doctoral degree

The Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague (FA CTU) offers doctoral study programme Architecture and Urbanism in five fields of study:

• Architecture, Theory and Creation / ATT
• Urban Design and Spatial Planning / UUP
• History of Architecture and Monument Conservation / DAPP
• Architecture, Building and Technology / AST
• Landscape Architecture / KA

The Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague (FA CTU) offers doctoral study programme Smart Cities.

Annually, there are 20–40 new students accepted into both Czech and English Doctoral study programme. The applicants have to hold a master´s degree in the same field or related field. The entrance procedure consists of assembly of required documents and in some cases of interview with an entrance exam commission.

The Doctoral study programme is carried out through full-time or combined (part-time) form of study. Both full-time and part-time studies at CTU generally take 4 years, scheduled into 8 semesters including the Doctoral Thesis submission. Each doctoral candidate is supervised by a tutor who prepares for him/her an Individual Study Plan with the courses to be accomplished in the first two years of the doctoral study programme.

The Ph.D. candidate goes through regular evaluation and takes part in two compulsory student workshops within first two years of studies. Successful completion of the final State Doctoral Examination is pre-requisite for the presentation and defence of the Doctoral Thesis.

General Description Doctoral Study Programme in English

Accreditation and Study Branches The Faculty of Architecture in coherence with Act 111/1998 coll. on Higher Education, sec. 47, renders doctoral study programmes (DS) in the accredited study programmes Architecture and Urbanism and Design for the admitted master study graduates, in the following fields of study:

Architecture, Theory and Creation
Urban Design and Spatial Planning
History of Architecture and Monument Conservation
Architecture, Building and Technology
Landscape Architecture

Legislation

Doctoral students studying at CTU are, for the duration of their studies, classified as regular tertiary students, with all associated rights and responsibilities. Doctoral study at CTU in Prague is pursuant to Act 111/1998 coll., in accordance with the Rules of Doctoral Study, Study and Examination Code for Students of the Czech Technical University in Prague, and the guidelines of individual faculties and institutes. Detailed information is included in the Study and Examination Regulations for Students of the CTU in Prague, Part 4 – “Studies in Doctoral Degree Programmes“.

The goal of study

The goal of doctoral study is to prepare graduates for scientifically or artistically creative work. By attaining higher qualifications including the knowledge of foreign languages Ph.D. graduates will significantly increase their career opportunities.

Form of study and duration

A Ph.D. programme at FA CTU is carried out through full-time or combined forms of study. Students in both forms have the student status, while students in the full-time programme participate in the educational activities at the particular department. Transfer between combined study and full-time study, or vice-versa, is possible on the basis of a recommendation by the Tutor and a written statement from the doctoral student to the Dean. Both full-time and combined study at CTU generally takes 4 years, the programme is scheduled into 8 semesters.

In both study programmes the doctoral students have to submit their doctoral thesis within a maximum of 6 years since enrolment into the study programme. These periods can be extended for student-parents. Doctoral studies can be prematurely terminated by the student, on the basis of a written application. In the case of long-term neglect of responsibilities the studies will terminated by a decision of the Dean. It is possible, with the agreement of the Tutor and the appropriate Branch Board, to complete the study programme in a shorter period of time.

Application for enrolment (brief)

Study applications shall be filled-in and submitted electronically at www.prihlaska.cvut.cz and printed and signed copy at the Department for Science and Research at the Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague, by the end of April. The applicants have to specify, amongst other things, their intended field of study, and the intended framework of their doctoral thesis. Other required documents have to be attached to the application. For further information on admission procedure see the “PhD Admission Procedure” file in the section Prospective Students.

Admission criteria

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral study programme the applicants have to hold a master’s or engineer´s degree (not only a bachelor´s degree) in the same discipline or a related field. The degrees obtained abroad have to be validated as equivalent to qualifications awarded by Czech institutions in the process of nostrification. The level of knowledge and the presumptions for creative scientific work are assessed by the admission board appointed by the Dean. A requisite for admission to the doctoral study programme is active knowledge of English language on a level allowing communication in the particular branch of study. Foreigners, applying for the studies in Czech language, have to submit the certificate confirming their language knowledge at least on the level B1 at the time of the admission exam, and at least on the level B2 at the time of the registration for studies. Only certificates, issued by one of the following institutions, are accepted:

• Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies, CTU in Prague
• Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies, Charles University in Prague
• Kabinet jazyků FA ČVUT / Department of Languages / Faculty of Architecture, CTU in Prague
• Czech Language Course for Foreign Participants / Faculty of Transportation Sciences, CTU in Prague

Admission to the programme is at the discretion of the Dean of the faculty, or the Head of the Department, on the basis of the results of the admission procedure. Experience in the chosen field is not a condition for admission, and there are no age restrictions. Students in their final year of studies are also allowed to apply; admission is conditional on graduation. Applicants who are admitted to doctoral study become doctoral students of the CTU. For further information on admission procedure see the “PhD Admission Procedure” file in the section Prospective Students.

Tuition Fees

The doctoral study in English language is a subject of the tuition fee, announced by the rector of the CTU for the corresponding academic year according to Art. 11, par. 2 of the Statut ČVUT. Tuition fee has to be paid before the beginning of every semester. For this following school year is the tuition fee 500 CZK per semester.

Supervisor / Tutor

The Supervisor is appointed by the Dean or the Director of the institute for the period of studies. Tutors are professors, associate professors (docents), or distinguished scholars.

Study block

A study block consists of a set of professional courses, linguistic preparation, written study on dissertation, discussion about the dissertation, participation on two internal workshops and publishing of search and innovative characters. The study block is planned in the individual study plan and divided into a maximum of 4 semesters for full-time studies and a maximum of 6 semesters for combined studies. In case the requirements of the study block are not met by the end of 6th semester for full-time study students or by the end of 9th semester for the combined study students, the studies will be terminated. The courses consist of compulsory courses a part of which being common for all the branches, compulsory-elective courses, and a choice of elective courses the contents of which are orientated to the specialization and theme of the doctoral dissertation. Doctoral study duties, i.e. extent of compulsory and elective courses and number of examinations are stipulated by the individual study plan approved by the branch board. The individual study plan is elaborated by the doctoral student in collaboration with his/her tutor. The published outcomes of research are registered by the student into the scientific result register of the CTU (V3S system).

Final examination

The doctoral study is completed by the state doctoral examination and the submission of the doctoral dissertation. Graduates of the doctoral study programme are awarded the academic degree “doctor“, abbrev. “Ph.D.” The final doctoral examination is conducted by the Board of Examiners for the Comprehensive Doctoral Examination (Komise pro státní doktorskou zkoušku). Successful completion of this examination is a pre-requisite for the presentation and defence of the doctoral thesis. This thesis is the outcome of the research into a specific scientific project and can be submitted in the form of a work that has been published (or is being prepared for publication), or as a collection of publications. The doctoral thesis must contain new original findings. The presentation and defence of the work are conducted by the Board for the Defence of the Doctoral Thesis and is open to the public. A single resubmission is allowed in case of unsuccessful final examination or an unsuccessful presentation and defence of the doctoral thesis.

Accommodation provided by CTU

Full-time doctoral students studying at CTU and living outside Prague may be accommodated in a university dormitory and are entitled to dine in student cafeterias. The accommodation in a university dorm is not organized by the Faculty of architecture, but by the students themselves through the Service Facilities Administration of the Czech Technical University in Prague (SÚZ).

Further information concerning doctoral studies can be obtained from the Department of Science and Research, Faculty of Architecture, from the Department of Science and Research, Rectorate of CTU, or from the relevant academic departments.

PH.D. ERASMUS+ MOBILITY

All information about the Ph.D. mobility can be found on the Studuj ve světě website. 

If a student does not find his/her preferred university in the Mobility app, he/she should contact the Erasmus+ coordinator at the FA, Jarmila Vokounová, jarmila.vokounova@fa.cvut.cz.