Progression through the study plan

The State Doctoral Exam and the Doctoral Thesis Defence are required for graduating. The State Doctoral Exam tests the candidates’ ability to consider issues in the discipline taken both in the discipline-specific and interdisciplinary context. The Committee sets the candidate two or three topics in psychology. The candidate is to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature on these topics, including the latest research. At the exam, the candidate answers questions pertaining a) to the methodological and research context of the topic, i.e. the candidate critically evaluates how certain issues are studied, discusses approaches to the scientific understanding of the phenomenon in a historical perspective, b) to the newest theories connected to the topic and their relationship to previous thinking, c) to controversies in approaching the topic, which the candidate is to critically evaluate.
The dissertation defence is held according to the rules set out in the study regulations. It takes place in front of a committee that evaluates the candidates' presentations and their answers to the evaluations prepared by two opponents of the thesis. A vote of the committee members determines the review of the defence.

As part of the student's required activities, all the necessary courses must be completed, which are
a) courses related to the preparation and implementation of the doctoral dissertation, including courses related to methodological preparation,
(b) courses that specify the disciplinary focus of the thesis (on social, general, educational, work, developmental or clinical psychology),
(c) a foreign placement of at least 1 semester (90 days),
(d) participation in a foreign conference,
e) publication of at least two publications (at least one is a WoS/SCOPUS Q1-Q3 article, the other is a WoS/Scopus article, a foreign/domestic monograph, or a chapter in a foreign monograph of FSS publishing category A, B),
f) involvement in teaching activities.

The topics of Doctoral Theses are formulated in the context of the general research areas of the psychology research groups of the supervisors. The candidate either chooses their topic from a list of suggested topics or their topic is formulated on an individual basis following a consultation with the supervisor.

Examples of defended dissertations theses:
- Intergroup Relations in Post-Conflict Societies: Promoting Intergroup Contact and Forgiveness among Former Adversaries (https://is.muni.cz/th/ghqbk/);
- Adolescents’ social interactions with online acquaintances (https://is.muni.cz/auth/th/ex2zd/);
- How does family environment influence adolescent subjective psychosomatic health? (https://is.muni.cz/auth/th/gkpv8/);
- Gamification of performance and the related psychological factors and outcomes (https://is.muni.cz/auth/th/mdlbq/);
- Validity of answers in self-report psychology questionnaires: Item proximity effect and careless responding (https://is.muni.cz/auth/th/nzwa7/);
- Authoritarianism and restricted democracy: Perceived threat, anxiety and anger (https://is.muni.cz/auth/th/qyk6o/).