Study and Research Duties in Doctoral Programmes and their Check
Before Successful Completion of Study
The study and research duties are defined in the accreditation materials for the individual
programmes in the Catalogue of Programmes in the IS:
https://is.muni.cz/programy?lang=en;fakulta=1431
An overview is provided in the Recommended Study Plans for individual doctoral programmes, see
https://www.sci.muni.cz/en/students/phd/doctoral-programmes
The programme guarantor is responsible for setting the duties and requirements for completion of
studies in the individual doctoral programmes.
In the framework of its efforts to guarantee the quality of doctoral programmes and
internationalisation, the management of the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University places clear
emphasis on the performance of duties laid down in the newly accredited programmes. Quality
standards apply to all programmes and thus also to all doctoral students without distinction.
Doctoral studies oriented at research follow trends not only in the relevant fields of science and
research, but also in the international dimension of research and requirements on the students’
language and presentation skills.
The requirements of newly accredited programmes (in 2019) thus apply to all doctoral students
without distinguishing when the student commenced his/her studies.
The management of the Faculty perceives the requirement for international participation in scientific
co-operation, which is understood by Regulation of the Government No. 274/2016 Coll. as
“Participation in a stay abroad for at least 1 month”, as a standard and highly beneficial part of
doctoral studies, and therefore strongly recommends that all doctoral students seek possibilities of
an internship. Only if this is not possible for objective reasons, can the student replace this
requirement by an alternative option following from the Government Regulation.
For students, fulfilment of the requirements for completion of studies is dealt with as follows:
1) DUTY OF ONE-MONTH INTERNSHIP ABROAD – in the academic records, completion of the course
with code XD110
Duty under Government Regulation No. 274/2016 Coll.:
“H I. 3 - The study duties in a doctoral programme shall include studying at a foreign institution for a
period of at least one month or participation in an international creative project whose results will be
published or presented abroad or some other form of direct participation of the student in
international co-operation.”
This duty applies to all students in accredited programmes after this Regulation entered into force,
regardless of when they commenced their doctoral studies.
In individual cases where the requirement for an internship abroad cannot be met for objective
reasons, the student may apply for an exemption, based on proper justification. The supervisor of
the relevant doctoral programme and, subsequently, the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies will then
decide on the application. In assessment of the application, they shall take into account, in particular,
the level of the study, the contents of the individual study plan, objective personal or study/work
reasons preventing the performance of this duty and, in particular, the suggested alternative option.
Filing an application for an exemption – electronically via the IS document office:
“Agenda: PřF ODSKAZINT: Doctoral studies: Žádost o prominutí zahraniční stáže/Request to waive a
stay abroad”
The student will create the application by filling in:
• the cell “Odůvodnění/Reasoning”
• the cell “Návrh alternativy za neuskutečněnou stáž nebo důvod neplnění” (proposed
alternative option replacing internship or reason for non-fulfilment):
• participation in an international creative project with results published or presented abroad
• involvement in international co-operation within international grants
• active participation in important international conferences
• some other form of direct participation in international co-operation
• other (e.g. medical or family reasons, impossibility to travel abroad due to “COVID-19” as an
event of force majeure *)
• supervisor’s university personal identification number (učo)
The application will be sent automatically for approval/statement: to the supervisor, the head of the
doctoral committee (if the programme has doctoral committees appointed for individual
specialisations) and the chairman of the doctoral board.
The final decision (approval/rejection) will be made by the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies. The
student will be sent a “notice of granting/rejecting the application” via the IS document office.
A record on granting/rejecting the application will be made in the student’s electronic file.
2) OTHER NEW REQUIREMENTS – PUBLICATIONS (where old and new accreditations have different
requirements on the quality and number of publications in the doctoral thesis) and TEACHING
ASSISTANCE.
Assessment of compliance with these requirements falls fully within the competence of the doctoral
boards and the programme guarantor. In case of any doubts, it is recommended to draw up a brief
written statement in which the supervisor will confirm that the student meets the requirements, and
the statement will be included in the student’s file.
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*Note:
In view of the extraordinary measures adopted in connection with the spreading of the
COVID-19 pandemic, it is apparent that it will be objectively difficult to complete an
internship abroad during this period. For this reason, the Faculty management recommends
that the supervisory of doctoral programmes grant applications for an exemption from this
duty filed by students who are to complete their study in 2020 and in the summer semester
of 2021.