Study plan

The first part of regular completion of doctoral studies is the doctoral state examination, whose general requirements are given by the Study and Examination Regulations of MU, par. 32, provided that the requirement given by par. 30 are fulfilled. Doctoral students have to prepare thesis of their dissertation work by the end of the 4th semester. At the beginning of examination, students present the thesis of their dissertation work to the committee. Further, a complete knowledge level of physical chemistry in broad general context is examined, while specific knowledge of the subarea of dissertation work is discussed in detail. Depending on the character of dissertation, special topics may be tested. The examination emphasizes thorough understanding of interrelations and knowledge gained during studies, requires a broad view of the subject, tests ability of independent orientation in the studied area of chemistry, and investigates the student interest in current information in specialist literature. In this examination, candidate specialization and dissertation topic is taken into account. The doctoral state examination must be completed during the 5th or 6th semester of studies.

General topics for the doctoral state examination:
- Modern trends in physical chemistry
- Physical chemistry of equilibrium and non equilibrium systems
- Theoretical and experimental methods of studies of structure of atoms and molecules
- Physical chemistry of dynamic changes
- Physico-chemical basis of methods used in dissertation work

The second part of the doctoral state examination is the defense of the doctoral thesis, which can be submitted in Czech or English. Admission to dissertation defense is allowed under condition of fulfilling publication requirements of publishing obtained results in scientific journals. The preferred form of dissertation thesis in the Chemistry program is a treatise containing an overview of up-to-date literary knowledge in given scientific field, important impulses for the work itself, an experimental part describing in detail experiments and results which are described, documented and discussed in the context of contemporary science knowledge. There shall be also the final summary of results, abstract in English and Czech, list of references, and the list of abbreviations used in the thesis. An alternative form of dissertation thesis can be a set of published scientific papers containing commentary and supplemented with an original text which proves student abilities to summarize obtained results and put them in the context of the current state-of-the-art in particular scientific area. If the papers and manuscripts included in the dissertation or submitted to thesis defense were obtained with coauthors, the doctoral student should clearly specify in the thesis his/her contribution to each of the papers. During the dissertation defense, the candidate proves his/her abilities to present obtained scientific results and orientation in the area of specialization and in broader context of the discipline at the current level of knowledge. The doctoral thesis defense is an oral presentation in which the candidate explains to the committee and audience the topics and aims of the work, examined problems, methods used in research and obtained results. The candidate gives answers to the questions and comments raised in reports of the supervisor and reviewers and reacts to questions in public discussion.

Doctoral studies in the Chemistry program are divided into three parts. During the first period, students in cooperation with their supervisors prepare Individual Study Plans (ISP). In the second part, students fulfill requirements for admission to the doctoral state examination and in the third period fulfill the criteria for admission to the dissertation thesis defense. The course of studies is reviewed by checking fulfillment of Milestones defined in ISP. The progress through the three study stages is checked and assessed for each individual student by the Doctoral Board during its yearly evaluation meetings.

Milestone 1 – End of the 1st semester
- students in cooperation with their supervisors prepare detailed Individual Study Plans (ISP), which has to be approved by the Doctoral Board of Chemistry program by the end of the 1st semester

Milestone 2 – End of the 4th semester
- students complete all courses of theoretical studies, which they prove by successful completion of 4 courses widening theoretical knowledge and deepening knowledge of broader scientific field (successfully completed with examination) and 4 courses deepening specialized knowledge in the particular filed (successfully completed with colloquium or credits)
- students complete Field seminar and Doctoral seminar in Chemistry (XD107) and acquire required number of credits
- students complete Handling chemical substances (C7777) course in each Fall semester
- students prove fulfillment of their language competence in chemical English
- students fulfill requirements of pedagogical development by acquiring credits for Teaching Assistance (XD102)
- students complete other requirements according to their ISP
- students prepare the thesis of dissertation
- students submit the thesis and application to be admitted to the doctoral state examination
- students complete the doctoral state examination during 5th or 6th semester

Milestone 3 – End of standard length of study (end of the 8th semester)
- students prepare their dissertation thesis for defense by completing Dissertation preparation (XD100)
- students fulfill requirements of publication by publishing their results in scientific literature
- students complete seminars and acquire credits for the Field seminar, where attendance is compulsory during the actual length of study, this seminar is not compulsory for students in the combined form of studies
- students complete seminars and acquire credits for the Seminar of Ph.D. Chemistry studies (XD107), where attendance is compulsory during the actual length of study. This course is conducted as a doctoral student conference at the end of each semester. Students present two posters during their studies and in the semester preceding their dissertation defense present a lecture summarizing their results of dissertation work. This seminar is compulsory for students in the combined form of studies during the standard length of studies (the first 4 years), the lecture before dissertation defense is compulsory for both forms of studies (full-time and combined)
- students complete Handling chemical substances (C7777) course in each Fall semester
- students prove fulfillment of requirement of presentation at an international conference by acquiring credits for Lecture in foreign language (XD106)
- students prove fulfillment of international cooperation by acquiring credits for Internship (XD110)
- students submit application for the dissertation thesis defense

Experimental and theoretical study of systems for perspective thermoelectric materials

Fluorescence Study of the Chemical Compounds on the Ice Surface

Preparation, complex characterization and application of SERS substrates

Study of new photoreleasable compounds activatable by visible light

In silico design and NMR study of supramolecular metallodrug-carrier systems

Paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy of Transition-Metal Complexes: Experiment vs Theory

Phase diagram modelling of systems with intermetallic phases

Synthesis and thermodynamic stability of nanoalloys

Quantum-mechanical calculations of electronic structure and phonon spectra in intermetallic compounds

Elimination voltammetry as a bioanalytical tool in genomics and proteomics - development and application

Chemical and electrochemical analysis of purine derivatives based on their interactions with copper ions or copper nanoparticles