Charles University Faculty of Arts
Ph.D. in Romance Literatures
Prague, Czech Republic
PhD
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
31 Mar 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Oct 2026
TUITION FEES
CZK 25,000 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* applications can only be submitted between December and March 31
** application fee is paid separately
Key Summary
We are delighted with your interest in studying at the Faculty of Arts.
On this page, you will find all the available information about the study programme.
If you are really interested in studying, please read the information below before sending us a question. Don't forget to click through all the headlines below as well. Here you will find not only detailed information on the admission requirements but also the curriculum and much more.
The language of instruction is English.
For all information about the study programme and admission procedure conditions, see our school website.
Applications can only be submitted:
- between December 1 and March 31
- electronically using the form provided on our school website
Description of the admission process:
- Contact a dissertation consultant (you can find a list of consultants according to your chosen study programmeon our school website) and send him/her your dissertation proposal for review.
- Submit your application for study via THE ONLINE FORM
- Applications can only be submitted from December 1 until March 31!
- In late April/early May, you will receive an Invitation to the entrance examination via the same system in which you applied.
- At a specified time in May, you will take an entrance exam. The entrance exam is oral and will be held remotely via video conference.
- The maximum number of points you can score on the exam is 60. If you have a total of 30 points or more, you have a chance to be admitted – but you need to be within the expected admission number for the programme.
- In May or July, the admission procedure is evaluated, and the information about its result is sent to all applicants.
- Candidates who are successful in the admission procedure are subject to NOSTRIFICATION. This means that they must provide evidence of their previous Master's degree according to the conditions listed on our school website.
- Those who have properly documented their previous education and language skills may attend the enrolment in the study, which usualy takes place from August to September.
Individual study obligations (study inspections) are mentioned in bold. Unless otherwise stated, they consist of a "zápočet" (small exam without mention).
1. OBLIGATIONS RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF THESIS WORK
1.1Doctoral Seminar (AXRLDOS01–04, from the 5th year onwards, AXRLDOS01 with repeated enrollment)
-The student is obliged to participate in the Doctoral Seminar for the entire period of her/his studies.
-The doctoral seminar is used for a continuous presentation of results within Ph.D. studies; its content is mainly a joint presentation of parts of the thesis and other professional activities (e.g., preliminary versions of articles/conference papers, etc.).
-In case of an internship abroad, the student is excused from participating, but he/she is not relieved of the obligation to a hand in a presentation.
-Expected schedule of activities in the Doctoral Seminar:
-1st year: presentation of an annotated search for the thesis in the range of min. 5 standard pages
-2nd year: presentation of a thesis plan in the range of min. 10 standard pages and an annotated syllabus of the whole thesis in the range of at least 5 standard pages
-3rd year: presentation of the first chapter or other output of the thesis in the range of min. 35 standard pages
-Every next year: presentation of the following output from the thesis in the range of min. 35 standard pages
-Deadline: Doctoral Seminar is mandatory in each year of study.
1.2Annotated research for the thesis (AXRLDIS04)
-For the studied titles, a summary and evaluation will be given; for other titles, the student will state whether she/he has verified their availability and the result of this verification. For all titles, a specific relationship to the topic of the thesis will be explained in detail.
-Deadline: 1st year of study.
1.3Submission of the thesis plan (AXRLDIS01)
-The scope of the submitted plan corresponds to the theoretical scope of the thesis; the plan must contain all the essential components of the structure of the thesis.
-The plan will be presented at the Doctoral Seminar.
-Deadline: 2nd year of study.
1.4Annotated syllabus of the thesis (AXRLDIS05)
-Annotated syllabus of the thesis with an indication of the expected scope for all chapters.
-The syllabus is a detailed cross-section of the thesis and reflects its structure.
-Deadline: 2nd year of study.
1.5First chapter or other comprehensive output of the thesis (AXRLDIS07)
-Minimum length of 35 standard pages.
-Deadline: 2nd year of study.
1.6Another comprehensive chapter of the thesis (AXRLDIS03, AXRLDIS06, from the 5th year onwards, AXRLDIS03 with repeated enrollment)
-Minimum length of 35 standard pages; failure to submit may result in termination of study.
-Deadline: 3rd and every other year of study.
2. BASIC STUDY OBLIGATIONS
Obligations identical for all students of the program
2.1Foreign language
-In agreement with her/his supervisor, the student chooses between the exam in English (AXJAZ0001), German (AXJAZ0005), French (AXJAZ0002), or Spanish (AXJAZ0007). Students specializing in Francophone literatures choose English, German, or Spanish; students specializing in Spanish-speaking literatures choose English, German or French.
-Deadline: according to the agreement with the supervisor, 1st – 3rd year of study.
2.2Philosophy (AXOBEC002)
-In agreement with both the student and the supervisor, the exam consists of a written work on a philosophical topic related to the thesis.
-Deadline: according to the agreement with the supervisor, 1st – 2nd year of study.
2.3Exam in the history of literature (AXRLSPE ... various codes by topics)
-Exam in the history of literature of the student's language specialization focused on a broader literary and cultural context related to the topic of the thesis.
-Deadline: according to the agreement with the supervisor, 1st – 3rd year of study.
Obligations determined individually and based on an agreement between the student and the supervisor
2.4Specialization exam
-In agreement with the supervisor, the student chooses one of the following five options: Literary Theory and Criticism (AXRLSPE10), Comparative Literature (AXRLSPE11), Second Romance Language (AXRJSPE14), Methodological Exam (AXRLSPE13), Specialized Exam (AXRLSPE12)
-Deadline: according to the agreement with the supervisor, 1st – 3rd year of study.
3. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
3.1 Internship abroad (AXRLOAK09)
- The year of performance is not prescribed, as the departure depends on the current offers and cannot be fully predicted in advance. The obligation can be fulfilled even after passing the State Doctoral Exam; its fulfillment is only a condition for registration to defend the thesis.
- In case of serious reasons (childcare, etc.), based on an application approved by the Dean, the foreign internship can be replaced by another of the following professional activities: active participation in a conference, internship (within the Czech Republic), professional editorial training, professional translation, academic teaching, scientific publication.
3.2 Scientific publication (AXRLOAK10)
- A study published or at least accepted for review in a scientific journal, proceedings, or chapter in a monograph.
- It must be an original study (or a review article) accepted into a journal/proceedings with a standard review procedure, or (at least) a chapter in a collective monograph.
- Deadline: according to the agreement with the supervisor, 1st – 4th year of study.
3.3 Active participation in a conference (AXRLOAK11)
- Active participation (poster, lecture) in a conference or workshop (colloquium). International conferences organized in the Czech Republic, as well as foreign conferences/workshops/colloquia are allowed.
- Deadline: according to the agreement with the supervisor, 1st – 4th year of study.
3.4 One other optional scientific activity (AXRLOAK12)
- Any of the following professional activities are allowed: grant project, short-term internship/study stay at a foreign or domestic scientific workplace, professional editorial training, professional translation, academic teaching, professional publication. Other optional activities must be recognized by the Doctoral Studies Council.
- Deadline: according to the agreement with the supervisor, 1st – 4th year of study.
4. STATE DOCTORAL EXAM (ASDZK0001)
- Deadline: 3rd year of study.
- The precondition for submitting an application for the State Doctoral Exam is the fulfillment of all study obligations prescribed in the study plan.
- Before a commission appointed by the Doctoral Studies Council, doctoral students take the State Doctoral Exam to verify their readiness for scientific work. The exam consists of two disciplines:
a) Literary theory.
- In agreement with the supervisor, the student analyses at least five methodologically relevant theoretical texts. Based on them, he will demonstrate the ability to perceive the difference of methodological concepts as well as a personal attitude to the plurality of interpretive possibilities concerning her/his thesis.
b) Issues of relevant Romance literature (according to the focus of the thesis).
- At least one month before the State Doctoral Exam, the student submits to the Doctoral Studies Council her/his list of studied secondary literature and, together with it, a list of 5 scientific topics proposed by her/him. At least three of them should not coincide with the subject of her/his thesis. After their approval by the Doctoral Studies Council, the student will discuss the selected topics orally during the exam and thus demonstrate her/his ability to orientate in a broader synchronous and diachronic context of the relevant Romance literature.
5. THESIS DEFENSE (AX0007305)
- The prerequisite for submitting an application for the thesis defense is the fulfillment of all obligations prescribed in the individual study plan.
Standard study period: 4 years
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING IN AN INDIVIDUAL STUDY PLAN
The basic version of the individual study plan is created in the study information system (SIS) by the Department of Science. Each doctoral student automatically enrolls in courses intended for all students of the study program (i.e., for which a unique code is given in the framework plan). Once this basic individual study plan has been created, the student, in agreement with the supervisor, must complete in the study information system the following items:
1. Foreign language, which he/she selects from the menu of languages associated with the study program.
2. Exam in the history of literature (again from the offer related to the given program in the study information system).
3. Individual study obligations, i.e., the specialization exam, according to the specification stated in the study plan above. This obligation can be entered either by selecting an existing subject or (if the subject does not already exist in the study information system) by entering the so-called "subject description," which verbally describes the obligation. It will be associated with a subject in the SIS later.
4. Year of performance for all obligations.
Full-time doctoral students will receive a scholarship, which is usually supplemented by other sources of income, e.g. awards for participation in grant projects or remuneration for teaching undergraduates.
For information on governmental scholarships, please visit the website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.
Other Ph.D. scholarships can be found on our school website.
The Ph.D. graduate in the Romance literature is a highly qualified specialist trained to conduct research work in his/her field (the literature of one or more Romance-speaking areas). He/she is able to analyze the literature of the chosen Romance-speaking area in a qualified manner, applying a synchronic or diachronic approach and with a view to modern literary methods and research procedures. His/her specialization is based also on the knowledge of the general theory of literature, the basis of the comparative literature, and literary criticism with a special view to the chosen Romance-speaking area. The graduate is entitled to apply for a position in an academic environment (universities, research centers, etc.); with his/her language skills and broad erudition, the graduate may be employed in cultural institutions, the media, diplomacy, etc.