Indo-European Comparative Linguistics

Deadline for submitting applications: August 1 - November 30.

Deadline for submitting documents for the admission procedure: December 15.

Documents for the admission procedure:

• signed CV;
• list of publishing activities (if any);
• doctoral thesis project;
• motivational letter.

  Documents for the admission procedure must be inserted into the e-application (rubric “Documents”) by 15 December. Applicants are required to include their full name and application number on all attached documents.

  Recommendation: Applicants are advised to contact a potential supervisor before submitting their application in order to consult the research focus and its possible guidance (an external supervisor is also possible).

  The entrance examination takes the form of an oral discussion over the doctoral thesis project.

  Notice: A poof of completion of a Master’s degree programme (officially certified copy of the diploma, in the case of education obtained abroad also the so-called recognition) shall be submitted by the accepted applicants upon enrolment in the studies. For the entrance examination, a proof of completion of a Master’s degree programme is not required.

• Pass/fail line: 27 points (out of 36).

  Three questions will be asked, for each it will be possible to get a maximum of 12 points.

The program s goal is to recognize and understand the diachronic development of languages, primarily Indo-European; to understand structures and trajectories, on which these structures are changing and to acquaint the basic language facts and methodology.

The goals of the study are:

i. to acquaint the basic typological and structural properties of the language systems of the old Indo-European languages;

ii. to acquaint the needed methodology of the diachronic description of languages;

iii. to apply these methods to analyse a concrete problem (the subject of the Ph.D. thesis)

The program is a possible superstructure either for the M.A. program "General linguistics" (of the same department) or any other concrete philology of a given IE language.

The students follow an individual study plan, framed up by their supervisor and oriented toward a concrete methodological development and linguistic analysis. The study is single-subject only.

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

• both synchronically and diachronically analyze the systems and structures of the Indo-European languages
• apply the chosen method independently
• bring own innovative approach both material and methodological
• to write a paper and publish it, to actively take part on the scientific conferences
• know the history of the methods of the Indo-European linguistics

The study is primarily for those interested in the professional carrier in academics.

An integral part of the study is publishing papers (in the extent given by the individual study program) and teaching at least one term course.

The extent and form of the PhD thesis follow the study regulations of Masaryk University. An important pre-requirement is the preparation of a PhD thesis proposal.

By writing a PhD thesis the students must demonstrate their knowledge of the current state of the field and of the adequate methodology as well as provide their own innovation both in the methodology and understanding of the topic under study.