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FORMAL REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION OF DOCTORAL STUDIES
Version: Released and applicable since 1st
November 2024
PhD program: Life Sciences
Guarantor/Doctoral Board head contact: prof. Michaela Wimmerová, 549 49 8166, michaela.wimmerova@ceitec.muni.cz
Standard study period: 4 years Maximum length of study: 8 years
I. Requirements for Courses
 achieving 240 ECTS
 Core courses ca 65 % of workload, all core courses are mandatory (see Tab. A)
 Hard-skill courses ca 20 % of workload, a minimum of four courses completed during the 1st
and 2nd
year
 Soft-skill courses ca 15 % of workload, a minimum of three courses
The list of courses is available on the CEITEC PhD School webpage: portal.muni.cz/ceitec/ceitec-phd-school/student/life-sciences/courses-training
Tab. A. Core courses
S5007 Ph.D. Thesis obligatory each semester1
S5050 Field Seminar obligatory each semester
C7777/C777en Handling Chemical Substances obligatory each autumn semester1
S5012 CEITEC PhD School Conference obligatory each spring semester1,2
S5010 CEITEC Friday Seminar obligatory in the autumn semester of the 1st and 2nd year2
S5013 TAC Meeting according to the mandatory schedule (minimum three times)1
S5006 Lecture for the scientific community once during the study
XD110 Stay abroad once during the study3
S5008 Scientific publication once during the study
II. Requirements for Publications
 The student has to be the first author of at least one publication in a journal with IF Q1. If this journal has not IF Q1 in the given field of study, there should
be two more publications in journals with IF Q1 or Q2 of which the student should be a co-author.
 For projects on which more scientific teams collaborate (and each is, for example, responsible for a different part of the expertise), shared first-authorship
is eligible. In such a case, the student should clearly declare his/her contribution to the work and the results included.
1
obligatory also after 4th year of study
2
except during stay abroad
3
Exemptions only upon approval of doctoral board - participation in international creative project with results published or presented abroad, or direct participation in
international cooperation.
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 In case a student plans to publish an article in an open-access journal without an impact factor, immediate consultation with the members of the
Executive Committee of the Life Sciences Doctoral Board is required. The committee will review the specific situation and quality of the journal and decide
whether such output will meet the requirements for completing studies.
 The affiliation with both institutes must be listed: 1) National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University;
2) Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University.
III. Requirements for Internship Abroad
 Obligatory a minimum one-month stay abroad in total during the study (ECTS according to faculty rules);
 Alternatively (after approval of the doctoral board) participation in an international creative project with results published or presented abroad or direct
participation in international cooperation.
IV. Requirements for Doctoral State Exam (DSE)
 Performed in English;
 The Executive Committee, in collaboration with the supervisor, designs three specific exam topics for each candidate, based on the list of general topics
(see Tab. B), completed hard skills courses and in relation to the dissertation thesis topic.
 The doctoral candidate gives a presentation on 1 of the 3 topics (10 minutes) followed by discussion and further questions covering the remaining 2 topics
and the area of the given discipline.
Tab. B. List of General Topics for DSE
Molecular aspects  composition and structure of proteins, nucleic acids, glycans, and lipids
Bioanalytical aspects  sequencing of biopolymers
 determining the structure of bio(macro)molecules, its hierarchical aspects (primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, modifications,
suprastructures)
 determining and quantifying interbiomolecular interactions (protein-protein interactions,protein-nucleic acid, protein-ligand)
 bioinformatics – molecular property predictions, experimental data analysis, gene ontology
 molecular modelling (basics of quantum mechanics, molecular mechanics)
Biological aspects  general cellular and organismal functions of bio(macro) molecules
 proteins – cellular structure, metabolism, transport, signalling
 nucleic acids – genetic information, protein biosynthesis and its regulation, non-coding RNA, chromosomes, and telomeres
 glycans – signalling, protein stabilisation, intra- & inter-cellular communication and interactions
 lipids – membranes, lipid rafts
V. Requirements for Dissertation Thesis Defence
 Performed in English (as well as the Thesis itself)
 Oral presentation (20 min) of the doctoral project results, followed by a discussion clarifying the opponents' comments and questions, further questions
from the Examination Committee members, and questions from the audience.
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VI. Requirements for Individual Study Plan
Tab. C. Description of study elements
Study element Description
PhD Project/
Doctoral thesis
Research, a dissertation project, a literature search of the actual state of the topic, planning, and the scientific activities itself.
A student with the supervisor defines the framework topic of the PhD project as the proposal for the entire study period.
Publication activities Described in II. Requirements for Publications (above)
Conferences and academic
forums
Presentation of results on scientific seminars, symposia, conferences, etc., including preparation of talks. At least one documented oral
presentation in English to an appropriate scientific audience, preferentially international conference.
Theoretical training
Theoretical courses, preparation for the doctoral state exam. Recommendation: plan courses and training for the first two years; consider
courses at MU/outside; identify student’s knowledge gaps and what should be learned for SDE.
Internships and international
cooperation
Described in III. Requirements for Internships Abroad (above)
Pedagogical competencies
Optional – included in the limit of Soft-skills courses, up to 150 hours through the entire doctoral studies. Recommendation: pass during the
first three years.
Language competencies Further improving English language competences, attending courses, seminars, conferences, writing publications, all in English.
Transferable skills and career
development
Career development, preparation and management of projects, scientific writing, communication, other soft-skills.
A minimum of three credited courses is required. Consider courses at MU/outside.
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Tab. D. Study Plan by Semesters
year
semester
PhD Project/Doctoral thesis
Publication
activities
Conferences and
academic forums
Theoretical training
Internships
and
international
cooperation
Pedagogical
competen-
cies
Language
competen-
cies
Transferable
skills and
career
development
1
1
(autumn)
S5007
(recommended
25 ECTS)
• Submit TAC
Members
Proposal
S5050 C7777 S5010 Hard-skill course
- optional
Soft-skill
course
- optional
2
(spring)
S5007
(recommended
25 ECTS)
S5013
1st TAC meeting
S5012
attendance
S5050 Hard-skill course
- optional
Soft-skill
course
- optional
2
3
(autumn)
S5007
(recommended
25 ECTS)
S5050 C7777 S5010 Hard-skill course
- optional
Soft-skill
course
- optional
4
(spring)
S5007
(recommended
25 ECTS)
S5013
2nd TAC meeting
4th or 5th
semester
S5012
attendance
S5050 Hard-skill course
- optional
.
4 hard-skill
courses
completed
Soft-skill
course
- optional
3
5
(autumn)
S5007
(recommended
30 ECTS)
S5013
2nd TAC meeting
4th or 5th
semester
S5050 C7777 • Application for
DSE
• Doctoral State
Exam
Soft-skill
course
- optional
6
(spring)
S5007
(recommended
30 ECTS)
S5012
poster
S5050
4
7
(autumn)
S5007
(recommended
30 ECTS)
S5013
3rd TAC meeting
S5050 C7777
8
(spring)
S5007
(recommended
30 ECTS)
.
• Submit PhD Thesis
• PhD Thesis Defence
S5008
completed
S5012
oral presentation
S5006 completed
S5050 XD110
completed
S5009
completed
(optional)
S5006
completed
3 soft-skill
courses
completed
4+ 9+
S5007
(recommended
20 ECTS)
S5013
TAC meetings in
9th,11th, ...
semester
S5012 poster S5050
optional
C7777