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

• communicate in both a written and an oral form in the language of their dominant area (Russian or Polish) at a very good level
• expertly reflect on the cultures and other forms of the arts of the studied European areas
• discuss these topics and write about them with an in-depth knowledge and in a cultivated manner, on the basis of the graduate’s own reading and study
• present an academic problem in both a written and an oral form
• find and use information from various sources in practice when dealing with problems which have arisen in the fields of culture, literature, and the language of the studied area

Graduates can use the knowledge obtained in the course of their studies in working in cultural institutions; the flexible conception of the studies also makes it possible for graduates to work in journalism, and in private enterprises in lower-level and middle management (as for the Bachelor’s degree graduates in the same field). In contrast to the Bachelor’s degree graduates, the graduates of the Philological-Area Studies Master’s degree – as specialists and experts in the studied European areas – have a greater chance of finding employment in science, culture, and politics (in a broad meaning of that word). The interdisciplinary education obtained in the studies helps graduates find employment in EU institutions, in public administration at all levels, in institutions focusing on regional development and administration, in institutions of various international organizations (in the EU or outside the EU), in educational institutions, and in the media.

The regular length of study is four semesters. To be allowed to sit for the Master’s final state examination, the single-subject students must earn at least 120 credits for type A/required, type B/selective, and type C/elective courses. Type A/required courses consist of common courses for the given field of study and of practical language courses (at least 54 credits – including the credits for courses helping students write their Master’s thesis). Type B/selective courses deepen students’ knowledge of the dominant area they study (20 credits) and of another chosen area (20 credits – those can also be earned by completing courses from the common offer of their field of study). The single-subject students also take type C/elective courses from the open offers in their study programme and any other courses from the open offers in Slavonic study programmes, or, alternatively, from other philological, historical, and aesthetic study programmes at the Faculty of Arts (at least 20 credits). During their studies, all students have to pass an exam in another world language (English, French, German, or Spanish – 4 credits), except for the students who have already passed the exam in their Bachelor’s studies.

The double-subject students have to earn at least 120 credits in both their subjects together (70 credits in their primary study programmeand 50 credits in their secondary study programme). The Master’s studies are concluded with the defence of the Master’s thesis (or by submitting the Master’s minor thesis if Philological-Area Studies is the secondary study programme) and by passing the final state examination.

The Master’s studies are concluded by the Master’s thesis defence (the main body of the thesis has to contain at least 80 standard pages of text) and by passing the Master’s final state examination. The final state examination provides a comprehensive written and oral test of the knowledge obtained in the compulsory area, and in linguistic, literary theoretical, and culture studies courses. The language part of the exam tests (in a written and an oral form) the grammar and vocabulary of the primary language of the studied area. The questions for the oral part of the exam are based on set topics and literature and they test the knowledge of the theoretical-methodological basics of the field of study and the knowledge of individual areas (literature, culture, and history).

For more information, please visit the department website (in Czech):

http://www.phil.muni.cz/wusl/home/studium/informace/statni-zaverecne-zkousky-a-zaverecne-prace

At the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, graduates of the Philological-Area Studies Master’s degree can be accepted into the following doctoral degree study programmes: Philological-Area Studies and Comparative Literary Studies.