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Doctoral studies are individual, provided under the direction of the
Supervising Tutor and as a rule a Consulting Tutor as well, and are constituted
by courses of lectures, seminars, self-study, and in particular solution of the
assigned research project (the dissertation thesis). It is completed by the
State Doctoral Examination and the defence of the dissertation thesis.
Graduates of a doctoral study programmes are given a diploma to certify the
completion of studies, stating the particular study programme. Graduates are granted the degree of “Doctor” (Ph.D. affixed to the name).
The 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University also
carries out doctoral study programmes in cooperation with other faculties of
Charles University and institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, within the
so-called "biomedicine" (DSPB), based on the agreement between
Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences. More information about
the DSPB study is available in the Doctoral study programmes in biomedicine section and on the
website of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
These study programmes are: Biochemistry
and Pathobiochemistry, Biomedical Informatics, Cell Biology and Pathology, Developmental
and Cell Biology, Experimental Surgery, Gerontology, Human Physiology and
Pathophysiology, Imaging Methods in Medicine, Immunology, Medical Biophysics,
Microbiology, Molecular and Cell Biology, Genetics and Virology, Neurosciences,
Pharmacology and Toxicology, Preventive medicine and Epidemiology.
Furthermore, it is possible to
study the doctoral study programmes, which are accredited only at our faculty or
in cooperation with other faculties of Charles University. Information about
these programs is available in the Other doctoral study programmes section.
These programmes are: Addiction: Specialization in Health Care, Bioethics, Cardiovascular Science, History of Medicine, Medical
Psychology and Psychopathology, Nutritional and Metabolic Sciences, Parasitology.
General information about the doctoral studies at Charles University is available on the Charles University website in the Doctoral Studies section. For further information on the study of a specific doctoral study programme accredited at the 1st Medical Faculty of Charles University, please contact the doctoral study officers at the 1st Medical Faculty of Charles University.
Further education of doctoral students is offered by the Doctoral Study Platform.
I. Organization structure of doctoral studies
Field Boards
The content matter and
organization of studies in particular study programmes are provided by Field
Boards (thereinafter “Boards”) which are guarantors for quality of particular
study programmes. Their members are appointed by the Rector at the Dean’s
proposal and at the proposal from particular training institutions involved,
following discussion in the Scientific Board. The chairperson of the Field
Board summons and directs sessions of the Field Board and acts on its behalf
when negotiating with the respective faculty’s authorities and in sessions of
the Co-ordinating Board for Doctoral Studies in Biomedicine. The scope of
authority of the Field Board ensues from the valid wording of the Act on
Schools of Higher Education.
In particular, the Field Boards
- suggest the programme of lectures, courses and other
forms of study in the given study programme;
- suggest that the dean of the respective faculty
appoints the Supervising Tutors;
- suggest the composition of the entrance procedure
boards to be approved by the dean;
- judge and approve the framework study plans
(curricula) for students in doctoral study programmes;
- provide the requirements for State Doctoral
Examinations;
- suggest that the dean appoints the members of boards
for State Doctoral Examinations;
- suggest that the dean appoints the members of boards
for defences of dissertation theses;
- suggest that the dean appoints the examiners of
dissertation theses;
- observe and evaluate the progress of studies in
particular students and give suggestions concerning changes in the amount of
bursaries;
The chairperson of the Field Board settles any possible disputes between the student and the Supervising Tutor.
Guarantors of the programmes
The guarantor of a doctoral
programme of study is the chairperson of the relevant Field Board.
In particular, the guarantor
- is responsible for the Field Board activities; he is responsible to the
dean of the faculty and the Rector of the University for the observation of
Charles University regulations, the content and implementation of contracts –
the so-called cotutelle (Agreement on Bi-national Supervision of a Doctoral
Thesis between Charles University and a foreign university);
- is appointed and removed by the Rector;
- in the case of the appointment of a new supervisor performs the supervisory
duties to the necessary extent if the risk of delay requires so.
The student of doctoral studies
A graduate in a Master study
programme who was admitted on the basis of the entrance procedure.
Doctoral studies are provided in the full-time
or combined form. Students in doctoral study programmes are students of the
respective faculties where the study programme is taken. Students in doctoral
study programmes are members of the academic community; their rights and duties
are regulated by the respective provisions of the Act on Schools of Higher
Education, the Statute of Charles University, statutes of the faculties and
other internal regulations.
The standard duration of studies in doctoral study programmes is three or four
years.
The maximum duration of the
studies in a doctoral study programme is
-
equal to the standard duration of studies plus five years for students who
started their studies in the academic year 2016/17 or earlier;
-
eight years for students who started their studies in the academic year
2017/18 or later (with the exceptions stated in
the Code
of Study and Examination of Charles University, Art. 6., part 10).
The applicant becomes a student at the moment of
enrolment at the respective faculty. The student will be given a Study Record
Book (index) and the Student’s Card.
Supervising Tutor
The student is guided by the Supervising Tutor, who is appointed by the
dean of the faculty from among prominent specialists in the given field at the
proposal by the Field Board; the appointment is subject to the Supervising
Tutor’s written consent to perform this function and the consent of the
principal of the training institution where the Supervising Tutor’s workplace
is.
The Supervising Tutor’s duties:
- frames, together with the Student, the draft individual study plan to be
submitted to the Field Board for approval within two months following the start
of the first year of study;
- provides the topic of the dissertation thesis;
- continuously observes the fulfilment of the Student’s study obligations and
regularly consults his/her progress with them;
- provides for the basic operating conditions of the doctorand’s studies;
- regularly (at least once a year) evaluates the Student’s performance, in
writing informs the Field Board of the evaluation, and in case of failure to
perform the tasks required may suggest termination of the studies or another
measure (according to Art. 10, part 8 of the Code of Study and Examination of Charles University) to be
considered by the Field Board.
The Supervising Tutor bears
the crucial responsibility for the Student’s scientific education.
The Supervising Tutor may suggest a Consulting Tutor to be appointed from among
specialists in the given field, who thanks to his/her special expert knowledge
or methodological and technical capacities is able to direct the Student within
a particular factual or time section of the doctoral studies. The Consulting
Tutor is appointed by the Dean of the Faculty at the suggestion by the Field
Board.
The List of Supervising Tutors
of Charles University – the First Faculty of Medicine
II. Principles of admission procedure
For doctoral studies,
applicants are admitted following the admission procedure, which is performed
for particular study programmes at particular faculties within the period set
by the Rector for the admission procedures, usually in June.
The opening of the admission procedure is announced to public by the faculties
on their official notice boards not later than 4 months prior to the deadline
for placing the applications, and at the same time the Rector Office of Charles
University is notified.
In the announcements they shall state:
- doctoral study programmes to be open in the given year;
- terms and conditions set for admission, other conditions and extra
conditions for bonuses;
- content matter of the admission examination;
- criteria for evaluation of the admission examination;
- site where the application form and more information can be obtained;
- deadline for placing the applications.
The applications are usually submitted electronically via university information system. All enclosures of the electronic application have to be sent also physically to the Dean Offices. The completed applications with all required documents enclosed are passed to the Chairpersons of the given Field Boards.
How to apply for studies - current information
Admission interviews take place by particular
study programmes at commissions which are appointed by the dean of the faculty
at the suggestion of the chairperson of the Field Board, usually from among
members of the respective Field Board. The chairperson of the commission is
usually the chairperson of the Field Board. The admission interview can also
include discussion of the proposed project of the dissertation thesis and the
conditions enabling its solution. The admission commission takes a vote on the
result of the admission interview in a closed session: in case of equality of
votes, the chairperson’s vote decides. The admission procedure is marked on the
two-grade scale: “admitted” or “not admitted”. If the number of applicants
exceeds the number that can be admitted, the commission shall set their standing.
The minutes of the admission interview will be passed by the chairperson to the
Dean within three days following the interview. On the result of the admission
interview, the Dean will decide. The Dean Office shall send the decision to the
Student within 30 days following the admission interview. In case of being not
admitted, the applicant can ask the Rector, via the Dean’s mediation, for
appellation procedure to the effect of Article of the Act #111/1998. The
application of appellation procedure can be placed within 30 days following the
delivery of the Dean’s decision.
Other details are specified by the Admission Procedure Regulations of Charles
University.
Enrolment of students of doctoral studies will be performed by the respective
department of the faculty.
III. Course of studies
Individual study plan (curriculum)
The individual study plan is,
following agreement with the student, designed by the Supervising Tutor, who
submits it to the Field Board for approval in two months following the commencement
of the studies. The individual study plan provides what courses of lectures are
compulsory for the student, specifies the details and schedule of the studies,
and possibly study stays at other institutions (including those abroad) and
their programme, as well as the topic and direction of the dissertation thesis.
The student’s individual programme includes, as a rule, two parts: the studying
part and the part focused on work on the dissertation thesis.
The studying part, as a rule, is divided:
- into the general sphere, with the focus on deepening the common basics of
the study programme chosen by the Student, on study of scientific disciplines
connected with the given programme, and on study of English, and
- into the specialized sphere, focused on research into the specific
scientific task and on work on the dissertation thesis.
Duties of the student in a doctoral programme
One of the student’s duties in
a doctoral programme is mastering methodology of scientific work so that after
completing the doctoral studies they will be capable of autonomous scientific
research and publication of its results in internationally acknowledged
periodicals.
During the studies, the student has to pass courses of lectures according to the requirements of the relevant study programme and an English examination. To be allowed to complete the studies by the dissertation thesis defence, the student must also have the appropriate number (depending on the study programme) of publications in professional journals, usually with an impact factor. The Field Board may impose some other study obligations upon them too.
According to the Supervising Tutor’s instructions, the Student must take an active part in scientific conferences, congresses and assemblies of scientific societies, and inform about his/her results in seminars. It is recommended that these assignments are incorporated in the Student’s study plan.
During studies, the Student can apply for replacement of the Supervising Tutor and/or change of the topic; such a change must always be well substantiated and approved by the respective Field Board.
The student may apply for interruption of studies. If a student applies for interruption of studies in writing and no disciplinary proceeding has been brought against him/her, the dean shall grant the application. In his/her decision, the dean shall also provide the terms and conditions of the repeated enrolment. The reason for interruption of studies is, in particular, maternity leave (now according to Act # 48/2013 Coll., i.e. Acknowledged Parental Leave Act), health problems or study stay abroad that is not incorporated in the study plan. For the period of interruption of studies, the person is not a student.
VI. Doctoral State Examination and Defence of the dissertation thesis
VII. Termination of the studies
The studies are regularly
finished by completion of the respective study programme. The date of
completion of the studies is the day when the dissertation thesis is
successfully defended. Further, the studies may be terminated by:
- leaving the study;
- failure to meet the requirements resulting from the study programme;
- withdrawal of the accreditation for the study programme;
- expiration of the accreditation for the study programme;
- expulsion from the studies.
A graduate of a doctoral study programme who has passed all the required examinations and defended the dissertation thesis shall be given a diploma issued by Charles University, stating the study programme, the training institution and the academic degree granted.
VIII. Studies of foreign nationals
The student of a doctoral
study programme can be a national of any country, if he/she meets the
conditions prescribed for the chosen form of study. Studies in Czech language
are free of charge. Studies in a study programme in a foreign language are
provided for fees. The actual amount of the fee is set out in the Appendix No. 2 to the Constitution of Charles
University - Fees for Study for the relevant academic year. There is no fee for doctoral studies in
English at the First Faculty of Medicine in the academic year 2020/21. The
applicant’s state of health must meet the requirements concerning foreign
nationals permitted long-term residence in the Czech Republic.