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

• characterize the phonological and morphological development of the Greek language in any period of its history
• interpret original Greek texts linguistically and historically against the backdrop of their literary and cultural environment
• characterize and differentiate non-Attic dialects
• describe the development of the Greek language, including Byzantine and modern periods
• interpret historical and cultural contexts in the Mediterranean of antiquity and the early Middle Ages
• apply the rules of the Greek system of prosody to epic texts and selected Greek lyric poetry

Graduates of the Master’s degree study programme meet all of the necessary qualifications to work as teachers at classics-oriented high schools and universities. Graduates have thorough knowledge of ancient culture, history, and literature, making them well qualified to work in humanities and social sciences departments at the Academy of Sciences, in archives, libraries, museums, bookstores, and travel agencies, as well as in diplomatic structures. Given the study programme’s focus on developing in students a wide array of linguistic competences, graduates are well suited to work as editors in the media (esp. as correspondents for culture and literature) and publishing houses. In addition to work offers within the narrowly defined field of study, graduates are well prepared to work in all professions requiring independent and critical thought and excellence in verbal and written expression.

The standard length of the Master’s degree study programme is two years, with the possibility of extension for up to one year. The programme is conceived as an extension of the Bachelor’s degree study programme and it is completed by presenting and defending a Master’s thesis and by passing the Master’s degree final state examination. Students of the Master’s degree study programme are required to earn at least 120 ECTS credits, including 86 ECTS credits for type A/required courses, 30 ECTS credits for Master’s thesis seminars, and 4 ECTS credits for an examination of their competence in a selected foreign language. In addition to type A/required courses, students choose freely from type B/selective courses from the selection of the Department of Classical Studies, as well as from affiliated departments, such as Czech Language, General Linguistics, Classical Archaeology, and Fine Arts. If the student earns the obligatory number of type A/required and type B/selective ECTS credits, all other courses from the selection of the Department of Classical Studies shall be considered as type C/elective.

The Master’s final state examination consists of a written and an oral part. Students are obliged to enrol for both parts during the same semester. The successful completion of the written part is a necessary prerequisite for admission to the oral part. If a student successfully passes the written test and fails the oral examination, that student shall not be required to re-sit the written part of the final state examination in the course of their next attempt. The written part requires students to translate an original Greek text with the help of a dictionary and to demonstrate their knowledge of classical Greek morphology and syntax. In the oral part of the final state examination, students demonstrate their knowledge of classical Greek, including the developmental features of the Attic dialect in comparison with other ancient Greek dialects, by translating selected portions of texts by writers on the compulsory reading list. Student shall have 45 minutes of preparation time available. The use of a dictionary during the oral exam is not permitted. The oral part of the text exam further includes testing of student knowledge in the fields of Greek and Roman literature, metres of ancient poetry, and the principles of general linguistics.

The Master’s final state examination tests the student for the following abilities and competences:

- thorough knowledge of Greek grammar and the development of the Greek language;

- thorough knowledge of the development of Greek literature and general knowledge of the relations between basic developmental stages of Roman literature and Greek literature;

- thorough orientation in various domains of Greek culture and history (philosophy, visual arts, cult and religion, state and politics, judiciary and legal system, private life);

- being well-read in the writers selected for compulsory reading list (esp. Homer and Demosthenes).

Prerequisites for the Master’s final state examination:

- earning the required number of ECTS credits in the Master’s degree study programme;

- due preparation of texts included in the compulsory reading list and successful completion of all the colloquia related to them;

- presentation of the Master’s thesis (minor or major) and its acceptance by the supervisor.

Following the fulfilment of all the necessary prerequisites, graduates from the Master’s degree study programme may continue their studies in the doctoral degree study programme in Classical Philology.