MU study and examination regulations
In accordance with section 36, subsection 2 of Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (the Higher Education Act), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports registered the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations on 27 June 2017 under Ref. No. MSMT-182824/2017.
In accordance with section 36, subsection 2 of Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (the Higher Education Act), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports registered modifications to the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations on 18 December 2018 under Ref. No. MSMT - 41900/2018.
In accordance with section 36, subsection 2 of Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (the Higher Education Act), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports registered modification No. II to the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations on 24 February 2022 under Ref. No. MSMT-4647/2022-1.
(effective as of 1 March 2022)
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Previous version effective until 28 Feb 2022
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Part One
General Provisions
Section 1
Introductory Provisions
(1) The Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations (hereinafter referred to as Regulations ) set out procedures for studies in degree programmes (hereinafter referred to as programmes ) implemented at Masaryk University (hereinafter referred to as "MU") on the basis of accreditation granted by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports or the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education or on the basis of authorizatio n for degree programme implementation approved by the MU Internal Evaluation Board. The Regulations also set out procedures governing Advanced Master's state examinations not associated with the completion of such programmes
(2) These Regulations are based on principles set out in Act No. 111/1998 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (the Higher Education Act), as amended, (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”) and the MU Statutes (hereinafter referred to as “Statutes”).
(3) These Regulations are binding for MU, its constituent parts, students and employees as well as for other persons specified in the provisions of these Regulations.
Section 2
General Principles of Study Organization
(1) The organization, administration and management of studies implemented in programmes at individual faculties are the responsibility of the dean. The dean may delegate entrusted responsibilities or their part to designated vice-deans. The dean may also delegate responsibility for study organization or its part to designated academic employees.
(2) Unless otherwise specified, information scheduled for release as stipulated by these Regulations is made available to the public via the MU Information System (hereinafter referred to as “IS MU”).
(3) If so specified by relevant provisions, information may also be made available to the public via a) the official MU notice board and/or the official notice boards of individual MU faculties (hereinafter referred to as “notice board”), b) electronic faculty course catalogues (hereinafter referred to as “course catalogues”) or c) the public sections of MU/faculty websites.
(4) Students enrolled in programmes implemented in a foreign language in accordance with section 58, subsection 5 of the Act, are entitled to teaching, course completion procedures (hereinafter referred to as the “course”), studies completion procedures and study administration in the same language used for the implementation of such programmes.
Section 3
Academic Year Scheduling
(1) The academic year has a duration of twelve months divided into an autumn and a spring semester, beginning on 1 September and 1 February respectively. Each semester includes at least one week designated for enrolment in the semester, no less than three weeks for course enrolment, no less than twelve and no more than fifteen weeks of teaching time and at least six weeks of examination period time, so that
a) the examination period does not overlap with teaching while ending at least one day prior to the last day of the period designated for enrolment in the next semester,
b) the period designated for enrolment in the semester ends no later than on the fifth workday following the first day of teaching in that semester,
c) the course enrolment period ends on the thirteenth calendar day following the first day of teaching in that semester with the possible exception of intensive and/or specially scheduled courses; enrolment regulations in the case of such courses are specified by the dean using the public section of the relevant website,
d) the registration period precedes the course enrolment period. The remainder of the semester constitutes vacation time. In accordance with academic year scheduling, state examination periods (sections 22 to 23) are scheduled in such a way so as not to overlap with other periods specified for the individual semesters.
(2) Academic year scheduling is determined by the academic year chart and timetable supplied by MU and the individual faculties. The academic year chart and timetable is set by the Rector following a consultation with the deans in order to ensure that all faculties begin instruction on the same date and that the examination period takes place simultaneously at all faculties for a duration of no less than three weeks. The academic year chart and timetable must specify course enrolment periods for each semester (section 11).
(3) Weekly schedules are announced by faculties prior to the first day of the course enrolment period in a given semester. Schedules of intensive courses and specially scheduled courses are announced by faculties no less than one week prior to the beginning of such courses.
Section 4
Course Catalogue
(1) In connection with an upcoming academic year, each MU faculty is responsible for making the following course catalogue-related information available via the IS MU no later than on 31 May:
a) academic year chart and timetable for the MU or individual faculty,
b) a complete list of courses available for enrolment in an upcoming academic year, including the number of hours of class time, credit value (section 6, subsection 2), prescribed completion options and names of lecturers,
c) course descriptions,
d) conditions restricting course enrolment (section 11, subsection 5), especially any requirements arising from the sequence of courses within a programme (prerequisites stipulating the completion of certain course(s) prior to enrolment) as well as a clear distinction between compulsory and selective courses,
e) regulations governing the coordination of study plans for each programme, field of study with students enrolled or registered in an upcoming academic year, including course enrolment conditions as specified under letter b,
f) a study plan for each programme, field of study or specialisation with students enrolled or registered in an upcoming academic year, presented in the form of a content-based course sequence schedule corresponding to the standard duration of studies,
g) the complete wording of these Regulations and all associated faculty rules and regulations or a link to their current locations,
h) a list of degree programme or field of study guarantors responsible for the correct content and formal implementation of each programme and for the settlement of any study-related issues.
Data specified under letters b to d must be entered in the IS MU using the Course Catalogue application.
(2) Any changes to the course catalogue carried out after 31 May are only included in the electronic version of the course catalogue. The faculty is required to make a list of such changes carried out throughout the academic year available in the public section of its website.
(3) Studies in a programme are implemented as full-time, distance or the combination of both (hereinafter referred to as „combined mode“).
Section 5
Study Plan
(1) Studies in a programme approved by the Internal Evaluation Board or accredited by the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education are implemented on the basis of a study plan applicable to a given programme. Rules governing the development of programmes and study plans shall be specified by a Masaryk University directive.
(2) A study plan is a comprehensive list of compulsory courses, selective course and elective courses, organized in accordance with temporal and content-related requirements so as to enable a student to meet study objectives and achieve the graduate profile of a given programme within the standard duration of studies.
(3) Studies may be implemented:
a) in accordance with a single-subject study plan (hereinafter referred to as "single-subject studies"), leading to the acquisition of knowledge and skills in a given programme and their expansion according to the choice of courses from the study plan offer;
b) with a specialization on the basis of a specialized study plan, leading to the acquisition of knowledge and skills in a given programme and their expansion according to the choice of a group of courses within the specialization;
c) as major/minor studies on the basis of a major/minor studies study plan, leading to the acquisition of knowledge and skills in a given programme and their expansion according to a minor study plan;
d) in accordance with two major study plans, leading to the acquisition of knowledge and skills in a given programme and their expansion according to a second major study plan.
Section 5a
Study Plan Modification
(1) During the course of studies, a student may request a modification to a study plan governing the programme which he/she is enrolled in (Section 5).
(2) Conditions for the implementation of a study plan modification, associated in particular with the student's knowledge or study results or with study plan compatibility, are determined by the faculty tasked with implementing the programme which the student is enrolled in; these conditions must be published in the IS MU, including a deadline for submitting applications for study plan modification.
(3) An application for study plan modification cannot be allowed in case the student does not meet the conditions for enrolment in an upcoming semester in accordance with section 12 at the time of application submission.
(4) In case the student's application affects a minor study plan, the provisions of section 2 shall apply, as appropriate.
Part Two
Study Organisation and Administration
Section 6
Credit System
(1) The fulfilment of study requirements in a degree programme (hereinafter referred to as “studies”) is recorded by means of a credit system based on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
(2) The basic unit of studies is a course; each course is identified by a unique course code. The amount of study activities required in order to complete a course is expressed by the number of credits assigned to that course (hereinafter referred to as “credit value”).
(3) The credit value of each course, group of courses or stage of studies is determined in accordance with ECTS principles, independently of the programme or field of study which includes the course and independently of study mode. The credit value of a course is associated with the course code, regardless of the type or mode of studies which may offer the course for enrolment. The credit value of a course must be set in a way which reflects the standard weekly average student workload, with one credit corresponding to approximately 25 to 30 hours of course-related work.
(4) A condition for the completion of studies in a programme or field of study is the acquisition of credits awarded for completing courses prescribed by the study plan, reaching at least the minimum credit value, i.e. thirty times the standard length of studies in a programme as expressed in the number of semesters.
(5) In order to determine whether minimum credit value has been reached, the following credits are taken into account:
a) credits gained for courses completed in studies,
b) credits recognized for such studies in accordance with section 14,
c) automatically recorded in accordance with section 14, subsection 8,
d) credits recognized for such studies in accordance with section 60, subsection 2 of the Act, i.e. credits gained for courses completed within the framework of lifelong learning.
(6) Credits gained for courses identical or substantially overlapping with courses which a student has already gained credits for in the same studies will not be recognized and cannot contribute to the credit value. The dean or Rector may limit the right of students to register for, enrol in or apply for the recognition of credits gained in overlapping courses.
Section 7
Academic Records
(1) The progress of studies of each MU student is registered in academic records administered via the IS MU. For the purposes of these academic records, studies are considered to constitute the following:
a) studies undertaken by a student in a programme including the associated records indicating field of study or study plan,
b) studies undertaken by a student in a programme including any relevant associated records indicating field of study in multiple-subject studies.
The academic records of every instance of studies undertaken by a student are kept individually. In case a student is enrolled in multiple studies simultaneously, these are considered to constitute concurrent studies. A template designed for the assessment of programme requirements fulfilment forms an inherent part of all academic records. This template is associated with studies no later than 30 days after the date of enrolment in these studies.
(2) MU will – on request – provide a student or former student with a transcript of his/her academic records in accordance with section 57, subsection 1, letter b and subsection 3 of the Act, in the form of a printout of his/her academic records as specified in subsection 1. The transcript may also be issued on the independent initiative of the Office for Studies of a given faculty.
(3) The examiner (section 16, subsection 2), chairperson of an examination board (section 25, subsection 1) or other authorised person is responsible for entering the result of the completion of a course for each student in the IS MU no later than seven workdays after the date of completion in case the completion of that course constitutes a written part which is the last part of the required completion of that course, or in case instruction takes the form of a specialized course (section 9, subsection 1). In the case of an oral examination, the result of the completion of a course must be entered in the IS MU no later than on the first workday following the date of completion of that course.
Section 8
Courses and Groups of Courses
(1) For the purpose of these Regulations, courses and groups of courses included in programmes implemented at MU and its faculties are classified as either compulsory, selective or elective. This classification of courses and groups of courses is always associated with specific studies (section 7, subsection 1). Courses offered at faculties or university institutes above and beyond the framework of degree programmes are always considered elective.
(2) A course may be implemented in a language different from the language of a given programme if so stipulated by the course specification. This language may not be Czech.
(3) A course is compulsory in case its completion, including the prescribed completion mode, is a compulsory requirement for studies. A course is selective in case it forms part of a compulsory group of courses. Compulsory groups of courses constitute sets of courses of which a student is required to complete a certain number – including the prescribed course completion mode – or is required to gain a given number of credits. All other courses are elective in relation to studies.
(4) The preparation of a thesis whose defence constitutes part of the state examination, an Advanced Master's state examination or a doctoral state examination prescribed for a programme always constitutes a compulsory course with respect to that programme. The preparation of one Bachelor’s, Master's, advanced Master's or doctoral thesis (hereinafter referred to as “final thesis”) and its defence may not be included in more than one concurrent programme of studies.
(5) In the case of certain elective courses – with course content substantially different each time the course is offered – the dean of the faculty implementing the programme may permit repeated enrolment in that course as well as the consequent accumulation of credits thus gained. Enrolment in and the subsequent completion of a course repeated in this manner does not constitute a repeated course as specified in section 20.
Section 9
Teaching
(1) Teaching carried out in courses implemented at MU faculties or at MU takes place in the form of lectures, class exercises, seminars, practical classes, laboratory exercises, practical training, field trips, internships, fieldwork, special courses, consultations and final thesis preparation. Lectures are taught by professors and associate professors, occasionally also by assistant professors and lecturers. The supervision of final theses is generally entrusted to academic employees. Lecture teaching and/or the supervision of final theses may also be entrusted to other persons following the ruling of a faculty scientific board or persons who meet requirements set out by a faculty scientific board.
(2) Full-time students are required to attend teaching activities with the exception of lectures and consultations.
(3) Participation in other forms of teaching activities – as specified in subsection 1 – may be substituted by other requirements if so determined by a relevant course specification (section 4, subsection 1, letter c). Combined studies students' obligation to participate in teaching activities is derived from programme or course specifications included in the IS MU.
(4) Teaching activities during the semester are organized according to weekly schedules, with the exception of courses which require intensive or specially scheduled teaching and which are designated as such by programme specifications. Weekly schedules are implemented by the faculty so as to best accommodate the recommended study plans of individual programmes and fields of study while minimizing overlaps between the teaching of courses individual students have registered simultaneously.
(5) Information on course completion requirements (e.g. assessment methods and course conclusion options) must be provided to students by the teacher no fewer than five workdays prior to the commencement of teaching activities in a given semester using the relevant IS MU application.
(6) A student has the right to a minimum of one unexcused absence per semester from compulsory teaching activities in a given course; this does not apply to intensive courses or specially scheduled courses (section 9, subsection 4). In case a student utilizes the right described in the first sentence, he/she must meet in-term assessment requirements or other conditions associated with teaching activities in a given course, if so prescribed. A higher number of absences may be stipulated by the teacher if so permitted by teaching and study-related conditions.
(7) A student is obliged to provide a written excuse letter to the faculty Office for Studies justifying his/her absence within five workdays of the teaching activity he/she was absent from.
Part Three
Course of Studies
Section 10
Enrolment and Repeated Enrolment in Studies
(1) For the purposes of this section, enrolment in studies and re-enrolment in studies constitute enrolment as specified in section 51, subsection 1 and section 54, subsection 4 of the Act. An applicant admitted to a programme implemented at an MU faculty or at MU gains the right to enrolment in studies and enrolment in the first semester once he/she receives an admission notification. The applicant becomes an MU student enrolled at the relevant faculty on the day of enrolment in studies.
(2) In case the applicant has acquired the right to enrolment in major/minor studies, he/she becomes a student by enrolling in a programme with a major study plan (Section 5, subsection 3, letter c).
(3) A person whose studies have been interrupted (section 13) is entitled to re-enrolment in these studies and to enrolment in an upcoming semester (section 12) once the interruption period has expired. That person becomes an MU student enrolled at the relevant faculty on the day of re-enrolment in studies.
(4) The period for enrolment in a semester (section 12) is determined by the academic year chart and timetable. Enrolment in studies must be carried out in person at the faculty responsible for implementing a given programme. Re-enrolment in studies must be communicated electronically to the relevant faculty Office for Studies. Persons unable to enrol in studies in the prescribed period may apply for an alternate date no later than on the last day of the period prescribed for enrolment in studies. Should an applicant fail to enrol in studies in the prescribed period or at an alternate date and subsequently fail to provide compelling reasons which prevented him/her from doing so in a period of five workdays, his/her right to enrolment in studies expires. The relevance of the above reasons is assessed by the dean.
(5) In case of doubt, a decision regarding the expiry of an applicant's right to enrolment or re-enrolment in studies is issued by the dean.
Section 11
Course Registration and Enrolment
(1) For each of his/her studies, a student carries out a selection of courses to be completed in the upcoming semester, using the relevant application in the IS MU and adhering to the period designated for course registration as specified in section 3, subsection 1, letter c. Course registration is performed automatically by the IS MU unless the system encounters an obstacle to course registration described in these Regulations or in accordance with these Regulations.
(2) A student has the right to register courses with a maximum value of 60 credits per semester for each of his/her studies.
(3) In the case of certain courses, the dean has the right to set registration deadlines in advance of course enrolment in order to ensure that registration information will be available for use in schedule planning or to determine which courses will be offered for enrolment. This obligation does not apply to course registration in a semester immediately following enrolment or re-enrolment in studies.
(4) In certain cases, the number of students to be enrolled in a course may be limited by the dean. In such a case, the dean must set specific guidelines for student prioritisation, prioritizing students who registered for such a course during the registration period, students for whom the course is either compulsory or selective, and students who are repeating the course in accordance with section 21, subsection 1. Additional guidelines for student prioritisation in course enrolment applicable to all students may be set by the Rector prior to the beginning of course registration.
(5) Students are required to follow study plan guidelines when enrolling in courses in a programme (field of study). Enrolment in registered courses may be conditioned by the previous successful completion of other courses as specified by guidelines based on programme specifications.
(6) Additional conditions for enrolment in elective courses may be set by the dean if so required by the nature of these courses.
(7) Following enrolment in a course, students gain the right to participate in all teaching activities in that course and/or other study activities necessary for its completion. Students not enrolled in the semester do not have this right.
(8) Changes in course enrolment are only possible during the period designated for course enrolment and changes to course enrolment with the exception of intensive or specially scheduled courses; guidelines applicable to such courses are set by the dean of the faculty responsible for their implementation.
(9) The dean is authorized to cancel a course if the number of students enrolled or registered in the course in a given semester is lower than a prescribed number set by the dean prior to the beginning of the registration period. Students whose course enrolment has thus been cancelled are entitled to supplementary enrolment in courses with equivalent credit value.
(10) A student who has the obligation to enrol in a repeated course in accordance with section 20 must be given the opportunity to register and enrol in such a course or to otherwise fulfil his/her study-related obligations.
Section 12
Enrolment in a Semester
(1) A Bachelor’s or Master’s programme student has the right to enrol in an upcoming semester of his/her studies in case he/she has simultaneously
a) successfully completed all repeated courses (section 20, subsection 1) enrolled in the immediately preceding semester and
b) met the conditions for enrolment in an upcoming semester as specified in subsection 2,
c) not exceeded double the standard duration of studies associated with the programme.
A doctoral programme student has the right to enrol in an upcoming semester in case he/she meets the requirements of his/her studies in accordance with section 30, subsection 1.
(2) The conditions of enrolment in the following semester as mentioned in subsection 1, letter b are considered met in case a student meets one of the following:
a) gaining a minimum of 20 credits for courses enrolled in a given semester of studies (credits gained for one course enrolled in more than one studies are included in all such studies for the purpose of meeting this condition),
b) gaining a minimum of 45 credits for courses enrolled in a given semester and an immediately preceding semester of studies (credits gained for one course enrolled in more than one studies are included in all such studies for the purpose of meeting this condition),
c) achieving the minimum credit value of the given studies while not exceeding the standard duration of studies (the overall number of credits gained in such studies includes credits gained for all courses completed, recognized or automatically recorded in these studies),
d) gaining a number of credits which is at least thirty times the number of semesters completed in these studies while not exceeding the standard duration of studies (the overall number of credits gained in such studies includes credits gained for all courses completed in these studies and excludes credits gained for courses recognized or automatically recorded).
(3) Programme specifications may stipulate additional conditions for enrolment in a semester, as required by the focus of a relevant programme.
(4) A student must utilize the relevant IS MU application to electronically enrol in an upcoming semester within a period prescribed by the academic year schedule.
(5) A student who is unable to enrol in studies in the prescribed period may apply for an alternate date no later than on the last day of the period prescribed for enrolment in studies. Should a student fail to enrol in studies in the prescribed period or at an alternate date and subsequently fail to provide compelling reasons which prevented him/her from doing so in a period of five workdays, his/her right to enrolment in studies expires and his/her studies are subsequently terminated in accordance with section 56, subsection 1, letter b of the Act. The relevance of the above reasons will be assessed by the dean.
(6) The studies of a student whose right to enrolment in an upcoming semester in accordance with subsections 1 to 3 has not arisen by the last day of the period prescribed for such enrolment are terminated.
Section 13
Interruption of Studies
(1) A student's studies may be interrupted on his/her request. The dean shall comply with the request in case
a) the student meets conditions for enrolment in an upcoming semester (section 12, subsections 1 and 2) and has successfully completed at least one semester of studies, or
b) the period stipulated in the request forms part of the student's recognized parental period (section 21, subsection 1, letter f of the Act and section 54, subsection 2 of the Act).
In all other cases the dean issues a ruling based on the substantiation provided by the student. Should the dean decide to comply with the request, he/she simultaneously sets the beginning and end dates of the interruption period. as well as additional conditions of enrolment in the semester immediately following re-enrolment in studies. The dean shall comply with a request for re-enrolment in studies submitted by a person participating in recognized parental leave at an earlier date prior to the end of the interruption period.
(2) The dean may interrupt a student’s studies in accordance with section 22, subsection 8, section 32, subsection 8 or section 33, subsection 9.
(3) Studies are interrupted for a period of several semesters including the remainder of the semester when the request seeking interruption of studies was filed. The total duration of the interruption must not exceed the standard duration of studies. The sum total duration of studies (i.e. the duration of studies which a student is enrolled in) and the duration of the interruption period must not exceed double the number of semesters of the standard length of studies in the relevant programme; failing this condition, these studies will be terminated in accordance with section 15, subsection 1, letter b. The sum total duration does not include interruption periods specified in section 22, subsection 8, section 32, subsection 8 and section 33, subsection 9. Interruption periods taking place due to serious health-related reasons and/or maternal or parental leave are likewise exempt from this clause.
(4) In connection with applying for a final state examination, Advanced Master's state examination (in the case of General Medicine or Stomatology) or doctoral state examination or their final parts and with respect to a student’s obligations which must be met prior to applying, the end of the study interruption period may be set to the beginning of the examination period of the last semester of the study interruption period.
(5) A person whose studies have been interrupted according to subsection 1 may re-enrol in studies in accordance with the provisions of section 10.
(6) A person ceases to be a student of MU on the day of interruption of studies or on the last day of his/her concurrent studies.
Section 14
Recognition of Previous Studies
(1) A student's courses may be recognized by the dean following his/her request in case such courses have been completed
a) in previous or concurrent studies at MU,
b) in previous or concurrent studies at a university in the Czech Republic or abroad, or during studies at a university in the Czech Republic or abroad,
c) in previous or concurrent studies in an accredited educational programme at a tertiary professional school in the Czech Republic or abroad,
d) in previous or concurrent studies in a lifelong learning programme (section 60, subsection 2 of the Act).
Courses eligible for recognition include courses which are either compulsory or selective with respect to the studies in question or other courses designated by the dean with the exception of courses specified in section 8, subsection 4. Previous studies refer to studies terminated in accordance with sections 55 or 56 of the Act. A group of courses completed in accordance with letters a to d may be recognised instead of a course or group of courses indicated for the studies in question in case their content covers the requirements of the prescribed course.
(2) A request for the recognition of previous studies completed outside of MU submitted by a student must include
a) a full transcript of academic records, i.e. an official transcript of the completion of each course including a transcript of grades, credits and number of failed course completion attempts, if applicable, and
b) an official transcript of the course syllabus including a description of the course's place in the programme or field of study.
(3) Course recognition may require the student to pass an equivalency examination or meet other equivalency requirements. The examiner or alternate method of equivalency requirements fulfilment shall be assigned by the dean. The original course grade is replaced with the grade obtained following the successful completion of the equivalency examination or fulfilment of the relevant equivalency requirements.
(4) The grade and a record of the number of failed course completion attempts are recognized along with the course. In case the recognized course is not credited, the credit value is determined according to guidelines used in the programme the course is being recognized in. Credits assigned for courses recognized in accordance with subsection 1, letter d may form no more than 60 % of the minimum credit value of the studies they are being recognized in.
(5) Credits assigned for courses or groups of courses from previously completed studies (section 55 of the Act) may be recognized only in a credit value gained in such studies not exceeding thirty times the duration of completed studies in a programme as expressed in the number of semesters. In case the number of credits gained is not known, the courses are recognized with zero credit value.
(6) The credit value of courses recognised in accordance with subsection 1 is excluded from the number of credits used for assessing the fulfilment of requirements for enrolment in the following semester according to section 12, subsection 2, letters a, b and d; however, it is included in the number of credits used for assessing whether minimum credit value was reached as well as for assessing the fulfilment of requirements for enrolment in the following semester according to section 12, subsection 2, letter c.
(7) No part of the final state examination or Advanced Master's state examination (in the case of General Medicine and Stomatology) from previous or concurrent studies may be recognized in accordance with section 22, subsection 2; no part of the doctoral state examination may be recognized in accordance with section 32.
(8) For the purposes of assessing the fulfilment of the conditions of study, all compulsory and selective courses (section 8, subsection 3) completed at MU during the course of previous unsuccessful studies, including their credit value, are automatically included, as long as the duration of the period between their completion and enrolment in a given studies does not exceed three years.
(9) The recognition of courses completed as part of foreign mobility programmes is governed by a Rector's directive stipulating the Rules for the Recognition of the Results of Foreign Study and Work Placements of Masaryk University Students.
Section 15
Closure of Studies
(1) Closure of studies may take place in the following ways:
a) successful completion of a final state examination in accordance with section 45, subsection 3 of the Act, final state examination or Advanced Master's state examination in accordance with section 46, subsection 3 of the Act or doctoral state examination and doctoral thesis defence in accordance with section 47, subsection 4 of the Act (hereinafter referred to as “completion of studies”),
b) loss of the right to enrolment in studies in accordance with section 10 or 12, or due to failure to meet conditions specified in sections 22, 23, 24, 32 or 33 (section 56, subsection 1, letter b of the Act),
c) abandonment of studies (section 56, subsection 1, letter a of the Act),
d) expulsion in accordance with section 65, subsection 1, letter c or section 67 of the Act (section 56, subsection 1, letter h of the Act),
e) loss of programme accreditation due to reasons enumerated in section 56, subsection 1, letters c to f of the Act,
f) grounds specified in section 56, subsection 1, letter g of the Act.
(2) The date for closure of studies is defined
a) in accordance with subsection 1, letter a, as the day of passing of the final part of a final state examination, Advanced Master's state examination (in the case of General Medicine and Stomatology), or doctoral thesis defence (for doctoral degree programmes).
b) in accordance with subsection 1, letters b and d, as the day when the relevant decision comes into effect,
c) in accordance with subsection 1, letter c, as the day when the written notification of abandoning studies is delivered to the faculty,
d) in accordance with subsection 1, letter e, as the day specified by section 56, subsection 2 of the Act,
e) in accordance with subsection 1, letter f, as the effective date of a final decision on the invalidity of a state examination prescribed at the end of studies in a programme, or its part, in accordance with section 47, subsection 1 of the Act.
(3) A person ceases to be a student of MU on the day of closure of his/her studies or on the day of closure of his/her last concurrent studies.
(4) The dean is responsible for providing students who were precluded from successfully completing their studies in a programme or field of study within the standard duration of studies due to reasons set out in subsection 1, letter e, with the opportunity to enrol in studies in a programme of similar content implemented either by their faculty, MU or other university in accordance with section 80, subsection 5 of the Act.
(5) Students whose studies were completed in accordance with subsection 1, letter a are issued a university diploma and diploma supplement as proof of completion of studies. Graduates of studies implemented in Czech are issued diplomas in Czech, graduates of studies implemented in a foreign language are issued diplomas in that language. On request, the faculty will provide a graduate with a translation of his/her diploma into English or Czech, including a faculty stamp and authorized person's signature. The bilingual diploma supplement is issued in Czech and English.
Section 16
Completion of Courses
(1) Completion of a course constitutes meeting the course requirements in one of the following ways:
a) credit,
b) colloquium,
c) examination.
(2) The assessment associated with completing a course as specified in subsection 1 is carried out by a teacher or an examiner.
(3) The deadlines for the completion of courses as specified in subsection 1 are announced by the examiner or other academic employee listed in the IS MU. The number of deadlines and alternate dates for course completion must correspond to the form of course completion, number of enrolled students and course characteristics associated with the requirements for course completion. Deadlines and alternate dates for course completion, set so as to facilitate the accomplishment of provisions of section 18, subsection 2 and section 19, subsection 2, are announced by the teacher no less than two weeks prior to the beginning of examination period via the IS MU.
(4) Deadlines for course completion are scheduled during the examination period or take place during the last two weeks of instruction in a semester. Exceptions include intensive and/or specially scheduled courses, in which case deadlines for course completion may take place during the teaching period of the semester. A credit deadline may be set at any time during the teaching period of the semester following a request lodged by a student, provided that the student has fulfilled the requirements necessary for the completion of the course. Alternate dates are scheduled during the examination period. In case of a colloquium or examination, the examiner may also schedule alternate dates
a) during the instruction period of the subsequent semester, but not later than on the thirteenth calendar day following the beginning of teaching; these dates are only available to students who have met the requirement of enrolment in an upcoming semester,
b) during the examination period of the subsequent semester in case this period precedes the beginning of the teaching period of that course; this option is only available to students enrolled in that course for the first time.
(5) In the case of combined and distance Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programmes and in all doctoral degree programme modes, the dean may set the course completion period outside of the examination period. In such cases, the dean is not bound by the provisions of subsection 4.
(6) Students are responsible for applying for deadlines for course completion implemented in the form of a colloquium or examination via the IS MU. Should a student fail to meet this responsibility, the subsequent procedure shall be determined by the dean (a specific deadline will generally be assigned).
(7) In case a student is absent from the deadline for course completion he/she has applied for or been assigned to (subsection 6) and subsequently fails to provide an acceptable reason for his/her absence within five workdays following the deadline, he/she is assigned a grade of “failed” (section 17, subsection 1).
(8) In case the completion of a course includes in-term assessment with results included in the final assessment, no alternate dates for the fulfilment of such assessment are required with the exception of alternate dates of in-term assessment for properly excused students.
(9) The results or outcomes of in-term assessments must be communicated to the student by the teacher within ten workdays of such an in-term assessment and simultaneously no later than on the last day before the beginning of the examination period.
(10) In case a student does not excuse his/her absence or does not fulfil the requirements of in-term assessment or fails to fulfil requirements stipulated during the course of the semester's teaching activities, the teacher shall record a grade of “X” in the IS MU. This grade precludes the student from registering for course completion.
(11) Students have the right to view the assessment of their written examinations and/or electronic tests required for the completion of a course no later than 15 workdays after being informed of the assessment of such an examination or test. The teacher has the obligation to preserve written works or electronic tests for a period of six months after the end of the examination period of the relevant semester.
Section 17
Grading Scheme
(1) The grading scheme adheres to ECTS principles and is subdivided into the following grades:
|
Grade |
Designation |
Value |
Grade |
Designation |
Value |
|
|
Excellent |
A |
1 |
Satisfactory |
D |
2,5 |
|
|
Very good |
B |
1,5 |
Sufficient |
E |
3 |
|
|
Good |
C |
2 |
Failed |
F/-/X |
4 |
Grades are recorded in the IS MU as letter grades. Grade values are only used for grade-point average calculation. In accordance with the provisions set out in section 16, subsection 7, the examiner must enter a grade of “–” (dash) in the IS MU. The dash has a value of 4 for grade-point average calculation purposes.
(2) A student’s grade-point average is calculated separately for each of his/her studies as the weighted average of all grade values accumulated in all graded course completion deadlines or alternate dates associated with his/her studies, including “unacceptable” and “–” grades. The weight of the grade value of a course is determined by its credit value.
(3) Grades achieved in courses which may not be repeated within a given studies are not used for the grade-point average calculation (section 20, subsection 3).
Section 18
Credit
(1) Courses whose requirements are generally fulfilled during the course of teaching, as specified by their weekly or intensive course schedules, are completed with a credit. The examiner is obliged to announce the requirements for completing a course no fewer than five days prior to the beginning of regular weekly teaching or prior to the beginning of an intensive course.
(2) Should a student fail to fulfil the requirements of a credit by the designated deadline, he/she is entitled to fulfil them by an alternate date set during the examination period of the same semester; a student enrolled in a course for the first time may make use of two alternate dates while a student repeating a course may only make use of one alternate date (section 20).
(3) A credit is assessed as either “credited” or “not credited” (recorded in the IS MU as Z for credited (“započteno”) and N for not credited (“nezapočteno”)).
(4) The provisions of section 19, subsection 3 apply analogously to courses completed with a credit.
Section 19
Colloquium and Examination
(1) Courses with a majority of the required workload concentrated in a period following instruction, as specified by their weekly or intensive course schedules, are completed by a colloquium or examination. The examiner is obliged to announce the requirements for completing a course no fewer than five days prior to the beginning of regular weekly teaching or prior to the beginning of an intensive course.
(2) Should a student fail to pass a colloquium or examination in a regularly announced term, he/she is entitled to an alternate date set in accordance with the provisions of section 16, subsection 5; a student enrolled in a course for the first time may make use of two alternate dates while a student repeating a course may only make use of one alternate date (section 20).
(3) The fulfilment of requirements set out in the course of the semester may be specified as a prerequisite for attempting a colloquium or examination; the results of in-term assessment may influence colloquium or examination grading. The conditions set out in subsection 1 apply to the announcement of such requirements.
(4) A colloquium refers to the completion of a course by means of a discussion of the course content and/or a submission of an essay on a topic within the course. A colloquium is assessed as either “passed” or “not passed” (recorded in the IS MU as P for passed (“prospěl(a)”) and N for not passed (“neprospěl(a)”)).
(5) An examination may be written and/or oral. All parts of an examination are generally held on the same day; should this is not be the case, the dates of all parts of the examination must be announced in advance. An examination is assessed according to the grading scheme (section 17, subsection 1).
Section 20
Course Repetition
(1) In case a student does not complete an enrolled course successfully, he/she is automatically re-enrolled in the first semester when the course is offered again (hereinafter referred to as “repeated course”).
(2) A student who fails to complete a repeated course, exhausting all possibilities specified in section 18, subsection 2 and/or section 19, subsection 2, thus loses the right to enrolment in the following semester (section 12).
(3) A student may decide not to fulfil the obligation to repeat a course as specified in subsection 1 if such a course is elective for the studies in question; the amount of courses thus not repeated must not exceed one tenth of the minimum credit value of such studies. Following the completion of the requirements imposed by a compulsory group of courses, all other enrolled courses in that group are considered elective.
Section 21
Repetition of Successful Course Completion
(1) A student has the right to repeat a successful instance of course completion in only one course per semester. In the event of such a repetition, the student is required to make use of currently offered examination dates and to accept the risk of achieving a worse course completion assessment than his/her original assessment.
(2) The grade which a student is striving to improve is removed from IS MU records once he/she registers for an examination date; any request for its reinstatement will be rejected.
(3) In case the student fails to participate in the repeated course completion, he/she receives grade of “—” (dash) (section 16, subsection 7).
(4) The repetition of a successfully passed final state examination or doctoral state examination is not allowed.
Section 22
State Examinations in Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes
(1) Studies are completed by a final state examination (section 45, subsection 3 and section 46, subsection 3 of the Act) or – in the case of General Medicine and Stomatology – an Advanced Master's state examination (section 46, subsection 3 of the Act), carried out before an examination board (hereinafter referred to as “state examination”). The progress and announcement of the results of a state examination are open to the public. A written record of the entire state examination procedure is kept by the examination board.
(2) The state examination consists of separately assessed parts.
a) The Bachelor's state examination includes a Bachelor’s thesis defence, if so required by the Bachelor’s programme. The Master’s state examination includes a Master’s thesis defence. A Bachelor’s or Master's thesis is written in the language a given programme is implemented in or in a language listed in the programme specification. If so specified in a faculty-issued regulation, a programme implemented in Czech may allow the submission of a Bachelor’s or Master's thesis written in Slovak or in another language. A Bachelor’s or Master's thesis may always be submitted in English unless explicitly proscribed by the programme specification.
b) The remaining component parts of the state examination are explicitly defined by the programme specification (hereinafter referred to as “state examination courses”).
The Advanced Master’s state examination applicable to General Medicine and Stomatology only comprises course-related parts. The individual parts of a state examination may take place on different dates. State examination courses associated with any state examination specified in these Regulations are not considered courses according to section 8.
(3) In order to be admitted to the defence, a Bachelor's or Master's thesis must be submitted and made available to the public in accordance with section 40. A Bachelor’s thesis or Master's thesis is considered submitted once it has been entered in the IS MU in a designated manner. An alternate manner of Bachelor’s or Master's thesis submission in a given programme may be stipulated by a faculty regulation.
(4) A Bachelor’s or Master's thesis defence is oral. The examination of the state examination subjects may be written and/or oral. A successful Bachelor’s or Master's thesis defence does not constitute a prerequisite for admission to the remaining parts of the state examination.
(5) Deadlines and alternate state examination dates for each programme and field of studies are set by the dean in accordance with the academic year chart and timetable (section 3, subsection 1). The dates for applying for state examinations – including alternate state examination dates – in a given semester are likewise set by the dean. State examination dates and the names of examination board members are posted in the IS MU and on the faculty notice board at least two weeks prior to the beginning of state examinations in a given semester. State examination application deadlines are included in the academic year chart and timetable.
(6) In case a student admitted to the state examination or assigned to a component part of the state examination is absent on the designated date and subsequently fails to provide an acceptable reason for his/her absence within five workdays following that date, he/she is assigned a grade of “failed” for that part of the state examination. The relevance of provided reasons is assessed by the dean.
(7) A student may repeat a component part of the state examination he/she has failed to pass a) on one alternate date in the case of a final state examination, b) on two alternate dates in case of an Advanced Master's state examination in General Medicine and Stomatology; such alternate dates are set during the state examination period in an immediately ensuing semester. Alternatively, a student may be given the opportunity to repeat an unsuccessfully attempted part of the state examination in the same semester if so stipulated by a faculty-issued regulation.
(8) A student's studies may be interrupted by the dean until the alternate state examination date. Additional conditions for alternate date application and arrangement may also be stipulated by the dean.
(9) student must pass the final part of the state examination in his/her studies no later than during the last semester of a period which comprises twice the standard length of studies in a given programme elapsing since the student's enrolment, exempting interruption periods as specified in subsection 8 and interruption periods due to serious health-related reasons and/or maternal or parental leave. In case a student fails to pass the state examination within the period specified above or in case he/she exhausts all state examination dates, his/her studies are terminated in accordance with section 56, subsection 1, letter b of the Act. The procedure associated with decision-making in such cases follows the provisions of section 68 of the Act.
(10) In case several state examination courses (subsection 2, letter b) are identical and/or substitutable due to the concurrent programmes of studies, with this fact explicitly stated in the relevant programme specifications, a student who has met the state examination application requirements for both concurrent programmes of studies and applied for both state examinations in the examination period of the same semester, is only required to take one of these courses. The preparation and defence of one final thesis cannot be included in more than one instance of concurrent studies (section 8, subsection 4).
Section 23
Final State Examinations in Single-Subject Studies or in Studies with Specializations
(1) Requirements for admittance to a final state examination in single - subject studies or studies with specializations (hereinafter referred to as admittance requirements ) include the following:
a) fulfilment of all requirements associated with the studies in question as defined by the programme specification and simultaneously
b) accomplishment of the minimum credit value required by the studies in question.
Additional conditions for admittance to a final state examination or its individual parts including all requirements and their order are listed in the programme specification. A student is required to apply for a state examination set in the period designa ted for state examinations in the semester in which he/she managed to fulfil all admittance requirements or in the period designated for state examinations in the immediately ensuing semester. Should a student fail to do so, the subsequent procedure is det ermined by the dean (a specific deadline will generally be assigned or his/her studies terminated for failure to meet the announced requirements).
(2) In the case of studies with specializations, at least one part of the state examination is associated with th e specialized part of the student's study plan.
(3) Unless participating in the state examination at an alternate date, a student is required to take all parts of a state examination in the period designated for state examinations in the semester in which he/she applied for the state examination. Alternate dates for component parts of the state examination are governed by the provisions of section 22, subsection 7.
(4) A student is required to submit his/her final thesis in accordance with a faculty-designated schedule in order to ensure that the final thesis is submitted prior to the student participating in the first part of the state examination.
(5) If a student fails to fulfil the requirements for admittance to the state examination prior to the date set for its first part, his/her application becomes void.
(6) If a student registers for the state examination in a semester following the semester in which he/she fulfilled all study requirements but fails to submit a final thesis in the prescribed manner, his/her studies are terminated for failure to meet the requirements of subsection 1.
Section 24
Final State Examination in Multiple-Subject and Major/Minor Studies
and Advanced Master's State Examination in General Medicine and Stomatology
(1) Requirements for admittance to part of a final state examination or an Advanced Master's state examination (in the case of General Medicine and Stomatology) include the following:
a) fulfilment of all requirements of a given multiple - subject studies field or of a major/minor studies study plan, or a complete section of the General Medicine or Stomatology programme, specifically enumerated in the programme specification, and simultaneously
b) accomplishment of no less than two thirds of the minimum credit value of the given studies. Additional requirements may be designated by programme specifications.
(2) In the case of major/minor studies, at least one part of the state examination is associated with the minor part of the student's study plan.
(3) In the case of major/minor studies (section 5, subsection 3, letter c), conditions governing Bachelor's and Master's thesis topic selection, drafting and defence are provided by rules applicable to a major study plan. In the case of major/minor studies in a Teacher Training programme, conditions enumerated in the first sentence may also be provided by rules applicable to a minor curriculum. This provision also applies, as appropriate, to the major/minor studies of a student enrolled in a Bachelor's programme not included under Teacher Training if, in conjunction with a Master's programme, such studies lead to the exercise of a regulated teaching profession (section 2, subsection 2, letter a, of Act No. 563/2004 Coll., on Pedagogical Staff and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts, as amended).
(4) Requirements for admittance to the remaining parts of the final state examination include the following:
a) fulfilment of all requirements associated with the studies in question as defined by programme specifications and simultaneously
b) a ccomplishment of the minimum credit value required by the studies in question.
(5) A student who has met the requirements specified in subsection 4 is required to apply for the remaining parts of the state examination in the period designated for state examinations in the semester in which he/she met such requirements or in the period designated for state examinations in the immediately ensuing semester.
(6) Alternate dates for component parts of the state examination are governed by the provisions of section 22, subsection 7.
(7) A Bachelor's or Master's thesis must be submitted no later than simultaneously with an application for the first of all remaining state examination parts in accordance with subsection 4. In case a student fails to meet this requirement, his/her studies are terminated.
(8) The student is obliged to participate in the final thesis defence and all other parts of the state examination in a field which he/she has prepared a final thesis in simultaneously during one state examination period.
(9) In the case of studies implemented in accordance with two major study plans (section 5, subsection 3, letter d), a student is required to prepare two final theses in accordance with conditions governing Bachelor's and Master's thesis topic selection, drafting and defence, provided by rules applicable to the relevant programmes.
Section 25
Examination Board
(1) All parts of the state examination take place before an examination board (hereinafter referred to as the board). Board members include:
a) professors and associate professors appointed by the dean in accordance with section 53, subsection 2 of the Act and, if applicable
b) other experts appointed by the dean and approved by the faculty scientific board in accordance with section 53, subsection 2 of the Act.
Additional leading experts in a given field may be appointed to the board by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry) in accordance with section 53, subsection 3 of the Act. The board chair is appointed by the Rector, following a recommendation made by the dean, from among board members appointed by the dean. The board chair is always a professor or associate professor or an expert approved by the faculty scientific board. The examination board chairperson is responsible for the board's actions and conduct. The board and its members are appointed for an indefinite period of time. The board chairperson and board members appointed in accordance with letters a or b may be dismissed by the academic body responsible for their appointment.
(2) The examination board forms a quorum if at least three of its members are present, including the chairperson. The board's decisions are based on a simple majority of the members present. In the case of an equal number of votes on both sides, the decisive vote is cast by the board chair.
(3) Should more than one examination board be appointed for a field of study which is not subdivided into specialisations or a programme consisting of only one field of study, the dean is responsible for allocating students to the individual boards. Information regarding this allocation must be announced prior to the date of the state examination (section 22, subsection 5).
(4) A thesis reviewer must be selected from among academic employees or other university-educated experts in a given field by the dean no less than three weeks prior to a Bachelor’s or Master's thesis defence. Should a Bachelor's or Master's thesis supervisor or reviewer not be a member of the examination board, he/she may attend both public and closed board sessions; however, their opinion is merely advisory. The reviewer and supervisor are responsible for providing written evaluations of the thesis including grading recommendations in accordance with section 26, subsection 1. A student has the right to be informed of the evaluations no later than five workdays prior to the defence.
Section 26
Evaluation of State Examinations and Successfully Completed Studies
(1) A decision regarding the outcome of each part of a state examination is issued by the examination board. The outcome of each part of the state examination is assessed verbally in accordance with the grading scheme specified in section 17, subsection 1.
(2) The overall outcome of the state examination is assessed by the examination board following the completion of all parts and a grade is assigned in accordance with the provisions of section 17, subsection 1. If one or more of its parts are assessed as “unacceptable”, the overall state examination grade is also assessed as “unacceptable”.
(3) The overall outcome of successfully completed studies is assessed verbally as follows: a) “passed with distinction” or b) “passed”.
(4) Requirements for being awarded a “passed with distinction” assessment for successfully completed studies comprise the following:
a) all parts of the state examination must be successfully completed by the assigned deadline and assessed as either “excellent”, “very good” or “good”,
b) the state examination must be assessed as “excellent” or “very good”,
c) the grade-point average – as specified in section 17, subsection 2 – must not exceed the value of 1.5,
d) none of the graded courses completed throughout the duration of studies may be assessed as “failed”,
e) no more than two courses completed throughout the duration of studies may be assessed as either “sufficient” or “satisfactory”,
f) a maximum of one third of all credits in a given studies were gained through a process of recognition of previous or concurrent studies or by transfer from previous unsuccessful studies,
g) the option to not repeat a course in accordance with section 20, subsection 3 was used up to a maximum of one twentieth of the minimum credit value.
(5) The overall assessment of completed studies is listed in the university diploma.
Part Four
Studies in a Doctoral Degree Programme
Section 27
Doctoral Boards
(1) In accordance with the provisions of section 47, subsection 6 of the Act and the Masaryk University Degree Programme Quality Approval, Management and Evaluation regulation (hereinafter referred to as “Degree Programme Regulations”), a doctoral board responsible for monitoring and evaluating studies as well as providing a guarantee of its continuously high standards is established for each programme. Rules governing board membership, appointment and competencies within the scope of doctoral programme quality assurance processes are set out by Degree Programme Regulations.
(2) Following a recommendation made by the doctoral board, the dean may establish doctoral committees for individual fields of study or for individual specialized study plans. Doctoral committee members and chairpersons are appointed by the dean following recommendations made by the doctoral board. The doctoral committee chairperson must be a member of the doctoral board of a given doctoral degree programme.
(3) The doctoral committee consists of no less than five members, of which no less than three are MU employees and of which at least two are not involved in an employment relationship with MU.
(4) The doctoral committee forms a quorum if a majority of its members are present. The doctoral committee's decisions are based on a two-thirds majority of the present doctoral committee members. Doctoral committee members may vote by post or using an electronic interface. In such cases, a simple majority of all members’ votes is required.
(5) In accordance with Degree Programme Regulations, rules governing the doctoral committee's term of office are identical to rules governing the doctoral board's term of office.
(6) The responsibilities of a doctoral board include primarily the following:
a) establishing specific requirements associated with full-time and combined study mode of a given doctoral programme and its fields of study, unless established by the programme specification,
b) approving the planned research topics of doctoral theses,
c) assessing individual candidates’ study plans in terms of compliance with doctoral programme specifications,
d) providing the dean with recommendations regarding entrance examination committee members and chairpersons and specifying entrance examination requirements,
e) providing the dean with recommendations regarding the appointment or dismissal of supervisors,
f) assigning supervisors to candidates while observing the candidate’s right to choose both a supervisor and doctoral thesis topic in accordance with section 62, subsection 1, letters c and f of the Act,
g) initiating, discussing and coordinating the programming of lectures, seminars and other study-related matters,
h) discussing and assessing – at least once a year – each candidate’s course of studies along with the supervisor, providing a transcript of the matter and filing the transcript among the required documentation in the IS MU; if so requested by the doctoral board, the supervisor shall present additional information on a candidate’s progress,
i) providing the dean with suggestions on revoking scholarships in accordance with section 30, subsection 7,
j) providing the dean with suggestions on terminating studies in accordance with section 30, subsection 8,
k) providing the dean with recommendations on the appointment and dismissal of the chair and members of the doctoral state examination board; the doctoral board's recommendation on the appointment or dismissal of the chair is subsequently submitted by the dean to the Rector,
l) providing the dean with recommendations on the appointment and dismissal of the chair, board members and reviewers for a doctoral thesis defence; the doctoral board's recommendation on the appointment or dismissal of the chair is subsequently submitted by the dean to the Rector,
m) providing the dean with recommendations regarding dates and deadlines for doctoral state examinations and doctoral thesis defences,
n) providing the dean with recommendations regarding doctoral committee establishment and membership.
In case doctoral committees have been established, the authority to execute some or all of the responsibilities specified under letters c, d, f to h and k to m with respect to a given field may be delegated to these doctoral committees by the dean following a recommendation made by the doctoral board.
(7) The names of doctoral board and doctoral committee members are announced in the public sections of MU/faculty websites.
(8) Doctoral board or doctoral committee meetings on study-related matters are called by the chairperson as required, but no less than once per year. The outcome of the meeting is recorded and the resulting meeting minutes are filed among the required documentation in the IS MU.
Section 28
Supervisor
(1) Studies in a programme or field of study adhere to individual study plans under the guidance of a supervisor.
(2) Recommended persons generally include either professors and associate professors or independent researchers and leading scientists. In exceptional justified cases, the dean may – with the approval of the faculty scientific board – appoint an academic employee who does not meet the requirement of being either a professor or associate professor; however, such a person may only act as supervisor for a particular candidate and thesis topic and must hold a degree of Ph.D., CSc. or Dr. or equivalent degree.
(3) A supervisor is appointed and dismissed by the dean on the basis of a proposal submitted by the doctoral board or of the dean's own initiative following a discussion with the doctoral board chair. A proposal for the appointment or dismissal of a supervisor must be approved by the faculty scientific board unless otherwise stipulated by a faculty regulation.
(4) The doctoral board may also decide to replace a candidate’s supervisor in case circumstances preventing the supervisor from proper guidance have been established, either on the basis of the candidate's initiative or otherwise.
(5) The supervisor may decide to resign the position of supervisor in case circumstances preventing him/her from the supervision of a specific candidate arise. A supervisor's written resignation must be communicated to the dean, the doctoral board chairperson and the candidate.
(6) In the event of any changes to a supervisor, the doctoral board promptly appoints a new supervisor and informs all of his/her doctoral candidates of the changes. The doctoral board’s decision to replace a supervisor is made in such a way as to affect the candidate as little as possible. Prior to the appointment of a new supervisor, the candidate remains under the supervision of his/her original supervisor.
(7) Lists of supervisors and anonymized lists of students supervised by individual supervisors along with planned doctoral thesis topics are published in the public sections of MU/faculty websites.
(8) A supervisor’s responsibilities include primarily the following:
a) presenting a candidate’s proposed doctoral thesis topic to the doctoral board following consultations with the candidate,
b) drafting a study plan together with the candidate,
c) providing the candidate with expert and methodological guidance during the course of his/her work on the doctoral thesis,
d) providing an evaluation of the candidate’s progress with respect to his/her course of studies and study plan, once per semester in accordance with section 30,
e) coordinating with the doctoral board in order to prepare a proposal for the revocation of a scholarship in accordance with section 30, subsection 7,
f) coordinating with the doctoral board in order to prepare a proposal for the termination of studies in accordance with section 30, subsection 8.
(9) Once a candidate files an application for a doctoral thesis defence following a discussion with his/her supervisor, the supervisor provides the doctoral board with a doctoral thesis report. The candidate has the right to be informed of the contents of the report no less than a minimum of seven days prior to the defence.
Section 29
Duration of Studies
(1) The standard duration of studies in a doctoral programme lasts for no less than three and no more than four years and is listed in the programme specification of each doctoral programme.
(2) Studies in a doctoral programme may be implemented in either full-time or combined study mode. Detailed information on study conditions in individual study modes is provided to doctoral candidates and applicants for studies in the public sections of MU/faculty websites. Full-time studies include participation in compulsory teaching activities in accordance with section 9, subsections 2 and 3 respectively.
(3) During the course of studies, a student may ask the dean for a study mode transfer. In the case of transfer. In the case of transfer from combined to full-time studies within the standard duration of studies, the student is entitled to a scholarship in support of studies in a doctoral programme (hereinafter referred to as “scholarship”) in accordance with the MU Scholarship and Bursary Regulations.
(4) The maximum duration of time between enrolment in a doctoral degree programme and completion of studies commenced prior to the spring 2012 semester is seven years. The maximum duration of studies commenced in the spring 2012 semester or later is equal to twice the period defined in subsection 1. Interruption periods due to serious health-related reasons and/or maternal or parental leave are exempt from this clause, as are interruption periods specified in section 32, subsection 8 and section 33, subsection 9.
Section 30
Course of Studies and the Proper Fulfilment of Study Requirements
(1) The proper fulfilment of study requirements in a doctoral programme calls for the simultaneous fulfilment of the following conditions:
a) meeting the requirements of an individual study plan,
b) successfully completing all repeated courses registered in an immediately preceding semester (section 20, subsection 1),
c) meeting the credit requirement (section 12, subsection 2) and
d) not exceeding the maximum duration of studies (section 29, subsection 4).
(2) The course of studies is governed by an individual study plan, which is both binding and obligatory.
(3) The individual study plan and any alterations proposed by the supervisor are approved by the candidate and subsequently submitted to the doctoral board for approval. The content of the approved individual study plan for a given semester is proposed by the candidate and approved by the supervisor using a designated IS MU application.
(4) The individual study plan defines in particular:
a) the preparation of a doctoral thesis in accordance with section 8, subsection 4,
b) compulsory courses, including
1. courses designed to broaden and enhance the candidates' knowledge in the field beyond the scope of Master’s studies,
2. courses designed to refine specialized knowledge,
3. specialized seminars and lectures,
c) proof of professional and linguistic competencies, verified by
1. completing two designated semester-long courses,
2. gaining a credit for a publication in a foreign language submitted to a journal or proceedings and gaining a credit for giving a lecture in a foreign language at a conference or forum; such credits are awarded by the supervisor or other evaluator previously appointed by the doctoral board,
d) participation in teaching activities in Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes,
e) the preparation of doctoral thesis topics, if so stipulated by the doctoral board's decision,
f) other specific requirements associated with the focus of the doctoral programme.
(5) In accordance with subsection 4, letter a, the credit value associated with the preparation of a doctoral thesis ranges from one half to generally two thirds of the minimum credit value of the studies in question. The exact credit value is specified by the doctoral board in view of the doctoral programme specification. The fulfilment of the requirements of this course in each enrolled semester is assessed by the supervisor; the number of credits awarded in each semester reflects the amount of work carried out by the candidate.
(6) The fulfilment of the requirements of the individual study plan is evaluated by the supervisor every semester and by the supervisor along with the doctoral board at least once per year. The outcome of the evaluation is recorded using the designated IS MU application.
(7) In the case of unsatisfactory fulfilment of an individual study plan, the doctoral board may, acting on the basis of a recommendation made by the supervisor, propose to the dean the withdrawal of a scholarship granted in accordance with the MU Scholarship and Bursary Regulations. The doctoral board may simultaneously propose an additional date for the assessment of the course of studies. The supervisor may submit a proposal for an earlier assessment date to the doctoral board at any time. In the case of the proper fulfilment of an individual study plan, the scholarship may be re-awarded.
(8) In case the assessment shows that the fulfilment of an individual study plan is being seriously violated, the doctoral board, acting on its own initiative or at the request of the supervisor, will discuss the state of fulfilment of the individual study plan in the presence of the candidate and the supervisor. The candidate has the right to request the presence of an expert appointed by a vice-rector responsible for studies in a given doctoral programme. The meeting may also be attended by the dean or designated vice-dean of a given faculty. The outcome of the meeting is recorded using a designated IS MU application. Failure to fulfil the obligations arising from an individual study plan constitutes grounds for the termination of studies in accordance with section 56, subsection 1, letter b of the Act.
Section 31
Doctoral Thesis
(1) A doctoral thesis presents the results of work carried out by a candidate in the course of his/her studies in a doctoral programme. The supervisor and the head of the relevant unit are responsible for providing the candidate with the conditions necessary for meeting doctoral programme requirements.
(2) The doctoral thesis must contain original results which have been either published or accepted for publication. Detailed publication requirements and requirements regarding the extent of a doctoral thesis are set by the doctoral board. These requirements must be published in the public sections of MU/faculty websites. A body of work previously published or accepted for publication in printed or other form may be recognized as a doctoral thesis in case a comprehensive introduction and commentary are provided by the candidate.
(3) A doctoral thesis is written in the language a given programme is implemented in or in a language designated for this purpose in the doctoral programme specifications. If so specified in a faculty-issued regulation, a programme implemented in Czech may allow the submission of a doctoral thesis written in Slovak. A doctoral thesis may always be submitted in English unless explicitly proscribed by the programme specification. A doctoral thesis may be submitted in a different language following the approval of the doctoral board.
(4) A doctoral thesis must always be submitted electronically via the IS MU. If so specified by the doctoral board, the thesis is also submitted in printed form. The doctoral thesis must fulfil the additional requirements:
a) In case the submission of printed copies is stipulated, the cover and title page must be of the same design, the thesis format must comply with standard usage at the faculty and all copies must be hard-bound. The number of copies is determined by the doctoral board.
b) In case the work submitted for a thesis defence constitutes a joint project a student has participated in, the parts he/she has written must be clearly indicated as such. The thesis must include an attached statement issued by the supervisor, attesting to a student’s authorship of the indicated parts of the thesis and evaluating his/her contribution.
Additional requirements, specifying e.g. the extent, form or layout of a doctoral thesis, may be specified by the dean or by the doctoral board if so authorised by the dean.
Section 32
Doctoral State Examination
(1) Prerequisites for submitting a doctoral state examination application include the fulfilment of all requirements stipulated by the doctoral board. The doctoral thesis topic must be presented no later than at application submission, unless otherwise prescribed by the doctoral board. The application is submitted by the candidate to the dean. The dean may designate a deadline for application submission.
(2) The doctoral state examination date is proposed by the doctoral board and set by the dean to take place at the earliest possible date.
(3) The doctoral state examination takes place no later than one year from the submission of the application, unless prevented from taking place due to serious reasons, of which the candidate must be informed.
(4) The general requirements for a doctoral state examination are stipulated by the doctoral programme specification. Any further requirements derived from the programme specification and stipulated by the doctoral board must be communicated to the candidate no later than four weeks prior to the date of the examination.
(5) The doctoral state examination is held in the language a given programme is implemented in or in a language listed for such purposes in the programme specification. If so specified in a faculty-issued regulation, a programme implemented in Czech may allow the doctoral state examination to be held in Slovak. Following a request lodged by the candidate or after obtaining his/her approval, the doctoral board may decide to hold a doctoral thesis defence in a foreign language typical of a given field of study.
(6) A discussion of the doctoral thesis topic forms a part of the examination if so prescribed by the doctoral board.
(7) The outcome of the doctoral state examination is assessed with a letter grade accordance with the grading scheme specified in section 17, subsection 1.
(8) Should a student fail the doctoral state examination, he/she is entitled to repeat the examination no more than once; an alternate date shall be set by the dean following a recommendation by the doctoral board. The alternate date must take place by the end of the following semester. In case the doctoral state examination includes a discussion of doctoral thesis topics, a later date may be set by the dean. A student's studies may be interrupted by the dean until the alternate doctoral state examination date. Should a student fail to pass the state examination or a repeated state examination, his/her studies will be terminated in accordance with section 56, subsection 1, letter b) of the Act. The procedure associated with decision-making in such cases follows the provisions of section 68 of the Act.
(9) In case a candidate cannot attend the doctoral state examination on the designated date due to serious reasons, he/she is obliged to provide a written excuse letter justifying his/her absence within five workdays after the designated date. In case he/she fails to do so, a grade of “failed” will be assigned. The relevance of provided reasons is assessed by the dean.
(10) The doctoral state examination and announcement of the final assessment are open to the public.
Section 33
Doctoral Thesis Defence
(1) In addition to meeting study requirements in accordance with section 30, the requirements for submitting a doctoral thesis defence application (hereinafter referred to as “application”) comprise the following:
a) a previously completed doctoral state examination, or
b) a concurrently filed application for a doctoral state examination; in such a case, the doctoral defence takes place on the same date as the doctoral state examination.
(2) The application is submitted by the candidate to the dean. The dean may designate a deadline for application submission. The application must include:
a) thesis submitted in the IS MU (section 31, subsection 4) and a designated number of hard copies, if so required by the doctoral board,
b) doctoral thesis abstract,
c) list of the applicant’s works published and/or accepted for publication, and
d) applicant’s academic curriculum vitae.
If so stipulated by a decision made by the doctoral board, the application also includes an abstract. The extent, form and number of hard copies of the abstract as well as all other requirements are specified and announced by the doctoral board.
(3) The doctoral thesis defence date is set by the dean following a recommendation by the doctoral board.
(4) The doctoral thesis defence must take place no later than within one year of the submission of an application, unless prevented from taking place due to serious reasons which a candidate must be informed of, and no later than within the maximum duration of studies in accordance with section 29, submission 4.
(5) No fewer than two doctoral thesis reviewers are appointed by the dean following a recommendation by the doctoral board; at least one of them must not be involved in an employment relationship with MU. The supervisor cannot serve as one of the thesis reviewers. The same condition applies to a former supervisor – in case of supervisor replacement in accordance with section 31, subsection 4, letter b – or to persons in similar positions.
(6) Each reviewer compiles a thesis report in Czech, Slovak or English or in a language designated for defence purposes in the doctoral programme specifications. Thesis reports assess the quality of a doctoral thesis, a candidate’s contribution and his/her capability to work and research independently and creatively. Thesis reports also assess the language and formal level of a thesis. The conclusion of each report must explicitly state whether the candidate has demonstrated his/her creative abilities in the relevant research area and whether the reviewer is recommending the thesis for defence. Each report must include both statements in order to be valid. Requesting additional reports in the event of differences between reviewers is inadmissible. A candidate has the right to be informed of the evaluations no less than a minimum of seven days prior to the defence.
(7) The doctoral thesis defence is held in the language a given programme is implemented in or in a language listed for such purposes in the programme specification. If so specified in a regulation issued by the dean, a programme implemented in Czech may allow the doctoral thesis defence to be held in Slovak. Following a decision by the doctoral board, a doctoral thesis defence may be held in a foreign language typical of a given field of study – either with the candidate's consent or following a request filed by the candidate.
(8) The outcome of the doctoral thesis defence is marked with a letter grade in accordance with the grading scheme specified in section 17, subsection 1.
(9) A doctoral thesis defence assessed with a grade of "unacceptable" may be repeated no more than once. An alternate date and thesis defence board are set by the dean following a recommendation by the doctoral board. The alternate date must take place within the next two semesters and the conditions for a repeated defence must be specified by the board no later than one month following the failed defence attempt. A student's studies may be interrupted by the dean until the alternate defence date. Should a student fail both his/her thesis defence and repeated thesis defence, his/her studies will be terminated in accordance with section 56, subsection 1, letter b) of the Act. The procedure associate d with decision-making in such cases follows the provisions of section 68 of the Act.
(10) In case a candidate cannot attend the doctoral thesis defence on the designated date due to serious reasons, he/she is obliged to provide a written excuse letter justifying his/her absence within five workdays after the designated date. In case he/she fails to do so, a grade of “failed” will be assigned. The relevance of provided reasons is assessed by the dean.
(11) Should the state examination and doctoral thesis defence take place on the same date, only one board is appointed; this board must meet the conditions applicable to members of both the doctoral state examination board and doctoral defence board.
(12) The doctoral thesis defence and announcement of the final assessment are open to the public.
Section 34
Examination Board
(1) The doctoral state examination takes place before the doctoral state examination board. The doctoral thesis defence takes place before the doctoral thesis defence board.
(2) Examination board members always include:
a) professors and associate professors appointed by the dean following a recommendation by the doctoral board in accordance with section 53, subsection 2 of the Act and, if applicable
b) other experts appointed by the dean following a recommendation by the doctoral board and approved by the faculty Scientific Board in accordance with section 53, subsection 2 of the Act.
Additional leading experts in a given field may be appointed to the examination board by the Ministry in accordance with section 53, subsection 3 of the Act.
The chairperson of the board is appointed by the Rector from among members appointed according to letters a or b following a recommendation by the doctoral board. The examination board chairperson is responsible for the board's actions and conduct. The examination board chairperson and members appointed in accordance with letters a or b may be dismissed by the academic body responsible for their appointment, either of its own volition or following a recommendation made by the doctoral board.
(3) The board must include no less than five and no more than nine members appointed in accordance with subsection 2, letters a and b. A minimum of two board members appointed in accordance with subsection 2, letters a and b must not be involved in an employment relationship with MU. The supervisor is a board member but cannot be its chairperson. Should the reviewers not be members of the doctoral thesis defence board, they may attend both public and closed board sessions; however, their opinions are merely advisory.
(4) The board forms a quorum if at least half of its members appointed in accordance with subsection 2, letters a and b are present, including the chairperson, and in case at least one of the members present is not involved in an employment relationship with MU. The state examination or doctoral thesis defence may take place only if the board forms a quorum.
(5) The course and assessment of a doctoral state examination or doctoral thesis defence are discussed by the board in closed session. The board first conducts a secret ballot to vote on a proposal stipulating that a candidate has passed, i.e. that he/she will not receive a grade of “failed”. The proposal is accepted in case a simple majority of the members present vote in favour. In such a case the board provides an assessment in accordance with the grading scheme specified in section 17, subsection 1. In case the proposal in accordance with the second sentence is not accepted, the candidate receives a grade of “failed”. A written record of the entire course of a doctoral state examination, or doctoral thesis defence, is kept by the board.
(6) In case a member of the board is active at a foreign institution, it is possible – in justified cases and following the approval of the doctoral board – he/she may participate in a state examination or doctoral thesis defence by means of a videoconference and participate in assessing it using the IS MU electronic voting system.
(7) Permanent doctoral defence board and/or doctoral state examination board members may be appointed for particular programmes or fields of study, generally for the duration of doctoral programme accreditation.
Section 35
Special Provisions for Studies Implemented in Collaboration with Foreign Institutions
(1) Studies implemented in collaboration with several higher education institutions may be implemented as a double doctoral degree programme on the basis of an agreement between MU and a foreign university or research institution.
(2) If so stipulated by the agreement specified in subsection 1, the dean – with the approval of the doctoral board – shall appoint a second supervisor from among specialists operating at the foreign university or research institution in question. Unless otherwise stipulated by the agreement as set out in the first sentence of this subsection, the second supervisor’s rights and responsibilities comply with the extent specified by these Regulations.
(3) When appointing examination boards for studies carried out in collaboration with several universities in accordance with subsection 1, an exemption from the provisions of section 34 may be granted by the dean following approval by the doctoral board.
(4) A candidate may submit a request seeking the implementation of conditions necessary for obtaining a European Doctorate. Documentation detailing the closure of studies in a doctoral programme shall state that studies have been completed in compliance with the requirements necessary for the awarding of a European Doctorate in case the following conditions are met:
a) the candidate meets, within a period of at least 3 months, part of the requirements associated with the preparation of a doctoral thesis as specified by a doctoral programme held at a university located in another European country,
b) the candidate submits a doctoral thesis all of which – or at least the introduction, abstract and conclusion – is written in a foreign language, either in English or in the official language of a European country approved by the doctoral board,
c) doctoral thesis reports compiled by at least two thesis reviewers from another European country are presented at the doctoral thesis defence; the supervisor and reviewer must not be active at universities located in the same country,
d) at least one member of the doctoral defence board must be active at a university located in another European country.
The application is processed by the dean; his/her decision is based on a recommendation made by the doctoral board.
Part Five
Advanced Master's Procedure
Section 36
Advanced Master's Procedure
(1) Academic degrees awarded in the Advanced Master's procedure following an Advanced Master's state examination (section 37) are governed by the provisions of section 46, subsection 5 of the Act.
(2) The Advanced Master's procedure is launched with an application submitted in accordance with section 37, subsection 4.
(3) The Advanced Master's procedure may be concluded in the following ways:
a) successful completion of the Advanced Master's state examination (grade of “passed” according to section 37, subsection 8 and subsequent awarding of the relevant academic title, or
b) unsuccessful completion of the Advanced Master's state examination (grade of “not passed” according to section 37, subsection 8, 9 or 10), or
c) following a written announcement made by the applicant.
The closing date of the Advanced Master's procedure is the final date of the Advanced Master's state examination (letters a or b) or the day of the announcement (letter c).
Section 37
Advanced Master's State Examination
(1) The Advanced Master's state examination (hereinafter referred to as “Advanced Master's examination”) may be taken by graduates of a Master's degree programme in the same area of studies who are already holders of the academic degree of “magistr”.
(2) The Advanced Master's examination includes an Advanced Master's thesis defence.
(3) The applicant has the right to make use of MU facilities and information technology in preparation for an Advanced Master's examination in accordance with section 46, subsection 5 of the Act, as specified by the conditions at individual faculties.
(4) The applicant must submit a written or electronic application for the Advanced Master's examination to the dean via the IS MU by a date specified by the academic year chart and timetable. The application must include:
a) specification of the Advanced Master’s examination field of study and Advanced Master's thesis title,
b) notarized copies of study documentation, excluding studies completed at MU after 1 January 1998,
c) overview of an applicant’s academic activities in the Advanced Master's examination field of study and list of works published or accepted for publication, if applicable,
d) two hard copies of the Advanced Master’s thesis,
e) receipt of payment of any Advanced Master's procedure fees prescribed to the applicant (if applicable) or other costs prescribed to the applicant in accordance with subsection 3,
f) statutory declaration stating that the Advanced Master's thesis was not previously used in a different procedure seeking the granting of an academic title.
(5) The Advanced Master's examination date is set by the dean to take place during the semester which the student applied for by a designated deadline.
(6) The Advanced Master's examination takes place before the Advanced Master's state examination board (hereinafter referred to as “board”) and is held in Czech. If so requested by the applicant, the examination may be held in a foreign language typical of a given field of study.
(7) The Advanced Master's state examination consists of the following parts:
a) Advanced Master's thesis defence,
b) oral examination in courses defined for a given field of study by programme content.
All parts of the examination take place on the same date. A successful defence forms a prerequisite for the applicant’s admittance to the following part of the Advanced Master's examination.
(8) The outcome of the Advanced Master's state examination is assessed verbally: “passed” or “not passed”.
(9) Should an applicant fail the Advanced Master's examination, he/she is entitled to repeat the examination no more than once; an alternate date shall be set by the dean following a recommendation by the board. The date must take place by the end of the following semester. A successful Advanced Master's thesis defence does not have to be repeated.
(10) In case an applicant is absent on the designated date of the Advanced Master's examination and subsequently fails to provide a valid reason for his/her absence within five workdays following that date, his/her performance is assessed as “not passed”.
(11) The Advanced Master's examination and announcement of the final assessment are open to the public.
(12) The Advanced Master's thesis is submitted in the IS MU archive by the applicant in a manner and by a deadline designated by the faculty.
Section 38
Advanced Master's Thesis and Thesis Defence
(1) The Advanced Master's thesis must include original results or an original treatment of a comprehensive area in a given field of study at a level consistent with the publication standard of that field.
(2) The Advanced Master's thesis may comprise a body of work previously published or accepted for publication in case a comprehensive introduction and commentary are provided by the applicant.
(3) The provisions of section 31, subsections 3 and 4 applicable to a doctoral thesis also apply to an Advanced Master's thesis with the exception of enabling the student to choose a language other than one typically used in a given field.
(4) A doctoral thesis topic may be presented in lieu of an Advanced Master's thesis, provided it fulfils the requirements specified in subsections 1 to 3. The application is assessed by the dean based on a recommendation made by the doctoral board of the programme which the thesis topics are being presented in.
(5) The provisions of section 33, subsections 3 to 7 apply to an Advanced Master's thesis with the following exceptions:
a) provisions regarding the supervisor are not used,
b) tasks performed by a doctoral board are performed by an Advanced Master's examination board instead,
c) the conclusion of each reviewer’s report must include a statement indicating whether or not the thesis complies with requirements specified in subsection 1.
Section 39
Examination Board
(1) Matters associated with the membership, quorum and appointment of an Advanced Master's examination board are govern ed analogously by the provisions applicable to the doctoral state examination (section 34, subsections 2 to 5) with the exception of provisions regarding the supervisor.
(2) Matters associated with Advanced Master's thesis reviewers are analogously governed by the provisions of section 33, subsection 5, as above.
Part Six
Common, Temporary and Concluding Provisions
Section 40
Final Thesis Publication, Inspection and Archival
(1) Bachelor’s, Master's, doctoral and Advanced Master's theses (hereinafter referred to as “final theses”) are made public on a non-profit basis, including thesis reviewers' reports, defence transcripts and assessment. Electronic copies of all final theses are stored in the public IS MU archive. This provision must be applied in such a way as to ensure that its implementation does not violate – in accordance with the provisions of section 47 of the Act – any of the following:
a) protection of information as ensured by a special Act,
b) protection of trade secrets,
c) protection of professional interests in the case of relevant third persons,
d) protection of MU intellectual property, especially in the case of inventions and technical solutions.
Parts of a final thesis containing such information shall not be published in exceptional cases where the extent of non-publishable content was specified on assignment or determined by the supervisor during the course of writing or at thesis submission; the approval of the relevant vice-dean is necessary in all such cases. The duration of the non-publication clause expires with the removal of the obstacle to publication, no later than within three years. A previously published doctoral thesis is not published by the university. The student and applicant is responsible for compiling and structuring his/her final thesis so as to ensure that it does not become necessary to not publish the thesis (outside of exceptional cases) and that the publishable parts of that thesis provide comprehensive information on both the thesis objectives and the achieved results. The thesis supervisor – with the vice-dean's approval – sets a date for the expiry of the reasons for withholding designated parts of the thesis, i.e. a date when the thesis is to be made available in full, in case such a date is to arise earlier than within three years of its archival in the IS MU.
(2) In order to ensure that the correct version of a thesis is made public, the thesis supervisor, or Advanced Master's examination chair in the case of an Advanced Master's thesis, is responsible for the following: a) monitoring the extent of the parts of a thesis to be withheld in accordance with the provisions of subsection 1, and setting a date when the thesis is to be made available in full, b) ensuring the legibility of the copy stored in the IS MU thesis archive by means of readily available software tools, and c) inspecting the thesis – stored in the thesis archive – for possible instances of plagiarism using the IS MU plagiarism detection application.
(3) In case a student in required to submit both a hard and an electronic copy of his/her final thesis, the electronic copy is perceived as decisive for defence-related purposes. The student shall confirm the congruity of the hard and electronic copies when submitting the thesis in the IS MU.
(4) The thesis supervisor – or a person delegated by the thesis supervisor – is responsible for confirming the completion of steps listed in subsection 2, letters a to c in the relevant IS MU application no less than seven days prior to the final thesis defence.
(5) Final theses and reviews must be publicly available no less than five workdays prior to the defence. The defence transcript and assessment must be made publicly available no more than three weeks after the defence.
(6) By submitting a final thesis for defence, the author of such a thesis thereby agrees to its being made public in accordance with subsection 1, regardless of the defence assessment.
(7) Following the defence of a thesis subject to the non-publication clause in accordance with subsection 1, the faculty is required to send a copy of the thesis to the Ministry without unnecessary delay. Costs associated with the production of the required copy and its shipping are paid by the faculty.
Section 41
Assessment Review Procedure
(1) A student has the right to request a review of a course completion assessment or a review of the assessment of a state examination or its part or a review of a doctoral thesis defence within 30 days of the recording of the assessment in the IS MU. A request for review may also be submitted by any academic employee.
(2) The dean shall cancel the result in question or the assessment of a state examination or its part or a doctoral thesis defence, in case the procedures leading up to that result, assessment of a state examination or its part or a doctoral thesis defence are in conflict with the law, internal MU regulations or internal regulations of an MU faculty or in case the result or assessment was set arbitrarily. In such a case, the dean takes the necessary steps in order to restore a student's rights.
(3) In the case of a cancelled course completion assessment, a new course completion takes place before a three-member committee appointed by the dean. Its sessions and quorum are governed by the provisions of section 25, subsection 2. In case a state examination or its part or the outcome of a doctoral thesis defence was cancelled in accordance with the provisions of subsection 2, that state examination or its part or a doctoral thesis defence shall take place before a different state examination board or doctoral defence board.
(4) Following a request filed by the student, a confidant he/she has chosen from among the members of the MU academic community may attend board meetings specified in subsection 3. The confidant may not be a member of the board.
Section 42
Decisions on Student Rights and Responsibilities
(1) Decisions relevant to students’ rights and responsibilities are governed by the provisions of the Act, these Regulations, internal MU regulations, internal faculty rules and regulations and Act No. 500/2004 Coll., the Administrative Procedure Code, as subsequently amended.
(2) A decision may be appealed by a student within 30 days of its announcement to the body which originally issued the decision. A timely appeal always carries a suspensive effect. Agreement between the contested decision, the procedure which preceded the issuance of the decision and legislation and internal faculty and university regulations is reviewed by the Rector.
Section 43
Exemptions
An exemption from the provisions of these Regulations may be granted to a student by the dean on the basis of a written and properly justified request for exemption.
Section 44
Special Provisions Concerning the Studies of Persons with Special Needs
A directive issued by the Rector specifies the conditions and procedures applicable to exceptions to these Regulations adjusting the rights and responsibilities arising from these Regulations for students with special needs, i.e. students with physical or sensory disabilities.
Section 45
Special Provisions Concerning the Studies of Persons Caring for Children
(1) In connection with caring for a child, a student is entitled to an extension of the period designated for fulfilling study requirements as well as to an extension of the period designated for enrolment in an upcoming semester, specifically by a period of time which would otherwise have constituted the duration of parental leave (sections 195, 197 and 198 of Act No. 262/2006 Coll., the Labour Code, as amended), provided that he/she does not interrupt his/her studies during this time.
(2) Detailed conditions applicable to the studies of persons caring for children are stipulated by a designated vice-rector.
Section 46
Proceedings Declaring the Invalidity of a State Examination
or its Part or a Doctoral Thesis Defence
(1) Proceedings declaring the invalidity of a final state examination or its part, an Advanced Master's state examination or its part, a doctoral state examination or doctoral thesis defence are decided by the Rector.
(2) These proceedings are governed by the provisions of sections 47c to 47e of the Act.
Section 47
Temporary Provisions
(1) The provisions of section 30, subsection 1, letter d do not apply to studies in a doctoral programme commenced prior to the spring 2012 semester. The maximum duration of time between enrolment in a doctoral degree programme and completion of studies commenced prior to the spring 2012 semester is seven years.
(2) Any mentions of programme or course specifications also refer to programme, field of study or course requirements resulting from accreditation granted prior to 1 September 2016, as appropriate.
(3) These Regulations enter into force on 1 September 2017 with the exception of the following:
a) the provisions of section 11, subsection 2, to be used for the first time in connection with studies starting in the Spring 2018 semester;
b) the provisions of section 13, subsection 3, sentence 3, to be used for the first time in connection with studies starting in the Spring 2012 semester;
c) the provisions of section 26, subsection 4, letters f and g, to be used for the first time in connection with studies starting in the Autumn 2017 semester;
d) the provisions of section 14, subsection 8, to be used for the first time in the Autumn 2018 semester;
e) the provisions of section 21, to be used for the first time in the Spring 2018 semester.
(4) Courses enrolled no later than in the Autumn semester of the 2017/2018 academic year are concluded with a graded credit if so designated in the course specification. The completion of courses in the above described manner is governed by the provisions of section 17, subsection 1, and section 18, as appropriate.
(5) The provisions of section 5a shall apply from 1 September 2019.
Section 48
Concluding Provisions
(1) The Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations registered with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports on 13 April 2006 under Ref. No. 8 096/2006-30, as subsequently amended, are hereby abolished.
(2) The individual provisions of these Regulations are subject to interpretation by vice-rectors responsible for study-related agendas in the types of studies relevant to their designated areas of expertise.
(3) These Regulations have been duly approved in accordance with section 9, subsection 1, letter b) of the Act by the MU Academic Senate on 05 June 2017.
(4) These Regulations enters into force in accordance with section 36, subsection 4 of the Act on the day of registration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
(5) These Regulations shall apply from the date of publication in the public section of the MU website, at the earliest on 1 September 2017.
***
These modifications to the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations have been approved in accordance with section 9, subsection 1, letter b, item 3 of Act No. 111/1998 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (the Higher Education Act), as amended, and the Masaryk University Academic Senate on 3 December 2018.
These modifications to the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations enter into force in accordance with section 36, subsection 4 of the Higher Education Act on the day of registration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
These modifications to the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations shall apply from 2 February 2019.
***
These modifications No. II to the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations were approved by the Masaryk University Academic Senate in accordance with section 9, subsection 1, letter b, item 3 of Act No. 111/1998 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (the Higher Education Act), as amended, on 17 January 2022.
These modifications No. II to the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations shall enter into force in accordance with section 36, subsection 4 of the Higher Education Act on the day of registration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
These modifications No. II to the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations shall enter into effect on 1 March 2022.
Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Mikuláš Bek, Ph.D.
Rector