Czech Language

The aim of the Ph.D. study programme Czech Language and Literature is to prepare graduates for a career in the academic sphere or in commercial sphere, at positions where a high qualification is required with the specialization in the field of linguistics (theoretical approaches to translation, locating and creating software applications etc.). During their studies, students will get acquainted with theoretical approaches to modern linguistics that reflect the structure of Czech from both synchronic and diachronic viewpoints. The Ph.D. study programme is organized within several sections corresponding to the scholarly orientation of members of the Department of Czech Language (linguistics from the synchronic viewpoint, linguistics from the diachronic viewpoint or corpus/computer linguistics). Ph.D. students are required to participate in work of several of the sections, within which they work on their Ph.D. projects. Besides acquiring knowledge from the sphere of contemporary linguistics, they also learn elementary techniques of linguistic work (use of a specific linguistic methodology, use of sources, evaluation of linguistic data, presentations of their own research in oral or printed forms, defending results of their research, team work). Under the supervision of experts, students in higher courses of the Ph.D. study programme participate in teaching at the Department of Czech Language, thus gaining elementary competences of a university teacher.

Within the Ph.D. programme focused on Czech language it is possible to take two specialized study plans:

1. The specialization Historical Languages of the Czech Lands is organized on the basis of Latin-German-Czech character (carried out by the Department of Classical Studies, by the Department of German, Scandinavian and Netherland Studies and by the Department of Czech Language). It is aimed at students interested in Paleo-Bohemistics from the linguistic point of view, presenting Old Czech in the proper Latin-German-Czech context. The aim of this specialization is to provide students with the possibility to get a complex insight into medieval literature from the viewpoint of theoretical approaches to both literature and language.

2. The specialization Experimental and applied linguistics is aimed at deepening the knowledge and skills in the sphere of using experimental methods and methods applying formal approaches to the natural languages (organized by the main linguistically orientated academic institutions: Department of Czech Language, Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages, Department of English and American Studies, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Department of German, Scandinavian and Netherland Studies). It is aimed at students interested in linguistics focused on the observation of language data and on their processing using mathematic methods and on theoretical issues relating to the application of formal methods on the material from the sphere of natural languages.

Graduates are experts with the knowledge of Czech as a “system” and/or as a form of human behaviour. They are able to hold positions in an academic community focused on studying and/or teaching Czech or in disciplines orientated on language in general and on its applications, respectively (i.e. they are able to hold positions of university teachers, of independent research workers or development workers). Depending on the topic of their doctoral thesis, graduates are also ready to fulfil specialized tasks at various memorial institutions where the knowledge of history and/or of present-day state of language is required, especially with regard to their sources of information and to the information databases (graduates are able to create information databases, to work in departments dealing with manuscripts or as curators of collections of written sources/digital databases).

Deadline for applications: January 1 - April 30.

Deadline for delivery of documents for the admission procedure: May 15.

Documents for the admission procedure:

• signed CV;
• list of publishing activities;
• dissertation project + an overview of literature.

Documents for the admission procedure must be inserted into the e-application (rubric “Documents”) by 15 May. Applicants are required to include their full name and application number on all attached documents.

The entrance examination takes the form of an oral discussion over the doctoral thesis project.

Notice: A poof of completion of a Master’s degree programme (officially certified copy of the diploma, in the case of education obtained abroad also the so-called recognition) shall be submitted by the accepted applicants upon enrolment in the studies. For the entrance examination, a proof of completion of a Master’s degree programme is not required.

Criteria for evaluation

The applicants can obtain a maximum of 100 points. The minimum number of points for passing the exam is 75. The applicants are assessed in the following areas:

• dissertation project (max. 50 points);
• discussion (max. 25 points);
• motivation (max. 25 points).