The goal of the doctoral degree study programme is to prepare graduates for research in andragogy. Graduates of the doctoral degree study programme in andragogy will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for independent and creative research in the discipline. They will be able to plan, manage, implement, and evaluate research in andragogy, with an emphasis on research and evaluation, educational management and educational policies, and adult education planning and implementation. The foundation of the study is in working with andragogic concepts related to processes of adult learning, education, and development.

A successful graduate is able to

• demonstrate deeper knowledge in fundamental and specialized subdisciplines of andragogy
• demonstrate deeper knowledge and skills in andragogic research methodology
• design and implement research in andragogy and evaluate its outcomes
• communicate the outcomes of their research to the expert community
• cooperate with experts working in other research institutions on a national and international scale

Rules and Conditions for the Creation of a Study Plan

The doctoral degree study programme is structured into three modules focusing on philosophy and methodology, andragogy, and language skills development. The student is obliged to pass examinations in the philosophy of science, a foreign language, methodology of research in andragogy, and theory of andragogy, and a selected subdiscipline of andragogy (depending on the dissertation topic). The study is characterized by a strong focus on close cooperation between the student and their supervisor; it includes a series of research seminars at which doctoral students, their supervisors, and invited speakers present their work.

Goals of the Thesis

The study programme concludes with the defense of the doctoral dissertation and with passing the state examination, at which the candidate answers questions on the theory of andragogy and methodology of research in andragogy raised by the committee. The focus of the questions is the subdiscipline of andragogy in which the candidate has written their dissertation.

Graduates can find jobs in academia, in adult education research, and in management positions in organizations and institutions focusing on adult education and development, both in the state-run and public sector and in the private sector.

Eligibility Criteria

Only university graduates of Master's degree programmes with a corresponding or similar specialization can be admitted to the doctoral study programme (full-time or combined mode) after passing an entrance examination.

You do not have to come to Brno personally to take the entrance exam. The result of the admission process depends on the quality of the documents that you provide. Those will be assessed by the admission committee and you will be notified about the results via e-mail.

Terms of Admission

It is recommended that you choose and contact your supervisor before sending your application. For more information, please contact Mgr. Roman Švaříček, Ph.D. at svaricek@mail.muni.cz.

1. Submission of an electronic application in the Masaryk University Information System.
2. Submission of a research proposal for the doctoral dissertation (in English).
3. Submission of a list of published works (if any).
4. Submission of an academic Curriculum Vitae (in English).
5. Submission of an officially attested copy of the applicant's Master's degree (recognition of a foreign university degree, if applicable).
6. Demonstrate English-language skills at the C2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Language.
7. Receive a positive recommendation from the Education Doctoral Studies Committee, which is based on an oral entrance examination and a complex evaluation of the materials set out in the points above.
8. In addition, all applicants with foreign degrees (except as set out below) must submit their Master's degree for official recognition in the Czech Republic. Applicants without this official recognition are not permitted to enroll at the University. Detailed instructions can be found here.

• Holders of degrees from universities located in countries with which the Czech Republic has a treaty on the bilateral recognition of academic degrees and titles (at the present time: Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia), please take a look here.
• Holders of degrees from universities located in Slovakia should follow the instructions set out here.

Contents of the oral entrance examination

1. The extent of preparedness for academic research.
2. Applicant's conception for the major specialization in terms of the studied subject.
3. The dissertation project.
4. Language skills. 

Application

Create your application here.

Application Deadlines

1 February - 30 April for the enrollment in the Fall semester

1 September - 31 October for the enrollment in the Spring semester

Documents set out above in the Terms of Admission are required to be provided in digital form and attached to the online application by April 30th, 2019 or October 31st, 2019.

Contact

admission@phil.muni.cz

Tuition fees: € 2,500/academic year (degree programme taught in English).

Students who require a visa and who are denied one will be refunded 90 % of the school-fee only if they send us confirmation that their visa was denied. The money will be returned by bank transfer only.

Programmes taught in Czech are completely tuition fee, but a serious working knowledge of Czech is required.

If you are interested in studying in Czech or would like to improve your command of the language, you might consider registering in a preliminary language course one year prior to your enrolment at Masaryk University.

The one-year-long preparatory course is designed specifically for students seeking enrolment into a university degree programme taught in Czech. This course will help you develop your Czech language skills and/or improve your existing knowledge of the language to enable you to pass the entrance exams and pursue the degree of your choice at Masaryk University. In addition to improving your level of Czech, this course will also provide you with a better understanding of Czech society and culture.