Biological Sciences 48 months PHD Programme By MATE Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences |TopUniversities
Programme Duration

48 monthsProgramme duration

Application Deadline

31 May, 2026Application Deadline

Main Subject Area

Biological SciencesMain Subject Area

Programme overview

Main Subject

Biological Sciences

Degree

PhD

Study Level

PHD

Study Mode

On Campus

Mission of Doctoral School of Biological Sciences (DSBS)

The mission of the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences is to conduct, organize, manage and supervise scientific training (teaching and research), as well as the doctoral degree and habilitation process, in the basic and applied research areas of biology from the molecular to the supra-individual level.

The quality of doctoral training at the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences is primarily reflected in the scientific performance of its doctoral students and supervisors. Therefore, the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences publication requirements have been established according to the criteria of the internationally recognized standard for doctoral education in biology. Also, to ensure the quality of the school's operations, the habilitation process in the disciplinary areas of the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences follows the concept of the requirements of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.  
Doctoral programs of the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences  
The DSBS is currently organized around the following four doctoral programs:

- Fundamentals of Agricultural Biotechnology (head of program: Prof. István Papp DSc)
- Microbiology (head of program: Prof. Katalin Posta DSc)
- Plant Ecology, Ecophysiology (head of program: Prof. Zoltán Nagy DSc)
- Zoology, Animal Ecology (head of program: Prof. Péter István Nagy DSc)

The research topics also indicate the current main training profile of the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences, which we intend to gradually broaden in the future.

Fundamentals of Agricultural Biotechnology:
Relationship between enzyme structure and function, regulation of proteolytic enzyme activity. Molecular genetics of nitrogen fixation. Applied developmental genetics. Gene regulation. Site-specific recombination. Genetic mapping and markers. Transgenic and genetically engineered organisms in agriculture, their environmental and health risks. Bioremediation. Bioenergy production from plant sources. Basics of biotechnological processes based on tissue culture and fermentation. Molecular biology of production and effects of bioactive compounds. Molecular mechanisms of stress responses. Postharvest biotechnology.

Microbiology:
Diversity of soil and gut microorganisms and their involvement in biotic and abiotic stress responses. Isolation and characterization of microorganism with ecological and practical importance. Environmental microbiology regarding climate change and antibiotic resistance. Genomic studies on microbial populations and isolated microorganism. Investigating the effects of organic and inorganic compounds on microorganisms and their communities.

Plant Ecology-Ecophysiology:
Vegetation dynamics, community organization, succession, degradation. Plant taxonomy, floristics, plant geography and botanical conservation. Production ecology of agricultural systems, coupling of carbon, water and N-cycles. Greenhouse-gas emission of agricultural systems. Global climate change and environmental problems, plant stress physiology, plant ecophysiology.

Zoology, Animal Ecology:
Zootaxonomy, systematics basics, faunistics and zoogeography. Taxonomy of invertebrate groups. Population ecology of animals, population dynamics. Population interactions. Synzoology with special emphasis on community organisation and biogeochemical cycles. Zoological-animal ecology of global environmental problems, agriculture, conservation, ecology and ecotoxicology.

Programme overview

Main Subject

Biological Sciences

Degree

PhD

Study Level

PHD

Study Mode

On Campus

Mission of Doctoral School of Biological Sciences (DSBS)

The mission of the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences is to conduct, organize, manage and supervise scientific training (teaching and research), as well as the doctoral degree and habilitation process, in the basic and applied research areas of biology from the molecular to the supra-individual level.

The quality of doctoral training at the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences is primarily reflected in the scientific performance of its doctoral students and supervisors. Therefore, the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences publication requirements have been established according to the criteria of the internationally recognized standard for doctoral education in biology. Also, to ensure the quality of the school's operations, the habilitation process in the disciplinary areas of the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences follows the concept of the requirements of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.  
Doctoral programs of the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences  
The DSBS is currently organized around the following four doctoral programs:

- Fundamentals of Agricultural Biotechnology (head of program: Prof. István Papp DSc)
- Microbiology (head of program: Prof. Katalin Posta DSc)
- Plant Ecology, Ecophysiology (head of program: Prof. Zoltán Nagy DSc)
- Zoology, Animal Ecology (head of program: Prof. Péter István Nagy DSc)

The research topics also indicate the current main training profile of the Doctoral School of Biological Sciences, which we intend to gradually broaden in the future.

Fundamentals of Agricultural Biotechnology:
Relationship between enzyme structure and function, regulation of proteolytic enzyme activity. Molecular genetics of nitrogen fixation. Applied developmental genetics. Gene regulation. Site-specific recombination. Genetic mapping and markers. Transgenic and genetically engineered organisms in agriculture, their environmental and health risks. Bioremediation. Bioenergy production from plant sources. Basics of biotechnological processes based on tissue culture and fermentation. Molecular biology of production and effects of bioactive compounds. Molecular mechanisms of stress responses. Postharvest biotechnology.

Microbiology:
Diversity of soil and gut microorganisms and their involvement in biotic and abiotic stress responses. Isolation and characterization of microorganism with ecological and practical importance. Environmental microbiology regarding climate change and antibiotic resistance. Genomic studies on microbial populations and isolated microorganism. Investigating the effects of organic and inorganic compounds on microorganisms and their communities.

Plant Ecology-Ecophysiology:
Vegetation dynamics, community organization, succession, degradation. Plant taxonomy, floristics, plant geography and botanical conservation. Production ecology of agricultural systems, coupling of carbon, water and N-cycles. Greenhouse-gas emission of agricultural systems. Global climate change and environmental problems, plant stress physiology, plant ecophysiology.

Zoology, Animal Ecology:
Zootaxonomy, systematics basics, faunistics and zoogeography. Taxonomy of invertebrate groups. Population ecology of animals, population dynamics. Population interactions. Synzoology with special emphasis on community organisation and biogeochemical cycles. Zoological-animal ecology of global environmental problems, agriculture, conservation, ecology and ecotoxicology.

Admission Requirements

6+
61+
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:

Communication is the key to educational success and, therefore any foreign or Hungarian PhD student is expected to have proficient written and spoken language skills in English (B2 level of English is required (i.e. TOEFL min. of 500 on PBT, 61 on iBT; a 6.0 on IELTS, EUROEXAM or equivalent accredited language exams, including completion of previous level of studies in English e.g.  GCSE or BSc) - Please, note that we do not accept DUOLINGO (DET) test as a proof of English proficiency ​​​​​​.), but in a few cases other world languages like French, German, Russian or Spanish can be acknowledged as well.

INTERVIEWS:

International candidates may be requested a formal interview.

31 May 2026
4 Years

  • Candidates are required to submit references or letter(s) of recommendation for acceptance

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