Faculty of Commerce, Hospitality and Tourism

The legal predecessor of the faculty was the Pest Academy of Commerce, founded in 1857 by the Pest-Buda Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Although there were several attempts to upgrade the so-called upper commercial school (which in today's sense was a secondary educational institution) into a higher educational institution, these proved unsuccessful, but the establishment of the Academy was still a ground-breaking step in the region and even in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The building of the Academy was constructed in an eclectic style based on the plans of Győző Czigler, who also designed the building of the Széchenyi Spa. The Alkotmány Street site was appointed by the Capital as the construction site, and it still functions as the main building of our Faculty. In 1899, the Eastern Academy of Commerce also moved to the Alkotmány Street building, but organisationally and in terms of requirements it was separate from the Pest Academy of Commerce. 

During the interwar period, the Academy offered various advanced vocational courses in addition to those of the upper commercial school. From 1939 the institution operated as a commercial secondary school, in 1962 the Higher-Level Vocational School of Commerce and Catering was established, which can be considered the forerunner of the present-day higher educational institution. The vocational school offered commercial and hospitality programmes, in full-time and correspondence forms, and later on tourism became an option for students majoring in hospitality. Summer and mid-year corporate internships played an important role in both majors. 

The actual legal predecessor institution of BBU FCHT, the College of Commerce and Hospitality, was established in 1969 by a decree-law of the Presidential Council issued on 26 June 1969. The college had two faculties: the Faculty of Commerce and the Faculty of Hospitality, and accordingly, commercial and hospitality programmes were offered. From 1974, those interested in tourism could receive more detailed and complex tourism training than those taking part in the general hospitality programme in the framework of an optional course in tourism starting in the second year, however, the independent Tourism and Hotel Department was established only in 1990. In 1975, the Department of Pedagogy was established at the college, so vocational teachers were also trained as part of the teacher training courses. 

In 1992, the name of the institution was changed to the College of Commerce, Hospitality and Tourism, because by that time the Department of Tourism had grown into an independent professional unit within the college. Another change in the history of the institution took place in 2000 when Budapest Business University was formed as a result of the merger of the College of Finance and Accountancy, the College of International Management and Business and the College of Commerce, Hospitality and Tourism. The Minister of Education awarded Budapest Business University the Higher Education Quality Award in 2010, and in recognition of the efforts made in the field of quality education, the institution received a university rank in 2016 and has been operating as a university of applied sciences ever since. 

Our goal and mission are to create and maintain an institution having a Europe-wide network that is attractive to both domestic and foreign applicants and that plays a leading role in the teaching of economics and social sciences, and related fields. We offer short-cycle vocational programmes (FOSZK), bachelor's and master's programmes, as well as adult education programmes in both Hungarian and foreign languages. Thanks to the extensive network of contacts of the Budapest Business University, we have established cooperation with more than 200 teaching and research institutions in about 40 countries, and due to its embeddedness, the Faculty of Commerce, Hospitality and Tourism is also part of this cooperation network. 

Candidates who apply to our Faculty have the option to choose from the following programmes: two courses in the short-cycle vocational programme - FOSZK (Tourism and Catering, Commerce and Marketing), two undergraduate majors in economics (Commerce and Marketing, Tourism and Catering), one bachelor of arts course in Community Coordination, and one in the field of pedagogy (Vocational Instruction in Business) and three majors in the Master’s Programme (Supply Chain Management, Tourism Management, Teacher of Economics). Every year, about one thousand five hundred new first-year students cross the gates of the alma mater, thus our average number of students is around five thousand three hundred, so we are among the largest institutions in Hungarian higher education in the field of economics. Nearly 150 professionally recognised instructors assist students in their studies. 

A rich infrastructure has been developed by our faculty: state-of-the-art lecture halls and seminar rooms equipped with modern technical tools, well-equipped training kitchens, classrooms, student- and research laboratories, libraries, dormitories, and the College for Advanced Studies all contribute to the students' acquisition of both theoretical and practical knowledge. Additionally, the faculty has a strong tradition of community life among students and faculty members. Joint faculty excursions, faculty days, the College for Advanced Studies, the Tourism Club of BBU, the Student Union (HÖK), and the local representatives of AIESEC all play a role in creating and nurturing a sense of cozy atmosphere for both the students and the faculty members.

All programmes offered by the faculty have practical orientation, backed by a strong practical background. It is not only the seminars where our students can get acquainted with the challenges of the industry, but they also have the possibility to engage with small, medium, and large enterprises, commercial and hotel chains, where they can acquire practical skills in a real business environment. Their mandatory internships can be completed at leading domestic or international companies, either in Hungary or abroad. We support the education with various unique, student-centric teaching methods: simulation exercises, practices in the training restaurant, the training kitchen and the laboratory, independent creative student projects, field trips – often in an international setting. The bachelor programmes in Commerce and Marketing as well as Tourism and Hospitality, are offered in a dual form with significant involvement of our professional partners, and we strive to maintain this approach in the future as well.

We place great emphasis on promoting student mobility. We maintain close relationship with numerous foreign universities. We encourage our students to participate in shorter or longer foreign study programmes or summer internships. Our dual-degree agreements also offer our students attractive opportunities.

Budapest Business University is committed to the principles of sustainable development; hence it strives to form a mindset in all areas, particularly in its educational and research activities. In line with this commitment, sustainability plays a prominent role in all our courses, with nearly every subject incorporating this topic.

Our research topics also cover various sub-areas related to sustainable development to expand the scientific knowledge within the field, to enhance student awareness of the subject, and to contribute to a shift in the broader societal mindset. Moreover, several faculty members (both academic and administrative staff) are members of the University Sustainability Network, whose declared goal is to support citizens at BBU in making and maintaining a greener and more liveable campus and environmental structure.