Doctoral Studies at UP in a Nutshell

Choose a doctoral study programme from UP’s offer

You are reading a text that will guide you through the basic information about doctoral studies at Palacký University Olomouc. Doctoral studies represent the highest level of university education, focusing on the development of scientific and research knowledge, skills, and competencies of students within a specific study programme in a given academic field. Palacký University offers dozens of doctoral study programmes, each with its own characteristics and requirements, which you can learn more about on the websites of the individual faculties, in their internal regulations, or in the documents related to each study programme.

This section outlines the framework of doctoral studies, which differ from the lower levels of study you have already completed. You will learn about what you can find in the university information system and the electronic study administration, about the services available to students, about the opportunities offered by various university units, and about events organized for you at the university.

We believe that your doctoral studies will become an enriching part of both your professional and personal life, that you will complete them successfully, and that they will serve as a gateway to your future career.

Doctoral studies in a nutshell

1. You study according to an individual study plan. You create this plan at the beginning of your studies in consultation with your supervisor. In each following year, you can revise and refine it.
2. The doctoral study programme is overseen and evaluated by the subject-area board. The student’s working arrangements (e.g., days of presence at the department, teaching duties) are determined based on an agreement with their supervisor.
3. Doctoral studies are formally completed in accordance with the Higher Education Act (after submitting your dissertation, you will proceed to its defence; doctoral candidates who began their studies before the 2025/2026 academic year complete their studies under the original conditions). Upon successfully completing your doctoral studies, you will be awarded the academic title “Doctor”, abbreviated as Ph.D., which is written after your name.

The standard length of a doctoral study programme is determined by the programme’s accreditation and is four years. The maximum length of doctoral studies is the standard period of study — four years according to the specific accreditation — extended by three additional years. Neither the standard nor the maximum period of study includes any time during which the studies were interrupted.

At the written request of the student, the dean may, with the supervisor’s consent, interrupt the studies for serious health-related or other important reasons. The total period of interruption must not exceed three years (with the exception of interruptions due to recognised parenthood). The student submits their request, including the supervisor’s statement, to the dean through the doctoral studies officer.

At the student’s request, the dean may, with the consent of the supervisor and the chair of the subject-area board, extend the studies after the standard period of study has elapsed. The studies may be extended for one semester or for a full academic year within a single request. The student again submits their request, including the supervisor’s statement, to the dean through the doctoral studies officer. If the doctoral student does not fulfil all requirements for successful completion within the standard period of study or does not submit a request for an extension, their studies may be terminated.

The Higher Education Act grants additional rights to student parents, specifically to female students on maternity or parental leave and to male students on parental leave. Student parents are entitled to interrupt their studies for the duration of the recognised period of parenthood, even for the entire recognised period. The interruption of studies related to the recognised period of parenthood is not counted toward the total permitted length of study interruption.

They are also entitled to an extension of deadlines for fulfilling study requirements by the length of time that their maternity leave would otherwise last, but only if they do not interrupt their studies during this period.

For these rights to be granted, students must apply for them and support their application with the relevant documentation.

The period of parenthood can be recognised no earlier than on the date the application is submitted; it cannot be granted retroactively. The recognised period of parenthood may begin at the earliest eight weeks before the expected date of birth and ends no later than when the child reaches the age of three.