The Roma Graduate Preparation Program (RGPP) at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary is a unique opportunity for Romani students aspiring to study in Master’s programs abroad. The RGPP is a 10-month intensive program aiming to increase the competitiveness of Romani graduates of Bachelor’s programs who are interested in the humanities and the social sciences so they can succeed in the entrance examinations to universities offering programs in English.
Since 2004 the program has served more than 230 Romani students from 23 countries, 85 % of whom succeed during the entrance examinations to Master’s programs in Europe and overseas. RGPP students receive a scholarship during the program which covers the cost of traveling to and from their home country and Budapest, visa application costs, fees for tuition, accommodation, health insurance, study materials and a monthly stipend for living expenses.
The applications for academic year 2020/2021 have been officially launched and will be open until 15 March 2020. For more information about this opportunity, click here.
Roma Graduate Preparation Program
The program provides tutoring in the following disciplines: economics, gender studies, history, international relations and European studies, human rights and law, nationalism studies, political science, public administration, sociology and social anthropology (additional disciplines may be offered). Students are prepared during the 10 months to begin an English-language Master’s program in the field of their choice.
Furthermore, the program is focused on intensive instruction of English in its spoken and written form through language courses and a course in academic writing so the students’ competence in that language can reach the necessary level. Academic writing and tutoring focuses especially on reading academic texts and discussions, developing critical thinking, and other prerequisites for Master’s level studies.
Those attending the program also acquire experience in what Master’s program studies involve by completing a one-semester course with regular Master’s students where they complete all the work (e.g., making presentations, submitting written work on the topic). The students further develop their abilities to reflect on the economic, political and social aspects of the exclusion of Romani people by attending discussion seminars focused on studying the history and identity of Romani people and contemporary developments in the area of policies aimed at Roma in Central Europe.
Program duration
The program begins in September and ends in mid-June. Residency in Budapest is required.
You can watch a video of an RGPP graduate from the Czech Republic discussing what the program is like here. The website with the application form is accessible here.
Information about the requirements for applying and the documentation necessary is available here. If you know anybody who might be interested in participating, please share this information with them or send their contact information to the email address RGPP_Enrollment@ceu.edu along with any questions you might have.
