Ph.D. students must be motivated, have appropriate professional qualifications, be autonomous and be able to work on their own. They should be active, responsible, and fulfill their duties according to their individual study plan (ISP).
A student must fulfill duties of their doctoral programme of study according to the Study and Examination Code of Charles University, and internal rules of both university and faculty, specifically:
create their individual study plan in the SIS and consult it with their supervisor;
every year complete the student evaluation in the SIS (in the period from June to mid-September);
be in regular contact with their supervisor or consultant;
inform faculty about the change of their address or data box.
A student can request a change of their individual study plan. The change needs to be approved by their supervisor and subject-area board of a doctoral programme of study.
A student has a right to ask the dean to change their form of study.
A student has a right to ask the dean to interrupt their study.
A student can officially request a change of the topic of their dissertation thesis. The change needs to be approved by the supervisor and subject-area board of their doctoral programme of study.
A student has a right to appeal against the dean's decision in a 30 days period counted from the date of the delivery of the decision.
Confirmation of study can be obtained by Student Information System SIS: (Personal data_Print confirmation). The student can choose a PDF variant with an electronic signature or can visit the Doctoral Study Office during office hours for signing. Please do not ask the Student Administration Office for confirmations, they are administrative support for pre-grad studies, not for Ph.D. studies.
Supervisor or dissertation thesis advisor is an academic or researcher who, thanks to their qualification and experience, guarantees proper guidance for a student for the whole time of their study.
A supervisor actively cooperates with a student, not only on the framework and topic of the dissertation thesis, but also helps the student's own research activities and guides them to gain experience in their field.
A supervisor and a student cooperate on a student's individual study plan and they send it to the subject-area board of a doctoral programme of study for approval.
A supervisor uses SIS (Student Information System) for at least an annual evaluation of student's work set out in their individual study plan.
In case of a supervisor must or wishes to cease cooperation with a student, the student is obliged to find a new supervisor. If the student fails in searching for a new supervisor, the subject-area board of a doctoral programme of study will assign a supervisor on their own.
A student can change their supervisor, the name of the new supervisor and their approval should be a part of an official written request.
The subject-area board of a doctoral programme of study for approval is going to either approve or disapprove the request and then propose the change to the dean.
An applicant must choose their supervisor from the approved list of supervisors that can be found on the page of their chosen doctoral programme of study. This must be done during the application process. If you don't know whom to address, it is best to ask the guarantor of the study programme for help. It is important to supply the guarantor with your dissertation project so they can help you to choose the best supervisor for your topic.
If you have already chosen your supervisor before the application, it is necessary to ask them for supervision. The supervisor needs to confirm their role (email confirmation suffices). In this case, the applicant has the opportunity to consult their project before the application and possibly change it to make it more defensible.
Consultant is an esteemed expert who is able to guide a student and to help a supervisor to fulfil their role. A consultant cannot replace the supervisor.
They can be recommended by the supervisor or chosen by the student from the ranks of experts in their field.
They are usually not from the same workplace as the supervisor. It is also possible to have a consultant that is not an employee of Charles University. A consultant shares responsibility for the realisation of a student's doctoral project.
A consultant is assigned and withdrawn by the dean after a suggestion made by the subject-area board.
Guarantor is an academic worker and the head of the subject-area board. With their name and specialisation, the guarantor guarantees the quality and functionality of the doctoral programme.
Subject-area board bears the main responsibility for the content and realization of a doctoral programme. Every doctoral programme of study has its own subject-area board. Members of a subject-area board are appointed and withdrawn by the rector.
Subject-area board:
a) submits suggestions for approval to the dean;
b) communicates with students, supervisors, consultants and executives of the faculty;
c) reviews and approves individual study plan and its changes;
d) evaluates the execution of individual study plan of students, at least once a year;
e) approves the change of dissertation thesis.
The study proceeds according to the individual study plan (ISP). Every student must create their ISP at the beginning of their studies with the help of their supervisor. An individual study plan must cover the whole standard length of study. It needs to be approved by the subject-area board and it is mandatory for a student to fulfill it. Student’s progress is evaluated every year by the student themselves, the supervisor and the subject-area board. Every change of individual study plan must be approved by the subject-area board.
At the beginning of their doctoral studies, the student creates their individual study plan and schedules all study requirements into it.
The topic of the dissertation thesis is a part of an individual study plan and it needs to be consistent with the field of study of the doctoral programme.
More information can be found in the document Basic information for students of their doctoral programme.
Finished plan needs to be sent through the system for approval of the supervisor who will send it to the subject-area board.
Approved ISP is an obligation for the student. It is reviewed by the end of every year of study.
The evaluation of individual subjects is not classified by a mark, but only "passed" (P) or "failed" (N).
The student is obliged to undergo an annual assessment of the doctoral student in the SIS. The Study Information System (SIS) is open for evaluation from 1 June to mid-September (the specific date is set by the Academic Year Schedule). Failure to complete the evaluation is considered a failure to fulfill the study obligation and is a reason for termination of studies. The Dean decides on the completion of studies on the proposal of the doctoral board.
ATTENTION - a student of a doctoral study program may take the examination in the enrolled course no more than twice, i.e. he/she has the right to one remedial term! It also applies to the state doctoral examination and the defense of the dissertation.
At the beginning of their studies in the Study Information System (SIS), the student creates and schedules an Individual Study Plan (ISP) for the entire standard period of study. After the Study subject area board meeting (during October), courses for the relevant academic year will be automatically registered in the SIS. Registered subjects can be found in the SIS_Exams results. Registration of courses takes place automatically every year, the student no longer registers anything himself/herself.
Aside from doctoral seminars, face-to-face learning is rare and students are usually preparing for exams in the form of self-study.
The doctoral student actively contacts the relevant attestation teachers and individually arranges the assignment of the exam and its completion.
The purpose of the examinations in doctoral studies is not to teach students another pension of knowledge, the purpose of partial examinations is to apply the given knowledge to the specific research intention of the doctoral student. For more information, see Specifics of Doctoral Studies.
The standard length of study is 4 years, only the German and French Philosophy study program has a standard length of study of 3 years.
The maximum length of study is up to 8 years.
Doctoral study in the Czech language is free of charge for the entire period of study (up to the maximum length of study).
The tuition fee for a doctoral study in a foreign language is charged, the student is obliged to pay a fee for each academic year started. The amount of the fee is specified in Appendix No. 2 to the Constitution of Charles University - Fees for Study (in force from 1st October 2022).
The student is required to pay a tuition fee to the FHS account at the beginning of each academic year (by the end of October). Payment must be made by bank transfer, it is not possible to pay in cash or by card.
NOTE: Each student received a personal variable symbol (VS) at the beginning of the study in the Study Agreement. This VS is important for pairing the payment with each student's study account.
Payment information:
Faculty address:
Faculty Humanities of Charles University
Pátkova 2137/5
182 00 Praha 8 - Libeň
The Account No.: 51-1042010287/0100
IBAN: CZ 9101 000000 5110 4201 0287
SWIFT (BIC): KOMBCZPPXXX
Variable symbol: each student received their own
Bank address: KB (Komerční banka), Na Příkopě 33, 11407 Praha 1.
Study is either full-time or combined form of study.
The applicant chooses the form of study when applying, its change is possible in following years. If you want to change the form of study, you must fill in the general request, and together with the supervisor's recommendation send it to the Doctoral Studies Office.
Aside from doctoral seminars, face-to-face learning is rare. Students of both full-time and part-time forms of study are usually preparing for their examination by self-study. Doctoral students must actively participate in learning. They need to contact teachers and schedule examinations with them individually. The purpose of examinations during doctoral studies is not to widen the knowledge base of the student but rather to apply their knowledge to a specific topic of students' research goal. More information is here Specifics of Ph.D. Studies.
The student enrolls for the state doctoral examination after they finish all their particular obligations listed in the Individual study plan.
Successful state doctoral examination is a prerequisite for the defense of a dissertation thesis
The committee of State Doctoral Examination consists of five members: the head of the committee is appointed by the dean of the faculty. At least one member of the committee should not be a faculty member.
The student can register for the state doctoral examination and to submit a dissertation at any time during the entire academic year (summer holidays are an exception); however, according to the Study and Examination Regulations of Charles University, the date of the state doctoral examination and defense may be set individually after agreement with the student. The thesis must be submitted at least half a year before its planned defense (Article 2, par 9 https://fhs.cuni.cz/FHSENG-1297.html).
Dates for state doctoral examination and defense are set according to the date the thesis is delivered to reviewers (they are given an 8-week period to review it). The dates are agreed upon by members of the committee and reviewers, according to their time availability.
The student must upload an electronic copy of their dissertation thesis in PDF/A form. Furthermore, the student saves the abstract in SIS in English or German or French and Czech, and it is sufficient in ordinary PFD form.
They must also bring following documents to Doctoral Studies Office:
Three copies of dissertation thesis (does not have to be hardback, spiral-bound copies suffice);
Application for the state doctoral exam
Application for permission of the defense
Supervisor's written recommendation for defense.
The student also, in a 1-month period counted from the date of submission, needs to send these files:
Autoreferate of the thesis;
The list of topics for State Doctoral Examination;
CV
The list of student's publication activity
The date of both state doctoral examination and defense of a dissertation thesis is set, according to dean's directive 14/2017, to be no later than six months from the submission.
Dissertation thesis must be in a format of scientific text with excellent grammar.
Formal requirements for dissertation thesis and its submission are described in Dean's Directive 14/2017.
According to the Dean's Measure No. 10/2017, it is compulsory to record all internships abroad in the SIS (internship is understood as a study-research stay abroad that the student carries out in the course of his / her studies at the Faculty in accordance with the requirements of the study programme). Internships must be registered in SIS at least one week before your departure, but it will be highly appreciated if you do it much earlier.
What are the steps?
On the main page of SIS, select Internships, then click New in the top bar and fill in all required fields.
If you find the particular programme you are part of in the Type section, select it (e.g. DAAD,CEEPUS, or Cotutelle). If you have received a grant from the Mobility Fund, choose the option fakultní/univerzitní stipendium. For all other stays, select jiná forma stáže (like COOPERATIO and GA UK etc.).More information will be provided by the Department for Science and Research.
Click on Save, the application will be recorded.
From this moment on, you will be able to download the Confirmation of Study / ResearchPeriod template – it will download after you click on the PDF icon next to your name in the Internship overview section. Confirmation is absolutely essential in terms of recognizing every internship.
As soon as the internship information is complete (we would like to ask you to fill in all the information at once), depending on the type of internship, the application will be approved (or rejected) in the system either by the Ph.D. Office or the International Office.
After you have returned, we will need the signed and stamped Confirmation of Study / Research Period. You have to get the document signed at the very end of your stay because it serves as a confirmation that you have been physically present at the institution for the entire duration of the planned stay (see the data you entered in SIS).
Based on Confirmation, the actual length of the internship will be recorded. If the data in the Confirmation don’t match with those you have entered in the internship information, we will adjust your length of stay accordingly.
Please, upload the Confirmation in SIS (click Edit – the notepad with pencil symbol - Uploadattachments – click on the magnifying glass, a new window will pop up, click Vybrat soubor - Save – Upload a file) It is ideal to do so immediately upon your return, but no later than one month after the end of your stay. If you are, for some reason unable to upload the document, email it to .
If your internship has been administered or funded through a scholarship (or other) programme, the rules of the particular programme are also applicable to you.
Instructions for setting up an internship can be found in the instructions manuals.
Medical care in the Czech Republic is at a very good professional and technological level. Both state and private health facilities provide health care. In the event of a sudden illness or injury outside office hours, it is provided in the emergency departments of hospitals. In the event of a sudden serious illness, you can call an ambulance at any time on line 112 throughout the country.
Medicines to relieve flu or a cold and similar preparations can be purchased without a prescription in pharmacies. A prescription from a doctor is required to buy other medicines.
The Czech public health insurance system is based on the obligatory participation of insured persons. Most medical facilities have concluded a contract with an insurance company on the provision and settlement of costs for healthcare and only provide insured patients with essential care subject to payment of the excess as stipulated by law.
Students from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland
You should apply for the EU health insurance card (EHIC) if you have valid health insurance in your home country. This free card gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the exact cost as people insured in that country. Your national health insurance provider issues cards. Please note that EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover private healthcare or costs such as a return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property.
Students from countries outside the EU
Medical travel insurance is not required from citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cuba, Japan, Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey, the Republic of Tunisia, and Serbia. The same exception applies to participants of the Erasmus Mundus program, Fulbright scholarship program, European Voluntary Service of the EC Youth in Action program, as well as holders of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued by another EU member state and a GHIC card issued by the UK. If you wish to use these advantages you should follow these instructions.
All other international students who intend to stay in Czechia for more than 90 days are required to purchase comprehensive health insurance coverage within 90 days of entry to the territory. You will be asked to submit proof of Czech health insurance when you apply for the visa. The coverage limit is a minimum of EUR 60,000, and the insurance must be purchased for the entire stay.
You should conclude your travel medical insurance in the scope of comprehensive healthcare as required by the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals exclusively with Pojišťovna VZP. Please read more on medical insurance here.
What Cotutell is?
* The student is enrolled to study at two universities and conducts doctoral research under two supervisors.
* The student spends part of the study at both institutions and fulfills the academic requirements of both study programs.
* The student writes only one dissertation thesis, which is subsequently defended in a single joint thesis defense.
* Upon successful graduation, the student is awarded diplomas from two universities. The student can use only one degree or the other. There it is not about obtaining two independent university degrees.
What are the benefits of Cotutelle?
* Better research conditions
* Two supervisors offer a broader spectrum of expertise, experience, and support.
* Reduction or full exemption of tuition fees.
* Making useful contacts and gaining valuable experience in the area of international mobility and research abroad.
* Increasing the chances of getting a postdoctoral position, submitting a successful grant application, establishing yourself in the field, etc.
How to proceed?
* Enroll in a doctoral program at both universities.
* Contact the supervisor at both universities.
* Contact the Doctoral study department to arrange a Cotutelle agreement.
Charles University
Faculty of Humanities
Pátkova 2137/5
182 00 Praha 8 - Libeň
Czech Republic
office No 1.25
