Classical Philology

The basic form of Doctoral Studies of Classical Philology is individual, systematic preparation for creative scientific and scholarly work. This scholarly preparation is in the form of obligatory-optional lectures, individual consultations, autonomous preparation, and the reading of assigned original literature, including its interpretations. The concluding part of the doctoral studies is the creation of a dissertation thesis.

Practical training

Further information

Rules and conditions for creating education plans

The standard length of doctoral studies is 4 years. During this time, the doctoral student needs to acquire a total of 240 credits, 214 of which from obligatory subjects and courses (A-type credits) and the remainder from obligatory-optional subjects and courses (B-type credits).

Based on individually organized education plans, the instruction of doctoral students is realized via philosophical preparation (provided by the Department of Philosophy), scholarly methodological preparation (under the tutelage of a supervisor, once an arrangement is made), linguistic preparation (either at the Masaryk University Language Centre, or, according to the decision of the field-of-study’s committee and the supervisor, in the form of a foreign language report), and scholarly preparation of both a linguistic and literary focus.

During their studies, doctoral students must prepare and give a presentation on a part of their anticipated dissertation thesis at an international scientific conference, workshop, or scholarly seminar, and publish at least one scholarly study (in a foreign language) in a peer-reviewed periodical or magazine.

Among the obligatory-optional subjects there are Special lectures I-IV, assigned by the education plan and chosen by the doctoral student, given the approval of their supervisor.

A graduate of the doctoral studies of classical philology is, depending on their subdisciplinary specialization, thoroughly educated in a field of Latin or Greek linguistics, or Roman or Greek literary science, including the historiographical, linguistic, and socio-cultural contexts (based on their interest of choice, for example in the field of ancient philosophy and religion, ancient fine art, Greco-Roman history, comparative linguistics, or comparative literary science). Besides being well-read in ancient Latin or Greek texts, they perfectly understand the theoretical and methodological principles of translation of original ancient Latin or Greek writings. They have deep knowledge of their specialized subject of choice and they are equipped with theoretical and methodological prowess, which they apply during their individual, creative scientific work. They can speak at least one foreign language perfectly and are theoretically well-suited to adopt further modern foreign languages in the context of Europe, especially Romance languages or Modern Greek.

Graduates are capable of independent application in all employments, especially those related to the humanities and demanding individual and critical thinking, mainly at universities or choice high schools (after the possible expansion of teaching capabilities), at scientific institutions, or in the field of media and translation of scholarly literature. They can also find employment in humanities-oriented institutes of the Academy of Science, in archives, libraries, museums, in printing houses, and even in diplomacy and the agencies of the European Union.

You do not have to come to Brno personally to take the entrance exam. The result of the admission process depends on the quality of the documents that you provide. Those will be assessed by the admission committee and you will be notified about the results via e-mail.

Eligibility Criteria

Only university graduates of Master's degree programmes of Greek and Latin philology can be admitted to the doctoral study programme (full-time or combined mode) after the admission procedure. It is recommended that you choose and contact your supervisor before sending your application. For more information, please contact prof. Daniela Urbanová urbanova@phil.muni.cz.

Terms of Admission

1. Submission of an electronic application in the Masaryk University Information System.
2. Submission of one letter of recommendation.
3. Submission of a transcript(s) of university/college studies.
4. Submission of applicant's CV in English.
5. Submission of a copy of the applicant's Master's Thesis (in English, German, Italian or Spanish). If this is not available, an English-language summary of the thesis must be provided together with a minimum twenty-page sample of the applicant's academic or scholarly writing in English, German, Italian or Spanish).
6. Submission of a doctoral research project (about 3000 words in English) by October 31st (for the expected enrollment in the Spring semester) or April 30th (for the expected enrollment in the Autumn semester).
7. Submission of a statement of motivation to pursue a doctoral degree in Classical Philology at Masaryk University (in English, German, Italian or Spanish).

The admission procedure has two rounds. Based on the quality of the project, its compliance with the research profile of the department, and the availability of a suitable supervisor, projects can be shortlisted for the second round. The second round consists of a presentation of the project in front of the admission committee, followed by a discussion and defense of the project. Based on this interview and the availability of a potential supervisor, the admission committee decides about recommending or not the admission.

Application Deadlines

1 January - 30 April for the enrollment in the Fall semester
1 July - 31 October for the enrollment in the Spring semester

Documents set out above in the Terms of Admission are required to be provided in digital form and attached to the online application by April 30th or October 31st.

Contact

admission@phil.muni.cz