Introduction
The doctoral degree program in literature in English provides advanced instruction in traditional areas of literary studies and in contextual, interdisciplinary, and transnational approaches to literature and culture. Students can specialize in one of the four major Anglophone areas – British and Irish literature, North American literature, Australian and New Zealand literature, or other literature in English – or they can do a comparative study in two or more of these areas. Methodological approaches may include national/transnational, ethnicity, gender, queer, postcolonial, regional, and other aspects shaping literary studies. The program is designed to encourage students to expand their literary-critical focus while developing their teaching, networking, and professional skills.
The main objectives of the program are:
to expand rigorous research and methodological skills in literary-critical and critical-theoretical work;
to obtain detailed knowledge of the critical scholarship in the selected area of Anglophone literature in Czech and international contexts; and
to acquire personal experience with and professional growth within Czech and international academic environments.
Work experience
The program does not require practical training in addition to the practice the students receive when participating in the activities of the department.
Graduate destination
The program endeavors to reflect the latest developments in the field of Anglophone literary studies. This allows the graduates of the program to enter the job market not only in academia but also in journalism, diplomacy, various national and transnational NGOs, public service, and the commercial sector.
Study options
Single-subject studies
1. Semester
2. Semester
Required Courses
Methodology of literary criticism
Primary Field Seminar I
Research Activities
The Profession of English
Required Courses
Foreign Language I
Literary Value and Canonicity
Selective Courses
Intermediality and adaptation
3. Semester
4. Semester
Required Courses
Conference Participation I
International Research Stay I
Selected Chapters in Literary and Cultural Theory
Selective Courses
Film Adaptations of English Speaking LIteratures
Required Courses
Conference Participation II
Selective Courses
Constructing the Book, Reconstructing the Text
5. Semester
Required Courses
Methodology Seminar
Publication I
7. Semester
8. Semester
Required Courses
Doctoral Dissertation Proposal
Required Courses
Doctoral Dissertation
Doctoral Exam
Combined studies
No courses set
Admission Requirements
You do not have to come to Brno personally to take the entrance exam. The result of the admission process depends on the quality of the documents that you provide. Those will be assessed by the admission committee and you will be notified about the results via e-mail.
Terms of Admission
It is recommended that you choose and contact your supervisor before sending your application. For more information click here.
Submission of an electronic application in the Masaryk University Information System.
Submission of three letters of recommendation in English.
Submission of a copy of the applicants Master's Thesis (in English). If this is not available, an English-language summary of the thesis must be provided together with a minimum twenty-page sample of the applicant's academic or scholarly writing in English. Graduates of Masaryk University need not submit a copy, as their theses are available to the Doctoral Studies Committee via the Masaryk University Information System.
Submission of a transcript(s) of university/college studies, which must include:
Dates you attended the institution(s).
Titles of courses and examinations you completed and the marks received.
Submission of a research proposal for the doctoral dissertation (in English).
A statement of motivation to pursue a doctoral degree in Literature in English at Masaryk University (in English).
Submission of an academic Curriculum Vitae (in English).
English-language test scores not more than one-year-old at the submission of the application from the following testing agencies:
IELTSAcademicscore of 8.0 or higher
Certificate of Cambridge Proficiency in English with a mark of A or B
TOEFL iBT score of 110 or higher
Graduates of colleges or universities located in English-speaking countries (e.g. the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia) need not submit test scores.
Receive a positive recommendation from the Literatures in English Doctoral Studies Committee, which is based on a complex evaluation of the materials set out in the points above.
In addition, all applicants with foreign degrees (except as set out below) must submit their Master's degree for official recognition by the Czech Republic's Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. As this process ("nostrification") can take several months, it is recommended that applicants submit this paperwork concurrently with their application. Applicants without this official recognition are not permitted to enroll at the University. Detailed instructions can be found here.
Holders of degrees from universities located in countries with which the Czech Republic has a treaty on the bilateral recognition of academic degrees and titles (at the present time: Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia), please see here.
Holders of degrees from universities located in Slovakia should follow the instructions set out here.
Application
Create your application here.
Application Deadlines
1 January - 30 April for the enrollment in the Fall semester.1 July - 31 October for the enrollment in the Spring semester.
Extended application deadline for Fall 2020 intake (first semester online)
1 May – 31 August
Documents set out above in the Terms of Admission are required to be provided in digital form and attached to the online application by April 30th (August 31) or October 31st.
