Germanic Languages

The doctoral degree study programme in Germanic linguistics is designed as a culmination of the theoretical studies and practical training in order to enable the graduates to take part in individual research projects. General knowledge and skills in synchronic and diachronic linguistics acquired in the Master’s degree study programme are deepened and complemented with specialized disciplines with the main focus on the requirements of research work, including an appropriate format for presenting the results. The study is specialized and individualized to a high degree, with respect to the topics of the dissertation projects. At the same time, a general overview of methodological problems and methods in philology, their critical reflection and creative application, are developed as an integral part of the research-centred skills.

The Specialization Experimental and applied linguistics is focused on deepening knowledge and skills in the use of experimental methods and methods applying formal approaches to natural language (organized by several academic institutes with a linguistic focus: the Department of Czech Language, the Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages, the Department of English and American Studies, the Department of Romance languages and literatures, the Department of German, Scandinavian and Netherland Studies). It is intended for those interested in linguistics, which emphasizes the observation of language data and its processing by mathematical methods and the theoretical problems associated with the application of formal methods to the natural language material. The aim of this specialization is to provide students with comprehensive skills and theoretical background in corpus linguistics and the use of statistical processing of linguistic data. The offered optional courses will enable the student to understand the different branches of applied linguistics.

The specialization Historical Languages of the Czech Lands is focused on a distinct field of expertise with a primarily historical orientation, it is oranized in cooperation of several deparments of the faculty (Department of Classical Studies, Department of Czech Language, Department of Czech Literature and Library Studies, Department of German, Scandinavian and Netherland Studies). The study is focused on Middle Ages with transitions to the early modern period, and is specified by the environment of the historical Czech lands of that period. Combining the topics, research traditions and methods of German, Bohemian and Latin historical filology allows the graduates to work competently with the historical texts of this provenance with regard to the multilingual cultural and social environment of this area. An important part of the study are the theoretical and practical skills of editorial philology, taking into account the specifics of the writing of the Czech lands.

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

• take part in individual research projects in linguistics
• analyse linguistic data in a theoretical framework of choice
• enter professions which demand the independent and critical thinking as well as cultivated diction in mother tongue and fluency in the specific Germanic language
• independently treat original linguistic topics using reliable sources and methods
• the graduate of the specialization Experimental and Applied Linguistics will have a good overview of the available data sources of linguistic research and will be able to evaluate the relevance of available data sources for a particular research proj
• the graduate of the specialization Experimental and applied linguistics will be able to use the results of statistical processing of linguistic data in research.
• the graduate of the specialization Experimental and applied linguistics have a reliable command of selected current approaches of the linguistic research (contemporary syntactic and semantic theories, psycholinguistics, issues of experimental testing
• the graduate of the specialization in Historical Languages of the Czech Lands will have an overview of German, Czech and Latin Medieval Studies.
• the graduate of the specialization in Historical Languages of the Czech Lands will be familiar with the central themes, important sources, specificities and research traditions of the fields focused on the languages of the historical Czech lands.
• the graduate of the specialization in Historical Languages of the Czech Lands will be able to critically assess the theoretical background and practical applicability of the relevant philological methods and concepts.

Graduates of the doctoral degree study programme in Germanic languages are equipped with the general knowledge and skills required for independent philological work. They are able to reflect and analyse individual language phenomena in synchronic and diachronic perspectives based on their comprehensive knowledge of relevant research history and current trends. They are able to apply their acquired competence in creative ways to solve individual tasks. Beyond the comprehensive overview of the whole study field, the graduates have specialized proficiency in the topics of their thesis projects. Based on these skills, they are qualified to work in positions in linguistic research or in the humanities in a broader sense, which demands independent and critical thinking as well as a cultivated presentation of gathered knowledge, in universities and research institutes, in translating, etc.

Practical training at external workplaces is not an obligatory part of the study plan. Active involvement of the students in teaching, researching, and organising tasks within the institute offers an opportunity to acquire further praxis-related skills in these areas.

Doctoral dissertation thesis is a concise scholarly publication based on the author's original research; the recommended text length is roughly 180,000 characters (including footnotes and bibliography; the treatment of the annexes is decided individually by the supervisor).