Branch programme/details

The goal of the doctoral study program (DSP) is to educate excellent experts in the physics of nanostructures and nanomaterials suited for future carrier in basic and applied research in nanotechnologies. The main pillars of the DSP are the theoretical and experimental condensed matter physics and physics of surfaces, advanced experimental and theoretical methods for studying the nanostructures, and smart technologies for preparation of nanostructures and nanomaterials. The DSP is of highly interdisciplinary nature and fits to the cutting-edge topics of current physical and material sciences like spintronics, nanoelectronics, nanomedicine and quantum computing. It is the only DSP in the Faculty of mathematics and physics, which integrates various areas of physics and materials research with outreach to chemistry, biology and medicine. In coherence with the tradition of the education in the Faculty of mathematics and physics, the ultimate goal of the education in the DSP is to provide deep theoretical background for understanding the key physical principles and phenomena underlying the unique properties of nanostructures and nanomaterials.

Entrance examination to all programmes taught in English
The entrance examination for all study programmes consists of two rounds.

1st round
Assessment of candidates on the basis of the attachments to the application form. The admissions committee evaluates attachments according to the following criteria:
a) Results and quality of previous studies (grades, quality of the university, time since the graduation)
b) Compatibility of the applicant’s Master’s degree with the scientific field of the doctoral programme
c) Quality of a motivation letter
d) Content of recommendation letters and their relevance
e) Publications or other professional achievements, proving the candidate's qualifications for doctoral studies
f) The level of English language proficiency

The assessment of each criterion is on a scale of 0-5 points, i.e. a maximum of 30 points can be obtained in the evaluation. To qualify for the 2nd round of the entrance exam, the candidate must obtain at least 15 points.

The results of the 1st round will be communicated to candidates by December 15, 2025 at the latest.

Invitation to 2nd round of the entrance examination
The invitation to 2nd round of the entrance examination will be sent to those applicants, who obtained at least 15 points in the 1st round of the entrance examination.
The invitation to an entrance examination is delivered through the University Electronic Information System in mid-December, 2025.

2nd round
The second round of the entrance examination may be conducted online, by means of information and communication technologies. It consists of two parts, the first one of which is related to the suggested dissertation topic, the second part then concerns the foundations of the scientific field of the study programme. The examination committee will evaluate the accuracy and completeness of all answers for a given part on a scale of grades: Excellent, Very good, Good and Fail. The applicant will get the following amount of points for each grade: Excellent 20 points, Very good 14 points, Good 8 points and Fail 0 points. The candidate can therefore obtain a maximum of 40 points in the 2nd round. The committee assesses the answers in particular from the point of view of correctness, completeness, accuracy and a demonstrated knowledge of the field. The exam will be conducted in English.

Points for the 1st and 2nd rounds are added together. In order to pass the entrance examination, the applicant must obtain at least 50 points from both rounds together. The applicants with lower total scores cannot be admitted to doctoral studies.

Admission conditions after the 2nd round
All study programmes, with the exception of the study programme Physics Education and General Problems of Physics, will admit all applicants who successfully pass the entrance examination.
The programme Physics Education and General Problems of Physics will admit only the applicant who successfully passes the entrance examination and obtains the highest number of points in total for both rounds of the entrance examination.

Demonstrating English language proficiency
English language proficiency should be demonstrated by fulfilling at least one of the following conditions:
A. The applicant spent at least two years of his/her previous education at secondary or university level with English as the sole language of instruction in one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, UK or USA.
B. The applicant has passed one of the following exams (in some cases we recognize the exam only with a minimum score or level):
• General State Language Examination in English in the Czech Republic
• TOEFL Essentials – 10 points
• TOEFL iBT – 95 points
• TOEFL ITP – 627 points
• IELTS – 7 points
• C2 Proficiency (formerly known as CPE) - Pass
• C1 Advanced (formerly known as CAE) - Pass
• ESOL International (C1 – C2)
• TELC (The European Language Certificates) – TELC English C1 - Pass
• UNIcert English for Mathematicians: Level C1 – level C1
• Melab – 85 points
• Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) - Pass
• Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) – 785 points

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:	12.01.2026	Until:	16.01.2026
Alternative date (of entrance exam):	26.01.2026	Until:	30.01.2026

The graduate of the PhD study branch Physics of nanostructures will be competent in the theoretical and experimental physics of low-dimensional structures in semiconductor, metallic, and dielectric materials, as well as biological, plasmonic, and hybrid nanostructures. According to the focus of the PhD thesis, he/she will be an expert in the preparation and growth of various types of nanostructures and in the application of experimental and theoretical methods of their investigation. The graduates can practice in basic physical, chemical or biophysical research, as well as in applied material research, biomedical engineering, catalysis research, nanofluidics, in the research of micro- and nanomechanic systems, and industrial nanotechnology.