Plant Anatomy and Physiology

Admission procedure
The admission interview is usually in an online form and consists of three parts:
1) Expert knowledge (max. 100 points) is evaluated within the scope of the university curriculum of Experimental Plant Biology (and related fields) with a focus on the supposed topic of the doctoral thesis,
2) Language competence is assessed in the form of a dialogue conducted in English on a previously unknown topic (plant biology),
3) The motivation of the applicant to study the expected topic is evaluated in the form of a professional debate.

More information about admission process for international applicants in general can be found in the section Admission Process.

Date of the entrance exam
The applicants will receive information about the entrance exam via e-mail usually at least 10 days before the exam.
Please, always check your e-mails, including spam folders.

Conditions of admission
To be admitted, a candidate must obtain a total of at least 120 points out of 200, with at least 70 points each in the expert knowledge and language sections and at least 60 points in the motivation to study section.
Successful applicants are informed of their acceptance via e-mail and subsequently receive an invitation to the enrolment.

Programme capacity
The capacity of a given programme is not fixed; students are admitted based on a decision by the Doctoral Board after assessing their aptitude for study and motivation.

The aim of the program is to prepare top scientists in the fields of contemporary physiology and experimental biology of plants developed within the Institute of Experimental Biology of the Faculty of Science. Graduates of this study should be prepared primarily for further scientific careers in research and academic institutions, but also for potential applications in the commercial sector with a research or application potential in the field of plant science.

The program is focused on the detailed study of plants, their structure and their functions with regard to physiological processes and their regulation. Topics within this program are focused on different levels, ranging from the internal structure and function of plant cells and their organelles, tissues and organs to individuals and their populations. In terms of functional processes, the topics focus on the transformation of external sources of matter and energy in metabolic processes (especially photosynthesis and transpiration), the intake and management of nutrients, growth and development processes, stress and ecological physiology of plants, including interactions with mycorrhizal plants and the reaction of plants to extreme or toxic environment. The aim of the program and the topics studied is to elucidate the physiological mechanisms of plant behavior as a whole and interdisciplinary analysis using the knowledge and procedures of related disciplines, especially biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology and genetics and 'omics disciplines including modern biotechnologies. The research results obtained during the DSP program are mainly used for causal analysis and quantification of physiological processes occurring in both natural and man-affected systems from cell level to ecosystem.

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

• A graduate will be capable to design and perform research in the field of Plant Physiology and/or plant science in general.
• A graduate will understand theories, concepts and methods that represent current trends both in Plant Physiology and Interdisciplinary research
• A graduate will have the knowledge and skills to take a postdoctoral position, or a job in science, research and applied science and development using plant knowledge.
• The graduate will have the knowledge and skills to take a position in state administration and institutions dealing with issues of environmental protection, environment, diversity, agriculture, in the areas using plant physiology.
• A graduate will be able to prepare a manuscript of a scientific paper and publish it in an international scientific journal. A graduate will also be able to prepare a competitive grant application for a professional, applied or educational project.

Employment of a graduate is highest in the following areas: (1) The graduate can work in the fields of experimental plant biology and plant science in general, (2) the graduate can continue in specialized studies in similarly focused postdoctoral programs, also (3) work in education as a teacher or a specialist in biological and environmental fields. The graduate may also apply (4) to the state administration in relevant areas. Last but not least, she may be (5) a member of a research team in the field of experimental plant biology.

A compulsory part of the study program is the professional practice carried out during the course of study, at least 300 hours per year. The practice has the character of preparation and implementation of experiments focused on the topic of doctoral work and practical laboratory work carried out by the DSP student under supervisor supervision. Part of the study may also be another type of practice, namely on the practice of an external workplace in the Czech Republic or abroad. This type of practice is conditioned by an agreement between the student and his/her supervisor.

The qualification standard for the termination of the DSP study is the publication of at least 2 professional articles in professional journals trained in the WOS database in the following subdivisions:

(A) 1 article in which the DSP student (s) is published in a journal with an impact factor and at the median of a branch cluster

(B) 1 article in which the DSP student (s) is co-authored in a professional journal with an impact factor.

Requirements for the PhD thesis text

The candidate may choose between two types of doctoral dissertation: (1) classical type, (2) modern type.

(1) The classical type of thesis is a text written in the Czech language consisting of the following parts: Introduction, Overview of problems(hypotheses), Material and methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References and a list of information sources, Attachment (Appendix) - unnumbered (non-paginated) is optional. The parts should have a proportional extent. The total extent of doctoral dissertation should be at least 60 pages of text. Part of the work in the Attachment (Appendix) should be an overview of the applicant's overall publishing activity.

(2) The modern type is a Czech written text, i.e. a commented summary of published papers of at least 40 pages extent, which is formally divided into Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References and Other Information Sources. Attached publications of candidates (excerpted in the WOS and SCOPUS databasea) related to the topic of doctoral dthesis are an integral part of the dostoral thesis. These attachments are unnumbered (not paged). In this type of doctoral dissertation, emphasis is placed on the interconnection between the themes of the articles and the generalization of the results and interpretations.

After completing all study and research-related duties given by the individual study plan, the student undergoes a state final examination.

The state final exam consists of the oral part in which the student is examined by a committee consisting of MU and external members. In this part of the exam, knowledge from the fields of: (1) Plant cytology and anatomy, (2) Plant physiology, (3) Stress and ecological physiology of plants.

Another part of the state final exam is the oral defense of doctoral dissertation. In this part of the exam, in the 30-minute oral presentation, the student introduces the initial hypothesis, the methods applied and the results of his work, including their comments. Then the expert questions raised by the opponents in the written opinions and the questions of the members of the committee, as well as the questions coming from the plenary guests, will be answered in free deliberation, managed by the chairman of the commission.

After the defense, the student is evaluated by a secret vote of the members of the commission and in accordance with applicable regulations. The student is immediately informed about the results of the voting and the evaluation.