The Doctoral School was established upon the recommendation of the University’s Doctoral and Habilitation Council and the submission of the Rector, through the transformation of the former accredited “A”-type doctoral program titled Economics of Agricultural Enterprises and Rural Development.
- The Doctoral School was accredited by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB) under Decision No. 2002/2/III. According to the resolution, “the University of Debrecen is authorized in the field of Social Sciences, within the branch of Multidisciplinary Social Sciences (Management and Organization Sciences, Crop Production and Horticultural Sciences, Animal Husbandry Sciences) to provide doctoral education, confer doctoral degrees, and conduct habilitation procedures.”
- The plenary session of MAB, by Decision No. 2003/5/II/1, modified the Doctoral School’s scientific classification as follows:Interdisciplinary 4. Agricultural Sciences (4.1. Crop Production and Horticultural Sciences; 4.3. Animal Husbandry Sciences), 5. Social Sciences (5.1. Management and Organization Sciences).
- According to MAB Decision No. 2008/3/VII/2/019, the Doctoral School received the qualification of “complies” in the accreditation procedure. Based on this compliance procedure, the Doctoral School’s right to confer degrees extends to the field of Management and Organization Sciences.
- MAB Decision No. 2014/10/XIV/38/2 confirmed the Doctoral School’s accreditation – provided that the operational conditions are continuously ensured – until 31 December 2019, with a monitoring inspection on 1 October 2015.
- MAB Decision No. 2017/5/IX/4/2/1070 accredited the Doctoral School – again subject to continuous fulfillment of operational conditions – until 31 December 2019.
- MAB Decision No. 2021/6/IX/1/2 extended the Doctoral School’s accreditation – under the same condition – until 25 June 2026.
The research focus builds on the traditions of its predecessor (macro- and microeconomic aspects of agribusiness and issues related to rural development) and operates more broadly in the field of business, management, and organizational sciences. “The Doctoral School operates independently from the Faculties and other Doctoral Schools of the University of Debrecen, but it takes into account the scientific traditions of the Faculty of Economics and Business.”
The amendment of Act CCIV of 2011 on National Higher Education, dated 9 May 2024, made it possible to launch Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programs. The detailed regulations were provided by the Government Decree No. 387/2012 (XII.19) on doctoral schools, doctoral procedures, and habilitation, as amended on 19 December 2024. This allows for authorization to provide DBA training and confer the Doctor of Business Administration degree in the field of business leadership. The operation of the DBA program is directly regulated by Annex No. 26 of the University of Debrecen’s Organizational and Operational Regulations, titled Doctoral Regulations of the University of Debrecen.