PhD Studies

Generally, the applicant has to submit the following documents (if not required otherwise all materials must be in Czech or English or must be original documents accompanied by Czech or English translations).

Once the call is open, the applicant may submit an electronic application form. 

Necessary parts of the application are:

• CURRICULUM VITAE (i.e., a one-page outline of the student's professional background, experience, and skills)
• AN ESSAY (up to two pages of format-free text in length) explaining the reasons why the student should be accepted for study at the Faculty of Medicine and what study program and its specialization(s) he or she wishes to apply for.
• PHOTOCOPIES OF ALL DIPLOMAS AND TRANSCRIPTS from all universities attended (the doctoral degree program requirement is a Master's degree in the corresponding field of study).
• TWO LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION from persons familiar with the student's academic background.

• INFORMATION FOR HOLDERS OF FOREIGN CERTIFICATES AND DEGREES
  As stated in the Czech Higher Education Act, Section 48, admission to a Doctoral degree programme is conditional on the completion of studies in a Master’s degree programme.

  The applicant who holds a certificate and a degree from a foreign higher education institution demonstrates the proper completion of studies in the Master's degree by:

  • a foreign document on foreign higher education from countries with which the Czech Republic has concluded a so-called equivalence agreement;
    • This applies to higher education obtained in the Master's degree programme in Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
    • No other documents need to be submitted, and no other verification has to be administered

   

  • a foreign document on foreign higher education for verification by the faculty;
  • This applies to higher education obtained in the Master's degree programme in the countries of the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland.
  • The Faculty of Medicine may require the submission of additional information on the content and scope of the previous foreign higher education, and a confirmation from the relevant foreign authority that the given foreign university is authorized to provide higher education in the said foreign country.
  • In case of doubts about the sufficient level, scope, or content of the previous foreign education proven in this way, the Faculty of Medicine will ask the applicant to complete the documentation with a certificate of recognition of foreign higher education.
  • The verification administrated by the Faculty of Medicine is charged. In order to pay the fee, please go to the Shopping Center of Masaryk University.

   

  • a certificate of recognition of foreign higher education submitted together with a foreign document on foreign higher education.
    • This applies to higher education obtained in the Master’s degree programme in other countries than mentioned above, and to the one that will not be verified by the faculty (see the article above).
    • This certificate of recognition of foreign higher education can be issued by any public university in the Czech Republic, which has an accredited study program with similar content. 
    • At Masaryk University, the recognition of previous Master’s degree programmes is administrated by the Office for Studies at the Rector’s Office. More information on the recognition (or so-called “nostrification”) issued by Masaryk University can be found at https://www.muni.cz/en/admissions/recognition/general

   

  A foreign document on foreign higher education is usually a diploma or a certificate of completed studies.

  • The documents must be submitted in notary-certified copies of officially verified originals (https://www.muni.cz/en/admissions/recognition/means-of-authentication).
  • In case they are issued in other languages than Czech, Slovak, or English, certified translations of the documents to the Czech or English language must be enclosed.

   

  The exact procedure for verification of previous higher education is set out in the Directive of the Faculty of Medicine no. 4/2019.

   

How to apply

Submit an electronic application.

Application submission date

The e-application period is open from 1. 9. 2023 to 30. 11. 2023.

Admission procedure fees

The admission fee is 600,- CZK. Information on how to pay the fee is stated directly in the e-application.

Entrance examinations and dates

If not limited by the terms of the specific study programme, the entrance examinations will be organized in December 2023. The student is required to pass the entrance examination in the appropriate degree program at Masaryk University in person; if this is not possible, the evaluation will be made on the basis of a skype call held in English.

Once the applicant has submitted the application form and paid the application fee, the administrator of the Office for Research and Quality will download the application together with all enclosed documents and send it to the right study programme admission committee. It is necessary to complete the recognition of previous education, as mentioned on this webpage in the part "Admission Information". This procedure can take some time (months) to be completed.

The admission procedure takes place in two rounds:

— 1st round – The admission committee evaluates the materials which the applicant has attached to the application: curriculum vitae, an essay – a motivation letter, a diploma and transcript of courses taken, two letters of recommendation from previous teachers.

We recommend to the applicant to prepare these documents very carefully, as it is on the basis of these documents that the applicant will be invited to the second round of interviews.

— 2nd round – The entrance examination in the form of an interview conducted before the admission committee; upon prior agreement, it can be held using videoconferencing technology.

In the admission process, the applicant can obtain a maximum of 100 points. To be accepted, it is necessary to receive at least 85 points. An admission committee evaluates a presentation of an applicant during the exam. However, the final decision has to be made by the dean of faculty. If the result is "accepted", the administrator of the Office for Research and Quality prepares admission documents. These admission documents are sent directly to the applicant. In the case of a visa application, admission documents are required for the procedure.

The Faculty of Medicine does not organize special Open Days for prospective doctoral students but these applicants are welcome to visit the Faculty during Open Days for prospective Bachelor or Master students (see here) or it is possible to come to the Office for Research and Quality after prior arrangement. For further information please contact Mr. Petr Bures from Office for Research and Quality (petr.bures@med.muni.cz).

The basis of the doctoral studies at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University is the procedural pursuit of preparation of the doctoral thesis in close and regular interaction with the supervisor and supplemented by the faculty-wide applicable terms for completing the postgraduate studies.

Before the defense of the doctoral thesis is performed, the following conditions need to be met:

• Fulfill the requirements of the given individual study plan
• Complete at least four courses in four different fields of study courses of a common basis (see below)

The common courses encompass the stated fields of scientific knowledge and capabilities. They can be completed as a part of the organized courses at the MU (in cooperation with the CEITEC, the Faculty of Science, etc.) or through the analogical external courses (e.g. The Course in the Fundamentals of Research Work Administered by the Czech Academy of Science).

THE FIELDS OF STUDY COURSES OF A COMMON BASIS:

6. Scientific Information, medicine based on evidence (e.g. courses DSAS01 Acquisition of scientific info, taught by Masaryk University Campus library; DSIB01 Introduction to Bioinformatics; C4866 Discover the science - Scientific knowledge and thinking (Faculty of Science); C4868 Discover the science - Science and society (Faculty of Science))
7. Ethical and legal aspects of research (e.g. courses aVLRE07s Rethinking ethics: Challenges underlying technology and medicine; S4002 Law, ethics and philosophy of science (CEITEC))
8. Organization of research projects and clinical trials (e.g. courses BMAM051 Design and analyses of clinical trials; IGA_PS_D Project Skills Development; IGA_CJV_PS Project Skills in English)
9. Data analysis (e.g. courses BMAK051 Clinical Data Analysis; DSAN01 Data Analysis for Neuroscience; Bi5444 Analysis of sequencing data (Faculty of Science); Bi7550 Practical Analysis of Biological Data - Seminar (Faculty of Science); C2170 Statistical Thinking and Data Treatment (Faculty of Science); EO420 Data Analysis in Biomedical and Environmental Sciences I (Faculty of Science); EO430 Data Analysis in Biomedical and Environmental Sciences II (Faculty of Science))
10. Publication, presentation, and grant-related skills (e.g. courses VLLL021 The art of research and scientific writing; FRESHERS recognized as DPUGu Publikacni, prezentacni a grantove dovednosti; VLAW051 Academic Writing; XS450a Communication skills training (CEITEC); S4010 Science Communication Course: Present Your Research Result with Confidence (CEITEC); CJV_AP1 Academic Writing - CEITEC (CEITEC); S5040 Publish or Perish - practicals (CEITEC))
11. Computer Network User (e.g. courses BMUP031 Computer network user; DSUP031 Computer network user)
12. English Language (e.g. courses DSAJz01 English; S4001 International Performance (CEITEC); CJV_AP2 Academic Presentation Skills in English - CEITEC (CEITEC); CJV_AP1 Academic Writing in English - CEITEC (CEITEC)

NOTE: Courses BMAM051, BMAK051, DSAN01, and BMUP031 are taught in the Czech language. Individual English tuition of these courses will be arranged directly with the teacher dr. Jiri Jarkovsky.

For more information regarding the courses in general use the contact phd@med.muni.cz  

 

During the study, it is necessary to:

• Complete at least four courses in four different fields of study courses of a common basis
• Complete at least four subject-area courses (within the competence of the doctoral board).
• Meet the publication activity requirements at least in the specified range. 
• Undergo an internship abroad (with a duration of at least one month), alternatively participate in an international project (attendance at the regular project team meetings is mandatory).
• Present original data at an international conference.
• Submit the doctoral thesis.
• Pass the final state doctoral examination.
• Acquire the total amount of 240 credits over the course of studies (in case the MU study and examination regulations change, the credit system may be bypassed at the discretion of the doctoral board).

Participation in teaching can then only reach the maximum of 150 hours/4 years.

The process of constructing an Individual Study Plan may be described by the following:

25 ECTS - The shared courses of the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University

20 ECTS – Curriculum – Specific Courses

195 ECTS - the doctoral (defense of the doctoral thesis + the final state doctoral examination), publication activities, an internship abroad, attendance at an international conference, assistance in pedagogical activities, and teaching.

Do you need a place where you can meet and work with your colleagues? The following FM MU departments offer the opportunity to use their facilities for group work of PhD students. If you are interested in using a particular room, please contact the contact person of the relevant department.

Room	Contact person	Contact
F01B2/119 (Meeting room)	Dana Procházková Secretary AnatÚ Teorie LF MU	dprochaz@med.muni.cz 549 49 1332
F01B1/320	Gabriela Rozínková Managing assistant UZV PNO LF MU	rozinkova@med.muni.cz 549 49 7241
A20/207 (Seminar room) A20/208 (Library, boardroom)	Ing. Gabriela Řezníčková Secretary FyziolÚ Teorie LF MU	gabriela.reznickova@med.muni.cz 549 49 1340
A21/308	Ing. Veronika Išová Secretary ÚVZ Teorie LF MU	veronika.isova@med.muni.cz 549 49 1380

This activity was created in connection with the HR Award Action Plan of FM MU.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

How to Prevent Plagiarism in Student Work

All outputs and information about the projects Strengthening the Prevention of Plagiarism in Student Works project and Strengthening the Academic Integrity of University Students with a Focus on the Risks and Opportunities of Distance Learning and Assessment Methods can be found at www.akademickaetika.cz/en/

Newcomers may find practical information about the arrival to the Czech Republic on the web of the Welcome Office of the Faculty of Medicine. 

We do recommend to all applicants to read the amendment to the Act on Residence of Foreign Nationals' in the Territory of the Czech Republic and follow its regulations.

Life expenses

It is necessary to come to the Czech Republic with at least 20 000 CZK (€ 800) for life expenses per month.

Insurance

An applicant that needs a visa to get to the Czech Republic has to provide health insurance at minimum for the first year of study by one of the Czech insurance companies mentioned below. Without the insurance he/she cannot apply for visa. The other applicants, that do not need visa, are recommended to get the insurance as well.
Students from European Union have to visit VZP (the first company mentioned in the list of insurance companies in the Czech Republic below) and show them her/his insurance card from her/his country. The company will provide a czech insurance card for foreigners.

Possible insurance companies:

1. VZP www.vzpforforeigners.cz
2. Maxima www.maxima-as.cz
3. Slavia www.pojistovna-slavia.cz
4. Uniqa www.uniqa.cz
5. Inter Partner Assistance (AXA) www.axa-assistance.cz/ipus

The Czech health insurance costs around 15 000 CZK (€ 600) per year.

• Visas and travel information
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
• List of Missions of the Czech Republic abroad
• Application for the Czech Visa 
• Expats
• Masaryk University in Brno
• Masaryk University - Office for International Cooperation (OIC)
• Masaryk University - International Student Club (ISC)
• Brno - The second largest city of the Czech Republic
• Higher Education Act
• MU Study and Examination Regulations