Preparatory Institution for International Students
About the institution
More than 25 years of experience
The preparatory program of Corvinus University was established in 1991 and it is organized by PIFIS (Preparatory Institution for International Students). Since the establishment more than 1000 foreigner students have participated in our program .
Nowadays more than 100 students apply to our programs and around 80% of them continue their studies at one of the offered university programs.
The courses are taught by experienced math and English teachers, some of them have been teaching here since the program started and our math teachers are also professors at Corvinus University.
Our goal is to help foreigner students to gain the English and mathematics skills that are needed in order to get into a Hungarian universities.
Entrance requirements to the preparatory program
To register you need to have finished or about to finish secondary school in the given academic year and need to meet the following requirements:
English: at least A2 level - Pre-intermediate (Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.)
Mathematics: Secondary/Grammar School (also called High School in US) finished with good results (minimum 70%)
When applying to our program you will also need to provide the following documents:
+ Copy of valid passport
+ Secondary school-leaving certificate (with official, notarized translation into English or Hungarian if it is in any other language) or a certificate about the expected finish date of your studies from an accredited school.
+ Transcript of secondary school grades (with official, notarized translation into English or Hungarian if it is in any other language)
Entrance requirements to Corvinus University
The structure of the preparatory program was designed to motivate students to attend classes regularly and study every day. Students who do this will easily meet the following general requirements to get direct admission to Corvinus University after the preparatory year:
- Students must not miss more than 25% of the lessons
- Students must get a good average on their weekly tests (min. 70% on English tests, min. 60% on math tests)
- Students must get a good average on their homework (min. 70% on English homework, min. 60% on math homework)
- Students must pass the final TOEFL English exam with at least 500 points for BA in Applied Economics, and min. 550 points for the other BA programs
- Students must pass the the Math midterm exams with an average score higher than 50% (calculated from the 4 best tests out of 5)
- Students must pass final Math exam with minimum 50%
Academic Schedule
The program consists of two parts:
1) Intensive English course in the 1st semester (20 classes/week) between October and January.
2) English and Mathematics classes running parallel in the 2nd semester (12 math and 12 English classes/week) between January and June.
You can find our detailed academic schedule in our documents section.
About the preparatory program
A one-year preparatory program is suggested for students who plan to do a business related bachelor program at Corvinus University, but wish to strengthen their English and Mathematics knowledge before attending university. Those who complete the one- year preparatory program successfully gain direct admission to the program of their choice:
BA in Business and Management
BA in International Business
BA in Applied Economics
Application and fees
Application process
You can register to the preparatory program of Corvinus Universtiry organized by PIFIS and start your online application by clicking the apply now button.
If you have any questions please download the application guide or contact us at info@pifis.hu
The application procedure includes the following major steps:
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Registering and applying in our online system by providing the necessary information and documents
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Online English and mathematics placement tests
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Personal skype or WeChat interview
For a detailed list of the application procedure's steps please download the application guide.
Fees
Evaluation fee: 200€
Application fee: 300€
Tuition fee: 5000€**
*The above listed fees do not include the costs of any extra services.
** Tuition fee could be recovered, only in case of visa rejection. The student has to inform the Institution within maximum 3 days after receiving the official rejection from the Hungarian Embassy by sending us the official note of rejection as well as a filled out declaration for the reimbursement which could be downloaded from here. Application fee is not refundable.
Services
We would like to help our applicant as much as possible to get settled in Hungary and be able to enjoy their new life in the country therefore we would like to offer our help by sharing the following information
Accommodation
Below is a list of accommodation providers that we are cooperating with. In case you choose any of them, please let us know, also feel free to ask for our help if needed.
Broadway Apartments
For short term
- Flexible arrival accommodation
- 1 month contract
- 350€/month
- 2 bed shared apartments
- Central location in the heart of the city
- Great option if you would like to choose your long term accommodation after arriving to Hungary
If you are interested in the Broadway apartments please contact us at
Apartments in Budapest
Your choice
- 1-2 bed rooms in 1-2 room apartments
- recently renovated apartments
- central locations
- 200-300€/month - utilities included
- long term solution with 11 months long contract
In case you would like to rent a place in an apartment in Budapest, please contact our partner via WeChat: Jintau_bp
Milestone
All inclusive
- Exclusive quality
- Several extra services included in the price (regular cleaning and maintenance, gym, study room, party room, rooftop terrace, etc.)
- Good location close to the city center and good public transportation connection
- 1 bed mini apartments with own bathroom and kitchen
- Starting from 399€/month
If you are interested in Milestone, click here to visit their website, or contact them directly at
SRS Budapest
Largest selection
- Hundreds of options from single apartments to shared rooms
- Continuous help before and during the year regarding the accommodation
- Starting from 250€/month + utilities
- Min. 10 months long contract
- Various locations all around the city
For more information and booking please visit SRS' website here, or contact them at
Visa and residence permit application
As you will stay more then 90 days in Hungary for the preparatory program you will have to apply for a residence permit, and most of the third country citizens has to apply for a visa as well in order to enter Hungary. These applications can be made together at your local Hungarian Embassy. PIFIS (Preparatory Institution for International Students) offers visa support through a third party. If you would like to learn more about the service please click here or contact Mr. Mark directly at or on WeChat (ID: Videjo126).
For the official regulations of entry for long stay please click the picture.
Airport transfer
With a third party service we can send somebody to pick up you from the airport and take you to your accommodation. The cost of the airport transfer is:
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Up to 2 people: - 40.-€ ,(total)
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Up to 6 people:-75.-€, (total)
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Up to 12 people:-100.-€, (total)
The transfer fee includes the following services:
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Somebody will wait for you at the airport, and he will have a board with you name on it
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He will get you to the dormitory/your destination.
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He will help you to make the registration in the dormitory.
In case your flight is delayed you need to inform us and in case the transfer has to wait for you at the airport the driver will charge you 2.000.-HUF/hour.
Insurance
We can offer you the possibility to be insured by a third party, Medicover. They are a leading company in their field in our region and also the best solution in Hungary for a foreigner student. For detailed information click on the picture to see the list of benefits.
Having an insurance is mandatory in order to obtain your visa. Please note that we, at PIFIS, only accept full coverage insurance, like Medicover's. Travel insurances will be denied during registration.
If you choose to be covered by Medicover we will send you a certificate of the insurance via mail before your visa application but you will only need to pay for the insurance when you arrive to Hungary. The fee of the insurance for the year is 78.000 HUF
For detailed information click on the picture to see the list of benefits.
Library
The Central Library of Corvinus University of Budapest is an academic library aiming to provide excellent resources and services to support the learning, teaching and research activities at the University. The library moved to its current location in a new campus building in 2007. It occupies 4700 m² in a central position of the building and provides 630 study places altogether. There are four reading rooms, two computer labs, a newspaper reading room and an Economic History Research Library.
Students of the preparatory program can also register and use the library in order to study and prepare for their classes or exams.