REQUIREMENTS FOR THE START, PROCESS AND TERMINATION
OF THE STUDY
DOCTORAL STUDY PROGRAM
SPECIAL EDUCATION 4-year doctoral study program Special Education
1. Start of study:
Dissertation project
Simultaneously with the submission of the application for the admission
procedure to the doctoral study program, the applicant submits, among other
things, a dissertation project. The discussion on the dissertation project is part of
the admission procedure. The project of the dissertation usually has the
following parts: definition of the solved problems and basic concepts, summary
of the current state of knowledge, aim of the work, outline of the methodology
and solution procedure, expected research results, list of used literature.
Requirement for the foreign language exam (most often English):
Confirmation of a foreign internship in a bachelor's or master's degree, an
alternative is a certificate from an English course (possibly another language)
2. Course of study: requirements for publication of results
The core of the study in the doctoral program is usually the implementation of
the dissertation research in parallel with the elaboration of the text of the project
into the form of the dissertation itself.
In addition to the preparation of the dissertation, the study in the doctoral
program also includes subjects expanding and deepening knowledge of a
broader scientific field beyond the master's program, subjects deepening
specialized knowledge, specialized professional seminars, preparation and
assistance in teaching in bachelor's and master's programs, or preparation of
dissertation theses. work (MU Study and Examination Regulations, Article 28,
paragraph 4).
Requirements for students, resp. program graduates are specified in LOGBOOK
(Logbook for DSP Special Education, 2021) Available electronically
in czech: https://munispace.muni.cz/library/catalog/book/1981,
in english: https://munispace.muni.cz/library/catalog/book/1982
Part of the study in the SP doctoral program is active publishing activities; the
minimum publication standard is 4 studies for which the doctoral student is the
main author, of which at least 1 study in a journal included in the WOS ISI,
SCOPUS, ERIH databases or in the List of peer-reviewed non-impact
periodicals published in the Czech Republic) (eg Ph publico, Journal of
Exceptional People, Speciální pedagogika, Špeciálny pedagóg) or chapters in
professional books. Active presentations (papers, communications) at three
seminars or conferences in our country and abroad (possibility to obtain a
scholarship), publications in proceedings.
Part of the study at DSP SP is a mandatory internship abroad of min. 1 month.
Participation in teaching in the subject of inclusive (special) education and
selected specializations (2 semesters after 2 hours) - compulsory for full-time
form.
Participation in research projects of supervisors (min. 8 hours per semester) compulsory
for full-time form.
Participation in the management of bachelor's or master's theses is possible only
in the case of working hours at the department or work agreements.
3. End of study
The condition for successful completion of the study is
(a) passing the state doctoral examination (Study and Examination Regulations
of Masaryk University, Art. 31)
(b) successful defense of the dissertation (Study and Examination Regulations of
Masaryk University, Art. 32).
The application for the state doctoral examination can be submitted after the
fulfillment of all prescribed study obligations and the submission of the
dissertation thesis.
The submitted and defended rigorous thesis, which includes the dissertation
thesis, will be recognized as defended theses.
3a. State doctoral examination
The first part of the state doctoral examination is a discussion of the dissertation
thesis, on which the Departmental Board of the doctoral study program Special
Education places the following requirements:
- The dissertation thesis is an excerpt of the essential parts of the prepared
dissertation.
- Theses are processed in the structure of the dissertation project, ie they usually
contain the following parts:
• to define the issues addressed and basic concepts;
• a summary of the current state of knowledge or solution;
• a description of the research methodology; o presentation of selected /
preliminary results;
• o formulation of working conclusions, including the prospect of finalization of
the dissertation.
- The scope of the dissertation thesis: 20-40 standard pages, ie 36000-72000
characters, including spaces.
- Dissertation theses are prepared in accordance with the requirements of the
citation standard APA - American Psychological Association;
https://is.muni.cz/do/rect/el/estud/prif/ps11/metodika/web/ebook_citace_2011.ht
ml#APA%20.zasady_tvorby
- The dissertation thesis must be submitted together with the application for the
State Doctoral Examination in the number of 10 copies, with the exception of
doctoral students who have defended a rigorous thesis, which includes the
dissertation thesis.
- The theses of the dissertation are written in the language in which the doctoral
study program is carried out: in the Czech or Slovak language, or in English or
German in accordance with the accreditation of the program.
The second part of the state doctoral examination of the Special Education is a
discussion during which they are verified
(1) knowledge and orientation in inclusive special education,
(2) in the subject Psychology of Disabilities and Disorders of Mental
Development,
(3) in the specialization of a broader scientific basis (speech therapy, deafness,
psychopedia, somatopathy, ophthalmopedics, ethoopedia, specific learning
disorders, multiple disabilities, addictology, special andragogy,
(4) knowledge in the field relevant to the dissertation within the methodology 1.
(note: Methodology 2 is written only in the 4th year)
(5) it is mandatory to pass the exam in a foreign language
You can find the areas of the state doctoral examination at
https://www.ped.muni.cz/specped/kategorie.php?c=38
3b. Dissertation defense
The study in the doctoral study program aims at the creation of a dissertation
which, according to §47 of the Higher Education Act, "demonstrates the ability
and readiness for independent activity in the field of research or development or
for independent theoretical and creative artistic activity".
Original scientific theoretical, historical-comparative, methodological and
empirical works, or works that combine these concepts in a suitable way, are
accepted as dissertations.
- Theoretical works deal with various theoretical approaches to problems in the
subject area, requiring a high degree of abstract and analytical thinking and
insight.
- Historical-comparative works process various subject areas in their historical
context in interdisciplinary comparison.
- Methodological works analyze (new) research approaches, methods, tool
techniques and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
- Empirical work brings specific findings obtained by specific research methods,
while the presented findings always result from the realized empirical research.
In accordance with Article 30 of the MU Study and Examination Regulations,
the Departmental Board of the 4-year doctoral study field of Special Education
places the following requirements on the dissertation:
- Dissertations containing empirical research are preferred
- The dissertation is processed in the structure of its project, ie it usually
contains the following parts:
• to define the issues addressed and basic concepts,
• a summary of the current state of knowledge or solution, a description of the
research methodology (includes information on the research process, design,
research file and used methods of data collection and analysis),
• the presentation of research results,
• discussion and interpretation of results, formulation of conclusions.
- Scope of the dissertation: 150 standard pages, ie 270000 characters, including
spaces (without attachments).
The dissertation is prepared in accordance with the requirements of the citation
standard APA (American Psychological Association;
http://is.muni.cz/do/rect/el/estud/prif/ps11/metodika/web/ebook_citace_2011.ht
ml#APA.zasady_tvorby)
- The dissertation is submitted in a non-detachable binding, in the number of 3
copies and electronically via IS MU
- The dissertation is accompanied by an abstract, which contains the main ideas
of the work, brief information about the methodology used and a summary of
the results. Its range is 12-20 pages and is attached in a number of 10 pieces.
The abstract also includes a CV and an overview of the applicant's creative
activity (typically generated from the IS MU).
The publication of part of the dissertation is mentioned in point 2 above. In
addition, the doctoral student has the opportunity to prepare a research
monograph from his / her research without appendices, approx. 100 standard
pages, ie 180,000 characters.
The doctoral study program (DSP) Special Education underwent institutional
accreditation on 29 September 2020, valid until 28 September 2028 in Czech
and English. DSP Special Education has been implemented at PdF MU since
2002/2003. The Department of Special and Inclusive Education (KSIP) and the
Institute for Inclusive Education Research (IVIV) participate in the
implementation of the DSP Special Education. The guarantor of the programs at
the VR PdF MU was the approved founder of the field, prof. PhDr. Marie
Vitkova, CSc.
Brno, 30. March 2022
prof. PhDr. Marie Vítková, CSc.
Chairwoman of the Board DSP Special Education
guarantor DSP Special Education