Ph.D. in General Linguistics
Prague, Czech Republic
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
31 Mar 2025*
EARLIEST START DATE
Oct 2025
TUITION FEES
CZK 25,000 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Applications can only be submitted between December and March 31. The application must be submitted only electronically via the Charles University information system: https://is.cuni.cz/studium/eng/prijimacky/index.php?do=obory&fakulta=11210&fst=&druh=D&stupr=&obor1=&iscedkod=&jazyk=ENG
** The application fee is paid separately. The exact amount of the application fee for the current academic year can be found here: https://www.ff.cuni.cz/home/applicants/phd-programmes/application-and-admission/#fee
Introduction
We are delighted with your interest in studying at the Faculty of Arts.
On this page, you will find all the available information about the study programme.
If you are really interested in studying, please read the information below before sending us a question. Don't forget to click through all the headlines below as well. Here you will find not only detailed information on the admission requirements but also the curriculum and much more.
The language of instruction is English.
For all information about the study programme and admission procedure conditions see THIS PAGE.
Applications can only be submitted:
- between December 1 and March 31
- electronically using the form provided HERE
Description of the admission process:
- Contact a dissertation consultant (you can find a list of consultants according to your chosen study programme HERE) and send him/her your dissertation proposal for review.
- Submit your application for study via THE ONLINE FORM
- Applications can only be submitted from December 1 until March 31!
- In late April/early May, you will receive an Invitation to the entrance examination via the same system in which you applied.
- At a specified time in May or June, you will take an entrance exam. The entrance exam is oral and mainly takes place in person in Prague. If you are not able to take the exam in person, you can ask for a remote form of exam taken via videoconference (the deadline for a request is usually March 31).
- The maximum number of points you can score on the exam is 60. If you have a total of 30 points or more, you have a chance to be admitted – but you need to be within the expected admission number for the programme.
- In May or July, the admission procedure is evaluated, and the information about its result is sent to all applicants.
- Candidates who are successful in the admission procedure are subject to NOSTRIFICATION. This means that they must provide evidence of their previous Master's degree according to the conditions listed HERE.
- Those who have properly documented their previous education and language skills may attend the enrolment in the study, which usualy takes place from August to September.
Admissions
Curriculum
The curriculum is divided into three areas: (A) obligations associated with assessment of work for the dissertation; (B) basic study obligations; and (C) academic research or pedagogical activities. Specific study obligations (assessment of study) for all three areas are in boldface type. If not stipulated otherwise, they are organized in the form of credit.
A.ASSESSMENT OF WORK FOR THE DISSERTATION
Progress relating to work on the dissertation is assessed in the individual study plan (ISP) with the help of the following study obligations:
(1) PhD seminar(AXOLDOS01–04, from the 5th year and above AXOLDOS04 with repeated registration)
- The PhD student is required to participate in seminars for the duration of their studies.
- The PhD student performs the following activities as a part of seminars:
§ Presentation of their own academic research (papers, posters, articles, etc.), contribution to critical thinking relating to the presentations of other PhD students (1st to 2nd year of studies).
§ Presentation of progress made on their dissertation followed by a discussion and comments (2nd to 3rd year of studies).
§ Training in presentations for international conferences, exchange of experiences from study trips, internships, and conferences (3rd to 4th year of studies).
§ Training for dissertation defence (4th year of studies).
- In the event of an internship, the student is excused from participation in seminars, but is required to make a presentation.
- Term: for the entire duration of studies
(2) Annotated research on the dissertationtopic(AXOLDIS02)
- The PhD student submits to their supervisor an annotated list of relevant academic literature relating to the dissertation topic. For the studied titles, a summary and evaluation will be provided. For other titles, the student will state whether they have verified availability and the results of this verification. For all titles, the specific relationship to the dissertation topic is explained in detail.
- Term: typically the 1st year of studies
(3) Dissertation outline(AXOLDIS03)
- The PhD student submits to the supervisor an outline of the dissertation. The outline should include a draft of the anticipated structure of the dissertation, the basic terms used in the dissertation, and formulations of research hypotheses and anticipated conclusions. The outline is supplemented with a time schedule for additional work on the dissertation. The outline is evaluated by the supervisor or in cooperation with other experts.
- The outline will be, among other things, presented at a PhD seminar.
- Term: typically during the 2nd year of studies.
(4) Chapters from the dissertation(AXOLDIS04)
- The PhD student submits to the supervisor during the 3rd year of studies a draft of a completed part of the dissertation (chapter) amounting to at least 20 standard pages of text. During the 4th year of studies, the PhD student usually submits the entire dissertation text; for a justified additional period of study, the PhD student submits to the supervisor a draft of other completed parts of the dissertation in each additional year.
- Term: during the 3rd year of studies and in each additional year of studies
B.BASIC STUDY OBLIGATIONS
Common foundation for PhD studies at the Faculty of Arts
(1)Theoretical and methodological seminar(AXOLTMS01)
- Reading and interpretation of current linguistic texts
- Lectures by experts on theory and methodology together with discussions
- Discussions on theoretical and methodological issues arising from dissertation projects
- Term: 1st + 2nd year of studies.
(2)Foreign language
- English (AXJAZ0001)/German (AXJAZ0005)/French (AXJAZ0002).
- Term: 1st to 3rd year of studies
Subject-area programme of study – general part
(3)Subject-area examination in an academic specialization(AXOLSPE…+ various codes according to the topic)
- In a subject-area exam, the student should demonstrated that they have mastered the linguistic sub-discipline (see list below) in the necessary degree relating to the dissertation topic. The exam is oral and held in front of at least a two-member committee. A list of studied academic literature is submitted for the exam.
- List of sub-disciplines: phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, lexicology, pragmatics, stylistics, discourse analysis, descriptive linguistics, general linguistics, cognitive linguistics, linguistic typology, historical and comparative linguistics, contact linguistics, sociolinguistics, anthropological linguistics, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, language acquisition, mathematical linguistics, computational linguistics, corpus linguistics, applied linguistics, forensic linguistics, philosophy of language, history of linguistics, etc.
- Term: 2nd year of studies
Subject-area programme of study – individual part
(4)Individual study obligations(AXOLSPE…+ various codes according to the topic)
- According to the nature of the topic, the supervisor sets an additional obligation for the PhD student from the following options:
§ An exam testing the student’s knowledge in some of the areas relating to the dissertation topic, especially in the area of research methodology (statistics, programming, techniques for field work, etc.)
§ An exam from a second foreign language, if required in relation to the dissertation topic
§ An academic paper of approximately 15 standard pages; the paper should relate to the dissertation topic (e.g. to understand it from a different perspective or a different theoretical and methodological framework); however, it must not be the same as any part of the dissertation
- Term: 1st to 3rd year of the studies
C.ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Fulfilment of the academic activities is not a requirement when registering for the state PhD exam, but it is a requirement for the dissertation defence. It is assumed that the PhD student with the consent of their supervisor will plan these activities according to personal preference and the specific options and availability (internship opportunities, publications) throughout their studies. The following activities are required as a part of academic activities:
(1)Academic publications(AXOLOAK09)
- Publication of an original academic study (not only a review) in a peer-reviewed academic journal, or a chapter in a collective work
- Term: during the 4th year of studies at the latest
(2)Additional academic activities(AXOLOAK10)
- The PhD student must complete at least one of the following activities:
§ Active participation in a conference: Presentation at a peer-reviewed international academic conference (lecture, poster)
§ Grant project: Submission of a grant project or active involvement in a grant project
§ Professional translation: Publication of a translation of an academic text (minimum of 20 standard pages).
- Term: during the 4th year of studies at the latest
Additional academic activities in addition to the above-stipulated obligations are encouraged, and if they relate to the dissertation topic, the student records them in the regular annual assessment.
(3) Internship abroad(AXOLOAK11)
- The year of fulfilment is not specified because internships depend on availability and cannot be fully predicted in advance. The obligation can be fulfilled even after taking the state PhD exam, and its fulfilment is a requirement to register for the dissertation defence. The standard total duration of an internship is one to three months.
In serious cases (childcare, etc.), based on a request approved by the dean, an internship abroad can be replaced by one of the following academic activities: active participation in a conference, professional editorial activities, a professional translation, academic instruction, or an academic publication.
(4) State PhD examination(ASDZK0001)
- The state PhD exam is connected to the topic of the dissertation. Before the exam, the candidate submits a) an outline and b) one chapter of the dissertation, c) a list of previous academic activities and d) a list of studied academic literature on the dissertation topic. In the first part of the exam, the candidate presents the dissertation, justifies its methodological basis, and points out the existing issues and their possible solutions. This is followed by critical comments and discussions. If necessary, the examination may include verification of the candidate’s knowledge based on the submitted bibliography.
(5) Dissertation defence(AX0007305)
- A requirement when registering for the dissertation defence is fulfilment of all obligations specified in the ISP.
Standard period of study: 4 years
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE INDIVIDUAL STUDY PLAN
The Research Office creates the basic version of the ISP in SIS and enters for each PhD student all of the obligations that are clearly intended for all students of the subject area (i.e. with a unique code provided in the general plan). Once this basic ISP is created, the student, in agreement with their supervisor, must complete the following in SIS:
1. The foreign language, selected from the offer of languages associated in SIS with the specific plan
2. The individual study obligations, according to the specifications in the above plan. These obligations may be entered either by selecting an existing subject or (if the subject does not yet exist in SIS) by entering the “subject description”, which describes in words the obligation while associating it with a certain subject in SIS at a later time.
3. The year of fulfilment for all obligations for which the above-mentioned subject-area curriculum determines the time span
Scholarships and Funding
Full-time doctoral students will receive a scholarship, which is usually supplemented by other sources of income, e.g. awards for participation in grant projects or remuneration for teaching undergraduates.
For information on governmental scholarships, please visit the website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (https://www.msmt.cz/eu-and-international-affairs/scholarships). Further, you may consult the following website: https://www.studyin.cz/plan-your-studies/scholarships.
Other Ph.D. scholarships can be found at: https://www.cuni.cz/UKEN-72.html and http://www.cuni.cz/UKEN-68.html
Career Opportunities
The General Linguistics Ph.D. graduate is able to analyze in detail the variable and constant elements of language structure and function, both synchronically and diachronically. S/he understands the structure of linguistic theories, the way in which they are related, and also the empirical method of confirming or refuting them. S/he has an insight into the pragmatic and social context of language communication. The graduate’s training has prepared her or him for employment at specialized scientific, research, development, and tertiary education institutions. S/he can work in all spheres of public life where language and language communication play an important role.