Doctoral study – conclusion of the study 

Following the write up of the dissertation thesis (monograph, or a set of papers – see Article 24 of the SER), the student submits the thesis to the department for a small defence (Article 25 of the SER). After incorporating any comments resulting from the small defence, the student submits an application for the defence of the dissertation thesis (Article 27 of the SER). The doctoral study concludes with a successful defence and the student may apply for graduation. 

Information on the defence of dissertation theses: 

  1. The student submits a written application for the defence of the dissertation thesis (DisT) to the Dean through the assistant for study in the doctoral study programme. Applying for the defence is possible only following a successful completion of the SDE and a small defence, but no later than 4 weeks prior to the expected date of the defence. The presumptive date is set by the head of the department to which the doctoral student belongs.
  2. Together with the written application for the defence, the student submits: 
  3. brief professional CV, 
  4. at least 3 bound DisT specimens, 
  5. at least 10 copies of the DisT abstract; the abstract represents a brief summary of the entire dissertation of up to 20 standard pages in lengths with an indication of the aim, content, results, literature used, and concluded with English and possibly another foreign language summary, 
  6. list of all professional published and unpublished works of the student, especially peer-reviewed papers, and his or her appearances at seminars and professional conferences; the list must be confirmed by the guarantor of the field and the relevant supervisor. Papers published during the study must be marked separately. 

The student’s application will be accompanied by a doctoral study assistant’s certificate of the completed SDE, the proof of internship abroad or involvement in the international project, structured extract of publications from the VŠE database of publishing activities and proofs on acceptance of publications for printing (for publications not yet listed in the VŠE database of publishing activities), the record from a small defence, and a protocol on the check of originality of the DisT. 

  1. The Dean appoints an Examination Board and assigns its Chairman, in co–operation with the guarantor of the field, the requisites referred to in Paragraph 2. The Chairman of the Examination Board assesses whether the dissertation has a reasonable scope, whether its topic corresponds to the studied field, and whether all the formal requirements are met. In the case of an interdisciplinary topic, the Chairman recommends that the Dean extends the Examination Board with additional experts. 
  2. In the case the dissertation thesis has serious shortcomings of a formal nature, the Chairman of the Examination Board will ask the student to correct these and set a reasonable deadline. Following the elimination of any such shortcomings, the defence administration proceeds. If the student insists on a defence of the originally submitted thesis, the administration proceeds without interruption. 
  3. The Chairman of the Examination Board shall propose to the Dean at least two opponents of the dissertation thesis; at least one of them must be a professor or an associate professor and at least one of them must not be a member of the academic community of the faculty within which the defence takes place. The Dean shall, without undue delay, appoint the opponents or ask the Chairman of the Examination Board for a proposal of other persons. 
  4. Opponents will prepare a written report on the submitted dissertation thesis and submit it both in the paper and electronic form to the Chairman of the Examination Board, who will make sure of its publishing in the information system and putting its paper form in the student file. The conclusion of each report always consists of the sentence: “I recommend the thesis for a defence in front of the relevant Examination Board for the defence of dissertations.” or “I do not recommend the thesis for a defence in front of the relevant Examination Board for the defence of dissertations.” 
  5. Opponent reports must be available to the student no later than by the deadline set by the SER. 
  6. The student is notified of the date and place of his or her defence in writing at least three weeks in advance.