The quality assurance system of the Hungarian higher education is based on a complex, multi-actor mechanism promoting the high-quality operation of the higher education system and its continuous development. The quality assurance system is a two-tier system: on the one hand there are systemic quality control mechanisms for the higher education system as a whole and institutional quality management systems in higher education institutions on the other hand.

Nationwide, systemic quality assurance: The systemic quality assurance of the Hungarian higher education is based on several key actors (see Sub-heading 1 below) as well as evaluation and control mechanisms involving operation, quality assurance systems of higher education institutions, their educational activities, programme accreditation, student and labour market feedback (see Sub-heading 2 below). 
Statistical databases, students and job market feedback play a key role in the continuous development of quality. The following systems are operating nationwide:

• Higher Education Information System managing statistical data on higher education, including data on applications, enrolment, participation and qualifications; dropout rates; programme data.

• Career development support system including statistical data evolving during application and enrolment process.

• The Graduate Career Tracking System collecting and analysing data about graduates, using data from surveys and integrated administrative databases.

• Further occasional targeted surveys, employer and student satisfaction surveys.

Statistical databases, feedback surveys, data analyses are available for the stakeholders in higher education for using them in their own quality control mechanisms.

Responsible bodies

Government and ministry responsible for higher education

In order to assure quality, it creates a framework via legislation and funding the operation of other actors, including:

• issuing detailed regulations on the operating conditions of higher education institutions and the system of higher education programmes, the institutional conditions of operating the programs, main outcomes standards of programmes, and the order of awarding qualifications,

• creating the minimum requirements for availability of academic sources (staff, assets, infrastructure, learning environment),

• appointing the national actors of quality assurance, defining its tasks and competencies and financial background, 

• creating process regulations for quality assurance processes,

• operating a separate mechanism for quality assurance and development of higher education dual programmes.

Educational Authority

The Educational Authority is a government agency, supervising higher education and operating feedback mechanisms. Its main tasks are:

• managing operating licenses of higher education institutions, verifying compliance with requirements,

• official registration and monitoring of study programmes, verifying their compliance with requirements,

• coordinating the professional reviews (pre-accreditation) of compliance with quality requirements for the establishment and launch of study programmes,

• monitoring compliance of institutional operations with legal and resource requirements,

• operating nationwide databases (Higher Education Information System managing statistical data on higher education) and feedback mechanisms (national and international student assessments, databases and analyses about admission and enrolment, Graduate Career Tracking System) necessary for quality control.

Hungarian Accreditation Committee 

The Hungarian Accreditation Committee is an independent body tasked with the external evaluation and accreditation of the quality of institutions and their educational activities. 

The Hungarian Accreditation Committee

• conducts reviews on the operation of universities on a regular basis within the scope of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) through an accreditation procedure, in particular to their quality control systems and compliance with ESG. In case of compliance, it provides accreditation for a period of five years. It may issue an intermediate, so-called monitoring procedure if necessary. The quality evaluation of doctoral schools is conducted separately, however in a similar process,

• upon request of the institutions or the Educational Authority it delivers expert assessment on set up and launch of new education programmes, founding of doctoral schools and programmes and their compliance with quality requirements (pre-accreditation),

• evaluates applications for awarding university professor titles in terms of compliance with quality criteria,

• delivers expert opinion on doctoral and habilitation regulations and assessment in a wide range of questions concerning the quality of higher education. 

The Hungarian Accreditation Committee is a fully-fledged member of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQUA) and is also a registered organisation at the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR). In this capacity it promotes the connection of the Hungarian higher education quality assurance system to the processes of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the European Union. In addition to this it can issue quality certificates to joint-degree programmes running in cross-border cooperation between higher education institutions of EHEA.

Approaches and methods for quality assurance

Quality assurance on the institutional level: Hungarian higher education institutions operate their own quality assurance system pursuant their legal obligation. Within the given external accreditation and legal framework, they are free in creating their own system. ESG standards and guidelines have to be followed. Institutions may adapt international standards (ISO, EFMQ) or develop and maintain their own model. Every five years in the course of the external quality evaluation (accreditation) the Hungarian Accreditation Committee revises the operation of the quality assurance system with particular attention to the compliance with ESG standards. 

Several institutions, especially those heavily involved in international activities and in the fields of economics, technical and healthcare, engage in international quality certification procedures as well. Many institutions participate in international rankings, which they consider as a tool of quality assurance. 

Internal, organisational quality assurance

In general, the rector is responsible for the quality of nearly all activities in higher education institutions. Processes and evaluations are coordinated by quality assurance leaders, quality assurance offices, groups and referents, while the academic staff supervises internal quality assurance processes involved in a quality committee. 

Every institution maintains a quality policy, quality regulations, in most cases a quality manual; the academic senate discusses on quality reports and plans on a yearly basis. 

Internal quality assurance mechanisms

Institutions may maintain various and often differing quality assurance mechanisms, however there are common features. Due to legal obligations every institution

• conducts student opinion surveys about education and the professors’ teaching practices,

• analyses and evaluates admission and enrolment procedures and results, 

• analyses and evaluates the central, state-wide and local, institutional results of graduate tracking,

• systematically revises education programmes and their curriculum under the coordination of educational leaders, while professors revise their own courses. 

The majority of institutions involve employers, professional organizations and other external stakeholders in their quality assurance processes requiring feedback from them. 

Recently, performance evaluation of academic and management staff is getting more widespread.

Quality development

An increasing number of institutions create possibilities, launch programmes and set up support groups or organizational units supporting the professional development of their academic staff. These aim to support not only the development of personal competences, but includes higher education specific realization and practice of curriculum building, course development procedures, various teaching and assessment methods, learning formats, student engagement and motivational techniques. 

Monitoring and recognition of results in scientific research and professional development are completed via collection and evaluation of scientometric indicators. Promotion and even obligations can evolve as a result.

Several institutions monitor systematically the quality of services provided for academic citizens, conducting satisfaction surveys among students, academic staff and management. Surveys cover services such as library services, dormitory circumstances, eating and sports possibilities, infrastructure, employer experience and customer orientation. Many universities are involved in local or international initiatives, promoting sustainability, green campus, healthy campus, sporting university, entrepreneur university, etc. in which framework targeted improvements and assessments are initiated. This shows, that the quality assurance system in institutions is increasingly systematic and extensive.