Baltic Studies

This programme is taught in Czech.

The criteria for admission for studies are the results of the oral Field of Study Examination. Applicants may also be admitted based on other criteria, see Admission without the Entrance Examination. The Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University disregards the results of SCIO National Comparative Examinations.

You can file your e-applications for studies from 1 November to 28 February.
Field of study examinations will be held from 22 April to 27 April.
The date and time of the examination will be stated in the electronic invitation for the examination, which will be uploaded to your e-application. The faculty will not be sending paper invitations. Applicants applying for the major study plan and minor study plan in a combined study must comply with the conditions for admission into both plans.

Single-subject studies specialization: Finnish (full-time studies in Czech). You can study Lithuanian after the first year of study.

Learning Potential Test (TSP)

For admission for studies in this degree programme, you do not need to take the TSP.

Field of Study Examination

This examination is only in Czech. It is intended to check the applicants’ knowledge of the given field of study. It is done in the form of a personal motivation interview with the aim of learning the applicants’ reasons for choosing Baltic Studies and the expectations with which the applicants start their studies.

Basic description of the Field of Study Examination:
The applicants must shortly introduce the reasons for submitting their application for Baltic Studies (such as interest in these countries, wanting to study a less typical field, upon the recommendation of friends, by chance, etc.). The examiners will introduce to the applicants an orientation of the Baltic Studies programme and the basic features of completing this course of study. The interview is expected to last 10 minutes.

Admission without the entrance examination

You can be exempt from the entrance examination based on the submission of confirmations of your participation in a nationwide round of the Students’ Professional Activities in the field of history, the Czech language Olympiad, and foreign language competitions (English, French, Latin, German, Russian, Spanish).

Please upload the officially certified documents directly to your e-application in the section Application for the Exemption from the Entrance Examination no later than 28 February.

Baltic Studies at Masaryk University are within the field of philology: the study programme encompasses Lithuanian, Finnish, Estonian, and Latvian in their linguistic, geographical, and historical relations. The main goal of Baltic Studies is to master one (or more) of these languages. The communicative competence of the students is the main, though not the only, goal of Baltic Studies: the ability to communicate in Lithuanian or Finnish must lead to higher scientific qualities for graduates, i.e. to the profound knowledge of the grammatical system of the chosen language, as well as its typology, diachronic development, and dialectical and stylistic diversity. Students of Baltic Studies are taught specific methods of the philological approach to the language, both linguistic and literary, with the objective of having a professional theoretical comprehension of languages and texts. Students of Baltic studies must also possess a good comprehension of the history of Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia, as they are led to detailed studies of the written culture of these countries from their very beginnings to the 20th century.

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

• talk and write fluently on any topic in the first chosen language (Lithuanian or Finnish), i.e. to use it in any functional style (scientific texts, newsletter, belles lettres, etc.)
• read scientific and popular texts in the second chosen language, i.e. Lithuanian, Finnish, Estonian, or Latvian
• analyse any grammatical issue of modern Lithuanian, Finnish, Estonian, or Latvian
• analyse texts written in Baltic languages from a linguistic and literary perspective
• demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the cultural history of the Baltic region from the very beginnings of the written culture to the 20th century

A graduate of the Baltic Studies study programme is able to speak one of the languages of the Baltic region (Lithuanian or Finnish) and has solid knowledge in the theory of general linguistics. The cultural history part of the study programme guarantees that graduates have very good knowledge of the history and contemporary culture of the entire Baltic region starting with Lithuania and Poland and reaching as far as the Scandinavian countries. Thanks to that knowledge, graduates are able to find at least two possible fields of occupation: in the academic field, Baltic studies scholars work in general linguistics – both synchronic and diachronic (especially Indo-European linguistics, Uralistics, and etymology); in non-academic fields, a graduate of Baltic studies can work as a translator and interpreter, either in Czech and EU institutions or in the fields of culture and literature.

A standard scope of a Bachelor's thesis ranges from 70,000 to 90,000 characters including footnotes, cover sheet, content, index, list of literature, and annotations. A Bachelor's thesis does not have the character of an independent empirical research (potential exception shall be approved by the thesis supervisor). Students can work with already published texts and data accessible for secondary analysis. They should demonstrate the ability to work critically with specialized texts, process the concepts and theories discovered there, and find relevant answers to the given question. Instructions for Final State Examinations and elaboration of the Bachelor's/Diploma thesis are regulated by FF Directive No. 6/2017 - O státních závěrečných zkouškách na FF MU.

After completion of the Bachelor's studies of Baltic Studies, it is possible to continue further studies in the Baltic Studies Master's degree programme (after satisfying the admission requirements) or in a similar study programme abroad.