Geology

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 by 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 minimum of 180 points, i.e. a minimum of 60 points in each section.
Successful applicants are informed of their acceptance by 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 Doctoral Study Program Geology is to lead PhD students to independent scientific work at a level comparable to international researchers, so that they can fully engage in scientific or research work and international scientific cooperation. The profile of the graduate of the Doctoral Study Program Geology emphasizes independent scientific work, international cooperation and communication of scientific results, and effective use of their benefits.

The Doctoral Study Program Geology is a broadly scoped program across multiple fields of geological sciences with a high number of PhD students and supervisors. It is divided into the following five specializations, in accord with the topics of student's doctoral research:

- Dynamic geology, tectonics and physics of the Earth

- Stratigraphy, paleontology and sedimentology

- Mineralogy, petrology and economic geology

- Geochemistry and hydrogeology

- Applied and environmental geology

Rules for compiling an Individual Study Plan (ISP) are the same for all specializations, both in full-time and combined form of study. The requirements of specialization are defined by the research theme of the dissertation project and by specialized lectures. The combined form of study differs in the ISP in requirements for student presence at the training workplace.

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

• conduct independently and creatively scientific research activities, including adequate planning, and is able to use standard methods and models used in geological sciences
• write a scientific text and prepare it for publication, in a form of papers in international scientific journals in the field of geological sciences
• present and defend results of his/her own research on international scientific forum in his/her field of specialization
• understand and apply broader scientific and theoretical knowledge from the field of geological sciences
• understand and critically assess the newest knowledge and scientific development in his/her field of specialization
• communicate fluently in scientific English and understand scientific English texts
• profit from experience gained from international cooperation
• transfer knowledge and experience thanks to his/her pedagogical skills, and supervise student works
• use the gained transferrable skills and experience, e.g. prepare a competitive grant application

The Ph.D. graduates will find positions mainly in basic or applied research, e.g. at universities, research institutes such as the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (Geological Institute, Archaeological Institute), state service institutions (Czech Geological Survey) and research departments of natural science museums (e.g., Moravian Museum, National Museum). In solving practical problems, graduates have good prerequisites for work in international private companies, in various departmental institutes, research, consultancy and project companies, or in business activities.

In the Dissertation work (Ph.D. thesis), the student demonstrates the ability to solve independently a specialized problem using novel methodological approach, at internationally recognized quality level. Dissertation topics are discussed and approved by the Program Board, based on a proposal submitted by the supervisor.

A high level of dissertation quality is achieved by meeting the following criteria.

The doctoral student is obliged to publish the main results from the topic of his / her thesis (before the dissertation thesis defense): at least as one paper in an international professional journal with an IF that is above the median of the discipline, or at least in two papers in journals with IF under the median of the field. The PhD student must be the first author of such publication, or at least the third author and at the same time the corresponding author (publication condition determined by the Program Board).

Dissertation work in DSP Geology can be presented in Czech, Slovak or English, in two forms:

a) monographic work with recommended text length up to 100 pages,

b) a set of at least three published papers in journals with IF, supplemented with a summarizing text of ca. 30 pages.

The structure of the dissertation thesis is defined in Dean’s Decree No. 5/2012.