Aesthetics and Culture Studies

The aim of the Ph.D. study programme Aesthetics and Culture Studies 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 art and culture, journalism, politics, and education (theoretical approaches to translation, art, and digital humanities etc.). During their studies, students will get acquainted with theoretical approaches to modern aesthetics and semiotics of culture that reflect the situation of art 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 Aesthetics (analytical aesthetics, history of aesthetics, semiotics, structuralism, philosophical approaches, experimental and empirical research etc.). 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 study of culture, they also learn elementary techniques of a research in humanities. Under the supervision of experts, students in higher courses of the Ph.D. study programme participate in teaching at the Department of Aesthetics, thus gaining elementary competences of a university teacher.

The artist's cognition is the human cognition of the highest kind. T. G. Masaryk

Practical training

The obligatory parts of the doctoral programme consist of individual practical training at some institution or social establishment, a stay abroad for the term of one month (min.), and a semestral teaching course under supervision. Longer teaching periods are not desiderable, for overcharging doctoral students.

Further information

Other information at: http://www.phil.muni.cz/estetika/

The graduate is got ready to work at a wide range of cultural, social or Art- institutions, at boards of cultural or artistic journals, as a teacher or lecturer. In all mentioned places he/she can aply acquired deeper knowledge about art or culture in contexts but also practical skills in identifying, describing, analyzing and proposing how to solve problems in art or everyday practice at institutions promoting social interaction with art and culture.

Deadline for submitting applications: 1 August - 30 November

Deadline for submitting documents for the admission procedure: until 15 December

Documents for the admission procedure:

• signed CV;
• list of publishing activities (if any);
• doctoral thesis project (2 - 3 pages;
• short bibliography of read professional and fiction titles.

Documents for the admission procedure must be inserted into the e-application (rubric “Documents”) by 15 December. 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. The applicant shall bring their diploma thesis (including reviews) for inspection. If the applicant’s diploma thesis is available on the university’s website, it is not necessary to submit a printed version.

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

• Pass/fail line: 70 points (out of 100).