Based on the traditions of the Institute of Archaeological Sciences at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and the evaluation of its undergraduate programs, the Archaeological Doctoral Program was established in 1993 and accredited from the very beginning. This means that training in seven specialized fields (Prehistoric, Roman, Migration Period, and Medieval Archaeology, as well as Classical Archaeology, Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology, and Archaeometry) could commence within an independent doctoral program under the Doctoral School of History.

The program’s first head from the 1993/94 academic year was István Bóna, succeeded by Miklós Szabó in 2000, followed by László Borhy. Given the broad institutional and academic foundation supporting the program, doctoral candidates receive organized training in the following areas: Prehistoric Archaeology, Ancient Greek and Roman Archaeology (Classical Archaeology), Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Migration Period Archaeology (Early Medieval Archaeology), Medieval Archaeology, Early Modern Archaeology (Ottoman Period Archaeology), Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology, Archaeometry, and Archaeozoology.

The Archaeological Doctoral Program maintains close partnerships with the following international institutions: Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte (Frankfurt am Main), University of Newcastle upon Tyne/Durham University, Centre Européen d’Archéologie du Mont-Beuvray, Comité Régional de la Recherche Archéologique de Bourgogne, Université de Bourgogne (Dijon; Section of History, Art, and Archaeology), Université de Franche-Comté (Besançon), Universitat de Barcelona (Department of Latin Philology), Universidad de Zaragoza (Department of Ancient History), Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (Münster; Seminar for Ancient History and Epigraphy), and Università degli Studi di Bologna (Institute of Archaeology).