Prospective students are always advised to visit the websites dedicated to doctoral studies at CU and the respective faculty (see below). In our catalogue of study programmes you will find more information about the chosen study programme including its description, admission requirements, application deadline, and, in rare cases, the tuition fee.

DOCTORAL STUDY AT CU

FACULTY WEBSITES

CATALOGUE OF STUDY PROGRAMMES

Overview

Doctoral programmes represent the highest level of formal education, distinguished from Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes by their individual focus and emphasis on independent research in a specific field in collaboration with an experienced supervisor and under the guidance of the subject-area board of academics who are responsible for running the particular Ph.D. programme. Doctoral studies prepare you for a career in research and/or for highly qualified work in a number of professions. Besides research activities, our Ph.D. students gain experience in teaching, publishing, and presenting. Our university is one of the most important providers of doctoral studies in the Czech Republic – one in three doctoral students in the Czech Republic study at Charles University. Therefore, we consider doctoral studies as one of our key long-term strategic priorities and focus on developing partnerships with other research institutions including the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

In order to be admitted to a Ph.D. programme, the applicant must submit evidence of a completed Master's degree in a related field of study.

Ph.D. studies can be pursued as either a full-time study or part-time study (also known as “combined” study as it offers a combination of in-class lessons and e-learning). As a full-time doctoral student you will receive a monthly scholarship, which is usually supplemented by other sources of income, e.g. by awards for participation in research projects or remuneration for teaching undergraduates. The amount of the scholarship depends on the faculty. Some of the faculties also offer merit-based scholarships. See scholarships and bursary rules at CU for more details. For information on governmental scholarships, please visit the website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Further, you may consult the dedicated sections at the websites of Study in Prague, Study in Czechia or Charles University.

We offer more than 100 doctoral programmes, with about 1/2 available in English, covering 13 academic fields.

Doctoral studies are completed with a final State Examination and a dissertation defence. Graduates are awarded the academic title of “Doctor” (abbreviated to Ph.D. and written after the holder’s name). In theology, the academic title is “Doctor of Theology” (abbreviated to Th.D. and written after the name).

The University's code of study and examination is further specified by our Internal Regulation.

Study in English

Our postgradual (doctoral) study programmes in English are mostly free of tuitions or, in certain cases, with a low fee attached.

Application deadlines are either April 30 (winter intake with studies starting in October) or sometime between September/December (spring intake for the "DSP II" programmes with studies starting in March).

Study in Czech

All study programmes in Czech are free of charge. International applicants have to meet the same admission requirements as Czech students and, additionally, some may be required to demonstrate their Czech language proficiency (if they have completed their previous education outside of the Czech Republic). Each faculty has different language requirements: some require a language certificate (e.g. B1, B2, C1), some have their own Czech language test integrated into the entrance examination. For others, it is sufficient when the applicant passes the entrance exam fully conducted in the Czech language. For specific language requirements please visit the above-mentioned catalogue.

Application deadlines are either April 30 (winter intake with studies starting in October) or sometime between September/December (spring intake for the "DSP II" programmes with studies starting in March).