CORE PROGRAMME
We focus on academic exploration and the joy of learning. We believe it’s important to allow our students to decide for themselves which paths they want to take, so they can discover wider implications on their own with the help of our expert faculty. That’s why questions play a particularly important role in our student-centred education. Our students ask us as much as we ask them. Through their questions, they develop critical thinking skills and learn to express their opinions, both orally and in writing. They also discover that one can learn as much from a question as from an answer: it is not only worth hearing, but also worth listening to what others have to say. Applications are now closed for the 2024/25 academic year.
PROGRAMME YEARS OF
THE CORE PROGRAMME
Freshman
| School grade when applying | 8th grade |
- Elements of the Programme
- Compulsory gamified modules
- Mentoring
- Student life
- Goals
- Enjoying learning
- Broadening one’s scientific horizons
- Developing an area of personal interest (orientation)
- Introduction to critical thinking
- By the end of the academic year, our students will have developed in these areas
- Academic confidence
- Problem solving
- Writing and speaking skills
- Group work
- The art of asking questions
Sophomore
| School grade when applying | 9th grade |
- Elements of the Programme
- Optional modules
- Mentoring
- Student life
- Goals
- Educational independence
- Narrowing the academic orientation
- Design and implementation of a project to establish a university profile
- By the end of the academic year, our students will have developed in these areas
- Taking responsibility for one’s own education
- Self-awareness in academic orientation
- Research, project and presentation skills
Junior
| School grade when applying | 10th grade |
- Elements of the Programme
- Optional modules
- Mentoring
- Student life
- Goals
- Finalisation of academic orientation
- Building a university admission profile
- Selection of target universities
- By the end of the academic year, our students will have developed in these areas
- Strategic education planning
- Skills for university studies
- Knowledge of different university systems and admission processes
Senior
| School grade when applying | 11th grade |
- Elements of the Programme
- Optional modules
- Mentoring
- Student life University admissions
- Goals
- Immersion in the chosen field of study
- Finalising admission materials
- Compiling and submitting
- By the end of the academic year, our students will have developed in these areas
- Independence
- Background knowledge and skills for university studies
- Strategic career planning
THREE MAIN ELEMENTS OF THE CORE PROGRAMME:
MODULE TEACHING
Our modules are interactive small group interdisciplinary sessions that cover not just one subject or discipline, but a wide range of fields and topics from nanotechnology to urban sociology, from mathematical economics to philosophy of religion or film. In these sessions, students will be exposed to a great variety of topics, methods, theories and ideas that will help them develop intellectually, deepen their knowledge and provide them with the orientation they need.
Through dialogue-based collaborative group work, the modules introduce students to new disciplines and topics, teaching and developing them to become versatile, critical thinkers through exploration and collective inquiry.
Our students (except in the Freshman year) choose their own modules, so they can set their own curriculum with the support of their mentor. On each module, students study in small groups (6-12 students) for one 50-minute lesson per week for 8 weeks. For a list of modules from previous years, click here.
MENTORING
Mentoring focuses on the student’s individual development and studies, supporting their intellectual development, helping them choose among fields of interests, motivating them and providing emotional support. Each student in the Core Programme has their own highly qualified mentor, who is well versed in our philosophy and the world of academia or business.
The main objectives of mentoring are
- to harmonise and deepen the knowledge acquired inside and outside Milestone,
- to find the area of interest of the student,
- to support the student in setting and achieving educational goals,
- deepen self-reflection,
- developing a learning methodology
- and the importance of independent learning.
After developing these areas, our graduates are ready to cope with the demands of even the best universities.
Regular meetings are held to discuss topics and questions of interest of the student, as well as to examine and solve tasks related to the student’s interests, as determined by the mentor. Sometimes a meeting may be used to review a difficult text or research project, to practise a presentation or to jointly consider the student’s application to a particular institution or programme. This often requires a lot of preparation on the part of the student (reading, essay writing, problem solving, etc.). However, some mentoring sessions are entirely devoted to discussing a personal problem.
STUDENT LIFE
The Milestone Institute’s Student Life combines friends and adventure with education. Student life is a great way to meet new people, belong to a community of like-minded students and have fun. It is also extremely useful for learning new skills and for enhancing personal and academic development. You can find out more about Milestone Institute Student Life here.
SCHEDULE (TIMETABLE) SAMPLE
Our classes are held from Monday to Friday from 17:00 to 20:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:00, most of the time our students choose which class they want to attend and when. Each student’s timetable is personalized so the timetable below serves only as an example.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 5—6pm | Mentoring |
| Thursday 6—6:50pm | Module 1 |
| Saturday 12—12:50pm | Module 2 |
| Saturday 3–4pm | Arts Society |
STUDENTS OF THE CORE PROGRAMME
- In an academic year min. 32 credits are accumulated, i.e. usually 4 modules are taken, at least one per trimester.
- Successfully complete their modules if they attend at least 60% of the sessions and achieve at least a satisfactory grade.
- They attend min. 12 mentoring sessions, usually fortnightly, lasting 30-60 minutes per session.
- Have the opportunity to continue their Milestone studies in the next academic year, if they have successfully completed their Freshman, Sophomore or Junior programme years
- Always attend the modular and mentoring sessions in person at the Institute, but students who are absent for justified reasons can keep in touch with their mentor online.
- On average, they spend 2-4 hours per week at the Milestone Institute for various study sessions and student life events.
- An average of 6-8 hours per week of individual preparation is required for study sessions (modular teaching and mentoring).
PROGRAMME FEE 
1.500.000 HUF / ACADEMIC YEAR
Thanks to our scholarships, we are able to provide significant financial support to students who would otherwise find it difficult to participate in Milestone’s educational programmes. In addition, we are able to help families with the school fees through instalment plans. More details can be found here.