Organisation of doctoral studies

As stipulated by the Higher Education Act, the doctoral degree programmes (ISCED 844) are aimed at scientific research and independent creative activities in the area of research or development, or at independent theoretical and creative activities in the area of fine arts.

The standard length of study is at least three and at most four years. In practice, programmes with a standard duration of four years are the most common. The average duration of doctoral studies is longer; it varies on average between five to six years. Higher education institutions (vysoké školy) set the maximal study length in their internal regulations.

The credit system in doctoral programmes is not being implemented everywhere. The situation is different even within faculties of one higher education institution.

The creation and provision of study programmes is one of the recognised academic rights and freedoms of the higher education institutions. A study programme is subject to accreditation which is awarded by the National Accreditation Bureau for Tertiary Education (Accreditation Bureau) or is approved in an internal process by the higher education institution itself – this is the case when the higher education institution obtains an institutional accreditation for the particular educational area/areas. 

Studies in the doctoral degree programme proceed according to an individual study plan under the guidance of a supervisor.

At some faculties, students in doctoral programmes are obliged to teach a certain number of hours. Scope of the obligation is determined by the higher education institution.

Many doctoral programmes at higher education institutions are carried out in cooperation with the institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences following the traditional scientific training in these institutions.

Doctoral degree programmes cannot be offered by non-university higher education institutions.

Admission requirements

According to the Higher Education Act, for admission to a doctoral degree programme, an applicant must have completed the Master's degree programme (ISCED 747 or 746) and in the field of art, he/she must be awarded also an academic title. The conditions must be published at least four months in advance.

An institution can set a maximum number of students to be admitted. In general, admission to studies at higher education institutions (vysoké školy) is limited primarily by the capacity of each institution. This number of students which will be funded in the academic year is limited at the central level by the amount of money allocated to the school through formula funding and following the adoption of the 2025 amendment to the Higher Education Act also by the conditions for the financial support of doctoral students; see below. A particular higher education institution decides on the number of students in individual programmes and forms of study. In 2025, 27 624 students completed master's degree programmes. In the same year, 3 296 students enrolled in doctoral degree programmes. (Source: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports)

The higher education institution can collect fees for acts related to the admission procedure.

Status of doctoral students/candidates

Students in doctoral degree programmes have a status of students. Students' benefits, however, can be taken advantage of only up to 26 years, the tax abatement up to 28 years of age. A department (thus a higher education institution) may employ the student. Students are often involved in research projects if these are carried out in the particular programme at a higher education institution (vysoká škola).

According to the Higher Education Act, the students of doctoral studies have the same rights for scholarships as students of Bachelor's and Master's programmes. They also receive a special doctoral scholarship. The conditions for financial support for doctoral students are being amended by Amendment No. 52/2025 to the Higher Education Act, effective as of the 2025/2026 academic year. A higher education institution is required to provide doctoral students in on-site (daily) course who have not exceeded the standard duration of their respective degree programme with a doctoral earnings amounting to at least 1.2 times the minimum wage (as in effect on July 1 of the year in which the academic year for which the income is to be granted begins at the higher education institution). This income may consist solely of a doctoral stipend, or it may be a combination of a doctoral stipend and a monthly wage (salary). Further details are set forth in the Higher Education Act and the university’s internal regulations. A higher education institution may establish conditions under which students in doctoral programmes other than those enrolled in on-site study within the standard duration of study are also eligible for a doctoral stipend.

If students exceed the standard study length, they do not pay any fees. Higher education institutions set the maximum length of study, after which the student is excluded from the study (e.g. at Charles University, it is 8 years).

Supervision arrangements

According to the Higher Education Act, the studies within doctoral study programmes proceed according to individual curricula under the guidance of a supervisor. Conditions that students have to fulfil during their study and on its regular completion are set in the individual study plan; they are further determined by the content and the extent of the state doctoral examination and requirements for prescribed knowledge.

Studies within doctoral study programmes are monitored and evaluated by a doctoral studies board appointed in compliance with internal regulations of a higher education institution (vysoké školy) or one of its constituent parts that offers the accredited study programme in question. Higher education institutions or their constituent parts may agree on creating a common board for study programmes in the same area of studies. The chair of the doctoral studies board is the guarantor of the doctoral study programme by voting from among its members.

Employability

The doctoral programme focuses on scientific research and independent creative work; this applies even when the applied research is conducted. The programme is carried out according to an individual study plan under the supervision of an advisor, who may be a professional from the field but must be approved by the relevant departmental council. Professionals from the field may also serve as consultants. As for nvolving employers in the governing bodies of HEIs, career guidance and other general principles see Employability in Bachelor´s programmes and Career Guidance in Chapter 11.

Unemployment rate of doctoral study graduates at all public HEIs, 2010–2024 (data collection in April of the given year)

Source: Database of the SVP PedF UK – Data extracted as of 15 April 2025

Unlike the unemployment data for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree graduates, the table also includes data for the first six months after graduation. This is because Doctoral degree graduates complete their studies much more evenly throughout the year. Approximately half of them do so within the six months prior to the April survey date, which gives this indicator sufficient informative value and allows it to capture the situation shortly after graduation. 

Assessment

ECTS credits are usually not widely used in doctoral programmes.

Requirements that a student of the doctoral study must fulfil are determined by a higher education institution in the form of an individual study plan. For a given course, the higher education institution sets the number of compulsory and compulsorily optional courses which the students must attend. Fulfilment of an individual study plan is subject to regular, usually annual, assessment approved by the doctoral studies board.

Students are expected to focus on scientific research and independent creative activity. It must be clear from the theme of the doctoral thesis that their solution will require student's independent creative activity in research and development, or independent creative activity in art. The doctoral thesis must contain the original and published results or the results accepted for publication.

Certification

As stipulated by the 2025 amendment to the Higher Education Act, studies in a Doctoral programme conclude with a state final examination consisting of the defence of a dissertation. A dissertation may include an artistic work or a functional prototype of a technical device, a patent application for an invention, or technical documentation created during research, development, or innovation activities, or any other applied result of research, development, or innovation. This provision is set forth in the aforementioned 2025 amendment to the Higher Education Act; in previous years, the programme was completed with a state doctoral examination and a public defence of the dissertation. 

A higher education diploma (vysokoškolský diplom) and a supplement to the diploma (dodatek k diplomu) are documents confirming completion of studies and the right to use the appropriate academic title. Graduates of doctoral programmes are awarded the academic title “Doctor” – Ph.D. (before 1 September 2016 also “Doctor of Theology” Th.D.). The level of education attained is ISCED 844.

An overview of higher education degrees in doctoral study programmes

Note: Academic title is used behind the name.

Organisational variation

A study programme can have the form of:

• an on-site (daily) course
• a distance (e.g. e-learning) course (currently not organised at any HEI)
• a combination of both (so called combined form of study)

The Higher Education Act considers all three study form to be equal in as regards the content. Currently higher education institutions offer all doctoral study programmes in an on-site and a combined form of study (i.e. a combination of on-site and a distance form of study).