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FORMAL REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION OF DOCTORAL STUDIES
Version: Released and applicable since 1st December 2019 (last updated: October, 2023)
PhD programme: Biomolecular Chemistry and Bioinformatics/Biomolekulární chemie a Bioinformatika
Doctoral Board – head contact: Lukáš Žídek, lzidek@chemi.muni.cz
General outline:
• Semesters 1 - 4 (first 2 years of study) - students work on their research project + fulfil other requirements (theoretical courses, preparing for state doctoral exam –
SDE*, teaching assistance
• Semesters 5 - 8 - main focus on research (work on doctoral project and thesis, publications, presentations at conferences, etc.)
General requirements for all students in the programme (please see detailed requirements for the Individual Study Plan in the detailed table below):
Mandatory duties: checked by Dean’s Office
XD100 Ph.D. thesis
/Příprava dizertační práce
Enrolled every semester during entire studies, recommended 20-25 ECTS for semesters 1-4, 30 ECTS for semesters 5-8, 20 ECTS for
semesters 9 +
CB060
CC060
NCBR seminar/Seminář NCBR Obligatory seminar for all semesters of full-time study mode (with exception of stay abroad)
C7777 Handling chemical substances
/Zacházení s chemickými látkami
Enrolled every year of study, every autumn semester
CB030
CC030
Teaching Assistance / Pomoc při výuce See table for details, maximum 150 hours total during studies (recommended from 1 credit (increase by 1) to 10 ECTS)
XD106 Lecture in the foreign language
/Odborná přednáška v cizím jazyce
Minimum once during studies (recommended 0 ECTS)
Placement Abroad
/Zahraniční pracovní pobyt
Minimum 1 month stay, min. 1-time during studies (usually 5 ECTS/month), requirement given by law
Instructions for recognition of Placement Abroad: https://www.sci.muni.cz/en/students/go-abroad/recognition-of-stay-abroad
(the recognition is done via IS application Internship and Stays, by creating record of the stay and request for recognition; the
course is then registered by Dean’s Office), alternatively (after approval of Doctoral Board): participation in international creative
project with results published or presented abroad or direct participation in international cooperation
Theoretical courses and all other requirements: checked by the Head of Doctoral Board
• minimum 20 credits during semesters 1-4
Requirements for theoretical SDE:
The state doctoral examination covers two mandatory areas:
• Biomolecular chemistry
• Bioinformatics
and one optional area out of the following:
• Biophysics
• Molecular biology and genetics
• Biochemistry
• Physical chemistry
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Recommended theoretical courses
C9530 Strukturní biochemie
C7790 Počítačová chemie a molekulové modelování I
C8855 Počítačová chemie a molekulové modelování II
C2115 Praktický úvod do superpočítání
C9926 Problémy molekulových simulací
C3211 Aplikovaná bioinformatika
C7920 Struktura a funkce protein
C7925 Struktura a dynamika nukleových kyselin
C2135 Bioinformatika v praxi
C2138 Pokročilá bioinformatika
C5320 Theoretical concepts of NMR
C6770 NMR Spectroscopy of Biomolecules
C7995 Practical NMR Spectroscopy of Biomolecules
C9095 RNA metabolism
C9940 3-Dimensional Transmission Electron Microscopy (3DEM)
C9085 Protein-RNA interactions
C9925 Introduction to soft matter models of membranes and proteins
C9545 Chemical Bond Theory
S1003 Structural and molecular biology of RNA
S1004 Methods for structural characterization of biomolecules
S1008 Molecular Cell Biology
S1007 Doing structural biology with the electron microscope
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Elements of the ISP Milestones and their check
Enrolment to studies
(Before semester 1)
Enrolment to semester
(all semesters)
Theoretical State Doctoral
Exam, SDE *
Preparation for PhD defence
(A) research and
development
activities (ca. 70
% of workload)
1. Research,
dissertation project,
literature search of the
actual state of the
topic, planning and the
scientific activities
itself (50%).
Define framework
topic of your PhD
project with your
supervisor for
enrolment.
Also see Enrolment to
semester.
CHECK: Dean’s office
[enrolment]
XD100 for each semester
(25 ECTS for semesters 1-4,
30 ECTS for semesters 5-8,
20 ECTS for semesters 9+]
CHECK: Dean’s office
[enrolment]
If the SDE takes place on a
different day than the
defense, the student gives
a short presentation (about
5 minutes, 3-5 slides) at the
beginning of the exam
where he/she presents
his/her dissertation
project.
If the SDE takes place on
the same day as the
defense, the student
provides the examining
board with a copy of his /
her dissertation.
Submit PhD thesis according
to instructions of Doctoral
Board, format according to
SCI MUNI requirements.
CHECK: Doctoral Board,
Dean’s office
2. Publications
(thesis should be
based on 3 papers
demonstrating quality
and independence of
the student (15%)
See Enrolment to
semester.
No formal check needed No formal check needed At least one first-authorship
paper published in journal
with impact factor (IF) above
the median in journal
category (ISI WOS) or at least
2 first-authorship
publications in journals with
IF below the median. If the
journal is in several
categories, the highest rated
category is used. The
requirement is fulfilled even
if the first authorship is
shared with another author.
Exception from these
requirements needs to be
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approved by the Doctoral
Board.
CHECK: Thesis defence
committee, Doctoral Board
[Thesis].
3. Presentation of
results on scientific
seminars, symposia,
conferences etc.,
including preparation
of talks and/or poster
presentations (5%)
No formal check
needed
No formal check needed No formal check needed At minimum one
documented oral
presentation in English to
appropriate scientific
audience, preferentially
international conference.
CHECK: Dean’s office
[XD106]
(B) Specialized
courses and
theoretical
preparation (20%)
4. Theoretical courses,
preparation to the
state doctoral exam –
SDE (15%)
See Enrolment to
semester.
Identify student’s
knowledge gaps and what
should be learned for SDE.
Plan corresponding courses,
trainings for the first two
years. Consider courses at
MU or outside.
Minimum 20 credits during
semesters 1-4 required.
At the beginning of each
academic year (during years
1-4), the student must
attend a required two-hour
block lecture C7777
Working with Chemical
Substances.
CHECK: Student, Supervisor
Obtained at least 20 credits
for theoretical courses.
CHECK: Dean’s office
[IS.MUNI]
Submit the application to
theoretical SDE (Doctoral
Board organizes SDE
further).
Not relevant anymore, all
requirements fulfilled
before.
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5. Doctoral seminars
(5%)
See Enrolment to
semester.
Enroll in NCBR seminar
CC060 and CB060 compulsory
seminar for all
semesters of full-time study
mode, except semesters
when the student is at a
long-term stay abroad.
Student presents his/her
results in NCBR seminar in
extent specified by seminar
leader (max. once in
semester).
CHECK: Dean’s office
No formal check needed Obtained credits for
CC060/CB060 for all
semesters of full-time study
mode. Semesters when
student is at international
stay abroad are excluded.
CHECK: Dean’s office
[IS.MUNI]
(C) International
experience and
competitiveness
6. Further improving
of English
competences
(attending courses,
seminars, conferences,
writing publications,
all in English).
No formal check
needed
No formal check needed No formal check needed CHECK: Dean’s office
[XD106]
7. Stay or internship
abroad - mandatory
participation in
international
cooperation.
No formal check
needed
No formal check needed No formal check needed Minimum is 1 month stay
abroad (shorter stays can
add up).
Alternatively (after approval
of supervisor): participation
in international creative
project with results
published or presented
abroad or direct
participation in international
cooperation.
CHECK: Dean’s office [stay
abroad in IS; e.g. XD110]
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(D) Pedagogical
competences
8. Teaching assistance
- classrooms,
exercises, advising
undergrad students
and comparable.
See Enrolment to
semester.
Enroll in CB030/CC030 for 2
semesters, if fulfilled by
course teaching assistance
(1 semester is sufficient if
total work load exceededs
150 hours within 2
semesters).
Enroll in CB030/CC030 for 3
semesters if fulfilled by
supervising or advising
undergraduate students or
by a comparable activity.
CHECK: Student
No formal check needed CHECK: Student fulfills
CB030/CC030 required
Dean’s office [IS;
CB030/CC030]
(E) Other
transferrable
skills.
9. Career
development preparation
and
management of
projects, scientific
writing,
communication, other
soft-skills.
See Enrolment to
semester.
Plan corresponding courses
expanding soft skill
competences (e.g. S4001,
S4004, S5040, S4002).
CHECK: Supervisor
No formal check needed No formal check needed