FORMAL REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION OF DOCTORAL STUDIES
Version: Last updated: 20.5.2023 (1) Instruction on drafting ISP before entrance examination, (2) instructions on section E - career and soft skills
PhD programme: Environmental Health Sciences (Životní prostředí a zdraví)
Doctoral Board – head contact: prof. Luděk Bláha, blaha@sci.muni.cz
General outline:
• For the entrance examination – in addition to other formalities, student with supervisor are required to develop detailed individual study plan (ISP) using
the structured template provided by doctoral board, the draft of the ISP will be discussed during the entrance exam
• 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)
• End of 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 +
E0401 Advances in Environmental Health Sciences Enrolled in semesters 1 – 8; exception - not required in the semester with “Placement Abroad”
E0403 Research project development and funding Enrolled in semester 1 or as soon as possible in the study curriculum (lectured during autumn)
C7777 Handling chemical substances
/ Zacházení s chemickými látkami
Enrolled in every year of study, every autumn semester
XD102 Teaching Assistance / Pomoc při výuce Get 4 ECTS in semesters 1-4 (corresponding to maximum 100 hours in total)
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. once during studies (usually 5 ECTS/month), requirement given by law
Instructions for recognition of Placement Abroad:
https://www.sci.muni.cz/en/students/phd/recognition-of-placements-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)
(*) Requirements for theoretical SDE:
Theoretical preparation for SDE (in the middle of studies). The Doctoral Board will check following aspects:
1/ proficiency in the fundamentals of the broader scientific discipline, i.e. research of interaction between environment and health (20% weight)
2/ deep understanding of the particular scientific specialization (30% weight)
3/ detailed knowledge within the topic(s) of the doctoral research project including context (50% weight)
Individual study plan elements Milestones
Enrolment to studies
(Before semester 1)
End of 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. 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.
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
C7777 - every year of
study, every autumn
semester
- CHECK: Dean’s office
Submit detailed “research
project” for your PhD work
to the Doctoral Board. Max
10 pages containing
Background, Research
hypothesis and objectives,
Approach-methods, Timeline
of foreseen activities,
Expected outcomes
(publications).
CHECK: Doctoral Board
[Submitted project]
Prepare “short thesis” (10-20
pages) with literature review
(text may later be used as
Introduction-Background to
final PhD thesis), state of the
PhD project, results so far.
Little thesis is made available
to SDE committee.
CHECK: Doctoral Board [SDE
assessment]
Submit PhD thesis according to
EHS programme standard, format
according to SCI MUNI regulation.
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 No formal check needed
Publications of the student
may be included in the little
thesis for SDE (if relevant).
Three papers - minimum criteria:
One student’s first-author paper
published in IF-journal,
preferentially in 1st quartile (ISI
WOS).
One other published paper, where
student is at minimum co-author.
One additional paper at minimum
as full manuscript.
CHECK: Doctoral Board [Thesis].
3. Presentation of
results on
scientific
seminars,
No formal check
needed
No formal check needed No formal check needed At minimum one documented oral
presentation in English to
appropriate scientific audience,
symposia,
conferences etc.,
including
preparation of
talks and/or
poster
presentations
(5%)
List of presentations may be
included in the little thesis for
SDE (if relevant).
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%)
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 4
credited courses are
required. Selection can
be changed/updated
for each semester.
CHECK: Student a
Supervisor
No formal check needed Successfully passed at
minimum 4 credited
theoretical courses.
CHECK: Doctoral Board
[IS.MUNI]
Have all other requirements
fulfilled (see below in this
column) and submit the
application to theoretical SDE
(Doctoral Board organizes SDE
further).
Not relevant anymore, all
requirements fulfilled before.
5. Doctoral
seminars (5%)
Enroll E0401 (obligatory
seminar for 8
semesters)
CHECK: Student
No formal check needed CHECK: Dean’s office [4
semesters of E0401]
Get credits for E0401 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
competitiveness
6. Further
improving of
English
competences
(attending
courses, seminars,
conferences,
No formal check
needed
No formal check needed No formal check needed No formal check needed
writign
publications, all in
English).
7. Stay or
internship abroad
- mandatory
participation in
international
cooperation.
Include planning in your
Individual Study plan
CHECK: Student,
Supervisor, Doctoral
Board
No formal check needed No formal check needed Minimum is 1 month foreign stay,
longer stays (3+ months) are
preferred considering the topic.
CHECK: Dean’s office [stay abroad
in IS; e.g. XD110]
(D) Pedagogical
competences
8. Teaching
assisstance -
classrooms,
exercises, advising
undergrad
students and
comparable.
About 100 hours
through the entire
doctoral studies;
passed during the first
four semesters- get 4
ECTS in line with
specific RECETOX rules.
CHECK: Student
No formal check needed CHECK: Dean’s office [IS;
XD102 – 4 ECTS total during
semesters 1-4]
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.
Develop in your
Individual Study Plan
Tips for courses offered
by RECETOX: E0403
(obligatory for 1st
semester),
E0402 Academic
Writing, E0404
Presentation Skills.
Check offers of MUNI
Mendel Doctorandus
(https://mmd.muni.cz/
), MUNI PHD Academia
or outside of MU.
CHECK: Student,
Supervisor, Doctoral
Board
Enroll to E0403 Research
project development and
funding - develop and
present detailed PhD project
CHECK: Student, Supervisor,
Doctoral board
No formal check needed No formal check needed