Branch programme/details

The curriculum of Contemporary European Cultural History is the only historical field in the Czech Republic that expresses the theme of cultural history at the European level. It is not just a narrow sense of the history of culture, because the cultural component is perceived today as an essential aspect of many other areas of historiography: for example, the role of cultural discourse in political history, the question of political struggles for cultural domination or, on the contrary, autonomy. Czech society has great deficits in knowledge and alignment with the knowledge of its contemporary history in European comparison. Thus, the study program of Contemporary European History wants to contribute to the strengthening of the European accents of "civic historical literacy". The program is designed in such a way that its graduate is ready for independent research work in the field and is able to work professionally in the academic world. The "Europeanity" of accreditation is emphasized by emphasizing the linguistic competence of the applicants, and the curriculum includes the obligation to study abroad.

The oral entrance examination consists of a debate on the dissertation project (max. 10 points), a test of basic orientation in the field (max. 5 points) and a test of knowledge of foreign languages (max. 5 points). In the admission procedure, the candidate must demonstrate a distinct research interest in contemporary history at the Czech and European level and adequate knowledge of theory and methodology. Candidates will prepare an oral presentation on the project of no more than 10 minutes. The interview questions verify the candidate's suitability for the dissertation project and focus in particular on the chosen topic of the research project. Both the quality of the research project and its inclusion in the research projects carried out by the faculty are assessed. A total of 20 points can be obtained in the entrance examination. A candidate who scores less than 5 points in the evaluation of the debate on the dissertation research project cannot be admitted. The Dean will set the score threshold for admission based on the result of the admission procedure and taking into account the economic and capacity possibilities of the Faculty.

The following attachments are part of the application form:
- dissertation project (recommended parts: outline of the research problem and research questions, overview of the current state of research, explanation of the chosen methodology and research techniques, proposed approach to the problem, list of relevant literature, research timetable, explanation of the relevance of the topic to the study programme Contemporary European Cultural History); the usual length of the project is 10 pages; the project must include a proposal of the supervisor (name), selected from the list of supervisors approved by the departmental board, and the project must be developed together with the supervisor;
- a written agreement from the supervisor to supervise the dissertation project, which will be included in the application form as a separate annex;
- a brief professional CV;
- an overview of the applicant's publications and other scientific activities to date (participation in conferences, involvement in research projects, etc.)
- a list of the literature that the applicant has studied in relation to his/her individual interest and the chosen topic of the dissertation project;
- other relevant documents (e.g. proof of having passed a national examination or an internationally recognised certificate in a world language).

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

Verification method:	entrance exam
Confirmation date (of entrance exam) from:	11.06.2025	Until:	20.06.2025
Alternative date (of entrance exam):	25.06.2025	Until:	27.06.2025

Graduates of the Contemporary European Cultural History programme are experts with a thorough, state-of-the-art theoretical and methodological knowledge of both European and Czech history, and particularly the history of the last one hundred years. Potential PhD topics, not least with regard to the Master programmes in European Cultural and Intellectual History, resp. Oral History – Contemporary History, will deal with the Cultural, Social, Intellectual, Political, and Everyday History of Europe since the end of World War I as well as the complex history of the Czechoslovak Republic, resp. the Czech lands, in a European context. They are trained for independent scientific research in relevant fields of their specialization, and their professional competence can be applied in academic spheres both abroad and at home. Graduates are able to readily and knowledgeably grasp the workings of the academic world. They are well prepared for positions in EU political and cultural institutions, state administration and the public sector (i.e. NGO’s or governmental organizations, and the media).