The university-level teaching of Hungarian language and literature in Transylvania was established at the Royal Hungarian Franz Joseph University in 1872 where in the first decades the quality of education were ensured by renown professors like Sándor Imre, Károly Széchy, Lajos Dézsi, József Szinnyei, Gábor Bálint, Ignác Halász, Gyula Zolnai adn Zoltán Gombocz.

Under the name of King Ferdinand I. University (from 1945 to 1959), Bolyai University (from 1945 to 1959) than the merged Babeș–Bolyai University Hungarian studies took place under varying institutional conditions. Linguistic subjects were taught by outstanding language specialists like Bálint Csűri, Attila Szabó T., Gedeon Mészöly. Zoltán Szabó school founder linguist was member of the Hungarian Language Department since 1951 to the moment of his passing over in 2007. Professor Gyula Márton was member of the department between 1948 to1976, and head of the Department between 1952 and 1973. In this period he managed to draw in a new generation of teachers and researchers like Dezső Balogh, Mária J. Nagy, Ferenc Kósa, István Vöő, János Zsemlyei and János Péntek.

After 1989 Hungarian Language and Literature Studies were ensured by the Department of Hungarian Philology led by János Péntek, university professor, who gave a new impetus to the institution-building process, the shaping of a new generation. In the 90’s the following teachers became member of the staff of the Department:  Sándor Szilágyi N. (head of the Department between 2006–2013), Dénes Máthé, Magdolna Csomortáni, Attila Benő, Emese Fazakas and Edith Kádár. After 2000 the team was enlarged by the appointment of Katalin Sándor and Borbála Zsemlyei. Our youngest colleagues, Boglárka Németh and Hajnalka Dimény have taught various linguistic subjects since 2007, respectively 2016.

The Department’s present staff is taking part in the running of the Hungarian literary and linguistic studies educational programmes at all levels (BA, MA and PhD).