After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• Work as an independent professional and researcher in medical pharmacology and related biomedical fields.
• Apply for grants to national as well as international grant agencies.
• Publish his/her results in international impacted journals.
• Present the results of his/her work at international conferences.

Graduates of the doctoral degree programme find employment as scientists and researchers in biomedicine and, more specifically, pharmacology.

Graduates can also work as lecturers in pharmacology and related field or at various positions (especially research, development, and consulting) within the pharmaceutical industry.

By the end of the first year of their PhD studies, students present the theses of their doctoral dissertations to the board for doctoral studies and other students and academic staff of the Department of Pharmacology, working together with their supervisor. The board discusses the theses and research project with the student and may suggest methodical changes in the project.

During the course of their studies, students present the partial findings of their dissertation at conferences in the Czech Republic as well as abroad (and submit applications for financial support at the MU Faculty of Medicine or to other available sources of funding). With the support of their supervisors, students also apply for internship grants that are relevant for their dissertation research.

By the end of the second year of their PhD studies, students submit a manuscript of paper that they have written (review papers are also accepted) to their supervisors and the board for doctoral studies before submitting it for publication in an academic journal (as a minimum a peer-reviewed Czech or Slovak academic journal).

Students need to submit their experimental research findings, to be published in a journal with impact factor, to the board for doctoral studies in Medical Pharmacology no later than in the fourth year of their studies.

To be approved for defence by the board, the dissertation needs to include original research findings that have been accepted for publication in an academic journal with impact factor and the doctoral student must have published at least one such original paper as the lead author.

If a student fails to adhere to the schedule guidelines described above, the board will discuss the situation with his/her supervisor and recommend that the student terminates his/her studies in the Medical Pharmacology doctoral study programme.

Doctoral students are also required to teach Pharmacology to younger students of various programmes at the Faculty of Medicine (in accordance with MU Study Regulations).

Courses included in the study plan for doctoral studies:

Required courses:

Pharmacology

English Language (see also below: DSAJz01 – Elective common subjects and courses at the Faculty of Medicine)

Selective courses (students must enrol in 3 or more selective courses):

Neuropsychopharmacology

Behavioral Pharmacology

Animal Models of CNS Disorders

Biochemistry

Xenobiochemistry

Specialized Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacoeconomics

Elective common subjects and courses at the Faculty of Medicine:

(Students must enrol in 5 or more elective courses. Further details, including course abstracts, lecturers, schedule, and recommended literature, are available at the MU Faculty of Medicine official website: http://www.med.muni.cz/index.php?id=124)

Molecular Biology and Genetics (DSMBz01)

New trends in pathophysiology (DSNTz01)

Trends in medical immunology (DSTIz01)

Analysis of clinical data (DSAK051 – course)

Ethics of Biomedical Research (DSETz01)

Rhetoric. The culture of interpersonal communication (DSREz01)

Acquisition of scientific information (DSVIz01 – course)

Planning, organization and evaluation of clinical trials (DSAM051 – course)

Computer network user (DSUP031 – course)

English language (DSAJz01; for students of Medical Pharmacology, this is a required course)

Publication of the results of students’ own original experimental work in a journal with impact factor (at least one paper where the student is listed as the first author).

Submission and successful defence of a doctoral dissertation.

Based on the topic of their doctoral dissertations, PhD students work with experimental animals and use other required laboratory methods, first under the supervision of mentor(s) and later on their own.

With the support of their supervisors, students also apply for internship grants that are relevant for their dissertation research.

Based on their schedules and course plans, PhD students take part in teaching undergraduate students at the Faculty of Medicine.

During the last year of their studies, PhD students must complete and defend their doctoral dissertations.

Requirements for the State Doctoral Examination in Pharmacology:

At the oral state examination, students must show sufficient knowledge of modern pharmacology (based on the list of recommended literature) to an examination board with at least five members, comprised of experts from MU and at least two members from other institutions.