Detail programu/oboru

The study program is primarily designated for graduates with a Master’s degree in Political Science or any other field of Social Sciences who intend to deepen their knowledge in Political Science, focusing on the issue of democratic and nondemocratic forms of government (changes in political systems, with a special emphasis on development trends connected with modernization and democratization, other issues of comparative analysis, including national and regional identities, or the analysis of individual elements of political systems).

1. To be eligible to apply for the Ph.D. program, an applicant must have graduated in a Master’s level form of study in Political Science or Social Sciences (Sociology, History).

2. The applicant should submit the dissertation proposal electronically to cds-ips@fsv.cuni.cz no later than 12th May 2025. The dissertation proposal in the range of 6-7 pages (1800 characters per page, including spaces) must contain the following parts:

a) a brief introduction of the topic,

b) the definition of the topic,

c) goals and work hypothesis,

d) methodological basis,

e) intended structure,

f) state of the art and literature review.

3. The admission procedure runs in two rounds.

In the first round, the admission board evaluates the research proposal based on its academic value and its compatibility with the priority topics offered by the Departments . It sets the required threshold of 15 points to advance to the second round. The points will be determined on the basis of the quality of their projects and the representation of priority themes among the applicants. Applicants who pass the threshold are invited for the second round, which is an interview. In the first round, the applicant may receive up to 30 points.

In the second round, the entrance committee evaluates:

The dissertation proposal quality and the ability of the applicant to defend the chosen topic and to put it into a broader research context (relevance of the proposed dissertation topic in the context of contemporary Czech, respectively international research, proposal should demonstrate the applicant´s own contribution to the proposed theme).

The candidate must demonstrate that the project’s theme has not yet been carried out and that the work on the topic is beneficial to the current state of research (bringing new empirical and theoretical knowledge or using original methodological procedures, etc.). The committee also considers an applicant´s orientation in the field of specialization or previous publications.

The decisive criteria for the applicant’s evaluation are:

The quality of the dissertation proposal, which is the concept, the theoretical, and the methodological basis, must be the candidate able to defend in the admission interview (20 points maximum).

The motivation for study is based on the list of literature read (at least 30 titles of scientific articles or books, which the candidate is required to send electronically to cds-ips@fsv.cuni.cz no later than three days before the date of the second round) (5 points maximum).

The Admissions Committee will consider the applicant's overall professional profile and his/her possible publications and teaching activities so far (5 points maximum).

In the second round, the applicant may receive up to 30 points.

When all candidates finish their entrance examination (i.e. interviews), the admission committee prepares a record. It includes a point evaluation of the candidates and their ranking according to the number of points gained.

4. The maximum score for the entrance exam is 60 points. The point limit for accepting applicants is set by the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University, considering the number of applicants and the capacity of the faculty.

See also the General and faculty requirements

Podmínkou přijetí ke studiu v doktorském studijním programu je řádné ukončení studia v magisterském studijním programu.

Our program aims to train highly qualified experts who can pursue basic and applied research in academic institutions and universities. They will likewise be ready to work in the Czech public sector (especially in government agencies) and represent Czech interests internationally, particularly at the EU level. Embracing a wide array of methodologies and subjects in its sweeping compass, our doctoral program in Political Science provides our graduates with comprehensive professional skills in theory and practice.