Study programmes

Immunology is a dynamically evolving discipline integrating the knowledge of molecular and cell biology, physiology, histology and functional morphology (in the context of evolution and ontogenesis) relevant to the immune system, self-defense unit composed of functionally interacting molecules, cells, and tissues involved in immune responses. Immunology outputs show a major impact in a multitude of biomedical fields today. Topics such as transplantation, allergy, immune deficiency, autoimmunity, immunosuppression, immunotherapy, or anti-tumor immunity are typical areas of interest to immunologists. Immunology covers all levels of biological knowledge from molecules (cytokines, immunoglobulins, receptors, signaling molecules), cells (a wide array of immunocompetent cells), whole organisms (having transgenic animal models in use and recently a microbiome influence and interaction with immune system is being investigated) and communities (evolution of immune mechanisms, e.g. frequencies of different alleles regulating the immune response within a population). Clinical immunology is an important emancipated immunology specialization, for which human beings are the object of research and application.

If we want to teach immunology up to the high standard and prepare our graduates for successful scientific careers, we have to take the advantage of a bachelor's degree in cell biology, molecular biology, functional histology, physiology, and the basics of immunology. Typically, a two-year master's study of immunology then deepens the bachelor's education having more specialized lectures covering the full range of immunology disciplines. We put a special emphasis on the logical interconnection of broad functional topics (autoimmunity, tumor, infection) with deep understanding of all biological levels (molecular, cell, organ, and whole-body). A great emphasis is also put on methodical lectures and practical courses. Recommended lectures in adjoining disciplines (genetics, virology, parasitology, microbiology) help students to get an overview or to provide molecular and cell mechanisms behind intercellular and intracellular cell signaling, the key to the functioning of the immune system (lectures Signal Cascade Proteins, Molecular Mechanisms of Apoptosis, Epigenetics).

Courses and lectures are provided by specialists from the Faculty of Science and Faculties of Medicine of Charles University and, to a great extent, experts from the institutes of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (mainly IMG and IM). Students are conducting diploma theses, an essential part of the master curriculum in these institutions mainly, but also in hospitals, clinical laboratories or private companies - biotechnology development centers. During weekly department seminars all students are reporting three times their research as of poster and presentations during the course of study (compulsory to all students, mentors, and faculty members). The output of scientific work associated with the elaboration of diploma theses is numerous posters at international conferences and randomly even publications in the international impacted journals. The key activity of the Immunology program guarantor as well as the immunologists at the Faculty of Science is student project supervision, stimulation of their independent experimental work and critical evaluation of the primary literature. In order to achieve that, we provide compulsory Seminars in Immunology (in Czech) and tutorial Advances in Immunology (in English).
For graduation, a minimum of two courses taught in English is required, plus two-semestral core course Molecular Immunology, and four semesters of Seminars in Immunology. Here, students inform themselves about their master thesis progress and will receive up to date primer during invited lectures of the international scientists. The offer of English language courses provided in Immunology program is much broader and students really do prefer English courses in high numbers.