Ph.D. in History/General History
Prague, Czech Republic
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
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 study plan is divided into three areas: (A) Tasks whose fulfilment helps monitor students’ progress in writing their PhD dissertation; (B) core study requirements; (C) research and/or teaching. In all these three areas, study requirements are set in bold. Unless stated otherwise, students are required to obtain a course credit (“zápočet”) to fulfil each requirement.
A.DISSERTATION
The progress of the dissertation writing will be monitored through the student’s individual study plan (ISP) consisting of the following study requirements:
1) Doctoral seminar (AXHSDOS01–04, from Year 5 onwards AXHSDOS01 with repeated registration)
- The student is obliged to participate in the Doctoral Seminar throughout his/her studies.
- The seminar is typically held once every three weeks, i.e. 8 to 10 times a year.
- The seminar is divided into 4 sections to reflect the organizational structure of the Department – medieval history, modern history, general and comparative history, and most recent history. Students will be assigned to one of these sections to reflect their supervisors’ affiliation with the respective section of the Department. Where external supervisors are involved, the topic of the dissertation thesis is the key factor, and the student will be assigned to one of the sections by the chair of the PhD programme board. The organization of the seminar will be the responsibility of the head of the respective section of the Department, and all internal (and, where possible, external) supervisors affiliated with the relevant section of the Department will be regularly involved in the seminars.
- Absences are excused by the supervisor or – where doubts exist – chair of the PhD programme board. Students on a fellowship are excused from participation, but are not released from the requirement to present on the seminar.
- Students attending the seminars will be reporting on their progress in writing their dissertation thesis. In Year 1, the primary focus is on the foundations and objectives of the thesis. No later than the end of Year 2, students must present a more detailed outline and summary of the thesis (“teze disertační práce”), in Year 3 they must submit at least one complete chapter of a minimum of 35 standard pages. In Year 4, students must present the concept of their dissertation to seminar participants, with controlled discussion following.
- Required time of completion: The requirement to attend the Doctoral seminar will be assigned to each student in each year of their studies. Credits are granted by the supervisor or – where doubts exist – chair of the PhD programme board.
2) Annotated outline of the dissertation thesis (AXHSDIS02)
- The outline should be submitted to the supervisor, who will grant the credit. The outline should include the expected number of pages for each chapter. Typically, the outline will also be presented during the doctoral seminar.
- Required time of completion: typically Year 1 of study.
3) The first chapter or another complete part of the dissertation thesis (AXHSDIS03)
- The text should be a coherent text of a minimum of 35 standard pages; its content must be consulted and approved by the supervisor. The chapter will also be presented during the doctoral seminar. Credits are granted by the supervisor or – where doubts exist – chair of the PhD programme board.
- Required time of completion: Year 2 or Year 3 of study.
4) Another chapter or another complete part of the dissertation thesis (AXHSDIS04 with repeated registration)
- The text should be a coherent text of a minimum of 35 standard pages; its content must be consulted and approved by the supervisor. The chapter will also be presented during the doctoral seminar.
- Required time of completion: Year 4 and every other year of study.
B.CORE STUDY REQUIREMENTS
Requirements mandatory for all students of any PhD programme at the CU FA
5) Foreign language
- English (AXJAZ0001), German (AXJAZ0005), French (AXJAZ0002) (students are required to select one language subject to consultation with supervisor); alternatively, a foreign language other than the list above may be selected if more appropriate to the topic and nature of the student’s dissertation.
- The exam in a foreign language is a comprehensive test of the PhD students’ language competence.
- The exam consists in a presentation of the objective of the student’s doctoral dissertation (or, where appropriate, a master’s thesis or other extensive academic task), list of literature studied for the exam and a discussion of selected specialized terms. The exam tests the students’ competence in using adequate style, grammar and vocabulary in their presentation, during discussion with examiners and when expressing their own opinions, ideas and evaluations; at the same time, students are expected to respond quickly and adequately when interacting with the examiners.
- The foreign-language exam is administered by the CU FA’s Language Centre; students should fulfil the individual requirements related to the exam after consultation with their supervisor and the person in charge at the CU FA Language Centre.
- Required time of completion: Year 1 or Year 2 of study.
6) Philosophy (AXOBEC002)
- The exam in philosophy is either a written assignment discussing a philosophical topic, or a series of consultations with a philosophy expert affiliated with the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, followed by an oral exam. The exam form is subject to consultation with the supervisor; the credit is granted by an examiner affiliated with the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.
- Required time of completion: Year 1 or Year 2 of study.
7) Exam testing knowledge of the major discipline(“Oborová zkouška”)
- The exam is divided, in the same manner as the Doctoral seminar, into four sections to reflect the Department’s structure: medieval history (AXHSSPE04), general and comparative history (AXHSSPE07), modern history (AXHSSPE05) and most recent history (AXHSSPE06). Students only take this exam in one of the sections, i.e. the one most relevant to the topic of their dissertation, which typically is the section in which the student took the Doctoral seminar.
- The exam is a discussion seeking to test the student’s knowledge in the history of the relevant period and the ability to provide a characterization and structured outline of the key research issues, not only describing them as facts but also interpreting them.
- The student is interviewed by a committee of a minimum of three examiners, renowned experts in the field. The exam committee will be appointed by the head of the relevant section after a student applies for the exam with the head of the section. The credit is granted by the chair of the examination committee.
- Required time of completion: Year 2 or Year 3 of study.
Requirements assigned individually upon consulting the supervisor
8) Individual Study Requirements
- In accordance with the nature of the dissertation topic, the supervisor assigns at least one, and
at most two additional requirements. Possible options include:
- Written assignment improving the student’s expertise in a domain related to the topic of the dissertation. The topic and number of pages are decided by the supervisor. The student-author must comply with the relevant citation norm and, where appropriate, other rules relevant to student written assignments set by the school and/or supervisor (AXHSSPE… different codes depending on the topic).
- Exam in academic reading in a second foreign language where necessitated by the topic of the dissertation. The foreign language is decided by the supervisor. The exam tests students’ passive command of the language, i.e. the ability to read written documents relevant to their field of specialization; therefore, students’ ability to read specialized texts is tested. Typically, the list of possible languages includes English (ASZAJ2000), German (ASZNJ2000), French (ASZFJ2000), Spanish (ASZSJ2000), Italian (ASZIJ2000), Russian (ASZRJ2000), Latin (ASZLJ0001) and other languages, preferably European.
- Credits for activities under Individual Study Requirements are granted by the supervisor.
- Required time of completion: between Year 1 and Year 3 of study, as agreed with the supervisor.
C.RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
9) Fellowship abroad (AXHSOAK09)
- The year of completion is not specified, as fellowships are dependent on offers and are not predictable. Fellowships may be undertaken before or after passing the state doctoral exam but must be completed before applying for the dissertation defence. The standard length of the fellowship is three months; it may, however, be divided into shorter periods of time. Fellowships are not restricted to formally certified stays at academic institutions and may include field research, research stays in libraries etc.
- Where foreign fellowship is impossible for a serious reason (long-term serious illness, childcare, etc.), it can be replaced, based on the student’s application approved by the Dean, by one of the following academic activities: active participation in a conference, professional editorial work, specialized translation, academic teaching, academic publication.
10)Academic publication (AXHSOAK10)
- The credit is granted to students who submit a proof of having published a minimum of one study (article/paper) in a foreign or domestic journal specializing in an AB-category field according to the CEP classification of academic fields or, where applicable, in a closely related field. Where doubts exist, the supervisor or the chair of the PhD programme board should ask the programme board to make the final decision on (non)-recognition of the publication in a closely related field. The minimum formal requirement is that the publication be listed on the RVVI’s List of reviewed non-impact journals (periodicals) published in the Czech Republic.
- In justified cases, exceptions suggested by the student should be approved by the supervisor and submitted to the programme board for final approval (e.g. a renowned foreign journal not listed in the databases Scopus, WoS and ERIH recognized by the RVVI). If the student’s paper has been published in a journal listed in the internationally recognized databases WoS, Scopus and ERIH, the supervisor may propose to the PhD programme board that the paper be recognized, at the same time, as a study requirement listed under Other academic activities I–II (see below). The final decision is made by the PhD programme board.
- Credits are granted by the chair of the PhD programme board.
- Required time of completion: typically between Year 1 and Year 3 of study.
11)Other academic activities I–II(AXHSOAK11, AXHSOAK12)
- The student must choose at least two of the following activities:
o Review
The credit is granted to students who submit a proof of having published a minimum of one review in a foreign or domestic journal specializing in an AB-category field according to the CEP classification of academic fields or, where applicable, in a closely related field. Credits are granted by the supervisor; where doubts exist, the supervisor or the chair of the PhD programme board should ask the programme board to make the final decision on (non)-recognition of the publication in a closely related field. The same applies to where doubts exist whether the publication meets the standards for reviews, i.e. being a critical evaluation of a scientific work in an AB-category field. The minimum formal requirement is that the publication be listed on the RVVI’s List of reviewed non-impact journals (periodicals) published in the Czech Republic. Alternatively, the credit may be granted to students who submit a proof of serving as active evaluators of projects with public funders in science and research in an AB-category field or a closely related field in the Czech Republic and/or abroad. Where doubts exist, the procedure described above shall apply.
o Active participation in project design
The credit is granted to students who submit a proof of having submitted – either by themselves or in cooperation with other researchers – a project application in a grant-project competition. The credit is normally granted to successful applicants; in exceptional cases, the credit may be granted to unsuccessful applicants who applied with a notably renowned international grant agency (e.g. ERC), with the stage at which the project was rejected playing a key role in the decision on granting/declining the credit. Credits are granted by the supervisor or – where doubts exist – chair of the PhD programme board.
o Active conference participation
The credit is granted for participation in an important domestic or foreign conference, with the student presenting his/her own paper. Alternatively, the credit may be granted for involvement in conference organization, with students providing expert assistance (e.g. panel management, editorial work on conference proceedings) not administrative and technical. Credits are granted by the supervisor or – where doubts exist – chair of the PhD programme board.
o Specialized translation and/or editorial work
The credit is granted for the translation of an important work in an AB-category field or a closely related field, published by a renowned domestic or foreign publisher. Alternatively, the credit may be granted for involvement in the preparation of a publication in an AB-category field. Examples include editorial work leading to the publication of a journal or collective monograph. Credits are granted by the supervisor or – where doubts exist – chair of the PhD programme board.
o Higher education teaching
The credit is granted for substantial teaching in programmes – bachelor’s and/or master’s – offered by the Institute of World History, CU FA. Credits are granted by the supervisor or – where doubts exist – chair of the PhD programme board.
Required time of completion: Not specified.
12) Final state doctoral exam (ASDZK0001)
- Required time of completion: 3rd year of study.
- Students are only allowed to apply for the final state doctoral exam once they have fulfilled all study requirements specified in the section Core Study Requirements above.
- The final state doctoral exam is an academic debate; in addition to being a discussion of the student’s studies and research activities, the debate tests the student’s overall knowledge in the narrow field of his/her specialization as well as his/her readiness for independent academic research in his/her specialization, which is the ultimate objective of PhD studies. The primary goal of the exam is to discuss the topic of the dissertation in a wider context of the discipline.
- No later than one month before the exam, the student – having consulted his/her supervisor – should select five topics, three of which must not be identical to the topic of the dissertation. The topics must come from different periods and areas of the student’s specialization in world and general history (medieval history, modern history, general and comparative history, most recent history). The exam committee will select two out of these five topics, which the candidate is supposed to present in the form of a conference paper (oral presentation). The student must submit the outline of the presentation no later than 15 days prior to the final state exam. The presentation is followed by a discussion; the primary objective of the discussion is to test the candidate’s overall knowledge in his/her field of specialization, as well as his/her readiness for independent academic research in his/her specialization, which is the ultimate objective of PhD studies.
13) Dissertation thesis defence (viva voce, “obhajoba disertační práce”) (AX0007305)
- The student is only allowed to apply for the dissertation defence after all the requirements set by the Individual Study Plan have been fulfilled.
Standard duration of study: 4 years
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPILING OF THE INDIVIDUAL STUDY PLAN (ISP)
The template of the ISP is created in the SIS by the Information Systems Office (“Oddělení informačních systémů”), assigning automatically to every PhD student the requirements applicable to all students in the PhD programme (i.e. those items in the general curriculum above that carry a code). Once this basic ISP is created, the student – having consulted the supervisor – must add the following in the SIS:
1. Foreign Language, choosing from languages associated in the SIS with the respective study plan.
2. Exam testing knowledge of the major discipline (“Oborová zkouška”, choosing from items associated in the SIS with the respective study plan).
3. Individual Study Requirements as specified above. These requirements may be added either by choosing an already existing course, or (where the course does not appear in the SIS yet) by entering a “course description” (“popis předmětu”), which provides a verbal outline of the given requirement, and will be paired with an appropriate course in the SIS later.
4. Year of completion for any requirements in the plan above where a year range is offered instead of a specific year of completion.
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
Graduates of the doctoral programme in History/General History are highly qualified specialists equipped for independent and critical research, and possess a thorough knowledge of the political, economic, social and cultural development of human society; they possess skills in working with published and unpublished sources, and the ability to adopt a critical approach to specialist writings, conduct basic research, produce theoretical generalisations and apply creative thinking to the analysis of historical facts and processes. Graduates are equipped for any profession requiring a university degree in history or related disciplines; they may seek positions in the academia as well as a wide range of institutions in culture, civil service and politics.