Welcome to the website of the PhD program at the Department of Sociology.
Here you will find:
General information about the PhD program
A PhD programme is the highest level of professional training in the field of sociology. It focuses on developing research skills for both the academic and non-academic sectors. Doctoral studies in sociology in Brno have a long tradition and enjoy an exceptional and exclusive standing (even within the wider Central European region). Our alumni include a number of key figures from Czech and Slovak universities and research institutes, as well as leading representatives of the civil service and the non-profit sector. Many of our graduates have obtained academic positions abroad (e.g. at the University of Oxford, Bocconi University in Milan, the universities of Loughborough, Sussex and Leeds, or the Luxembourg Institute for Socio-Economic Research).
The PhD programme is based on the independent and creative work of our students. Our students attend international conferences, the programme includes a period of study at a foreign university, and our PhD students’ papers are published in leading international journals. The PhD programme is thus a highly regarded centre of scientific productivity and creativity within the department. Our graduates fare very well in the job market and possess the best intellectual prerequisites to continue pushing the boundaries of our understanding of society.
In our doctoral programme, we welcome and value diversity and variety – we are delighted to welcome Master’s graduates from other faculties and/or universities, or from other fields of academic research. International applicants are a particularly welcome and are considered an enrichment to the intellectual life of the department.
In recent years, both the Department of Sociology and the entire Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University have been devoting increased attention to doctoral studies and investing an ever-larger portion of their budget in its development. As a result, students have access to a diverse range of scholarship programmes – unique within Central Europe – to cover the costs of research, publishing, the research work itself, and international mobility. In addition, the Department of Sociology offers numerous paid teaching assistant positions.
What does the full-time PhD programme in Sociology entail and what does it offer?
- Students propose their dissertation project and work independently on their research under the supervision of a supervisor.
- The programme includes compulsory courses in which students develop their project and research methodology, and work on publications together with others.
- An essential part of the programme is a period of study at a university abroad. A wide range of scholarships is available to support this period.
- Scholarships are also available to cover attendance at international conferences and to support the preparation of publications.
- Students participate in teaching activities and have the opportunity to assist in teaching or to lead classes themselves. These opportunities are remunerated.
- Doctoral students participate in the intellectual life of the department. They attend research afternoons, take part in project presentations and meet in thematically focused groups.
- Tuition is free and students receive a monthly doctoral income. The standard amount of this income is currently 24,960 CZK and it increases in line with the minimum wage.
Doctoral study at the Department of Sociology is a unique opportunity for anyone wishing to engage in the systematic study of society at a high professional level. It offers the chance to undertake intellectually fascinating work under the guidance of an experienced supervisor in an intellectually stimulating environment. At the same time, it is also a commitment: doctoral students take on the tasks and responsibilities associated with research and teaching work and with the academic role in general. They become part of the world of science, whose task and duty is to protect and develop knowledge and expertise in a complex world.
How to apply for a PhD programme?
The admissions process for doctoral studies takes place twice a year: usually in June and February. Please check the FSS MU website in advance for up-to-date information on the admissions process, including the online application form, or contact the Department of Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Social Studies.
The doctoral programme at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Studies, accepts applications from candidates who have obtained a university master’s degree in sociology or related disciplines (anthropology, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, economics, law, etc.), whether from a Czech or a foreign university. Successful applicants who do not hold a Master’s degree in sociology, as they are applying from a related discipline, usually supplement their basic subject knowledge and skills during the first year of study following consultation with their supervisor.
A further condition for participation in the admissions process is the submission of a dissertation proposal. Applicants must consult their proposal with a potential supervisor from among the habilitated members of the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, prior to the admissions process. In justified cases, a research assistant with outstanding research achievements may also act as a supervisor.
The consent of your prospective supervisor is a mandatory part of the application for doctoral study. The first step in applying is therefore to contact a suitable supervisor. Take a look at the research profiles of the department and its individual members, and get in touch with the one whose expertise best matches your project.
How does the admissions process work and what is required?
You can find the dates of the entrance examinations and information on how to apply for them (they take place twice a year, usually in February and June) here. The Dean of the Faculty decides on admission to the programme based on the recommendation of the admissions committee.
The panel entrance examination consists of a professional discussion of the submitted dissertation proposal. This proposal, together with the submitted evidence of creative work (master’s thesis and, where applicable, a list of the applicant’s own publications), enables an assessment of the applicant’s aptitude for independent academic and research work. The following are primarily assessed: the relevance of the research questions, the appropriateness of the proposed methodology, the theoretical grounding of the project, and the feasibility of the project’s implementation.
It is expected that the applicant will justify their interest in the proposed dissertation topic and explain its significance from the perspective of sociological theory.
The project proposal submitted to the admissions committee must be formulated in accordance with a standard structure:
- provisional title of the proposed dissertation, capturing its topic and subject
- why the topic and subject can be considered interesting (epistemological or practical objective)
- 2–3 key research questions (which the dissertation, as the implementation of the project, aims to answer – ‘what do you want to find out’)
- theoretical context: within which theoretical concepts can the topic be understood, and to which other sociological or social concepts and issues does it relate (do not describe them in detail)
- data source – identification of the research population, research units and the method of their selection (for empirical projects)
- for empirical projects, the methodological approach, methods and techniques to be used, including data collection and analysis methods (note: this is not a description of these methods, but their relationship to what you wish to discover)
- a preliminary basic bibliography on the topic (literature reviewed – the 5–10 most important publications) – listed uniformly according to the selected citation style
Bear in mind that the project proposal should therefore primarily answer the following questions:
- Why should anyone be interested in your research (your topic)?
- What does the work aim to achieve, and how?
- How can the project be implemented (this concerns not only the suitability of the method, but also time and finances)?
The project proposal should be well-written and approximately 6–8 standard pages in length. In the appendix to the project (as part of the main text), include the title and abstract (90–110 words) of your Master’s thesis. We consider the quality of the preliminary project to be a key indicator of the applicant’s readiness for doctoral study.
Links to important information and documents:
PhD Programme Rules in English