the website doktori.hu, but for the exact choice of topic, it is advisable to contact the programme leader and the superviser of your choice in the autumn of the year preceding your application.

 

The Hungarian Baroque

Head of the Program: Dr. Gyula Laczházi

 E-mail:  laczhazi.gyula@btk.elte.hu

In the research of Old Hungarian Literature—that is, the period preceding the Enlightenment—the study of the Renaissance and the Baroque has traditionally been distinct, although scholars in these two fields have always maintained close connections. The Hungarian Baroque program focuses on the culture of the nearly two hundred years following the death of Balassi. This period is also commonly referred to as the Early Modern age, emphasizing that it contains tendencies anticipating the modern era, even though its prevailing views on literature differ significantly from modern conceptions.

As is generally the case with research into Old Hungarian Literature, the Baroque program is decidedly interdisciplinary in nature. Research conducted here is not limited to "literature" in the modern sense of belles-lettres; it encompasses questions related to the history of ideas, science, and politics, as well as the examination of the anthropological or medial contexts of Early Modern culture. Thus, alongside the literary oeuvres of Miklós Zrínyi, István Gyöngyösi, or Ferenc Faludi, the program’s profile also includes the study of János Apáczai Csere’s scientific activities or the philosophical and theological outlook of the memoirist Miklós Bethlen.

Sándor Iván Kovács, the founder and long-time leader of the Hungarian Baroque program, placed Zrínyi research at the center of the curriculum; his initiatives prove to be relevant and continuable in many respects to this day. Partly due to the impetus given to Zrínyi studies, the investigation of historical poetics and rhetorical contexts features prominently in the program’s profile. Furthermore, philological and textological problems play a major role in the doctoral training, as the exploration and textual editing of Early Modern source texts remain an indispensable task today—one that can only be performed with the appropriate professional expertise. In addition to these traditional lines of inquiry, recent Baroque research has proven particularly fruitful in examining the coexistence of manuscript and printed forms of written culture, analyzing the possible intersections of visuality and textuality, and exploring the anthropological dimensions of Early Modern texts, such as the history of emotions. Given that the knowledge and use of Latin were ubiquitous in this era, the program’s profile also encompasses the study of Latin-language texts by authors from Hungary.

Consequently, applicants may choose a topic suited to their individual interests from a wide array of research opportunities. Students in the Hungarian Baroque program have the opportunity to integrate into the domestic academic community specializing in Old Hungarian literature. Furthermore—since Baroque studies are, by the very nature of the period, deeply embedded in international scholarship—students often successfully apply for foreign scholarships and participate in research trips abroad.

The Hungarian and European Enlightenment

Head of the Program: Dr. Márton Szilágyi 

E-mail: szilagyi.marton@btk.elte.hu

From 1st of February 2026 to 31st of January 2027 his substitute is: Dr. Piroska Balogh- balogh.piroska@btk.elte.hu

The doctoral program was founded by Professor Ferenc Bíró with the aim of providing a means for the systematic organization of literary historical research dealing with the broadly interpreted 18th century. Later, the leadership of the program was taken over by Márton Szilágyi, who continues to direct it today.

In the meantime, the doctoral program has gradually expanded without abandoning its original objective: it continues to welcome all those who wish to engage deeply with the literary and cultural phenomena of 18th-century Hungary in an international perspective and earn a PhD in this field. However, currently, the training has increasingly dissolved strict chronological boundaries. By conceiving the concept of "Enlightenment" not necessarily as a specific era but rather as an attitude or mentality, the program seeks to prioritize the inherent interdisciplinarity of the topics, opening approaches toward the history of ideas, cultural anthropology, or even microhistory. In the spirit of this methodological awareness, the program now explicitly accepts 19th-century topics as well, provided they fit within the research and supervisory competencies of the program’s faculty. While preserving the original goals formulated at its inception, the program places great emphasis on the study of Latinity, incorporating this specifically into the training process regardless of the candidate's chosen research topic.

Although the program occasionally involves co-supervisors, it primarily relies on the staff of the Department of 18th- and 19th-Century Hungarian Literary History. Our current active supervisors are: Professor Márton Szilágyi; Piroska Vitekné Balogh, Habilitated Associate Professor; Gábor Vaderna, Habilitated Associate Professor; and Balázs Devescovi, Assistant Professor.

Applicants must consult with and obtain approval from the program leader regarding their choice of topic prior to application.

Romanticism

Head of the Program: Dr. Gábor Vaderna

E-mail:vaderna.gabor@btk.elte.hu

The period of the romanticism began in the late 18th century, ending around the middle of the 19th century – although its influence continues to this day. It is an ubiquitous part of daily discourse and culture. The romantic literature is marked by a cult of nature and national speech, heroism and freedom, spirituality and individuality, enthusiasm and imagination, mythology and history, originality and irony.  The mind as in the enlightenment a privileged instrument of the perception is replaced by an rising attention in issues of the emotions an fantasy. Inspiration and creativity become grounded in sentiments, natural experiences and artistic intuition. The research concentrates on the late romantic literary period – on the second half of the century. The prominent writers and poets of this period were Mihály Vörösmarty, Sándor Petőfi, János Arany, József Eötvös, Zsigmond Kemény, Mór Jókai, Imre Madách, etc.

            This project provides with a varied exploration of early modern literature at the poetic turn of the century too, by examining a number of its central themes and postromantic effects (modern mediality and reception, symbolisation and allegorisation, short story and epical points of view, identity and speech, aestheticism as the „aesthetic justification of existence” and anecdotism – from János Asbóth and Kálmán Mikszáth to Géza Gárdonyi, István Petelei and Sándor Bródy etc.).  

 

Hungarian Modernism

Head of the Program: Dr. Tibor Gintli

E-mail:  gintli.tibor@btk.elte.hu

The Literary Modernity program focuses on Hungarian literature from the last decade of the 19th century to the mid-20th century. However, the chronological boundaries of this era are not treated rigidly, as authorial oeuvres and issues related to the history of poetics and genres often transcend period demarcations. The program primarily centers on the poetic questions of the literature of this period, placing special emphasis on the intertwined relationship between tradition and poetic innovation.

The program seeks to interpret the phenomena of Hungarian literature within an international context in every instance, acknowledging that the concept of modernity carries different meanings in the context of different national literatures, and that modernity within a single national literature can only be conceived as a conglomerate of coexisting, distinct discourses. Accordingly, the program emphasizes the presentation of the specific features of Hungarian modernity, which were shaped jointly by the inspiring effects of European modernity and the continuation and reinterpretation of 19th-century Hungarian literary traditions. In studying the literature of the era, both sources of inspiration deserve equal attention, contrary to the self-interpretation of many authors of the period who conceived of modernity as a paradigm of breaking with 19th-century domestic traditions.

Maintaining a continuous focus on the international context is the most important guarantee for national scholarship to avoid the trap of insularity. To emphasize the importance of the international horizon, the program supports research topics with a specifically comparative approach, provided they examine a poetic phenomenon of Hungarian modernity or the works of a specific author within an international context. If the chosen topic requires it, the program provides the opportunity for co-supervision in such cases. regarding topics employing a comparative aspect, we encourage students to consider not only major European literatures but also the Eastern European, regional context as a basis for comparison, as this perspective remains underrepresented in domestic literary scholarship relative to its significance.

The curriculum concentrates primarily on the investigation of the history of poetic evolution in the era, regarding genre history, life’s works (oeuvres), and individual works alike. However, this approach is not treated rigidly, nor does the program reject the criteria of contextual analysis, which has gained strength in recent years. Nevertheless, in applying the latter, the program considers it essential to outline poetic aspects throughout; without these, contextual analysis can easily turn the interpretation of a literary work into a mere illustration of ideological propositions. Among contextually oriented topics, the investigation of various individual and collective identity constructions fits particularly well into the program’s profile.

In the Hungarian literature of modernity, largely due to the influence of aestheticism, a hierarchical distinction between high literature and popular culture was strongly present. The program does not share this view and therefore offers opportunities to research genres and oeuvres that contemporary criticism essentially excluded from the sphere of phenomena deemed worthy of serious study. In general, we encourage topic choices that represent an alternative position to accepted canons and center on neglected genres, works, or authors that, approached from the perspective of the present-day reader, possess compelling resonance or raise exciting questions of historical poetics. In the case of works and authors firmly established in the canon, the program prioritizes novel approaches and the application of perspectives less preferred by earlier domestic literary scholarship.

Hungarian Literature after 1945

Head of the Program: Dr. Gábor Schein 

E-mail: schein.gabor@btk.elte.hu

The aim of the "Hungarian Literature after 1945" doctoral program at the Faculty of Humanities, ELTE, is to provide an introduction to research issues related to the period through a multifaceted, theoretically grounded literary historical training. We consider it essential that doctoral students possess a thorough knowledge of the theoretical discourses in literary theory and cultural studies that have defined research in the field over the past decades. They must gain proficiency in handling textological problems and acquire reliable knowledge in the historical poetics of specific genres, reception history, as well as institutional history and the evolution of literary politics.

The program seeks to achieve this goal partly by launching course units that build upon one another over the three-year training period, covering the aforementioned areas. Additionally—to ensure the interdisciplinary frameworks of literary historical research of the period—it offers the opportunity to select courses from related disciplines (history, philosophy, linguistic theory, sociology, psychology, etc.) according to individual research needs. The completion of course units from related disciplines is tailored by the program to specific research topics and student requirements.

A further aim of the training is to assist students in planning and conducting their independent research. In this context, the program undertakes the professional supervision of individual research topics. During the planning and implementation phases, doctoral students receive continuous assistance through individual consultations from the program leader, faculty members, and primarily their supervisor. Students are free to choose their supervisor, and it is also possible for the supervisory duties to be shared among multiple faculty members. The supervisor(s) assume personal responsibility for the continuous development of the doctoral dissertation and the student’s scholarly work, not only during the three years of coursework but until the completion of the dissertation.

The program also aims to introduce its students to the professional academic community researching this period. To this end, it regularly organizes conferences and compiles publications, as well as assisting students in securing opportunities to present at conferences organized by other institutions.

The Folklore and Literature of the Uralic Peoples

Head of the Program: Dr. András Bereczki 

E-mail: bereczki.andras@btk.elte.hu

Folklore and Literature of Uralic Peoples is a programme of the Doctoral School of Literary Studies. It focuses primarily on literary and folklore topics, but history of culture, history, ethnography and cultural anthropology can also be found among the research areas, as the non-linguistic fields of Uralic Studies. The diversity of the program lies in the fact that the peoples who speak the Uralic languages ​​are culturally very different. The Finnish and Estonian literature has a long tradition, the national language is also a state language, while other Finno-Ugric language speaking peoples are bilinguals and live in minority in Russia. The primary way of life and culture of some Siberian language relatives is still oral: folklore and fiction is not completely separated. Due to the wide range of topics, we tailor the courses to the interests of the current students.

Admission requirements:

- university degree in Humanities with at least good (4) result – for foreign applicants: a Hungarian Studies degree,

- scientific achievement (presentation, lecture),

- presentation of motivations,

- the topic of the future dissertation,

- certified knowledge of at least two foreign languages (mainly Russian, German, English).

The list of courses of the doctoral program can be found here: http://epika.web.elte.hu/doktor/uralisztika.pdf

 

Library and Information Science

Head of the Program: Dr. Péter Kiszl 

E-mail:kiszl.peter@btk.elte.hu

As the only doctoral program in Library and Information Science (LIS) in Hungary, we have the following broad aims: (1) to ensure the supply of research and academic librarians, information experts; (2) to raise the academic competencies and research skill of the staff managing libraries and knowledge repositories; (3) to identify new research directions offering professional development and international connections; (4) to provide scholarly infrastructure; (5) to disseminate research results; (6) to provide practical implications for libraries and other institutions.

The main research areas our program covers are: book, library and press history; information history and information theory; bibliographic control; current trends of reading and cultural learning; digital convergence as co-evolution of social and technical infrastructures; multi-functional library; library management; IT infrastructure, architecture and processes in libraries; information governance and ethics; equal opportunities; research and development information networks; business management and information systems; development of financial literacy; information management; etc.

Our work is linked to all subjects and latest innovations of library and information science, and to myriad strategic strands of the knowledge society. Our program is connected to the Humanities and helps to advance doctoral students within the broad field of Literary and Cultural Studies. It has been operating for more than two decades.

The Institute of Library and Information Science at Eötvös Loránd University (the first of its kind, founded in 1949) offers a full range of qualifications for the largest number of students enrolled in Hungary. Not only does it maintain interdisciplinary research traditions and apply recognised researchers as lecturers, but it also fosters an extensive domestic and international professional network to provide effective support for doctoral students to obtain a PhD degree.

 

Hungarian and Comparative Folklore

Head of the Program: Dr. Dániel Bárth

E-mail: barth.daniel@btk.elte.hu

From 1996 to 2009, the doctoral program operated within the framework of the ELTE BTK Doctoral School of Ethnography, under the leadership of its founder and mentor, Vilmos Voigt. After the termination of the independent doctoral school of ethnography, it became part of the Doctoral School of Literature.

In the past decade, the program has excellently displayed the thematic openness and diversity that follows directly from the multifaceted nature of folklore as a discipline: it simultaneously characterizes a classic humanistic and modern social scientific character, which includes the empirical cultural studies interest in both historical and contemporary phenomena. This multifaced characteristic is reflected in the program's topic descriptions and the doctoral students' topic choices.

The typical research areas of the last decade within the framework of the program: historical folklore studies, science history of folklore studies (19th–20th centuries), archival sources in the service of folklore studies, historical customs research, the shapes of everyday life in the 18th–20th centuries, priests in local communities, popular and local religiosity, textual folkloristics, folklore of contemporary societies, historical and contemporary identity constructions of Judaism, contemporary religious phenomena, religious history and religious anthropology of peoples outside of Europe, etc.

Students of the program can get involved in research projects at the Department of Folklore, participate in conference organization and publications. They use their archival and fieldwork experience in education.

Supervisors of the program: Dr. Dániel Bárth, Dr. Mária Bernadett Smid, Dr. Kata Zsófia Vincze, Dr. Miklós Vassányi, Dr. Emese Ilyefalvi

 

Theatre Studies (from 2026)

Head of the Programme: Dr. Zoltan Imre

email: imre.zoltan@btk.elte.hu

One of the most important goals of the Theater Studies Doctoral Programme, established within the framework of the Doctoral School of Literary Studies at ELTE, is to create an internationally renowned teaching and research workshop. At ELTE, particularly at the Institute of Hungarian Literature and Cultural Studies and the Institute of Art Theory and Media Studies, there are many colleagues who, with their extensive publications and teaching experience, are able to teach doctoral students in the fields of drama- and theatre studies and equip them with the skills necessary for a doctoral degree, thus meeting both domestic and international demands. The academic staff of the Theatre Studies Doctoral Programme have already had numerous students who have earned doctoral degrees, and now we are finally offering prospective students the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for a doctoral degree in the independent doctoral program in drama- and theatre studies.

ELTE Faculty of Humanities is the only university in Hungary that offers a Theatre Studies Doctoral Programme. On one hand, the programme is fundamentally theory and history, i.e., the humanities oriented. On the other, it also has an interdisciplinary approach stemming from the diverse professional backgrounds of our staff and a focus on contemporary Hungarian and international, mostly European theatre practices. Due to their international connections, our staff has significant international experience as they regularly hold courses in major European languages home and abroad, give presentations at home and international conferences, publish in major international journals, and are able to fruitfully capitalize on their existing international experience and connections for the benefit of students applying for the programme.

Due to ELTE's diverse training portfolio, the staff of the Theatre Studies Doctoral Programme cover many areas of the drama- and theatre studies, including topics that have recently become popular (e.g., intermedial theatres, community theatre projects, practical theatre models, etc.). Many members of our staff are currently or have previously been actively involved in theatre practice or have worked as editors and critics for newspapers dealing with theatre, so they are also familiar with the practical side of theatre-making. This allows us to accept students who approach theatre from various practical perspectives. In fact, we also expect to receive applications from students who choose this program because of a particular expertise of our staff and their specific field of research.

Our educational and research goals include training teachers/researchers who wish to pursue drama- and theatre studies at a high level, participating in domestic and international academic life. We are currently organizing exceptionally talented students into research groups (see Missing (Theater) Stories Research Group) to explore areas of Hungarian and European drama and theatre history that have not been adequately covered, within the framework of an NKFI or ERC project or an equivalent project. As lecturers, students in the program also have numerous opportunities to participate in ELTE's Theater Studies’ training programs. In the future, outstanding students who have completed the programme will be able to ensure the next generation of Theater Studies at our faculty.

Academic staff: Dr. Veronika Darida,  Dr. Kornélia Deres, Dr. Zoltán Imre, Dr. Natália Pikli, Dr. Tibor Pintér, Dr. Orsolya Ring, Dr. Gábor Schein, Dr. Attila Simon, Dr. Márton Szilágyi, Dr. Katalin Teller, Dr. Tamara Török, Dr. Péter Závada.