1
FORMAL REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION OF DOCTORAL STUDIES
Version: Released and applicable since 1st August 2019 (last updated: January 2022)
PhD programme: Microbiology (Mikrobiologie)
Guarantor/Doctoral Board head contact: Ivo Sedláček, ivo@sci.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
• After 4th semester - SDE (State Doctoral Exam)*
• 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 +
Bi0100
Bi0101
Seminar for PhD. students I and II / Doktorský
seminář ÚEB I a II
Enrolled in semesters 1 – 8 (with exception of stay abroad)
XD010
XD011
MU Life Sciences Seminar Enrolled in semesters 1 – 4 (with exception of stay abroad)
C7777 Handling chemical substances
/ Zacházení s chemickými látkami
Enrolled every year of study, every autumn semester, compulsory for all students who manipulate
with chemicals during their studies at Faculty of Science MU (zero ECTS).
XD102 Teaching Assistance / Pomoc při výuce Enrolled 4 times in semesters 1-4, maximum 120 hours in total (recommended 0 ECTS)
XD106 Lecture in the foreign language
/ Odborná přednáška v cizím jazyce
Minimum once during studies (recommended 0 ECTS)
XD110 Placement Abroad / Zahraniční pracovní pobyt Minimum 1 month stay, min. once 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):
Theoretical courses and all other requirements: checked by the Head of Doctoral Board / Head of Doctoral Committee
• minimum 4 courses during semesters 1-4 with corresponding ECTS (before SDE)
2
(*) Requirements for theoretical SDE:
Theoretical preparation for SDE (after 4th
semester). The Doctoral Board will check following points:
a. deep understanding to the particular scientific specialization (40% weight),
b. basic skills in the different microbiology disciplines, i.e. general research in bacteriology, mycology, virology and parasitology (20% weight),
c. detailed knowledge within the topic(s) of the doctoral research project including context (40% weight).
Elements of the ISP Milestones and their check
Enrolment to studies Semester 1 End of Semester 4
(Theoretical State Doctoral
Exam, SDE *)
End of Semester 8
(Preparation for PhD defence)
(A) research
and
development
activities (ca. 75
% of workload)
1. Research,
dissertation project,
literature search of
the actual state of
the topic, planning
and the scientific
activities itself (55%).
Define framework
topic of your PhD
project with your
supervisor for
enrolment (Before
semester 1)
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
Submit detailed “research
project” for your PhD work
to the Supervisor. Max 10
pages containing chapters
Background, Research
hypothesis and objectives,
Approach-methods, Timeline
of foreseen activities,
Expected outcomes
(publications).
CHECK: Supervisor
Prepare “short thesis” (15-20
pages) with literature review
(text may later be used as
Introduction-Background to
final PhD thesis), state of the
PhD project, results so far.
Short thesis is made available
to SDE committee – student
will upload Short Thesis as an
attachment to the
“Application to State doctoral
exam” in the IS MU Document
Office (“Úřadovna”).
CHECK: Doctoral Board [SDE
assessment]
Submit PhD thesis according to
instructions of Doctoral Board
(based on 3 published papers or as
full text thesis), 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%)
No formal check
needed
No formal check needed Publications of the student
may be included in the “short
thesis” for SDE (if relevant).
CHECK: Supervisor
Two papers - minimum criteria:
Two student’s first-author paper
published in IF-journals. One
published paper preferentially in
2nd quartile (ISI WOS).
CHECK: Doctoral Board [Thesis].
3
3. Presentation of
results on scientific
conferences
including
preparation of talks
and/or poster
presentations (5%)
No formal check
needed
No formal check needed List of presentations may be
included in the “short thesis”
for SDE (if relevant).
CHECK: Supervisor
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
(15%)
4. Theoretical
courses, preparation
to the state doctoral
exam – SDE (10%)
Identify student’s
knowledge gaps and
what should be
learned for SDE.
Depending on
requirements select
courses for the first
two years. Minimum
4 credited courses
are required.
CHECK: Supervisor
Consider courses at MU or
outside.
Courses can be updated for
each semester.
CHECK: Supervisor (if
relevant).
Successfully pass at minimum
4 credited theoretical courses.
CHECK: Doctoral Board
[IS.MUNI]
Not relevant anymore, all
requirements fulfilled before.
5. Doctoral seminars
(5%)
Enroll Bi0100 and
XD011 (Bi0100
obligatory seminar
for 8 semesters;
XD011 - 4 semesters)
CHECK: Student
CHECK: Supervisor (if
relevant).
Semesters when student is at
international stay abroad are
excluded.
CHECK: Dean’s office [4
semesters of Bi0100, XD011]
Get credits for Bi0100 for all
semesters when student works at
MU in Brno. Semesters when
student is at international stay
abroad are excluded.
CHECK: Dean’s office [IS.MUNI]
(C)
International
experience and
competitivenes
6. Further improving
of English
competences
(attending courses,
seminars,
conferences, writing
publications, all in
English).
Knowledge level of
English language is
check during
entrance exam.
CHECK: Entrance
committee.
No formal check needed
CHECK: Supervisor (if
relevant).
No formal check needed
CHECK: Supervisor (if
relevant).
No formal check needed
CHECK: Dean’s office [XD106]
4
7. Stay or internship
abroad - mandatory
participation in
international
cooperation.
No formal check needed No formal check needed Minimum is 1 month foreign stay in
visiting laboratory, longer stays (3+
months) are preferred considering
the topic.
CHECK: Dean’s office [IS stay
abroad XD110]
(D) Pedagogical
competences
8. Teaching
assistance –
(exercises and
comparable).
About 120 hours
through the entire
doctoral studies.
Passed during the
first four semesters.
CHECK: Student and
Supervisor
CHECK: Supervisor (if
relevant).
CHECK: Dean’s office [IS;
XD102 for 4 semesters]
Not relevant anymore, all
requirements fulfilled before.
(E) Other
transferrable
skills.
9. Career
development preparation
and
management of
projects, scientific
writing,
communication,
other soft-skills.
No formal check
needed
No formal check needed No formal check needed No formal check needed
Microbiology - recommended theoretical courses
Bi0954 Bioethics – online cases
Bi1700 Cell biology
Bi2003 Ecotoxicology
Bi2900 Intelectual properly rights
Bi5000 Bioinformatics
Bi5040 Biostatistics
Bi7420 Modern methods for genome analysis
Bi7528 Analysis of genomic and proteomic data
Bi8150 Evolutionary biology
Bi8920 Advanced microscopic methods
Bi9001 Statistical analysis of biological data
Bi9410 Structural biology
DSAK051 Clinical data analysis
5
Bi5200 Immunology
Bi5444 Analysis of sequencing data
Bi6930 Imunotoxicology
DSAS01 Acquisition of scientific information
DSMolM01 Molecular medicine
6