Ph.D. in Geology

Geological Sciences with the emphasis on stratigraphical and historical geology, structural geology, paleobotany, zoo-paleontology, mineralogy and crystallography, geochemistry, economic geology and geology of mineral deposits, and petrology.

Stratigraphical and Historical Geology

Follows the studies of geological processes in the history of the Earth with the emphasis on organic and inorganic features. It is employed in a broad range of geological sciences (including the reconstruction of the geological environment in the past with the implications for the recent). The discipline deals with lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, and chronostratigraphy, especially in regional studies and correlation. It uses methods of the facies analysis as well as basin analysis in the paleogeographic reconstruction. It applies paleontological methods for the paleoecology, eco-stratigraphy, and quantitative stratigraphy, climatic stratigraphy, and event stratigraphy. The discipline uses geochronological methods radiometric dating and deals with the stratigraphical position of metamorphic and magmatic rocks. It employs the methods of detail studies of geological sections and deals with the research of Quaternary sediments.

Structural Geology

In order to study the geological features (structures) of different scales, it follows the scale sequences from the structures of mineral grains and rocks, outcrop structures and structures expressed in the geological maps, global lithospheric structures, and planetary structures. The emphasis of the structural geological studies is on the relationships among the structures and methods of their studies (deformation or strain analysis, methods of physical and mathematical models. The discipline provides a complex overview and applications of structural research in geological sciences using contemporaneous and up to date state of art of problems and methods.

Paleobotany

The discipline deals with the studies of plants of the past geological times, plant evolution from the oldest forms of life in early Precambrian up to Cenozoic. It studies the morphology and anatomy of the plant organs, carries out the reconstruction of fossil plants and whole plant assemblages. It studies the relationships of plant evolution and the environment. It formulates paleoclimatic and paleogeographic conclusions that are used in the geological studies (predominantly in the coal and oil geology).

Zoopaleontology

The study of evolution animals on the Earth from the earliest stages to the contemporaneous times, using the methods of morphology, anatomy, and paleoecology. It attempts to reconstruct individual species and whole fossil assemblages. The results are used for biostratigraphy and evaluation of the evolution of an environment in the geological past.

Specialization: 1, paleontology of invertebrates: systematic and evolution, comparative anatomy of the individual groups, 2. Paleogeographical distribution and migration in the geological past, 3. Paleontology of vertebrates: comparative anatomy of individual groups, systematic and evolution 4. Evolution of humans and primates, paleogeographical distribution and migration in the geologic past.

Mineralogy and Crystallography

It studies mineral phases, their crystal chemistry, features and position within the mineral parageneses with the emphasis on quantitative methods of the study of mineral phases through the methods of quantitative reflectance microscopy, quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis, methods of powder and monocrystalline diffraction, and studies of chemical composition of individual phases "in situ". It studies polymorphy and polytype and OD structures and their relationships to genetic conditions. Crystallography is directed to the region of structural crystallography and refinement of crystal structures. It applies mineralogical research in technologies and uses the mineralogical and geochemical methods in environmental studies.

Specialization: 1. Genetic mineralogy 2. Methods of laboratory studies of minerals and their industrial applications, 3. Mineralogical studies of solid contaminants in the environment, 4. Crystal structures.

Geochemistry

It integrates the knowledge of the basic geological disciplines in terms of chemical composition. It deals preferably with the physico-chemical features of geological and/or cosmochemical processes, anthropogenic processes and consequent modeling of those processes. It uses modern methods of "in situ" chemical analyses including the determination of stable and radioactive isotopes, physical methods and methods of statistical evaluation of data for the purpose of genetic geochemistry and geochronology. It studies the reaction kinetics of migration and distribution of chemical elements in geological materials (minerals, rocks, water, and atmosphere) their equilibria (thermometry and geobarometry) and their mutual interactions. The geology uses these results in the exploration of mineral resources, for the studies of environments and partial problems of ecology, archaeology and in the medical science.

Economic Geology and Geology of Mineral Deposits

The discipline deals with the geological processes leading to the formation of the concentration of potentially useful components in the Earth's crust. For the formulation of models of the individual types of mineral deposits, it uses the knowledge and methods of other geological disciplines especially methods of geochemistry, mineralogy, and methods of structural and basin analysis. It deals with the motion of solutions through the Earth crust and their interaction with the rocks, the isotope fractionation (e.g., of oxygen) and their significance for the interpretation of mineral deposit formations as well as the interaction of lower crust and the upper mantle with regard to processes forming the mineral concentrations.

Petrology

Petrology studies metamorphic, igneous and sedimentary rocks. The emphasis is given to relationships of rock formation and geotectonic processes. The study includes the material and structural relations and microstructural features of the rocks. Metamorphic petrology studies thermal, pressure and mechanical evolution of crust in the collisional and extensional deformation regimes and the relationships of metamorphism and deformation. Magmatic petrology studies the formation of magma in the mantle and crust source areas, it rises, differentiation and crystallization including the geological properties and mechanisms of the emplacement. The sedimentary petrology studies modern features of sedimentology including the processes of diagenesis and the petrology of organic materials.

Description of verification and evaluation criteria

The entrance exam is a one-round in the form of an interview. Based on a written request submitted electronically together with the application but no later than by 19 May 2019, the Dean may permit the entrance examination to take place via information and communication technology, but only for serious and documented reasons such as health or study abroad.

During the entrance examination, the candidate must demonstrate the technical and linguistic skills to study the given program, along with attributes necessary for scientific work. The examination is graded with a maximum of 100 points, of which 30 points are awarded as a bonus for giving a more specific idea of the study content and planned dissertation work in the voluntary application appendix, including the dissertation topic, a brief annotation, the anticipated supervising department and the consent of a specific supervisor to supervise such doctoral project.

Conditions for admission

Admission to Doctoral studies is conditioned by the successful completion of a Master's study program.

Rules governing exemption from entrance examination

The entrance exam may be waived based on a written request from the candidate, provided they have successfully applied for a STARS project in the given academic year. Such a request, along with documentation that the conditions have been met, must be submitted (but not electronically) by 19 May 2019.

Career Prospect

A student of the Ph.D. program in Geology has acquired deep knowledge in the field of general geology, focusing on the geological mapping of sedimentary, volcanic and metamorphic rocks; in the field of paleontology focused on systematic, classification and stratigraphic applicability of plant and animal fossils; in the field of petrology, with special interest in models of structural and petrological history, deformation of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks; in the field of geochemistry and mineralogy, focused on abiotic nature, and in environmental geology and geochemistry.