After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• use their knowledge and skills in progressive morphological methods;
• critically evaluate research results based on the state-of-the-art knowledge of human and animal structures;
• perform independent research and critically discuss its results;
• publish their own results in research journals with a high impact factor.

The graduate of this study programme is a fully qualified university teacher of the Faculty of Medicine on the position of the assistant professor with a possible further academic career. The graduate can also work as a scientific researcher in biomedical fields at the Czech Academy of Sciences or in a similar institution as well as in applied research.

The standard duration of the programme is eight semesters, but it is not obligatory to observe this entire period of study. Students are allowed to defend their theses earlier, provided that they comply with the required conditions (credits, State Doctoral Examinations, subjects, publication activities, submission of doctoral thesis). During the course of the study programme, students must take required, selective and elective courses as required by the study regulations.

The required courses are English and 4 courses selected from the common courses, see: http://www.med.muni.cz/index.php?id=123.

After completion of any common course, student will receive 5 credits.

Other credits are for Preparation of Doctoral Thesis I – VIII (5–25 credits/semester), Professional Training I – VIII (1–8 credits/semester), Teaching Assistance (1–8 credits/semester), Research fellowship (= “DSZS01 Study Attachment Abroad” for 5–25 credits/semester), 3 credits for each evaluation point obtained for publication activities.

Doctoral studies are taught in semesters, with the prerequisite for entering the next semester being at least 20 credits from the preceding semester, or 45 credits from the last 2 semesters. If a student has 240 or more credits and has not exceeded the standard period of study, he or she is not obliged to fulfil the previously mentioned prerequisite for enrolling for the next semester.

Participation of students in teaching (max. 4hrs/week) and a research program of the relevant department is a compulsory component of practical training. Attendance at conferences with presentation of student’s own research results in the Czech Republic and abroad (minimally once during the study) is a further activity which needs to be fulfilled within the scope of practical training. A research fellowship of at least two weeks at a prestigious institution abroad is recommended.

The requirements for graduation are: gaining 240 credits during the whole duration of the study programme, completing a minimum of 5 common courses, passing the doctoral state examination, fulfilling the minimal requirements for publications and defending one’s doctoral thesis.

The requirements for the doctoral state examination are as follows: the exam must be passed by the end of the third year of study; students must have a knowledge of morphological fields and current developments in them and show a thorough understanding of the field related to their doctoral thesis. Another requirement for completion of studies is at least one original publication in an international scientific journal with impact factor whose first author must be the student and at least one work published in a scientific journal which is in an international database such as Medline, Scopus, etc.