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FORMAL REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION OF DOCTORAL STUDIES
Version: Released and applicable since 1st
August 2019 (last updated: October 2024)
PhD programme: Animal Physiology, Immunology and Developmental Biology
Guarantor/Doctoral Board head contact: Vítězslav Bryja, bryja@sci.muni.cz
General requirements for all students in the programme (please see detailed requirements for the Individual Study Plan in the detailed table below):
Mandatory duties: checked by Dean’s Office
XD100 Ph.D. thesis / Příprava dizertační práce Enrolled every semester during entire studies, recommended 20-25 ECTS for semesters 1-4, 30
ECTS for semesters 5-8, 20 ECTS for semesters 9 +
XD101 Literatury Study / Studium literatury Enrolled every semester during entire studies
XD105 Scientific publication writing / Příprava
publikace
Enrolled 2-times in semesters 1-8
Journal Club / Časopisový klub Enrolled every semester 1-8, Journal Club according to your specialisation
Bi1160 Courses on Advanced Methods for PhD
Students / Kurz pokročilých metodik pro
doktorandy FIVBŽ
Minimum 2 courses on advanced methods corresponding with your research topic are required
during semesters 1-6 (before state doctoral exam)
Bi0100
Bi0101
Seminar for PhD. students I, II / Doktorský
seminář ÚEB I, II
obligatory for each semester 1-8, 3 attendances per semester required
Bi1155 Practical training for PhD students of PIDBA Minimum once during studies (recommended 0 ECTS), in semesters 1-6
Bi1150 Softskills Course for PhD students / Kurz
softskills pro doktorandy FIVBŽ
Enrolled 1-time in semesters 1-4
Bi0011 MU Life Science Seminar Enrolled every semester 1-8
C7777 Handling chemical substances
/ Zacházení s chemickými látkami
Enrolled every year of study, every autumn semester
XD102 Teaching Assistance / Pomoc při výuce Enrolled 2-times in semesters 1-4, approx. 100 (max. 150) hours during entire doctoral studies
Bi1165 English talk of PIDBA PhD students Minimum once during studies (recommended 0 ECTS), in semesters 1-6
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XD110 Placement Abroad / Zahraniční pracovní
pobyt
Minimum 1 month stay, min. 1-time during studies (usually 5 ECTS/month), requirement given
by law
Instructions for recognition of Placement Abroad:
https://www.sci.muni.cz/en/students/go-abroad/recognition-of-stay-abroad
(the recognition is done via IS application Internship and Stays, by creating record of the stay
and request for recognition; the course is then registered by Dean’s Office):
Theoretical courses and all other requirements: checked by the Head of Doctoral Board / Head of Doctoral Committee
The requirements for the Individual Study Plan (ISP) are described in a Table below and in detail at the WEBSITE FOR PHD STUDENTS.
Requirements for theoretical State Doctoral Exam (SDE):
- Recommended term for the SDE is about a year before the PhD defense (in the 5th semester at the earliest if the student has already fulfilled the milestones required by the 6th
semester).
- Milestones required by the end of the 6th
semester have to be fulfilled
- Inform the head of Doctoral Board about your plan to take SDE.
- Prepare a summary of the state of your project (1 page) and submit it to the Head of Doctoral Board (minimally 1 week ahead of SDE)
- SDE consists of the presentation of your project (20 minutes) and discussion with the doctoral committee. Introduce your project - hypotheses, applied methods, prove your
knowledge, present the results and future plans.
- SDE committee will assess:
1) General knowledge of the topic including broader context and meaning, 2) ability to explain and present your work, 3) knowledge of your hypotheses 4) knowledge of
experimental techniques, focusing on ability to choose optimal experimental approach, 5) ability to correctly interpret data, deduce and discuss the conclusions.
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Elements of the ISP
Milestones and their check
Enrolment to studies
(Before semester 1)
At the end of
Semester 1
At the end of
Semester 3
By the end of
Semester 4
By the end of
Semester 6
(Theoretical State
Doctoral Exam, SDE)
By the end of
Semester 8
(Preparation for
PhD defense)
(A) research and
development
activities
(ca. 70 % of
workload)
1. Research,
dissertation project,
literature search of
the actual state of
the topic, planning
and the scientific
activities itself
(50 %).
Present a framework topic
of your PhD project with
your supervisor at the PhD
admission interview.
Enroll
• XD100: Ph.D. Thesis
(obligatory for each
semester, 20-25 ECTS
for semesters 1-4, 30
ECTS for semesters 5-8,
20 ECTS for semesters
9+)
• XD101: Literature Study
(obligatory for each
semester)
• Journal club according
to your specialisation
(labmeetings,
obligatory for 8
semesters)
CHECK: Supervisor
[enrolment]
Submit
detailed ISP
for your PhD
project to
the Doctoral
Board.
CHECK:
Doctoral
Board
[Submitted
ISP]
Present your project
to the Doctoral
Board at the PhD
Workshop:
introduce your
hypotheses, applied
methods, prove your
knowledge and
present first
preliminary results.
Doctoral Board
assesses the
presentation and
approves your
progress to the next
semester.
Enroll and get credits
for
• XD104: Literature
research (credits
given as a part of
preparation for
PhD workshop)
CHECK: Supervisor,
Doctoral Board
[Project presentation]
Recommended timing
for State Doctoral
Exam (SDE). Inform
the head of Doctoral
Board about your plan
to take SDE.
Prepare a summary of
the state of your
project (1 page) and
submit it to the head
of Doctoral Board
(minimally 1 week
ahead of SDE).
SDE consists of the
presentation of your
project (20 minutes)
and discussion with
Doctoral Committee.
CHECK: Doctoral
Committee [SDE
assessment]
Submit the PhD
thesis according to
instructions of
Doctoral Board,
format according
to SCI MUNI
requirements.
CHECK: Doctoral
Committee, Dean´s
office [Submitted
PhD thesis]
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Enrolment to studies
(Before semester 1)
At the end
of
Semester 1
At the end of
Semester 3
By the end of
Semester 4
By the end of
Semester 6
(SDE)
By the end of
Semester 8
(Preparation for PhD
defense)
2. Publications
Thesis should be
based on minimum 2
papers
demonstrating
quality and
independence of the
student (15 %)
Get credits for
• XD105: Scientific
publication writing
(obligatory for 2
semesters)
Minimum criteria for
publications:
• 1 paper as a first
author in journal in
Q1 or Q2 according
to Journal Citation
Reports
• at least 1 more
paper as co-author
(obligatory
minimum but for a
good grade you
need more)
CHECK: Supervisor
3. Presentation of
results on scientific
seminars, symposia,
conferences etc.,
including
preparation of talks
and/or poster
presentations (5 %)
Get credits for
• XD106: Lecture
in the foreign
language
(obligatory once
per study
period
specify in ISP
CHECK: Supervisor
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Enrolment to studies
(Before semester 1)
At the end
of
Semester 1
At the end of
Semester 3
By the end of
Semester 4
By the end of
Semester 6
(SDE)
By the end of
Semester 8
(Preparation for PhD
defense)
(B) Specialized
courses and
theoretical
preparation (20
%)
4. Theoretical
courses, preparation
to the state doctoral
exam – SDE (15 %)
Enroll:
• Bi0011: MU Life
Sciences Seminar
(obligatory for 8
semesters, 6
attendances per
semester required)
CHECK: Course guarantor
Get credits for
• Bi1160:
Advanced
Methods for
PhD Students
(minimum 2
courses on
advanced
methods
related to your
research topic
are required
during
semesters 1-6).
specify in ISP
CHECK: Supervisor
5. Doctoral seminars
(5 %)
Enroll
• Bi0100/Bi0101:
Seminar for PhD.
students I, II (obligatory
for 8 semesters, 3
attendances per
semester required)
CHECK: Course guarantor
(C) International
experience and
competitiveness
6. Further improving
of English
competences
(attending courses,
writing publications,
etc., all in English).
No formal check needed,
included in element (A)
parts 1. Research,
dissertation project, 2.
Publications and 3.
Presentations.
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Enrolment to studies
(Before semester 1)
At the end
of
Semester 1
At the end of
Semester 3
By the end of
Semester 4
By the end of
Semester 6
(SDE)
By the end of
Semester 8
(Preparation for PhD
defense)
7. Stay or internship
abroad - mandatory
participation in
international
cooperation.
Get credits for
• XD110: Placement
Abroad
(obligatory once per
study period,
minimum 1 month,
3+months preferred)
CHECK: Dean’s office
(D) Pedagogical
competences
8. Teaching
assistance -
classrooms,
exercises, advising
undergrad students
and comparable.
Approx. 100
hours through
the study period
required during
semesters 1-4.
Enroll
• XD102:
Teaching
assistance
(obligatory
for 2
semesters)
CHECK:
Supervisor
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Enrolment to studies
(Before semester 1)
At the end of
Semester 1
At the end of
Semester 3
By the end of Semester
4
By the end
of
Semester 6
(SDE)
By the end
of Semester
8
(Preparation
for PhD
defense)
(E) Other
transferrable
skills.
9. Career
development preparation
and
management of
projects, scientific
writing,
communication,
other soft-skills.
Enroll
• C7777: Handling chemical
substances (obligatory
every autumn semester)
CHECK: Course guarantor
Get credits for
• Bi1150: Softskills Course
for PhD students (1
course per study period
obligatory; see the
recommended courses
below the table)
specify in ISP
• Bi1155: Practical Training
for PhD students of
PIDBA (obligatory once
per study period,
minimum 2 weeks)
specify in ISP
CHECK: Supervisor
Recommended courses:
C7250 Protein characterisation using mass spectrometry
C7350 Protein characterisation using mass spectrometry - practice
CG030 Structure and function of protein complexes
Bi1110 Physiology of animal cell
C7270 Structural biology methods
C7271 Structural biology methods practical
C2110 UNIX and programming
C9940 3-Dimensional Transmission Electron Microscopy (3DEM)
Bi7560 Introduction to R
Bi7527 Data Analysis in R
Bi7528 Analysis of genomic and proteomic data
S2006 Fluorescence methods in life sciences - a journey from molecules to cells
CG030 Structure and function of protein complexes
DSMolM01 Molecular Medicine
Soft skills courses:
S4010 Science Communication Course: Present Your Research Results with
S5040 Publish or perish: The art of research and scientific writing practical course
S4001 Presentations on international events
S4002 Law, ethics and philosophy of science