Slavonic Literatures

The goal of the study is a more profound education in the traditional university programme which has been the foundation programme at Masaryk University from the beginning of the 1920s. Its character was formed in the framework of the Slavonic Seminar of that time by later world famous structuralists from the Prague Linguistic Circle, a member of which was also the initiator of the Praguer - Brno school of comparative literary criticism professor Frank Wollman, shortly before him Sergey Vilinsky and shortly later a famous linguist , literary scholar, phonologist, and a theoretician of verse Roman Jabobson, professor of the newly established study programme Russian Philology. The Slavonic literatures continued to be part of a wider concept of Slavonic philology and Slavonic studies as such in the framework of area approach on the comparative basis in European and world context on the methodological grounds created in the course of the 18th and 20th centuries with the methodological flexibility tending to the methods of the second half of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries (semiotics, hermeneutics, deconstructivism, cognitivist methods) transcending towards cultural conception of comparative literary studies and new concepts of world literature. The doctoral student focuses on the comparative Slavonic sphere due to the conception of his/(her dissertation and in this way he/she conceives the study scheme in which he/she selects - besides obligatory subjects - a set of specializations. After the successful completing of the study the doctoral study graduate is able to master - besides Czech - English and German (alternatively, one of the two languages can be subsituted by a Slavonic langauage different from the specialization and the native language of the doctoral student); he/she is able to orientate himself/herself in Slavonic literatures in a complex way and to compare the structure of various Slavonic literatures; to apply both the theoretical and historical tools and new methodologies in grasping the evolution of Slavonic literatures as part of world literary process. The interdiscplinary focus enables the doctoral study graduate to be successful in the existing EU institutions, in the communication between Slavonic countries - both the EU members and non-members, in public administration of all levels, in the institutions focusing on the development and administration of regions, especially on the Slavonic immigration to the Czech Republic, in the expert examination for European Czech national and governmental authorities, in the institutions of various international and non-profit and charitable organizations also outside the EU, in educational and scientific institutions, in the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; due to his/her language and general cultural competences he/she will be ablelto work in international and foreign scientific institutions, in mass media, mainly of literary and literary critical focus, in publishing houses, in the sphere of application of contemporary technologies supporting - above all - humanities, mainly philologies etc. The study programme provides a broad education in comparative literary criticism tending towards cultural studies and historiography of corresponding countries for the activity in various scholarly and educational and cultural institutions, in journalism and expert examination both in the public and private sectors, in consulting; the flexibility of the conception also enables the activity in professional politics.

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

• orientate oneself in a comprehensive way in Slavonic literatures and compare the form and structure of varous Slavonic literatures in the context of world literature and the world literary canon;
• make use of the theoretical na historical tools and new methodologies in grasping the Slavonic literary process;
• make use of the knowledge of literature for the transcendence towards a more profound cognition of Slavonic cultural area in geopolitical and cultural conext of Europe and the world and for the necessary scholarly and expert activity;
• master - besides Czech - two more languages on the C1 level, at least one of which is non-Slavonic (English, German);

The graduate of the doctoral programme Slavonic literatures will get a profound knowledge of the comparative and general literary critical problems, a perfect grasp of the development of at least one Slavonic literature in comparative span and cultural and historical context and deepen his/her knowledge of Slavonic languages corresponding to the studied Slavonic literature (literatures) and at least one world language (English/Geman). He will be able to apply the acquired cognition in special university institutions focused on humanities or in the institutes of the academy of sciences aimed at the research or educational activity in the sphere of general theory of literature and of literary history. He can also become a highly qualified editor or expert in culture, translation etc.; his/her general historical and cultural scope of knowledge can also enable him to occupy certain positions in diplomacy.

There is no obligatory practical training at external workplaces. Active involvement of the students in teaching, researching, and organising tasks within the institute offers an opportunity to acquire further praxis-related skills.

The standard length of the doctoral thesis is determined by the character count, which comprises the main text with footnotes/endnotes and contents. Bibliography, the title page, or the declaration of honour, are not calculated in the character count. The recommended length of the doctoral thesis is 180,000 characters.

The doctoral thesis deals with a specific problem from the comparative literature that corresponds with the type of the study programme. In it, the student is to demonstrate their ability of independent academic work, including setting up a hypothesis, an outline, and a time frame of the thesis, searching for and working with relevant literature according to the thematic focus of their thesis, collecting relevant research material by the use of adequate methods, and all of this within the appropriate context of the current developments in the field. The dissertation thesis has to be submitted in the set length, as well as on the prescribed level in terms of contents, language, and formatting, which are required for a doctoral thesis.

The thesis is assessed on the basis of the supervisor's and two reviewers' reports.