Article 1 Introductory Provisions

This Code follows the relevant provisions of Act No. 111/1998 Sb., to regulate higher education institutions and to change and amend other laws (“the Higher Education Act”), as amended, and the Constitution of Charles University, as amended, (“the Constitution”) and  governs the course of study at Charles University (“the University“).*

Article 2 Higher Education

1. The University offers the following programmes of study:

a) bachelor’s programme of study;

b) master’s programme of study which follows a bachelor’s programme of study;

c) master’s programme of study which does not follow a bachelor’s programme of study; and

d) doctoral programme of study.

2. The content of the bachelor’s or the master’s programmes of study may be:

a) aimed at vocational preparation with a focus on the acquisition of practical skills necessary for the performance of a profession and based on required theoretical knowledge; or

b) aimed at academic expertise with a focus on the acquisition of theoretical knowledge necessary for the performance of a profession, including creative activities, and also provide space for gaining the required practical skills.

3. The programme of study belongs to only one field of study if the State Final Examinations, or the defence of the dissertation, assesses distinctive knowledge of or skills in basic subjects or topics belonging to one field of study. The programme of study is a combined programme of study if the State Final Examinations, or the defence of the dissertation, assesses distinctive knowledge of or skills in basic subjects or topics belonging to several fields of study.

4. The programme of study is specified in and offered through curricula.

5. The forms of study in study programmes offered at the University may be:

a) full-time study;

b) combined study; or

c) distance learning study.

6. For the full-time form of study, the curriculum is created within the framework of a programme of study in such a way that the largest part of instruction takes the form of lectures, tutorials, seminars, courses, practical training, laboratory classes, consultation, and other similar forms of instruction, which are held according to a regular schedule, which will be usually a weekly schedule; they enable students to acquire knowledge directly.

7. For the combined form of study, the curriculum is created within the programme of study based on the assumption that study takes a form which employs the principles of both full-time and distance learning study.

8. For the distance learning form of study, the curriculum is created within the framework of the programme of study based on the assumption that study is offered in the distance form of instruction, and that teachers usually perform the role of consultant.

Article 3 Organisation of Study

1. The academic year lasts twelve calendar months.

2. The academic year is usually divided into a winter semester and a summer semester. Examination periods and vacations are also parts of the academic year.

3. The Rector determines the general course of the academic year in the Academic Calendar in a Rector’s measure upon consultation with the deans. The commencement of instruction, examination periods, practical training, enrolment periods for individual subjects and other details are determined in the Academic Calendar for the respective faculty in a measure of the dean of the faculty, upon the Rector’s approval. The deans of the faculties which offer joint programmes of study under Article 22 (3) (c) of the Constitution determine these details by mutual agreement.

4. Training, laboratory classes, physical education courses, field trips, etc. may be carried out and examinations taken during official vacations.

5. Study abroad at another, usually foreign, higher education institution, organized by the University within the given programme of study is counted as part of the study.

6. With the exception of lectures, instruction at the University is intended only for students of the University. Should the participation of the students of the University in instruction require it, the dean may restrict the participation of the public in lectures in a dean’s measure.

Article 4 General Provisions on Study

1. An applicant becomes a student on the date of his enrolment into study. Enrolment takes place at the faculty offering the relevant programme of study; in the case of programmes of study under Article 22 (3) (c) of the Constitution enrolment takes place at the faculty which has been designated in the accreditation of the programme of study in question or in an agreement between faculties. The date of enrolment is determined by the dean of the faculty in question.

2. Upon enrolment into study the student takes a matriculation oath (Article 59 (2) of the Constitution).

3. At enrolment, the faculty issues the student a Study Credit Book, unless such study credit book is kept only in the electronic study information system at the faculty. In such case a transcript of the requirements to fulfil study obligations is considered as the study credit book.

4. The University issues the student a Student Identity Card in accordance with the rules set in a Rector’s measure.

5. The course of study in bachelor’s and master’s programmes of study uses a credit system. 

6. The course of study in bachelor’s and master’s programmes of study is divided into individual units in such a way as to enable the continuous assessment of the course of study and registration for subsequent units of study. A semester or a year may constitute a unit of study; the internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) determines the units of study for each programme of study. Changes to part of a curriculum concerning a particular unit of study will not apply to students who are currently studying in this unit.

7. The dates of registration for the subsequent unit of study must be published as a dean’s measure in the Academic Calendar on the publicly accessible part of the website of the faculty sufficiently in advance.

8. If a student has failed to register for a relevant unit of study, the faculty summons him for alternative registration via the study information system; the summons must be delivered no later than ten working days before the alternative registration date. In such case, the date of delivery is considered to be the first day after the summons was made accessible to the student in the study information system.

9. Failure to register during the alternative registration is considered as a withdrawal from study as of the date of alternative registration. This provision does not apply if the student failed to register due to serious reasons. The dean decides whether the excuse is legitimate and provided on time, and if the reasons given are serious.

10. The standard length of study in a programme of study is the length of study with an average study load expressed in academic years.

11. The longest total period of interruption of study is such period which, together with the period of study which has elapsed since the first day of the academic year in which the applicant enrolled, does not exceed the maximum duration of study. The periods of interruption of study due to recognized parental leave or to serious health problems do not count towards the longest total period of interruption of study.

12. The maximum length of study in a bachelor’s programme of study is six years; in a master’s programme of study which is not a continuation of a bachelor’s programme of study it is ten years; in a master’s programme of study which is a continuation of a bachelor’s programme it is five years; and in a doctoral programme of study eight years. In all cases the length of study is counted as of the first day of the academic year in which the student is enrolled.

13. After the maximum length of study has expired, the student may not take examinations, State Final Examinations, or fulfil other study requirements. Examinations and State Final Examinations taken, or other study requirements fulfilled, after the expiration of the maximum length of study are invalid.

14. The student must successfully complete his study within the maximum length of study. Should the student fail to complete his study during the maximum length of study, he has not fulfilled the requirements under this Code and his study will be terminated.

15. The student’s physical fitness to study is a requirement determined by this Code if such physical capacity constituted a requirement for admission into study. Should the student lose his fitness to study permanently, he has not fulfilled the requirement under this Code and his study will be terminated.

16. Further to the Rector’s decision on the rights and duties of students, the dean or the Rector may take such measures as necessary to restore the rights of the student and eliminate or at least alleviate the consequences caused to the student by the erroneous decision. Such measure may consist in the determination of a time limit within which the student may undergo assessments of study, take state examinations, or fulfil other study requirements after the maximum length of study has elapsed.

Article 5 The Course of Study

1. The curricula of a programme of study determine primarily the subjects of study, their content, and their sequence, the volume and form of instruction, the details and requirements relating to the method of assessing the results of study and, with the exception of doctoral programmes of study, the number of credits assigned to individual subjects, as well as further details and requirements concerning the credit system.

2. The recommended course of study of a programme, with the exception of doctoral programmes of study, reflects the curriculum, including the proposed sequence of subjects and assessments, and their inclusion in individual units of study within the standard length of study. The recommended course of study is determined by the faculty.

3. Curricula and recommended courses of study of programmes of study are published by the faculty on the publicly accessible part of its website.

4. Curricula, with the exception of doctoral programmes of study, stipulate which subjects are compulsory or elective for students; other subjects taught at the University are regarded as optional subjects. Subjects taught at other higher education institutions or their units, or other education or scientific institutions, are also regarded as optional subjects if so established by an agreement between the faculty or University and that university or institution. In the curricula of programmes of study, elective subjects are put into one or more groups. The curriculum may stipulate that a student can choose one or more groups from some groups of elective subjects (a choice of specialisation). The division of programmes of study into specialisations is discussed by the research board of the faculty; the names of specialisations must be provided in an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2). A student must choose a specialisation by the end of the first unit of study, unless otherwise provided by an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2). If the choice of specialisation is indispensable for the proper course of study and the student fails to choose one within the time limit under the previous sentence, the dean interrupts his study.

5. The curriculum of a relevant programme of study, with the exception of doctoral programmes of study, assigns to any subject a definite integer number of credits expressing the ratio between the amount of student work connected with passing this subject and the overall amount of work connected with the completion of all subjects contained in the recommended course of study for the given unit of study. A student who has observed the recommended course of study and fulfilled all his study obligations in a given unit of study acquires thirty credits if the unit of study is a semester, or sixty credits if the unit of study is a year.

6. Continuous assessment of the course of study means checking the total number of credits acquired by the student by the end of the last examination period of the given unit of study, performed within a reasonable time after the end of that examination period. If the student has acquired at least such number of credits that corresponds to the sum of credits for the recommended course of study in these units of study (“normal number of credits“), or at least the minimum number of credits set in an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2), he is entitled to register for the next unit of study. Repeated registration for the next unit of study based on acquisition of the minimum number of credits, upon failure to acquire the normal number of credits, may be excluded or restricted by an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2).

7. If a student fails to satisfy the requirements for registration in the next unit of study as set in this Code and specified in an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2), his study will be terminated.

8. An internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) may determine that for individual programmes of study offered at the faculty only such number of credits acquired for passing optional subjects that does not exceed the determined part of the normal number of credits is considered in the assessment of whether the student has acquired the number of credits sufficient for registration in the next unit of study.

9. A student may submit an application to the dean for an individual curriculum. With the exception of situations when the grounds for termination of study apply, the dean may permit the individual curriculum for one or more units of study; at the same time the dean determines its course and conditions.

10. With the exception of situations when the grounds for termination of study apply, the dean always grants the application for an individual curriculum submitted by a student when:

a) the student applies for an individual curriculum for the purposes of child care for the recognized period of parental leave; upon granting the individual curriculum the time for the fulfilment of study requirements is extended by the recognized period of  parental leave;

b) the student applies for an individual curriculum for the purpose of caring for a dependant¹; or

c) the student applies for an individual curriculum for the purpose of participation in the representation of the Czech Republic in a branch of sport or required preparation therefor and the application is substantiated by a confirmation of the fact issued by the sports organisation representing the relevant sport in the Czech Republic.

11. If a student fails to satisfy the requirements set in the individual curriculum, he failed to satisfy a requirement set in this Code and his study will be terminated.

Article 6 Interruption of Study

1. Study may be interrupted more than once upon request from a student or by virtue of office. With the exception of very serious reasons, namely a health condition, the interruption of study may not be granted before the second unit of study if the units of study are years, or before the third unit of study if the units of study are semesters.

2. With the exception of cases where the reasons for termination of study apply, the dean interrupts the study of a student upon his request if:

a) the student applies for interruption of study on the grounds of pregnancy, delivery, or parental care or for the purpose of providing substitute parental care upon the decision of relevant bodies under the Civil Code or legislation regulating state social support for the period of time which would otherwise be covered by the maternity or parental leave of the student;

b) the student applies for the interruption of study for the purpose of participation in the representation of the Czech Republic in a branch of sport or required preparation therefor and the application is substantiated by a confirmation of the fact issued by the sports organisation representing the relevant sport in the Czech Republic;

c) the student applies for the interruption of study because of a serious health condition;

d) the student in a bachelor’s or master’s programme of study applies for the interruption of study after proving the fulfilment of the study requirements for the relevant unit of study and before the academic year has begun, or before the summer semester has begun if the application was submitted in the winter semester; or

e) if the application for the interruption of study is filed by a student in a doctoral programme of study.

3. The dean, on his own initiative, interrupts the study if a student:

a) has failed to pay the fees for study in a foreign language; or

b) failed to choose a specialisation under Article 5 (4).

Study may not be interrupted on the grounds of failure to pay the fees for study in a foreign language if the student properly fulfils the negotiated agreement on payment by instalment.

4. The dean may, on his own initiative, interrupt the study if this is necessary to prevent harm to the student, provided that the origin of the harm is not related to the study.

5. The student will enclose documents supporting the reasons for interruption of study with the application for the interruption of study under paragraph (2) (a) to (c).

6. If the student applies for the interruption of study for a definite period of time, he will submit the application for the appropriate change of the individual curriculum along with the application for the interruption of study under paragraph (2) (e).

7. The study is interrupted as of the date of coming into legal force of the decision on interruption or on a later date stipulated in the statement part of the decision.

8. The study is interrupted for the period remaining until the expiration of the maximum duration of study, with the exception of interruption under paragraph 2 (a) to (c) and the cases when the dean grants the application for interruption for a definite period of time.

9. On the day the interruption of study begins, the person loses his student status. The time for the fulfilment of study obligations neither starts to run nor continues.

10. The time of interruption of study under paragraph (2) (a) to (c) does not count towards the total period of interruption of study or to the maximum period of study.

11. A person who has been granted an interruption of study must report the facts relevant to the interruption of study and its duration to the faculty.

12. The dean terminates the interruption of study upon a written application filed by the student whose study was interrupted usually in such manner that the person may, after re-registration, continue to study without further adjustment of the course of study. The interruption of study is terminated as of the date of coming into legal force of the decision on the termination of interruption or on a later date stipulated in the statement part of the decision.

13. The dean terminates the interruption of study under paragraph 2 (a) to (c) and paragraphs 3 and 4 if the reasons for interruption no longer apply.

14.  Upon termination of the interruption of study, the person acquires the right to re-register for study within the period determined by the faculty in the decision on the termination of interruption of study or, in cases of interruption on the grounds under paragraph 2 (a) and (c) in the decision on the interruption of study. If the person fails to register within the given period of time, the faculty summons him via the study information system for alternative registration; the summons must be published no later than ten working days before the alternative registration date. The date of delivery is the first day after the summons was made available to the person whose period of interruption of study has elapsed in the study information system. If the person fails to register during the alternative registration he loses the right to re-register and is considered as having withdrawn from study on the date of re-registration. This provision does not apply if the student failed to register on the alternative registration date due to serious reasons. The dean decides whether the excuse is legitimate and provided on time and if the reasons given are serious. If the maximum period of study elapsed during the interruption of study, the interruption may not be terminated and the person whose study had been interrupted is considered to have withdrawn from study on the last day of the maximum period of study.

15. Upon re-registration, the dean decides on the assignment of the student to the appropriate unit of study, if necessary. If the student’s curriculum was substantially changed during the interruption of his study, the dean determines in his decision an individual curriculum that states which study obligations the student must fulfil as well as deadlines for their fulfilment according to an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) and the respective programme of study. The dean may impose an obligation on the student to take bridging examinations within a prescribed period of time instead of an individual curriculum. If the dean decides on the bridging examination, he determines in his decision the content, extent, deadline for taking, and assessment criteria of the examination.

Article 7 Subjects of Study

1. The subject of study (“the subject”) is taught in particular in the form of lecture, tutorial, seminar, proseminar, course, practical training, internship, special course, laboratory class, field trip, fieldwork, individual work, or consultation. Depending on its character, the subject may be taught in a full-time, distance learning, or combined form of instruction.

2. Unless this Code or, in accordance with this Code, an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) stipulates otherwise, a student has the right to register via the study information system for a subject taught at the University within the time limit set in a Rector’s measure, and then, to attend its instruction and undergo assessment of its study. The internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) provides conditions for the cancellation of a student’s registration for a subject, or its cancellation and replacement with another subject consistent with the requirements under Article 5 (5) (f) and with the conditions for the replacement of a subject that has been registered for.

3. A course may take one or two semesters in the same academic year. Each subject has an identification code which is unique within the University; the system of assignment of codes is specified by Rector’s measure. A subject is determined by the identification code, the number of semesters of instruction under sentence one, the number of assigned credits, the form of instruction under paragraph (1), and the form of assessment of study under paragraph (8) (2). 

4. If a subject is a part of the curricula of one or more programmes of study, it must not be assigned different numbers of credits.

5. The faculty which is the guarantor of instruction of the subject may state that, in accordance with the curricula of programmes of study in which the given subject is mentioned as elective:

a) the registration for a given subject has as a prerequisite the completion of another subject or subjects, or simultaneous registration for another subject or subjects;

b) the completion of a given subject has as a prerequisite the completion of another subject or subjects;

c) the registration for a given subject is excluded by the simultaneous registration for another subject;

d) the completion of a given subject is excluded by the previous completion of another subject;

e) the registration for a given subject is excluded by the previous completion of another subject; or

f) the completion of a subject is considered as the completion of another subject or subjects from the point of view of satisfying the requirements of the curricula of programmes study.

6. The provisions of paragraph (5) apply accordingly to the registration for a subject mentioned in paragraph (5) as optional.

7. The registration for or completion of a subject may be conditioned only in the ways mentioned in paragraph (5).

8. For reasons of capacity, a faculty may limit the number of students entitled to register for a given subject; the faculty may also give priority for a given subject to students enrolling for it in accordance with their recommended course of study. If it is required by generally valid regulations, the submission of a medical certificate, as prescribed by these regulations, may be a prerequisite for registration.

An internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) may restrict repeated registration for the same subject and set requirements for repeated registration; if such restriction precludes the student from successfully completing a compulsory subject or acquiring the minimum number of credits from a prescribed or chosen group or groups of elective subjects within the course of study, he has not satisfied a requirement set by this Code and his study will be terminated.

Article 8 Assessments of Study

1. The forms of assessment of study are:

a) assessment of study of a subject;

b) continuous assessment of the course of study (Article 4 (6), Article 6);

c) regular assessment of the fulfilment of individual curricula in doctoral programmes of study (Article 10);

d) bridging examination;

e) the defence of the dissertation (Article 11); and

f) state final examination, state rigorosum examination or its part (“State Examination”), or state doctoral examination (Article 11).

2. Assessment of study of a subject means the verification of successful completion of the subject. The forms of this assessment are:

a) colloquium;

b) course credit;

c) graded course credit;

d) course test;

e) examination; or

f) a combination of the forms under letters (a) to (e).

3. The assessment of study of a subject registered in a given part of study may not be carried out later than by the end of the examination period of the summer semester of the academic year in which the student studied in the given part of study; a different time limit may be determined in an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2).

4. The colloquium, course credit, or course test may represent an independent assessment of the subject, or may represent a prerequisite for taking an examination in the given subject; the conditions for acquiring these assessment types must be provided in the annotation of the subject in the study information system at the beginning of the semester. An internal regulation of the respective faculty under Article 19 (2) may determine the details.

5. The results of colloquium, course credit, and course test are graded as “pass”-“fail”(“prospěl”-“neprospěl”) or “credited”-“not credited” (“započteno”-“nezapočteno”). Successful completion of these assessments of study of the subject means the classification “pass” or “credited”.

6. In contrast to course credit, a graded course credit denotes, in the same way as an examination, how well the student fulfilled the requirements for being granted the credit.

7. An internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) determines the number of resits for a colloquium, course credit, course test, or graded course credit.

8. An examination tests the student’s knowledge or his ability; the basic requirements for the examination are in accordance with the curriculum provided in the annotation of the subject and published in electronic form; the details must be provided in the annotation of the subject in the study information system at the beginning of the semester. The provisions of this paragraph as well as paragraphs (9), (13) and (14) apply to the bridging examination accordingly.

9. The forms of examination are oral, written, practical, or combined. Oral examinations and the oral component of combined examinations are open to members of the academic community of the University; for reasons of capacity, the presence of the public may be limited.

10. The examiner must grade and publish the results of the written forms of study assessment without delay, and no later than within two weeks of the date of exam. The time limit may be shortened by an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2).

11. The faculty stores the written forms of assessment of study of the subject until the end of the following academic year.

12. The faculty must publish the dates for the assessments of study of subjects in advance and such dates must be spread out evenly. The capacity of the examination dates must exceed the number of students to be examined by at least 30 per cent. Registration for a published date is binding on the student and on the examiner or the examination board. The student may always register for only one date of assessment of study for the given subject, or in case of a combined examination for only one date of each part of it, unless an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) provides otherwise. He may register for a subsequent date after achieving the classification “fail”, cancelling the previous registration, or after the lapse of the date.

13. The results of examinations are graded using the following grades: “excellent“ (“výborně” (1)),  “very good” (“velmi dobře” (2)),  “good” (“dobře” (3)), “fail” (“neprospěl/a” (4)); to successfully pass the examination means to achieve the result “excellent”, “very good”, or “good”. If an internal regulation of the faculty provides so under Article 19 (2), the grades A to F are used for grading, where grades A and B are equal to “excellent” (1), grades C and D are equal to “very good” (2), grade E is equal to “good” (3), and grade F is equal to “fail” (4). If it is necessary to calculate the average result, all the grades from all the examinations taken within the given study (paragraph (2) (e)) and graded course credits (paragraph 2 (c)) and resits of examinations taken are totalled. Examinations and graded course credits recognized under paragraphs 16 and 17 are not credited toward the average result.

14. A student may not take any examination in any subject that is part of his curriculum more than three times, i.e., he has the right to two resit dates; no extraordinary resit date is permitted. The capacity of the examination dates must correspond to the number of students and the minimum number of dates is three; at least two examination dates falling in the examination period must be published before the beginning of this examination period. Further examination dates may be published no later than one week in advance. If only three examination dates are published in the examination period and the third date is full, its capacity must be increased or another date must be published, unless it is precluded by the Academic Calendar. If a student fails to appear for an examination on the date for which he has enrolled without duly excusing himself in advance, he is not graded and the examination date lapses. A late excuse may be accepted only for serious reasons. The examiner or the Chair of the examination board decides whether the excuse is legitimate.

15. The student acquires the number of credits assigned to the given subject by completing the given subject, which means successful fulfilment of the study requirements.

16. The student may apply for the recognition of the fulfilment of assessment of a subject (equivalent credit). The dean may accept such application, provided that the student fulfilled a similar study obligation at a university or another higher education institution in the Czech Republic or abroad, unless more than ten years have passed since the fulfilment of the similar study obligation on the date of filing the application. The dean may also recognize the fulfilment of assessment of a subject if a similar study requirement was fulfilled as a state or internationally recognized examination in a foreign language. The time limit for the recognition of assessment of study of a subject may be shortened by an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2); however, it cannot be shorter than the standard length of study of the programme of study in which the decision on recognition is made, plus two years.

17. If the dean decides to recognize the fulfilment of assessment of study of a subject, the student, with the exception of students in a doctoral programme of study, acquires the appropriate number of credits on the date of legal force of the decision. Exceptions where the dean does not assign the appropriate number of credits or grants them conditionally upon the student’s fulfilment of requirements under Article 7 (5) may be regulated by an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2).

18. If the student has explicitly agreed to it in his application for the recognition of the fulfilment of assessment of study of a subject or in the course of the proceedings, the recognition may be tied to taking a bridging examination or examinations within a period of time determined by the dean. If the dean grants the bridging examination he determines its content, extent, date or time limit, as well as the criteria for its assessment in his decision, and interrupts the examination recognition proceedings until that date. If the reason for the interruption of the proceedings no longer exists or the time limit set in the dean’s decision lapses, the dean continues in the proceedings. If the student successfully passes the bridging examination, the dean recognizes the fulfilment of the assessment of study of the subject. In the contrary case, the dean decides not to recognize the fulfilment of the assessment of study of the subject.

Article 9 State Examinations

1. State Examinations are taken before a Board of Examiners (“the Board“).

2. The State Examination may consist of more than one part. The examination and the announcement of its results or the results of its parts are public.

3. The Chair and members of the Board are appointed by the dean of the faculty from among Professors, Associate Professors, and specialists. Specialists must be approved by the research board of the faculty. The Chair is a member of the Board. Other members of the Board may be appointed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (“the Ministry“). A record of the course of the State Examination or its part is taken and is signed by the Chair or by an authorised member of the Board acting on his behalf and by all the members of the Board present; at least three members of the Board must be present in the course of the State Examination and at least two members of the Board must be present during the oral examination itself. More than one board may be established for one programme of study. The Board decides by a majority of votes; if there is an equal number of votes or the required majority has not been achieved, the student gets the more favourable grade.

4. A State Examination and its part are graded similarly to an examination. Grades are passed by a resolution of all members of the Board present. All members of the Board present must participate in the vote on grading. If the State Examination consists of more than one part, the Board determines the overall result, taking into account the average result of the individual parts of the State Examination. The result of “fail” (“neprospěl/a”) is arrived at if at least one part is graded as “fail” (“neprospěl/a”).  

5. The parts of a State Examination and respectively its topical areas are determined by the curriculum of the programme of study and may be taken independently if so provided in an internal regulation of the faculty, Article 19 (2). Topical areas may be determined by the specialisation (paragraph 8 (b)).

6. The defence of a bachelor’s thesis is usually part of the State Examination in the bachelor’s programme of study. The defence of a diploma thesis is part of the State Examination in the master’s programme of study. The defence of a diploma thesis is not part of the State Rigorosum Examination in a master’s programme of study of general medicine or dentistry. The defence of a dissertation thesis is not part of the State Doctoral Examination in doctoral programmes of study. The text of the thesis can only be modified before its submission for the defence, with the exception of errata.

7. Bachelor’s, diploma, and dissertation theses in study programmes carried out in a foreign language are written in the language of the study programme. External examiners’ reports are prepared in the respective language.

8. A student is not entitled to take a part of a State Examination, unless:

a) he has completed the compulsory subjects prescribed for the part of the State Examination by the curriculum; and

b) he has acquired the minimum number of credits from the prescribed or chosen group or groups of elective subjects (Article 5 (4)) set for this part of the State Examination by the curriculum; if the curriculum permits choosing a part of the State Examination from several topic areas, it may also determine that the choice must correspond with the chosen group of elective subjects.

9. A prerequisite for taking the last part of a State Examination is the acquisition of a number of credits equal to the standard length of study in years multiplied by sixty. The internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) may also set a number of credits as a prerequisite for taking a part of a State Examination which is not the last part, and it may further determine the sequence in which the parts of the State Examination are taken.

10. The number of credits corresponding to all compulsory subjects for taking the individual parts of the State Examination within the given programme of study together with the minimum number of credits from the elective subjects must not surpass ninety percent of the value under paragraph (9); in cases worthy of special consideration, the internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) may set the limit otherwise, but never higher than ninety-five per cent. The minimum number of credits from elective subjects is the aggregate of the minimum number of credits from the groups of elective subjects which the student must complete under the curriculum, and from the selection of other groups of elective subjects according to the curriculum.

11. The faculty must announce at least three time periods for the State Examinations in each academic year.

12. The dean of the faculty determines one regular date and two resit dates for the taking of a State Examination or its part. All these dates along with precise times are published on the publicly accessible part of the faculty website no later than one week in advance; the two-week period in which the examination takes place is published on the publicly accessible part of the faculty website no later than three months in advance. The dates must be arranged so that the students’ right to a regular date and two resits of a State Examination or its part is not breached. If the student fails to appear on the date of the State Examination or its part for which he has registered, without reasonable excuse communicated in advance, he is not graded and the examination date lapses. A late excuse may be accepted only for serious reasons. The chair of the examination board decides whether the excuse is legitimate.

If no part of the State Examination was re-sat or graded as “good” (“dobře”), the overall result of the Examination under paragraph (4) was “excellent” (“výborně”), the average of results for the entire duration of study was not higher than 1.5, and other stricter or relevant conditions set by an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2) were met in the course of study, then the student, with the exception of students in doctoral programmes of study, graduates with distinction.

Article 10 General Provisions for Doctoral Study

1. The course of study in doctoral programmes of study is not divided into individual units of study and is not carried out using the credit system.

2. Subjects designed exclusively for students in doctoral programmes of study are not assigned credits.

3. A student in a doctoral programme of study has the right to register for the subjects which have been approved in his individual curriculum. The individual curriculum may not contain subjects which the student has successfully completed in his previous study.

4. The results of examinations of doctoral students are graded using the grades “passed” (“prospěl/a”) or “fail” (“neprospěl/a”). To successfully pass the examination means to achieve the result “passed”. The average result in not calculated in doctoral programmes of study.

5. A student in a doctoral programme of study may carry out an assessment of study of a subject twice at most, i.e., he has the right to one resit date.

6. Study in a doctoral programme of study follows an individual curriculum under the guidance of a supervisor and usually with the participation of an advisor. An individual curriculum is approved by the Subject Area Board; it contains the list of study requirements, scholarly, research, or other creative obligations as well as planned or recommended study abroad or other internships, and other pedagogical activities. The supervisor for and advisor to each student is appointed and dismissed by the dean on the proposal of the Subject Area Board. The supervisor helps in choosing the topic of the dissertation proposed by the student, approves it, and assists the student in preparing his individual curriculum. The supervisor is responsible for the preparation of the individual curriculum; if the student fails to co-operate in the preparation, the supervisor himself prepares the plan. The supervisor must submit the individual curriculum to the Subject Area Board no later than two months after the beginning of the academic year in which the applicant is enrolled. The individual curriculum is binding on the student upon its approval by the Subject Area Board. 

7. Study in a doctoral programme of study is monitored and assessed by the Subject Area Board established under section 47 (6) of the Higher Education Act and Article 22 (13) and (14) of the Constitution.

8. The fulfilment of an individual curriculum is subject to regular assessment at intervals of no more than one year; this assessment along with proper reasoning is submitted by the supervisor and subsequently considered and approved by the Subject Area Board. The assessment of the individual curriculum is confirmed by the supervisor and the Chair of the Subject Area Board, or a member of the Subject Area Board designated by him. The conclusion of the assessment is the statement that the student:

a) has fulfilled his individual curriculum;

b) has not fulfilled some duties set in his individual curriculum; or

c) has not fulfilled the duties set in his individual curriculum; in such case the student has not fulfilled the requirement set in this Code and his study will be terminated.

9. If a student has fulfilled his individual curriculum in part only due to reasons worthy of special consideration and not caused by him, his curriculum is deemed fulfilled. If the fulfilment of duties set in the curriculum was blocked by serious circumstances not caused by the student, he may not be assessed in accordance with paragraph (8) (c).

A dean’s measure upon which the academic senate of the faculty expresses its opinion may provide more detailed rules for the assessment.

Article 11 Defence of Dissertation, State Doctoral Examination

1. The defence of a dissertation is done before the Board for the Defence of Dissertation and a State Doctoral Examination is taken before the State Doctoral Examination Board (“examination board”).

2. The defence of the dissertation is public. The course and the announcement of results of the State Doctoral Examination are public.

3. The dean appoints the Chair and the members of the State Doctoral Examination Board from the ranks of professors, associate professors, and experts. Experts must be approved by the research board of the faculty.

4. Several State Doctoral Examination Boards may be created for one programme of study.

5. The appointed Board must always consist of an odd number of members.

6. The supervisor, advisor, and reviewer may not be the Chair of the examination board.

7. The Chair is a member of the State Doctoral Examination Board, the supervisor is usually a member of the Board, and at least one member of the Board may not be a member of the academic community of the faculty.

8. Other members of the State Doctoral Examination Board may be appointed by the Ministry.

9. The Chair of the examination board is responsible for the activities of the board; a member approved by the examination board may replace him in the performance of all his powers in exceptional cases.

10. The Board for the Defence of Dissertation chooses two external reviewers who will prepare the external reviewer’s reports on the submitted Dissertation. It may be determined in an internal regulation under Article 19 (2) that under certain conditions more than one examiner is appointed.

11. The grading is decided by voting by a show of hands after consultation in a closed session of the Board. If any member of the Board so requires, the voting is done by secret ballot. The members of the Board present may not abstain from voting. The voting is directed by the Chair of the Examination Board. The Board decides by a majority of votes; if there is an equal number of votes or the required majority has not been achieved, the student gets the more favourable grade.

12. If the Board for the Defence of Dissertation uses the grade “fail” (“neprospěl/a”), it determines whether it is necessary to re-write or supplement the work; the defence may be repeated after six months.

13. Records of the course of the Defence of Dissertation, State Doctoral Examination, and voting are made and signed by the Chair and at least one more member of the examination board; at least three members must be present during the Defence of Dissertation and the State Doctoral Examination.

14. The Defence of Dissertation and the State Doctoral Examination may be taken only twice, i.e., the student has a right to one resit.

15. The regular date and the date of the resit of a Defence of Dissertation and State Doctoral Examination are determined by the dean. All these dates along with precise times are published on the publicly accessible part of the website of the faculty no later than two weeks in advance. Upon agreement with the student, the date of a State Doctoral Examination may be determined individually, regardless of the mentioned time limits. If the student fails to appear on the date of the Defence or State Examination for which he has registered, without reasonable excuse, he is not graded and the Defence or State Doctoral Examination date lapses. The dean decides whether the excuse is legitimate.

16. The Defence of Dissertation and State Doctoral Examination are graded in the same way as examinations for students in doctoral programmes of study.

17. If none of the external reviewers’ reports recommends the dissertation for defence, the student may withdraw from the defence before it is held. The date of defence then lapses.

Article 12

1. Bachelor, Diploma, Dissertation, and Rigorosum Theses (“Theses”) submitted for defence are made accessible for public inspection at least five working days before the defence is held at the faculty where the defence is taking place. The University does not make Dissertation Theses accessible if they have been made accessible in another manner.

2. Theses that have been defended, inclusive of external examiners’ reports and the record of the course and results of the defence, are published in the electronic databases of graduation theses.

3. Any person may take excerpts from or make transcripts or copies of published theses at his own cost. A dean’s measure provides a calculation of the fee for taking excerpts, making transcripts or copies, and the manner of their procurement. A person seeking to examine the Thesis must be instructed that the information gathered may neither be used for profit purposes nor passed off as a study, scientific, or creative activity of anyone other than the author.

4. A dean’s measure under paragraph (3) is published on the publicly accessible part of the website of the faculty. The names of students who have submitted their Theses for defence, the titles of these Theses, and the dates of their defence are also published there.

5. The organizational and administrative aspects of public inspection through a subject matter database are established by a dean’s measure which is published on the publicly accessible part of the website of the faculty. In this manner, the Theses and data under paragraph (2) are made accessible no later than twenty-one days after the date of defence. They must stay accessible at least until they are accessible via an electronic database.

6. The details on access via an electronic database are determined by a Rector’s measure under Article 10 (3) of the Constitution. 

7. The Thesis is submitted to the defence in an electronic form within the deadline set by the dean, unless it is excluded by its nature. The details regarding on the submission of Theses in electronic form are determined by a Rector’s measure under Article 6. The hard copy of the Thesis must be complete and identical to the electronic version if the submission of a hard copy is required by the dean’s measure and enabled by the nature of the Thesis and its appendices.

8. With the exception of a Bachelor’s Thesis, a Thesis must contain an abstract. In this case a student, in the manner and within the deadline under (7), submits separately the abstract of his Thesis in both the Czech and English languages, or in the language of instruction of the programme of study in which the student is enrolled. The abstract must be identical in terms of content with the abstract contained in the Thesis.

9. Theses submitted are kept in the University or Inter-University database of Theses. The text of the Thesis submitted is subject to comparison with the texts of Theses kept in the University or Inter-University database of Theses and the texts of other books; the detailed information regarding the comparison of the texts of Theses are determined by a Rector’s measure. The results of the comparison are always made available to the student, Thesis advisor, Thesis reviewers, and the members of the Board of Examiners for the relevant part of the State Examination. In the case of doctoral programmes of study, the results of the comparison are made available to the student, supervisor, Thesis reviewers, and the members of the Board for the Defence of Dissertation.  

The University may defer the publication of Theses or their parts for a period during which an obstacle to publication exists, however, for a period of no longer than three years. The information about the deferral of publication along with the justification thereof must be published in the same place where Theses are published. Upon the successful defence of a thesis to which the deferral of publication under sentence one applies, the University will, without undue delay, send a copy of such thesis to the Ministry for archiving.

Article 13 Decisions on the Rights and Obligations of Students

1. Decisions on the rights and obligations of students in matters provided in section 68 (1) (c), (d), and (g) of the Higher Education Act are governed by the Administrative Procedure Code² with deviations provided in the Higher Education Act.

2. The starting and holding of proceedings under section 68 (1) (g) of the Higher Education Act is the reason for the suspension of proceedings on the student’s application, or proceedings under Article 6 (3).³

Article 14 Proceedings at the Faculty

1. Proceedings in the first instance are led by the dean.

2. Proceedings on a student’s application start on the date⁴ of delivery of the application to the dean.

3. Proceedings by virtue of office are started:

a) on the date of issuing the decision in cases of interruption of study under  68 (1) (c) of the Higher Education Act;⁵ or

b) on the date of issuing the notice to comment on the documents supporting the decision in cases of failure to fulfil the requirements of the programme of study under section 68 (1) (g) together with section 56 (1) (b) of the Higher Education Act;⁶ starting such proceedings is the reason for the suspension of proceedings on a student’s application when the final decision has not yet been issued.⁷

4. The student provides in his application:

a) his first name and surname, or other names and maiden surname, date of birth, and permanent address or a delivery address if different from the address under section 63 (3) (b) of the Higher Education Act to which the mail is to be delivered if it is impossible to deliver via electronic information system;⁸

b) the subject matter of the application;

c) his requirement; and

d) his signature.⁹

5. Should the application lack any formal elements or contain other mistakes, the dean will either assist the student in removing the mistakes, or call on him to remove them and will provide for a reasonable time limit therefor.¹⁰

6. If the dean finds that a situation justifying the discontinuation of proceedings has occurred, he will immediately discontinue the proceedings by a resolution.¹¹

7. The dean’s decision is made in writing; it contains a statement part, reasoning, and the notice of the right to appeal.¹²

8. The statement part may contain one or more statements or subsidiary provisions; the statements provide the resolution of the subject matter of the proceedings, legal provisions governing the decision, including the internal regulations of the University or faculty, identification of the student under (4) (a), and identification of the study which is the subject matter of the proceedings.¹³

9. The reasoning provides the rationale or grounds for the decision, supporting documentation, and the dean’s considerations when evaluating those grounds and interpreting legal regulations and internal University and faculty regulations, and information on how the dean dealt with the proposals and objections of the student and his comments on the supporting documents.¹⁴

10. The notice states whether it is possible to appeal the decision, and if so, what the time limit is for filing such appeal and when the time period starts to run; that such appeal is filed with the dean; and that it is decided by the Rector.¹⁵

11. A decision issued in writing is stamped with the official stamp and signed by a person in authority.¹⁶

The dean’s decision comes into legal force when the period for filing an appeal expired to no effect, or once the student waived his right to appeal, as well as in cases stated in Article 15 (19) and (20).

Article 15 Appeal

1. A student may file an appeal against the decision under section 68 (1) (c), (d), and (g).¹⁷ A student who has waived his right to appeal after being notified of the decision no longer has the right to file an appeal.¹⁸ If the student withdraws an appeal once filed, he may not file such appeal again.¹⁹

2. An appeal may challenge the statement part of a decision, or any of its statements or subsidiary provisions; an appeal against the reasoning of a decision is inadmissible.²⁰ It must be clearly stated in the appeal which decision is being challenged and what is being proposed. In addition to the elements mentioned in Article 14 (4), the appeal must state what is the alleged disagreement between the decision (or the proceedings which preceded it), and legislation or internal regulations.

3. 3.  Any new facts and proposals of new evidence, which are mentioned in the appeal or during the appeal proceedings, will be taken into account when dealing with the student’s application only in cases where the student could not use the facts or proposals earlier; where the student claims that he could not have carried out a certain act in the proceedings of the first instance, such act must be carried out simultaneously with the appeal.²¹

4. The period for filing an appeal is within 30 days of the notification of the decision;²² the deadline has been met if the letter containing the appeal is handed to the postal service operator on the last day of the deadline.²³ An appeal may not be filed before a decision has been issued; if an appeal is filed before the decision is notified to the student, it is deemed to have been filed on the first day of the appeal period.²⁴

5. In the case of missing, incomplete, or incorrect notification of the right to appeal, an appeal may be filed within fifteen days of the date of notification of a rectifying resolution if such resolution has been issued, but no later than 90 days of the date of notification of the decision.²⁵ Non-notification of a decision cannot be invoked by a student who has become demonstrably aware of the decision; in this case an appeal may be filed within ninety days of the date on which the student became aware of the decision.²⁶

6. The student may apply for a waiver of default on appeal within fifteen days of the date on which the obstacle that prevented him from filing an appeal ceased to exist; the request for a waiver of a default may be granted a suspensive effect if the student faces a risk of serious harm. The application will not be dealt with unless an appeal is filed simultaneously with it. A default on an appeal will be waived if the student proves that the obstacle was due to serious reasons arising through no fault of his own. A decision on the waiver of default is made by the dean in the form of a resolution. A default may not be waived if one year has lapsed from the day on which the application therefor was to be filed.²⁷

7. An admissible appeal that was filed on time has a suspensive effect. Owing to the suspensive effect of an appeal, the decision neither comes into full force and effect, nor is enforceable, nor do any other legal consequences arise as a result of the suspensive effect.²⁸ The suspensive effect of an appeal may not be excluded.²⁹

8. An appeal is filed with the dean.³⁰

9. The dean amends the proceedings according to the circumstances; this does not apply if the appeal was filed late or if it was inadmissible.³¹

10. The dean may change or cancel the decision if it means granting the appeal; this decision may be appealed.³² The provisions of Article 14 (7) to (12) apply accordingly.

11. If the dean fails to find conditions for proceeding under (10), he hands over the file with his opinion to the appellate administrative body, i.e., the Rector, within 30 days of the date of delivery of the appeal. In the case of an appeal that is late or inadmissible, the dean hands over the file to the Rector within ten days; in his opinion the dean will limit himself to the statement of reasons decisive for the assessment of the appeal as late or inadmissible.³³

12. If, prior to the handover of the file to the Rector, the dean finds out that a circumstance justifying the discontinuance of proceedings has occurred, he will, without further ado, cancel the challenged decision and discontinue the proceedings.³⁴

13. The Rector reviews compliance of the appealed decision and proceedings preceding the decision with legal regulations and internal regulations.³⁵ Defects in the proceedings which may not reasonably be deemed to have influenced the compliance of the appealed decision with legal regulations and internal regulations are not taken into account.³⁶

14. If the Rector concludes that the appealed decision is in conflict with legislation or internal regulations:

a) he cancels the challenged decision or its part and discontinues proceedings,

b) he cancels the challenged decision or its part and returns the matter back to the dean for further consideration; in the reasoning of his decision the Rector expresses his legal opinion which is binding on the dean in new proceedings on the matter; the new decision may be appealed; or

c) he changes the challenged decision or its part; the change may not be made if the possibility of filing an appeal would thus be endangered; the student has a right to comment on the new documents provided by the Rector; the Rector changes the decision in the reasoning part if it is necessary for rectify errors in the reasoning; the Rector may not change the challenged decision to the detriment of the student unless the challenged decision contravenes legal regulations.³⁷

15. If the Rector fails to find a reason to apply to procedure under paragraphs (14), (16) or (17), he dismisses the appeal and affirms the appealed decision. If the Rector changes or cancels the challenged decision only in part, he affirms the remaining part of the decision.³⁸

16. If the Rector ascertains that a circumstance justifying the discontinuation of proceedings has arisen, he will cancel the appealed decision and discontinue proceedings.³⁹

17. The Rector will dismiss an appeal if it was filed late or if it is inadmissible. In the case of legally effective decisions, he will examine if there are reasons to review the decision in review proceedings, to open new proceedings, or to issue a new decision. If he finds grounds to initiate review proceedings, open new proceedings, or issue a new decision, a late or inadmissible appeal is deemed to be the impulse to initiate review proceedings, or as an application for new proceedings, or as an application for the issuance of a new decision.⁴⁰ If the Rector concludes that the appeal was filed on time and is admissible, he will return the case to the dean.⁴¹

18. The Rector issues a decision in the appeal proceedings within 30 days; the period starts to run on the date on which the file is handed over to the Rector.⁴² Provisions of Article 14 (7) to (11) apply to the Rector’s decision accordingly.

19. No appeal may be filed against the Rector’s decision; the Rector’s decision comes into legal force when it is notified to the student.⁴³ The dean’s decision affirmed under (15) comes into legal force simultaneously with the Rector’s decision.

20. If the student withdraws the filed appeal, the appeal proceedings are discontinued on the day on which the appeal is withdrawn. The appealed decision comes into legal force on the day following the date of discontinuance of proceedings; a resolution is issued regarding the fact that the proceedings were discontinued. This resolution is recorded in the files and the student is notified thereof. An appeal may only be withdrawn before the issuance of a Rector’s decision.⁴⁴  

Article 16 Subsequent Measures

Further to the decision under Article 15 (14), the Rector or the Dean takes such measures as necessary to restore the rights of the student and eliminate or at least alleviate the damage caused to the student by the erroneous decision.⁴⁵

Article 17 Dealing with Students’ Submissions Regarding the Organization of Study

1. The provisions of Articles 13 (2) and 14 (7) to (11) apply accordingly to the content of notification by which the student’s submission regarding the organization of study is processed.

2. The student may apply for a review of the processing of his submission within 15 days of the date of delivery of notification. If the processing is found to be incorrect, the person who performed the revision will assign the person who processed the submission to rectify it and he will notify the student. If the processing is found to be correct, the student will be notified thereof.

3. The competence to process students’ submissions regarding the organization of study and to review the processing of such submissions is provided in an internal regulation of the faculty under Article 19 (2). If the person having the competence to process students’ submissions is the dean, the person having competence to review the processing is the Rector.

Article 18 Invalidity of a State Examination or its Part or of the Defence of a Dissertation

1. The Rector declares the invalidity of a State Examination or its part or the Defence of a Dissertation under sections 47c and 47d of the Higher Education Act and the Administrative Procedure Code.

2. If the Rector does not find reasons for declaring invalid a State Examination or its part or the Defence of a Dissertation under section 47c (2) of the Higher Education Act he discontinues the proceedings to declare invalidity with a resolution.

3. The opinion of a seven-member Review Board serves as the basis for the Rector’s decision. The Rector appoints the members of the Review Board from among Professors, Associate Professors, or other experts in the given or related subject area. One member is appointed from among students of the given or related subject area. The members are appointed subject to their approval and upon consideration with the dean of the relevant faculty. The Chair or a member of the examination board which performed the State Examination or its part whose invalidity is discussed is usually appointed as a member of the Review Board.

4. The Rector may request an opinion of the dean of the relevant faculty or the Ethics Committee of the University before he issues a decision.

5. The Review Board makes resolutions by a majority of votes of all members.

Article 19 Common Provisions

1. The day of termination of study under section 56 (1) (b) of the Higher Education Act is the date of legal force of the decision on the termination of study.

2. The internal regulation of the faculty determining the requirements of a programme of study according to this Code of Study and Examination represents an internal regulation under section 33 (2) (f) of the Higher Education Act, called “The Rules for Organization of Study at Faculty“.

3. The requirements of a programme of study stipulated in paragraph (2) are adjusted in Part One of the internal regulation of the faculty under (2), either for all programmes of study accredited at the faculty or for each programme of study separately. Part Two of the Internal Regulation of the faculty under (2) may provide the details of the organization of study at the given faculty which:

a) are not regulated by the Code of Study and Examination of the University;

b) are not reserved for Part One of the internal regulation of the faculty; and

c) do not establish obligations to students in the field of study.

4. Part Two or an independent Part Three of the internal regulation of the faculty under (2) may provide the details of the organization of study in doctoral programmes of study at the given faculty; the restrictions under the preceding sentence apply accordingly.

5. A Rector’s measure, commented upon by the Academic Senate of the University, may determine the essential elements of the relevant agreements on inter-university study made under Article 22 (5) of the Constitution. In justified cases a Rector’s measure, commented upon by the Academic Senate of the University, may set exceptions from the rules of study determined by this Code and applicable to study on international joint programmes of study such as joint-degree, multiple-degree, or cotutelle.

Article 20 Transitional Provisions

1. Proceedings started under the current Code of Study and Examination, with the exception of proceedings to terminate study in cases under (2), will be completed under this Code.

2. The provisions of Article 4 (12) do not apply to students whose maximum period of study has lapsed before the legal effect of this code, to students in master’s programmes of study following bachelor’s programmes of study, or to students in doctoral programmes of study who were accepted for study no later than in the 2016-2017 academic year and who registered for study within the period set by the faculty.

3. Before the legal effect of the internal regulation under Article 19 (2), matters regarding the processing of submissions under Article 17 are decided by the dean.

4. The rights and obligations of students who began their studies before the legal effect of this Code are regulated by this Code.

Article 21 Final Provisions

1. The Code of Study and Examination of Charles University in Prague, registered by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports on April 26, 1999, as amended, is hereby repealed.

2. This Code was approved by the Academic Senate of the University on November 25, 2016.

3. This Code comes into force on the date of registration by the Ministry⁴⁶.

4. This Code becomes effective on the first day of the 2017-2018 academic year.

PhDr. Tomáš Nigrin, Ph.D.                                            Prof. MUDr. Tomáš Zima, DrSc.

President of the Academic Senate                                                                Rector

* Translator’s note: Words importing the masculine include the feminine, and unless the context otherwise requires, words in the singular include the plural and words in the plural include the singular.