FORMAL REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION OF DOCTORAL STUDIES
PhD programme: Social Geography and Regional Development (Sociální geografie a regionální rozvoj)
Guarantor/Programme Board head contact: Milan Jeřábek; jerabek@sci.muni.cz
Version: Released and applicable since 1st of August 2019
(fully applicable to students enrolled to academic year 2019-20 and following; applied partially/adequatel to previously enrolled students).
Detailed requirements for the Individual Study Plan (ISP) are described in Table. Here in brief:
• Semestral activities recorded as ZD10#SG – each semester 15 ECTS (120 ECTS during the standard time)
• Publication of 3 scientific papers – min. 1 first-author IF-journal paper, 1 first-author SCOPUS-journal paper, 1 co-authored reviewed paper (30 ECTS)
• Baseline of PhD thesis – defended before the end of Semester 6 (10 ECTS)
• Theoretical courses – minimum 5 courses in semesters 1–4 (36 ECTS)
• Programme seminar – enrol course ZD361 (3 times) in autumn semesters and course ZD371 (3 times) in spring semesters (12 ECTS)
• Scientific presentation at conference in English – minimum one time ZD024 (5 ECTS) and one time ZD025 (3 ECTS)
• Stay abroad – minimum 2-months stay or 2-years collaboration in international project (ZD026, 12 ECTS)
Instructions for recognition of Placement Abroad: https://www.sci.muni.cz/en/students/go-abroad/recognition-of-stay-abroad (the recognition is
done via IS application Internship and Stays, by creating record of the stay and request for recognition; the course is then registered by Dean’s Office)
• Teaching assistance – maximum 150 hours total for all studies during the first 4 semesters – ZD001–ZD004 (12 ECTS)
(*)Requirements fortheoreticalSDE:
Theoretical preparation for SDE (after semester 5). A student at the SDE demonstrates thathe/she has mastered an in depth knowledge of Physical Geography, including appropriate
techniques and skills. The aim is to examine both the level of knowledge and the ability to actively solve the specific scientific problem, including their complex understanding
and application of corresponding analytical methods and synthesis. The defence of the Baselines of the Ph.D. thesis by an independent reviewer is a part of the state doctoral
examination.
The oral exam includes questions from the three testing areas:
- GeneralSocial Geography(components,processes,phenomena, holisticunderstandingofthe Social-geographicalsphere)
- Methods ofSocial-geographicresearch (data acquisition andevaluation, methodsoftheirprocessing)
- Specific discipline from which the Ph.D. thesisis presented (methods, general knowledge, regional aspects,perspectives, scenarios, impacts)
Elements of the
ISP
Milestones and their
check
Enrolment to studies
(Before semester 1)
End of Semester 1 End of Semester 4 End of Semester 6
(Theoretical State
Doctoral Exam, SDE *)
End of Semester 8
(Preparation for PhD
defence)
(A) research and
development
activities (70 %
of workload)
1. Research,
dissertation
project, literature
search of the actual
state of the topic,
planning and the
scientific activities
itself (~55%)
Define framework
topic of your PhD
project with your
supervisor for
enrolment
CHECK: Dean’s office
[enrolment]
ZD011SG–ZD018SG
(15 ECTS each
semester)
CHECK: Dean’s office
Submit detailed
“research project”
for your PhD work
to the Programme
Board. Max. 4
pages containing
Background,
Research
hypothesis and
objectives,
Approachmethods,
Timeline
of foreseen
activities, Expected
publications.
CHECK: Programme
board [Submitted
project]
No formal check
needed
Prepare “Baselines of
the PhD thesis”
ZD010SG (Max. 20
pages) with literature
review (text may later
be used as
Introduction-Summary
to final PhD thesis),
state of the PhD
project, results and
planned publications.
“Baselines” are
reviewed by an
independent reviewer
(possibly one of the
final PhD thesis
reviewer).
CHECK: Programme
board [ZD010SG, SDE
assessment]
Submit PhD thesis
according to
instructions of
Programme Board,
format according to
SCI MUNI
requirements
CHECK: Programme
board, Dean’s office
2. Publications
(thesis should be
based on 3 papers
demonstrating
quality and
independence of
the student (~12%)
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
Publications of the
student may be
included in “Baselines”
for SDE (if relevant)
Three papers minimum
criteria:
One student’s firstauthor
paper
published in IFjournal;
one student’s
first-author paper
published in Scopusjournal;
one coauthored
reviewed
paper. All papers at
least in the state
“accepted”.
CHECK: Programme
board [Thesis]
3. Presentation of
results on scientific
seminars,
symposia,
conferences etc.,
including
preparation of talks
and/or poster
presentations
(~3%)
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
List of presentations
may be included in
“Baselines” for SDE (if
relevant)
At minimum one oral
presentation in English
at international
conference and at
least one poster
presentation at
international
conference
CHECK: Programme
board [ZD024, ZD025]
(B) Specialized
courses and
theoretical
preparation
(20%)
4. Theoretical
courses,
preparation to the
state doctoral
exam – SDE (15%)
Enroll ZD350
Enroll 2 of the 6
Social-geographical
study areas (ZD351–
ZD 356)
Identify student’s
knowledge gaps and
what should be
learned in 2 optional
courses for the first
four semesters.
Consider courses at
MU or outside.
CHECK: Student,
Supervisor
No formal check
needed
Successfully pass 5
theoretical courses.
CHECK: Dean’s
office [IS.MUNI]
Have all other
requirements fulfilled
(see this column) and
submit the application
to SDE (programme
board organizes SDE
further)
Not relevant anymore,
all requirements
fulfilled before
5. Doctoral
seminars (5%)
Enroll ZD361
(obligatory seminar
for 3 semesters)
Enroll ZD371
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
Get credits for ZD361
(obligatory seminar
for 3 semesters) and
ZD371 (obligatory
Not relevant anymore,
all requirements
fulfilled before
(obligatory
presentation
seminar for 3
semesters)
CHECK: Student
presentation seminar
for 3 semesters)
CHECK: Dean’s office
[3 semesters of ZD361,
3 semesters of ZD371]
(C) International
experience and
competitiveness
(5%)
6. Further
improving of
English
competences
(attending courses,
seminars,
conferences,
writing
publications, all in
English).
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
At minimum one oral
presentation in English
at international
conference and at
least one poster
presentation at
international
conference
CHECK: Dean’s office
[ZD024, ZD025]
7. Stay or
internship abroad -
mandatory
participation in
international
cooperation (5%)
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
Minimum 2-months
foreign stay, or 2years
collaboration on
international project
[ZD026]
CHECK: Dean’s office
[ZD026]
(D) Pedagogical
competences
8. Teaching
assistance -
classrooms,
exercises, advising
undergrad students
and comparable.
Development of
pedagogical
experiences – max.
150 hours through
the first 4 semesters
CHECK: Student
No formal check
needed
Completed 4
semesters of
“Development of
pedagogical
experiences”
CHECK: Dean’s
office [ZD001 –
ZD004]
Not relevant anymore,
all requirements
fulfilled before
Not relevant anymore,
all requirements
fulfilled before
(E) Other
transferrable
skills.
9. Career
development preparation
and
management of
projects, scientific
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
No formal check
needed
writing,
communication,
other soft-skills.
Mandatory course
ZD350 Fundamentals of scientific work and preparation of scientific publications
Recommended theoretical courses
ZD351 Theoretical and methodological approaches in SGRD
ZD352 Demographic and settlement structures
ZD353 Geography of production and consumption
ZD354 Mobility, transport, technology
ZD355 Countryside, periphery, borderland
ZD356 Regional development and regional policy