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• Established in 1925, the Hungarian University of Sports Science (TF) is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive centre for physical education, sports, and related sciences in Hungary.
• TF has 3,360 Hungarian and 66 international students enrolled currently.
• TF’s students consistently achieve the highest performance at entrance exams compared to those at other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) providing sports programs.
• TF hosts the only Doctoral School in Sport Sciences in Hungary.
• TF’s faculty and alumni work as leading members of boards for several national sport associations and serve as head coaches in the national leagues in various fields of sport. They are also selected as prestigious members of international sports bodies.
• TF’s educators and alumni have strategic roles in the reorganized Hungarian national sports administration.
• TF provides globally acclaimed degrees.
• TF focuses on EU and international policy and professional development in Sport and Physical Education (PE), including Dual Career, Good Governance, and Volunteering and Social Inclusion.
• TF has numerous international agreements and a widespread global network, including 67 Erasmus and Pannónia program partners in 22 countries, 32 bilateral partners in 18 countries.
• TF has 9 courses and programs running for international students and organisations (BA and MSc Sport coaching, International Sports Diplomacy Postgraduate Specialisation Program, International Coaching Course, ICF Canoe-Kayak Intensive Coaching Course, FIE Fencing Intensive International Coach Program, International Training Center, Short-Term Sport Coaching Tailor Made Programs, Coaching Clinic, Faculty-Led Programs).
• TF’s International Coaching Course organised for international students offers training in over 20 sports out of the 28 Olympic sports and receives students from every country in the world.
• TF is a member of major domestic professional sports organizations.
• TF’s campus is fully enclosed with 16 sport facilities and laboratories, and is undergoing a major reconstruction and expansion project.
• TF offers practice-oriented training programs.
• At the National Scientific Students' Conference, which is held every two years, the university’s students consistently perform exceptionally well. In the last three competitions, they have won a total of 6 gold, 8 silver, 7 bronze medals, and received 13 special awards
• TF provides lifelong support throughout the entire career.
• The majority of TF’s graduates would recommend TF to others.
• TF’s graduates draw the highest comparative income among Hungarian HEIs offering similar programs.
• One gold, three silver and two bronze medals were won by students of the university at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
• Two gold and one silver medal was taken by students and staff of the university at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
• Six gold, three silver and eight bronze medals were won by students of the university at the 2024 European University Games.
• TFSE is the university's multi-sport association with 28 divisions and more than 1,600 athletes, representing the top of the national competitive and university sport.
• In addition to TFSE’s first-league teams, the club has a number of high-level teams and several top athletes.

Our institutional chronology is as follows:

•   1925-1945: Hungarian Royal College of Physical Education
•   1945-1985: College of Physical Education (TF)
•   1985-2000: Hungarian University of Physical Education (TF)
•   2000-2014: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (TF), Semmelweis University
•   2014-2021: University of Physical Education (TE), Budapest
•   2021- Present: Hungarian University of Sports Science (TF)

Olympic Champions of the University of Physical Education | Honorary Doctors

Olympic Champions of the University of Physical Education

Athletics

• Angéla Németh (javelin throw, 1968, Mexico City)
• Imre Németh (hammer throw, 1948, London)
• Miklós Németh (javelin throw, 1976, Montreal)
• Gyula Zsivótzky (hammer throw, 1968, Mexico City)

Fencing

• Árpád Bárány (epée, team, 1964, Tokyo)
• Imre Bujdosó (sabre, team, 1988, Seoul)
• Judit Mendelényi-Ágoston (foil, team, 1964, Tokyo)
• Tímea Nagy (epée, individual, 2000, Sydney, 2004, Athens)
• György Nébald (sabre, team, 1988, Seoul)
• Tibor Pézsa (sabre, individual, 1964, Tokyo)
• Ildikó Rejtő (foil individual and team, 1964, Tokyo)
• Lídia Sákovits-Dömölky (foil, team, 1964, Tokyo)
• Ildikó Tordasi (foil, individual, 1976, Montreal)

Gymnastics

• Erzsébet Gulyás-Köteles (hand apparatus team, 1956, Melbourne)
• Ágnes Keleti (free exercise, 1952, Helsinki; free exercise, uneven bars, balance beam, hand apparatus team, 1956, Melbourne)
• Aliz Kertész (hand apparatus team, 1956, Melbourne)
• Olga Lemhényi-Tass (hand apparatus team, 1956, Melbourne)
• Zoltán Magyar (pommel horse, 1976, Montreal; 1980, Moscow)

Kayak-canoe

• László Fábián (K-210 000 m, 1956, Melbourne)
• László Foltán (C-2 500 m, 1980, Moscow)
• Zsolt Gyulay (K-1 500 m, 1988, Seoul)
• György Kolonics (C-2 500 m, 1996, Atlanta; 2000, Sydney)
• Katalin Kovács (K-2 500 m, 2004, Athens; 2008, Beijing)
• Rita Kőbán (K-1 500 m, 1996, Atlanta)
• János Parti (K-1 1000 m, 1960, Rome)
• Botond Storcz (K-4 1000 m and K-2 500 m, 2000, Sydney)
• Tibor Tatai (C-1 1000 m, 1968, Mexico City)
• István Vaskuti (C-2 500, 1980, Moscow)

Modern Pentathlon

• András Balczó (team, 1960, Rome, 1968, Mexico City, individual, 1972, Munich)
• Gábor Bendek (team, 1952, Helsinki)
• László Fábián (team, 1988, Seoul)
• János Martinek (individual and team, 1988, Seoul)
• Attila Mizsér (team, 1988, Seoul)
• Ferenc Németh (individual and team, 1960, Rome)
• István Szondy (team, 1952, Helsinki)
• Zsuzsa Vörös (individual, 2004, Athens)

Shooting

• László Hammerl (small bore rifle, 50m, prone position, 1964, Tokyo)

Soccer

• Ferenc Bene (1964, Tokyo)
• József Bozsik (1952, Helsinki)
• Jenő Buzánszky (1952, Helsinki)
• Jenő Dalnoki (1952, Helsinki)
• Antal Dunai (1968, Mexico City)
• József Gelei (1964, Tokyo)
• Gyula Grosics (1952, Helsinki)
• Nándor Hidegkuti (1952, Helsinki)
• Kálmán Ihász (1964, Tokyo)
• László Keglovits (1968, Mexico City)
• Imre Komora (1964, Tokyo)
• Mihály Lantos (1952, Helsinki)
• Dezső Novák (1964, Tokyo; 1968, Mexico City)
• Miklós Szalai (1968, Mexico City)
• Antal Szentmihályi (1964, Tokyo)
• Lajos Szűcs (1968, Mexico City)

Swimming

• Attila Czene (200 m medley, 1996, Atlanta)
• Tamás Darnyi (200 and 400 m medley, 1988, Seoul; 200 and 400 m medley, 1992, Barcelona)
• Ágnes Kovács (200 m breaststroke, 2000, Sydney)
• Ilona Novák (4×100 m freestyle relay, 1952, Helsinki)
• Norbert Rózsa (200 m breaststroke, 1996, Atlanta)
• József Szabó (200 m breaststroke, 1988, Seoul)
• Éva Székely (200 m breaststroke, 1952, Helsinki)

Water polo

• Tibor Benedek (2000, Sydney; 2004, Athens; 2008, Beijing)
• Antal Bolvári (1952, Helsinki; 1956, Melbourne)
• Jenő Brandi (1936, Berlin)
• Zoltán Dömötör (1964, Tokyo)
• Tamás Faragó (1976, Montreal)
• László Felkai (1964, Tokyo)
• István Gergely (2004, Athens; 2008, Beijing)
• Dezső Gyarmati (1952, Helsinki; 1956, Melbourne; 1964, Tokyo)
• István Hevesi (1956, Melbourne)
• Tivadar Kanizsa (1956, Melbourne; 1960, Rome)
• György Kenéz (1976, Montreal)
• János Konrád (1976, Montreal)
• Zoltán Kósz (2000, Sydney)
• Kálmán Markovits (1952, Helsinki; 1956, Melbourne)
• Tamás Märcz (2000, Sydney)
• Dénes Pócsik (1964, Tokyo)
• Péter Rusorán (1964, Tokyo)
• Ádám Steinmetz (2004, Athens)
• Bulcsú Székely (2000, Sydney)
• Károly Szittya (1952, Helsinki)
• István Szívós, Jr, (1976, Montreal)
• Attila Vári (2000, Sydney; 2004, Athens)

Wrestling

• Greco-Roman
  • Imre Hódos (flyweight, 1952, Helsinki)
  • Ferenc Kocsis (welterweight, 1980, Moscow)
  • Norbert Növényi (light heavyweight, 1980, Moscow)
  • Imre Polyák (featherweight, 1964, Tokyo)
  • Miklós Szilvásy (welterweight, 1952, Helsinki)
  • János Varga (flyweight, 1968, Mexico City)
• Freestyle
  • Károly Kárpáti (lightweight, 1936, Berlin)

Honorary Doctors

1981

• Ottó Szymiczek (Greece)
• Jenő Koltai (Hungary)
• Kleantisz Paleologosz (Greece)

1985

• Zbigniew Krawczyk (Poland)
• Gerhard Lukas (German Democratic Republic)
• Vlagyimir Agajevec (Soviet Union)
• Endre Burka (Hungary)

1987

• János Pálfai (Hungary)
• Juan Antonio Samaranch (Spain)

1989

• Joao Havelange (Brazil)

1990

• Kenneth H. Cooper (United States of America)

1991

• Charles D. Spielberger (United States of America)

1992

• Primo Nebiolo (Italy)
• Paavo V. Komi (Finland)
• William D. Ross (Canada)

1993

• Marcel Hebbelinck (Belgium)

1994

• Carmelo Bosco (Italy)
• R. N. Aebersold (United States of America)
• Joachim Mester (Germany)

1998

• J. E. L. Carter (New Zealand-United States of America)
• B. H. Heath-Roll (United States of America)
• George Eisen (United States of America)
• M. S. Yuhasz (Canada)

1999

• P. O. Astrand (Sweden)
• K. Mbaye (Senegal)

2000

• Emmanuel Van Praagh (France)

2001

• Han C. G. Kemper (The Netherlands)

2002

• Jacques Rogge (Belgium)
• John Holloszy (United States of America)
• Goto Sataro (Japan)

2003

• Eberhard Mensing (Germany)
• László Vigh (Hungary)

2004

• Albert W. Taylor (Canada)

2005

• Tibor Hortobágyi (United States of America)

2006

• Hideki Ohno (Japan)

2007

• Gertrud Pfister (Germany)

2008

• Kelvin J. A. Davies (United States of America)

2009

• Bruno Grandi (Italy)
• Jerzy Kosiewicz (Poland)
• Péter Sótonyi (Hungary)

2010

• István Boldogh (United States of America)

2011

• James S. Skinner (United States of America)

2012

• Jurgen M. Steinancker (Germany)

2013

• Paul G. M. Lutten (Netherlands)

2016

• Ádám Kiss (Hungary)
• Mitsuru Higuchi (Japan)

The ceremonial opening of the first academic year was in November, 1925. The sport club of the School was organized in the same year. At that time the institution provided college level education through a 3-year training which was extended to 4 years in 1929.

After having closed its gates during World War II the College resumed operation in February 1946. New departments were formed in 1949–50 along with reformed curriculum, new rules and standards of organization.

In 1975, celebrating its 50 year-jubilee, the College was granted university status and in 1985 received full university accreditation. In 1997 Hungarian authorities gave the right to the University to provide Doctoral Programs in the field of Sport Sciences and Education.

Parallel to the Hungarian programs the Physical Education Program taught in English language was introduced in 1993 giving the opportunity to foreign students to study in an international environment. It was followed by the Human Kinesiology Program in English three years later. The degrees granted in the Hungarian and English Programs are equivalent. Students are required to take examination at the end of the courses and by the end of the program, to prepare a thesis which must be defended in front of an examination board. Studies are finished with the Comprehensive State Examination. Degrees are presented annually at the Graduation Ceremony in July.