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Masaryk University Faculty of Law Directive No. 2/2022
About the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes
(as amended with effect from 14 March 2024)
Pursuant to Section 28(1) of Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions
and on Amendments and Supplements to Other Acts (the Higher Education Act), as
amended (hereinafter referred to as the Higher Education Act), I issue this Directive:
Article 1
Introductory provisions
(1) This Directive implements selected provisions of the Study and Examination
Regulations of Masaryk University (hereinafter referred to as the "Study and
Examination Regulations") and further regulates the requirements for the formal
arrangement of bachelor's and master's theses.
(2) For the purposes of this Directive and related regulations, the following shall mean:
a) "Master's degree programme" means the Master's degree programme in Law
and Legal Studies, majoring in Law, and the Master's degree programme in
Law and Legal Studies,
b) "follow-up Master's degree programme" means the follow-up Master's degree
programme in Public Administration, majoring in Public Administration, and
the follow-up Master's degree programme in Public Administration,
c) "Bachelor's degree programme" means Bachelor's degree programmes
accredited by the Faculty of Law of Masaryk University MU.
(3) This Directive governs studies in study programmes accredited and implemented at
the Faculty of Law of Masaryk University. Its provisions shall apply mutatis mutandis
to studies in courses of study accredited at other faculties if these courses are
guaranteed and implemented by the Faculty of Law of Masaryk University
(hereinafter referred to as "courses of other accreditations").
(4) Unless the Directive further distinguishes between study programmes, the provision
applies to all of them.
(5) For the purposes of this Directive, a department shall also mean an institute.
Article 2
Study Subject Guarantor
Within the framework of quality assurance processes, the position and duties of the
guarantor of a study course (hereinafter referred to as the course) are governed by the MU
Internal Regulation on Approval, Management and Quality Assessment of Study
Programmes of Masaryk University. The study subject guarantor shall in particular:
a) ensures that the required data about the study course are filled in the Study
Catalogue in the IS MUNI,
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b) is responsible for providing the course with study materials,
c) prepares the programme of lectures and seminars/exercises and is responsible for
their implementation together with the Head of Department,
d) specifies the conditions for completion of the course, including the possibility and
conditions for substituting participation in seminars/exercises,
e) sets special conditions for the completion of the course for students who have an
individual study plan corresponding to the graduate profile of the course,
f) ensures that a sufficient number of examination dates for the course are announced
and is responsible for their implementation together with the head of the
department,
g) comments on applications for recognition of courses, including courses taken during
study abroad,
h) comment on the proposal to revise the course completion assessment,
i) decides on the award of an individual study plan for the course.
Article 3
Number of students in seminar groups
(1) A seminar group in a compulsory course in the first year of a Master's degree
programme has a maximum of 23 students, in other years of the degree programme
a seminar group in a compulsory course has a maximum of 22 students. The relevant
vice-dean is entitled to make an exception to this number. If fewer than 11 students
enrol in a seminar group, the seminar group is cancelled. In this case, students will
be offered enrolment in other seminar groups so that their timetable does not conflict
with the timetable of courses already enrolled.
(2) The relevant vice-dean is entitled to cancel the implementation of a compulsory
elective course for the relevant semester if fewer than 5 students enrol in the course
on the proposal of the course guarantor. In this case, students will be allowed to enrol
in another compulsory elective course, even outside the enrolment period.
Article 4
Termination of courses
If the student does not sign up to complete the course in accordance with Article 16(6) of
the Study and Examination Regulations, the course will be terminated with a grade of "-"
(dash).
Article 5
Recognition of subjects
(1) A course taken at another college or university as part of a previous or
concurrent studies may be recognised as a compulsory course if its content
corresponds to the content and scope of the recognised course, the profile of the
graduate of the course, as well as the time allocation and form of completion. When
assessing the completion of a course of study, the completion of the course in a
higher form may be taken into account in justified cases.
(2) A course taken in another study programme as a compulsory elective course (in
particular a recognised compulsory elective course) cannot be recognised separately
as a compulsory elective course.
Article 6
Certain provisions on interruption of studies
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In addition to the interruption of studies at the request of a student pursuant to Article 13
of the Study and Examination Regulations and the interruption of studies pursuant to Article
22(8) of the Study and Examination Regulations, studies may be interrupted in cases where
a student lacks the study obligations related exclusively to the preparation and proper
submission of a bachelor's or master's thesis in order to complete the study plan of a given
study programme before taking the state final examination. The study is interrupted until
the start of the next following period announced for the holding of the state final
examinations according to the schedule of the academic year in question.
Article 7
Transfers within Masaryk University
(1) Transfer to a bachelor's degree programme implemented by the Faculty of Law of
Masaryk University may be permitted only if the capacity of the faculty allows it and
provided that continuity of study can be ensured. The transfer must not circumvent
the purpose of the admission procedure.
(2) It is possible to transfer to a Bachelor's degree programme implemented by the
Faculty of Law of Masaryk University only from a Master's or Bachelor's degree
programme implemented by the Faculty of Law of Masaryk University. In justified
cases, a transfer may be permitted even if the student is a student of a bachelor's
degree programme at another faculty of Masaryk University. The faculty shall enrol
the student for studies only on condition that the student has completed his/her
studies in the given study programme by the date of enrolment at the latest.
(3) In the event that the given facts cannot be proven from the MUNI IS, the transfer
application must be accompanied by a document confirmed by the relevant study
department on the courses completed to date, including their grades and syllabus,
as well as a confirmation of study. The application for transfer from another faculty
of Masaryk University must be submitted no later than 31 January or 31 August.
(4) The transfer decision includes the determination of the semester to which the student
will be assigned and a study plan designed to compensate for differences in study.
(5) In the event of a decision to allow a transfer, the student is entitled to enrol in studies
on the next enrolment date set out in the timetable for the relevant academic year,
or on an alternative date set out in the transfer decision. When enrolling in studies,
a student who transfers from another faculty of Masaryk University is obliged to
prove passing the matriculation examination by an authorised conversion of the
matriculation certificate, and furthermore, within 5 working days from the date of
enrolment at the latest, he/she is obliged to prove completion of studies in the
relevant study programme from which he/she transferred.
Article 8
Individual study plan
(1) In cases worthy of special consideration, especially for health, social or family
reasons, a student may be granted an exception to the provisions of Article 9(2) of
the Study and Examination Regulations in the form of an Individual Study Plan
(hereinafter referred to as "ISP").
(2) ISP can be granted in a given semester for all courses or for the study of individual
courses.
(3) The ISP is granted on the basis of the student's application. The application includes
documents certifying the reasons for which the student is applying for the ISP. The
application must be submitted no later than the beginning of the teaching period of
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the relevant semester. Later applications may only be submitted if the reasons for
the ISP have occurred during the semester.
(4) A student who has been granted an ISP for a given semester is obliged to enrol in
the IS MUNI seminar group for the ISP within 14 days of the start of the teaching
period of the semester in question, or by the time specified in the decision.
(5) The student is obliged to comply with the course completion requirements specified
by the course sponsor for students with an approved ISP.
Article 9
Individual study arrangements
(1) If a student is sent by the Faculty of Law of Masaryk University, Masaryk University,
another university or the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to study at a
foreign university, he/she is entitled to request an individual adjustment of his/her
studies at the Faculty of Law of Masaryk University. The application for individual
adjustment of studies must be supported by a confirmation of the sending faculty
on the assignment, place and exact period of the study stay.
(2) Depending on the length of the stay at the foreign faculty, the student chooses one
of the following options for adjusting his/her studies:
a) individual study arrangements with a deferred period of review of the
conditions for enrolment in the following semester in the event that the
student is sent for a period of one semester,
b) Individual study arrangements for two semesters with a deferred review
period of one or two semesters if the student is posted for more than one
semester,
c) retention in the semester in which he/she was enrolled at the time of the
secondment abroad, if the student is seconded for at least two semesters.
(3) In addition to the deadlines for checking that the conditions for enrolment in the
following semester have been met, the decision to grant an individual adjustment
of studies may set additional conditions for the completion of courses enrolled in the
relevant semester.
Article 10
Use of legislation in the termination of subjects
(1) The student has the right to use uncommented legal regulations in the preparation
and performance of the examination, credit and colloquium.
(2) For the state final examination, the right to use uncommented legislation applies to
the preparation for the examination. During the examination, uncommented
legislation may be used only at the invitation of the examiner.
(3) Uncommented legislation means the full text of laws (the CC) or the printed "raw"
text of legislation. The text may not be supplemented verbally, but titles and possible
references to other provisions are tolerated. Underlining of text or use of a highlighter
is acceptable.
(4) The use of uncommented legislation under paragraph 1 may be excluded by the
course sponsor if this procedure is announced within 14 days of the start of the
teaching period of the semester in which the course is to be completed in that form.
Article 11
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Some provisions on the state final examination
(1) The state final examination (hereinafter referred to as the "state examination")
consists of two parts, namely the defence of the diploma or bachelor's thesis and an
oral examination of the subjects specified in the accreditation of the relevant study
programme. If the accreditation of the study programme in question permits, the
defence of the bachelor's thesis may be replaced by a diploma assignment and its
defence.
(2) In the case where the choice of subjects for the oral examination is allowed, the
student is entitled to choose the composition of the subjects from which the oral
examination will be taken, on predetermined and announced dates.
(3) A student who has fulfilled all the conditions prescribed by the study plan may be
admitted to the state examination. He/she is obliged to prove the fulfilment of these
conditions no later than two working days before the date of the state examination.
(4) If the defence of a diploma or bachelor thesis is held together with an oral
examination, a representative of the department where the diploma or bachelor
thesis was prepared is also a member of the committee.
(5) The student has the right to repeat the failed part of the state examination in the
following period designated for holding state examinations according to the schedule.
Article 12
Schedule of assignment of themes for bachelor and master theses
(1) The topics of bachelor's theses and master's theses in the Master's degree
programme are announced by 31 January at the latest via IS MUNI. Students apply
for the topic via MUNI IS between 7 February and 31 March of the academic year.
(2) The thesis topics in the follow-up Master's degree programme are announced no
later than 30 September via IS MUNI. The student applies for the topic via IS MUNI
between 15 October and 30 November of the given academic year.
(3) The student has the right to propose his/her own topic for the Bachelor's or
Master's thesis.
(4) The bachelor thesis and master thesis assignments are uploaded to the MUNI IS
by 30 June. Approval of the assignment will be done in MUNI IS by the thesis
supervisor by 30 June, by the study programme guarantor and the head of the
department by 30 September.
Article 13
Timetable for the submission of diploma theses and bachelor theses
(1) The deadlines for the submission of diploma and bachelor theses are set in relation
to the deadline for registration for the state examination, as follows:
a) in the case of an application for the state examination held in the spring semester,
the thesis must be submitted by 31 March and the bachelor's thesis by 15 April,
b) in the case of an application for a state examination held during the extended
examination period of the spring semester, the diploma or bachelor's thesis must be
submitted by 30 June,
c) in the case of an application for a state examination held in the autumn examination
period
semester, the thesis or bachelor's thesis must be submitted by 31 October.
(2) The submission of a bachelor's or master's thesis means its deposit in the specified
manner in the IS MU.
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(3) If a student fails to submit his/her diploma or bachelor's thesis by the above
deadlines, his/her application will be rescheduled for the next nearest announced
state examination date.
Article 14
Language and requirements for bachelor's and master's theses
(1) The work is written in written Czech, Slovak or English. The decision to accept a
thesis in another language is made at the request of the student and with the
approval of the thesis supervisor by the head of the department.
(2) The formal requirements of the bachelor's and master's theses are governed by the
arrangements set out in Annex 1 to this Directive.
(3) The provisions on the formal requirements of bachelor's and master's theses apply
mutatis mutandis to seminar theses, with the exception of the provisions on the
determination of the scope (number of pages), annotation, keywords and the method
of submission of the thesis.
Article 15
Certain provisions on the defence of diploma and bachelor theses
(1) The head of the department appoints the opponent of the diploma and bachelor
thesis and sets the deadline for the preparation of the reports.
(2) An electronic record is made of the course of the defence of the diploma or bachelor's
thesis in the IS MUNI, which includes the date of the defence, the composition of the
examination committee before which the thesis is defended, a description of the
course of the defence and its evaluation, a record of any different opinions of the
committee members and the signatures of the chair and the committee members.
In the case of a grade of F/failing, the minutes shall indicate whether the defence of
the first version will be repeated or whether a deadline for the submission of the
second version of the thesis or bachelor's thesis is set in the case where the
committee proposes to rework it.
(3) In the event that the supervisor or opponent of the diploma or bachelor's thesis
proposes to grade the thesis as unsatisfactory (F) and the student is evaluated with
a more favourable grade at the defence, the protocol shall state the opinion on the
reservations that were the reason for the evaluation of the thesis as unsatisfactory.
(4) If the defence of a bachelor's or master's thesis is graded F/unsatisfactory, the chair
of the committee determines the next procedure (repeating the defence, reworking
the thesis with a new deadline for submission according to the schedule), which is
recorded in the minutes and communicated to the student.
(5) The student is entitled to see the record of the defence.
Article 16
Plagiarism in bachelor and master theses
If the assessed thesis or bachelor's thesis shows signs of plagiarism and the degree of
conformity with other theses is such that the thesis is not an original work, this fact must
be stated in the thesis report and the thesis must be graded with an unsatisfactory "F"
grade. The head of the department in which the thesis was prepared is obliged to report
this fact in writing to the relevant vice-dean via the study department. At the same time,
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depending on the severity of the finding of the extent of the work's unoriginality, he/she
shall consider initiating disciplinary proceedings with the Dean of the Faculty. Failure to
initiate disciplinary proceedings must be justified in the above notification.
Article 17
Final provisions
(1) Directive 7/2012 on the Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programme is repealed.
(2) The provisions governing the description of the use of artificial intelligence tools in
theses and bachelor theses apply to theses submitted from 16 April 2024.
(3) I hereby delegate the interpretation of the individual provisions of this Directive and
the control of compliance with its provisions to the Vice-Dean for the Master's Degree
Programme and the Vice-Dean for Bachelor's and Continuing Master's Studies.
(4) This text replaces the text of 29 August 2022.
Annex No. 1 - Requirements for Bachelor's and Master's Theses
In Brno, 14 March 2024 Martin Škop
Dean
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Annex 1
Requirements for bachelor and master theses
(1) The minimum length of the thesis is 50 standard pages, i.e. at least 90 thousand
characters, the bachelor's thesis 30 standard pages, i.e. at least 54 thousand
(including spaces and notes) of the text from the introduction to the conclusion
inclusive. Other parts of the thesis are not included in the minimum length. In the
assignment, the scope may be limited by an upper limit on the number of standard
pages or characters, including spaces.
(2) The thesis contains a title page, an affidavit, an annotation with a list of keywords,
a table of contents, the text itself and a list of sources used, in the order in which
they were cited. Optionally, it may also contain acknowledgements and other
components.
(3) The title page is placed on a separate sheet. At the top it says "Masaryk University
Faculty of Law" and the programme studied. In the middle part it says "Thesis" or
"Bachelor's thesis", its title and the author's name. In the lower part, the academic
year of submission of the thesis is indicated. If the thesis is submitted in a language
other than Czech or Slovak, the prescribed information is given in English; if the
thesis is submitted in a language other than Czech, Slovak or English, the title is also
given in the language of the thesis.
(4) The affidavit is on a separate sheet. It consists of the text below (accompanied by
the type and title of the work) and the author's signature. The text of the affidavit
takes the following form (depending on the type of thesis submitted): 'I declare that
I have prepared my thesis (bachelor's thesis) on [title of qualifying thesis] by myself.
All sources and sources of information that I have used to write this thesis have been
cited in the footnotes and are listed in the list of sources and literature used. The
manner and extent of the use of artificial intelligence tools is also described." If the
thesis is submitted in a language other than Czech or Slovak, the affidavit shall be
in English and shall read as follows: "I hereby declare that I have prepared my ....
(add according to the type of thesis) thesis on the topic [title of thesis] by myself.
All sources that I have used to write this thesis have been cited in the footnotes and
are listed in the list of sources and literature. The method and scope of using artificial
intelligence tools was also described in the thesis."
(5) An annotation with a list of keywords is placed on a separate sheet. It consists of
a Czech and English version of the annotation (the usual length of each is 500-600
characters including spaces) and a Czech and English version of the list of keywords
(the usual length of the list is 5-10 words). The text of both language versions of the
annotation and the keyword lists must be identical to those provided by the student
in the IS MU thesis archive.
(6) A description of the use of AI tools is located after the annotation. It consists of a
Czech and an English version. It indicates which AI tools were used in the writing of
the thesis, how and to what extent, including the specification of the chapters.
(7) The content of the work is placed on a separate sheet or sheets. It includes chapters
and subchapters, and optionally other subdivisions. Individual items are numbered
and marked with the page on which they begin.
(8) The text of the thesis itself is usually divided into chapters, subchapters and
sections. The numbering is done in Arabic numerals, with each level separated by a
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full stop (1 Chapter title, 1.1 Subchapter title, 1.1.1 Section title). The introduction
and conclusion are not numbered. The chapter always starts on a new page.
(9) The list of sources used is on a separate sheet or sheets. It must include an
alphabetically ordered, ascending numbered list of bibliographical data of all
literature used in the production of the thesis (the criteria for ordering are the
surname of the author and, in the second sequence, the year of publication of the
work). Optionally, a list of cited court decisions and other sources, as well as legal
regulations, may also be included. However, this must be visibly separated from the
list of references.
(10) Paper size is A4, text colour is black. Starting with the affidavit, the pages are
numbered in ascending Arabic numerals. The first line of a paragraph (excluding the
line immediately following the heading) shall be indented by a paragraph stop of
appropriate length.
(11) The thesis is submitted electronically via IS MU in a text format allowing easy
editing in commonly used text editors such as .doc or .docx format.
Translated with DeepL-Translator