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The Doctoral Program in Modern History presents its Ph.D. students with the possibility of undertaking original research on topics dealing with Europe and North America in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, as well as relationships between the two continents. The program further aims to provide essential training in various theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of modern history. In particular, it promotes research dealing with mutual relations between individual countries, as well as comparative and transnational perspectives on modern and contemporary history.

The students of the program are, according to the topic of their dissertation and its territorial matters, assigned to the individual departments of the Institute of International Studies where they participate in scientific, pedagogical, and other activities.

The Doctoral Program in Modern History presents its Ph.D. students with the possibility of undertaking original research on topics dealing with Europe and North America in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, as well as relationships between the two continents.

Description of verification and evaluation criteria

All candidates who have completed their graduate education (earning a Master’s degree) are eligible to apply for the Ph.D. Program in Modern History at the Institute of International Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University (IIS FSV UK). Candidates document the successful completion of their studies at the latest when enrolling, and do so either by presenting their university diploma or a certificate recognizing their graduation from a foreign university.

A mandatory part of the candidate’s qualification is his/her knowledge of English at the level of at least C1. Candidates document their command of English during the entrance examination. They do so either by presenting an internationally recognized certificate on the completion of language exams, a record in the university credit book, a language course certificate, or by proof of having completed university studies in English.

Admission is conditioned by the successful completion of the entrance examination. The entrance examination takes the form of a discussion about the dissertation project, the purpose of which is to assess the quality of the submitted project and its adherence to the research focus of IIS FSV UK.

The candidate submits his/her dissertation project by 30th April 2022, in the form of an attachment to an electronic or paper application. The project typically ranges 6-7 standard pages and must include the following: a brief introduction to the topic, definition of the topic itself, research aim and working hypothesis, necessary theoretical and methodological approaches, the proposed structure of the thesis, and brief analysis of the state of the art, including a list of secondary or primary sources. It is recommended that candidates consult their topics in advance (by email or in-office hours) with the academic supervisor of the Ph.D. study program. The purpose of this consultation is primarily to assess the extent to which the dissertation topic is in line with the IIS FSV UK research focus and/or with its current research projects.

The admission committee evaluates the quality of the project in terms of its content and form, the candidate’s ability to justify the topic of his/her choice, to clearly define it while placing it in a larger time/factual/research framework. The candidate must convincingly demonstrate that his/her topic contributes to the current state of the research, i.e. that it brings new empirical and theoretical knowledge or that it applies original methodological procedures, etc. The admission committee considers also the candidate’s academic background, namely his/her past teaching and publication activities.

Candidates may earn a maximum of 80 points as part of the entrance examination. The overall score is calculated as follows: quality of the project (maximum of 30 points), originality of the topic (maximum of 20 points), ability to justify the topic and place it in a broader research context (maximum of 20 points), formal design of the project (maximum of 5 points), past teaching and publication activities (maximum of 5 points ). The number of points necessary to be admitted is set by the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, taking into account the number of applicants and the capacity of the program.

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


Rules governing exemption from entrance examination

Based on the request of the applicant for doctoral studies and the recommendation of the guarantor of the doctoral study program, the Dean may waive the entrance examination if the applicant is a member of the research team of the ERC or ERC-CZ project.

Admissions Option 2

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Upon the successful completion of the program, graduates are able to analyze social phenomena and processes of various nature individually and as part of a team, and they do so while utilizing relevant theoretical works and applying advanced scholarly practices and methods, and presenting the results of their work. Graduates fulfill the prerequisites for various job positions in which independent intellectual and creative activity, conceptual work, structured and logical thinking, and broad knowledge are required. Graduates work mainly as researchers, university and secondary school teachers, analysts, and specialists in state administration, international organizations, the commercial sphere, etc.

PhD in Modern History Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University (FSV UK)

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