Branch programme/details

The Modern History PhD programme focuses on modern and contemporary history from the 19th century to the present, especially from a transnational and comparative perspective. Under the guidance of their supervisor, students refine their research topic and write their dissertation. The study focuses on territories in Europe, North America and the post-Soviet space. The programme is organised by the Institute of International Studies in cooperation with the Institute for Contemporary History of the CAS, which provides one-year internships for PhD students and their involvement in research at this leading Czech academic institution. Students of the programme can also take advantage of the Institute of International Studies' extensive contacts with prominent universities abroad (e.g. University of Vienna, University of Groningen, University of Munich, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and have the opportunity of the so-called double supervision of dissertations (Cotutelle). Students are involved in the activities of the Institute of International Studies through their membership in research groups and also within territorially focused departments. The Institute also offers them the opportunity to apply for an internal grant from the Centre for Doctoral Studies and provides the necessary background for the preparation of projects of other research grant providers, whether within Charles University, the Czech Republic or abroad. The study takes place in person at Charles University in Prague.

1.     All candidates who have completed their graduate education (earning a Master’s degree) are eligible to apply for the PhD Programme in Modern History at the Institute of International Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University (IIS FSV UK). Candidates document the successful completion of their studies at the latest when enrolling, and do so either by presenting their university diploma or a certificate recognizing their graduation from a foreign university.

2.     A mandatory part of the candidate’s qualification is his/her knowledge of English at the level of at least C1. Candidates document their command of English during the entrance examination. They do so either by presenting an internationally recognized certificate on the completion of language exams, a record in the university credit book, a language course certificate or by proof of having completed university studies in English.

3.     Admission is conditioned by the successful completion of the entrance examination. The entrance examination takes the form of a discussion about the dissertation project, the purpose of which is to assess the quality of the submitted project and its adherence to the research focus of IIS FSV UK.

The candidate submits his/her dissertation project by 2nd September 2023, in the form of an attachment to an electronic or paper application. The project typically ranges 6-7 standard pages and must include the following: a brief introduction to the topic, definition of the topic itself, research aim and working hypothesis, necessary theoretical and methodological approaches, proposed structure of the thesis and a brief analysis of the state of the art, including a list of secondary or primary sources. It is recommended that candidates consult their topics in advance (by email or in office hours) with the academic supervisor of the PhD study programme (Doc. Ota Konrád; ota.konrad@fsv.cuni.cz). The purpose of this consultation is primarily to assess the extent to which the dissertation topic is in line with the IIS FSV UK research focus and/or with its current research projects.

4.     The admission committee evaluates the quality of the project in terms of its content and form, the candidate’s ability to justify the topic of his/her choice, to clearly define it while placing it in a larger time/factual/research framework. The candidate must convincingly demonstrate that his/her topic contributes to the current state of the research, i.e. that it brings new empirical and theoretical knowledge or that it applies original methodological procedures, etc. The admission committee considers also the candidate’s academic background, namely his/her past teaching and publication activities.

Candidates may earn a maximum of 80 points as part of the entrance examination. The overall score is calculated as follows: quality of the project (maximum of 30 points), originality of the topic (maximum of 20 points), ability to justify the topic and place it in a broader research context (maximum of 20 points), formal design of the project (maximum of 5 points), past teaching and publication activities (maximum of 5 points ). The number of points necessary to be admitted is set by the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, taking into account the number of applicants and the capacity of the programme.

See also General admission conditions.

Admission to Doctoral studies is conditioned by successful completion of a Master's study programme.

Upon the successful completion of the programme, graduates are able to analyse social phenomena and processes of various nature individually and as part of a team, and they do so while utilizing relevant theoretical works and applying advanced scholarly practices and methods, and to present the results of their work. Graduates fulfil the prerequisites for various job positions in which independent intellectual and creative activity, conceptual work, structured and logical thinking and broad knowledge are required. Graduates work mainly as researchers, university and secondary school teachers, analysts and specialists in state administration, international organizations, commercial sphere, etc.