EMLex - European Master in Lexicography

Do you like languages? Do you like to travel? Then the EMLex master course is just right for you!

The EMLex interdisciplinary programme provides a good opportunity for those interested in lingustics and lexicography with the aim of designing and compiling printed or online dictionaries with the newest linguistic methods, corpora and databases. The EMLex-professors come from eight countries and are each specialized in one of the fields of modern lexicography. The EMLex-students from different universities meet each other in the second semester at one of the European universities taking part in EMLex and attend courses together in German and English. The Department of German Language and Literature of the Institute of German and Netherlandic Studies at Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church is the only institution in Hungary to offer this European joint study programme.

Programme Structure

The programme corresponds to the regulations of the Bologna process: The overall number of ECTS points granted is 120 (the modules have either 5 or 10 ECTS points). The total number of students who are registered for EMLex at the participating universities is limited to 30 per year, which is due to the particular design of the block seminars during the summer term.


The curriculum places an emphasis on the following lexicographical topics:

Typology of dictionaries, dictionary research, metalexicography, history of lexicography, corpus work, research of dictionary usage, user needs and preconditions of usage, critical dictionary research, functions of dictionaries, bilingual lexicography, lexicographical data, applied lexicography, work in the lexicographical workshop, lexicographical tools, lexicography for special purposes, terminology and terminography, computational lexicography, electronic dictionaries, encyclopaedic dictionaries, learner lexicography, lexicology, etymology.
Soft skills include language courses and a computer science module. Aims, contents and special regulations for the courses are listed in the schedule in detail.

The relevant curricula can be found here.
Duration of the programme: 4 semesters.

Post-graduates will be qualified to work both as lexicographers at a publishing company and as academic lexicographers in all fields of lexicography, starting from the conception of printed and electronic dictionaries and specific lexicographical tasks through to the technical realisation of lexicographical products. Besides, they will receive profound training in the theoretical field of modern lexicography, which will enable them to conduct scientific research or to work in an advisory position in the field of publishing and further education.

Study plan at the KRE

Participating universities
The following universities have agreed to participate in the programme

• Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Gemany) (EMLex): Prof. Dr. Stefan Schierholz, Prof. Dr. Thomas Herbst, Prof. Dr. Stefan Evert, Dr. Michael Klotz
• Université de Lorraine, Nancy (France) (EMLex): Prof. Dr. Éva Buchi, Prof. Dr. Alain Polguère, Prof. Dr. Alex Boulton
• Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (Spain) (EMLex): Prof. Dr. Maria José Domínguez-Vázquez, Prof. Dr. María Dolores Sánchez Palomino, Prof. Dr. Carlos Valcárcel Riveiro
• Károli Gáspár Református Egyetem, Budapest (Hungary) (EMLex): Dr. habil. Zita Hollós, Dr. Dóra Pődör, Dr. habil. Petra Szatmári
• Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach, Kattowit (Poland) (EMLex): Dr. habil. Monika Bielińska, Dr. Ewa Myrczek
• Universidade do Minho, Braga (Portugal) (EMLex) : Prof. Dr. Idalete Dias, Prof. Dr. Álvaro Iriarte Sanromán
• Università degli Studi Roma Tre (Italy)(EMLex): Prof. Dr. Martina Nied-Curcio, Prof. Dr. Stefania Nuccorini, Prof. Dr. Paolo Vaccagio
• Stellenbosch University (South Africa): Prof. Dr. Rufus H. Gouws, Prof. Dr. Ilse Feinauer
• Universität Hildesheim (Gemany): Prof. Dr. Ulrich Heid, Dr. Laura Giacomini

The following institutions are involved in teaching on a regular basis: 

• Institut für Deutsche Sprache (Germany): Prof. Dr. Stefan Engelberg, Dr. Annette Klosa, Dr. habil. Carolin Müller-Spitzer, Dr. Dominik Brückner

 Admission Criteria and the Application Process

The admission to the master programme is subject to special conditions:  

• (Computational/Applied) Linguistics
• (Foreign) Languages
• Translation
• Communication/Media
• Book Studies / Library and Information Science
• or other relevant disciplines, subject to the consent of and the approval by the Consortium’s admission committee.

If your HEI degree is still in progress, you may nevertheless submit an application. The condition in this case is that the HEI degree certificate must be available before the start of the EMLex study programme.

2. Proficiency in English and in German (for non-native speakers) must be certified by one of the following institutions for at least the given level (equivalent to B1 // B2):

• onSet-Englisch. This test can be taken at a licensed test centre in your country (https://www.onset.de/testzentren-termin).
• British Council (IELTS): 4.5 – 5 // 5.5 – 6.5
• Trinity (ISE Foundation): ISE I // ISE II
• TOEFL iBT: at least 42 // at least 72
• Cambridge: Preliminary Certificate // First, Advanced or Proficiency Certificate
• English studies / Anglistik Bachelor degree (or comparable degree) from one of the universities in the EMLex programme

• onSet-Deutsch (former “OnDaF”). This test can be taken at a licensed test centre in your country (https://www.onset.de/testzentren-termin)
• Goethe-Institut: Zertifikat B1, grade at least ‘gut’ // Zertifikat B2, grade at least ‘gut’
• Österreich-Institut: ÖSD-Zertifikat B1, grade at least ‘gut’ // Zertifikat B2, grade at least ‘gut’
• TestDaF
• Germanistik Bachelor degree (or comparable degree) from one of the universities of the EMLex programme

6. 1. FAU Application form. You can access the application form by clicking here. Further information about the application documents and application process please click here.

6. 2. Károli Gáspár University Application form. You can access the application form by clicking here

Fees and Scholarship Opportunities

I.    Application deadline for self-financing applicants: 31. May

The participation costs are as follows:

• for students from partner countries (non-EU countries except for Turkey, Macedonia, Serbia, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland): 4,500 € per semester
• for students from programme countries (28 EU member states + Turkey, Macedonia, Serbia, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland): 2,250 € per semester

II.    Erasmus Mundus EMLex programme

In order to participate in the Erasmus Mundus EMLex programme, students have to submit an application. A total of 32 university places are provided per intake. Applications for an Erasmus Mundus EMLex scholarship can be submitted from 1 November until 1 March.

Click here for more details

Contact Information

Persons responsible for the programme Dr. habil. Zita Hollós: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.